"Make sure that it doesn't get published."

"Sir, I don't think we can suppress such an important story."

"Then what the fuck am I paying you for?"

"Yes sir, I think if any outlet refuses to pull the story entirely they can be bribed to at least give it a back page printing."

"Good, I'm glad you're worth further employment."

"Yes Mr. President." The voice replied to an ended phone call.

I

Tenzin watched the Avatar slowly swirl her spoon through her soup. They were sat in an inner courtyard that was the first to be bathed in the morning sunlight, sitting at a table which he gathered had been brought there specifically for them both. Kirā had already finished her meal and was helping herself to another ladle full.

Korra watched her reflection in the soup, she sighed, there was an emptiness in her stomach. The first few mouthfuls had been enough to distract her from it, but now any more just made her want to vomit.

"You should really eat more." Kirā offered as she opened the small paper packet and dropped the little clear pill on Korra's plate.

Korra shook her head and took the pill on her tongue. "I'm not hungry."

Tenzin realized she'd hardly touched her food, and that the reason she looked so gaunt was obvious. He was about to speak but the Avatar slumped forward on the table with her head in her hands. "…Korra?"

"I'm fine."

Kirā could see tears falling down on the table, she couldn't decide whether to offer her another pill or to chart the pressure points she'd need to hit to chi block her. "Do you need anything?"

Korra shook her head as it rested in her hands, trying to force herself to stop crying. "I'm fine."

Kirā frowned and looked at Tenzin who was already looking with raised eyebrows at her. Fuck's sake…it's not my fault she's like this. She watched as Korra wiped the tears off her face and sat back in her chair.

"So, let's get air bending."

It's not my fault, but she definitely thinks it's hers.

I

Ren smiled across the table at Mako as he looked over the menu at Garlon's, they'd gotten a private booth sunk in against the wall. As planned he'd been unable to take his eyes off her for much more than a moment. Usually she did her best to suppress her looks, but being dressed to kill for once not in a literal sense and seeing Mako look at her with pure desire in his eyes was pure happiness for her.

Mako peeked away from the menu. "What?

She leaned forward placing her chin on her tented hands. "You always pick the same thing, yet you spend ten minute looking over the menu anyways."

"The duck is always good," Mako sipped from his glass of whisky. "And the other options are always, tempting." He winked at Ren.

Ren grinned. "Fair enough," The waiter interrupted their flirting and scribbled down their orders and disappeared as quickly as he'd come.

"So, when do you think you'll be called back to work?" Mako thumbed the edge of his glass.

She shrugged sipping from her own glass of whisky. "I was wondering that myself lately, I can't bring myself to call in and ask…they'll call when they need me, that I do know."

Mako shrugged. "Why tempt fate…" he leaned across and caressed her hand on the table. "It's been great having you around so much."

"It has been great." Ren smiled.

"Detective Mako!"

The moment between them shattered and Mako's jaw dropped. "Mr. President…uh, hello."

Ren was instantly uneasy. She knew the man from the news but seeing him in person, he looked like a wax caricature of himself from the same press clippings and radio speeches. "You didn't tell me you knew the President?" Her DAGR experience kicked in and she fell into an act of impressed date. It both shielded her from questioning and gave Mako a buffer for answers.

"He doesn't! Not yet anyway," President Tsusamo gave a cocky bow, more of the bow after a performance rather than one of respect. He extended his hand and shook Mako's vigorously before kissing Ren's to her well concealed disgust. "Forgive me, I simply wanted to congratulate the detective who apprehended the 'family of blood'" he wiggled his fingers to add emphasis to the moniker Nyūsu had given Ketsueki.

"Oh, right, didn't realize that was public knowledge yet, but, thank you Mr. President."

"Well I'm not the public, I've made quite sure that I know about what's going on in my city." President Tsusamo smiled.

"Through official channels I hope." Ren chimed in playfully.

His smile faltered. "Why yes of course, may I sit?" Before they could give a definitive no he slid into their booth next to Mako. "Don't worry I won't stay, I've got a dinner party to get back to, I just simply must pick the brain of RCPD's finest."

Mako smiled at the compliment but couldn't help but slightly uneasy, normally if someone was acting this nice they wanted to sell something. Mako considered for a moment, in reality he'd gotten the information about the safe house from torturing a blood bender Ren had captured. He thought back to Himiko and took another sip of his whisky. "Well It was actually the result of some detective work done by my late partner, Detective Himiko. She died in a sting operation where we gained the intel that later lead us to the blood bender's apartment."

"Fascinating, fascinating, what's next for her then?"

"Next for who?" Ren's eyes narrowed.

President Tsusamo's smile faltered again. "For her, your captive, the blood bender I've heard so much about."

Mako nodded. "It'll be up to the courts, but most likely she'll be locked away for the rest of her life."

"Better than she deserves." Ren commented.

President Tsusamo smiled and nodded. "You know Detective, someone with your considerable skills needn't hunt for work if it you ever leave the RCPD." He handed him a card.

"Thank you Mr. President," Mako tucked the card into his jacket pocket.

"Now! I'll leave you two to it! I've got to rejoin my table, you would not believe how long winded Fire Lord Izumi can be with her stories, I'm sure I haven't missed much." The President bid his farewell.

"I don't like him." Ren finally spoke as the food arrived.

Mako replayed the conversation in his head. "I don't either…"

I

Setchi held a soaked pilot's helmet in her hands as she crouched on the floor of an empty warehouse. She was here. Setchi felt equal parts relieved and panicked. On the one hand this was evidence that Asami Sato was indeed alive, on the other, someone had taken her. She stood and looked around the warehouse. There was clear signs of a struggle, shattered chairs broken glass, dried blood stains. DAGR's work no doubt.

She slammed her foot on the ground and quickly scanned the room. She frowned and walked over to the far wall bearing the logo of Regent Logistics, the company that owned the warehouse. The logo and name was painted on a cloth banner that was beginning to fade. Grabbing a fist full of the banner she pulled it off the wall earning a cloud of dust as it fell to the ground. As her scan had showed there was a mural of a Lotus flower painted in dark red. "Oh you think you're so fucking clever." Regent Logistics, Red Lotus. She rolled her eyes, she had a clear path now, if the Red Lotus had Asami Sato and if they continued to use Regent Logistics as a cover operation then she could follow their trail. Setchi punched the wall using her bending to shatter the mural into a million chunks. Don't worry Asami, we're coming

I

"Just concentrate on your breathing, you know the drill." Tenzin instructed, when he'd suggested meditation he had never expected Korra to agree. However when Kirā seemed over joyed at the idea he could see Korra waiver then decide. Now they sat in the Lotus pose in the inner court yard of the fortress. He'd refused Kirā's repeated attempts to give him syringes to sedate Korra if it proved necessary. I really wish you'd stayed with us Korra…this place can't be good for you. "Just breathe and relax, let your mind fall away.

If it were that easy… Korra slouched in her Lotus pose her back was killing her and her mind felt fuzzy. She tried to concentrate on her breathing. "When I pictured relearning air bending…yeah I guess there was a lot of mediation first time around wasn't there."

"That and the gates are back at Air Temple Island." Tenzin smiled. "Concentrate." He was about to speak again when the sound of an explosion shattered the silent morning. Tenzin frowned, and tried to refocus. instead the calm was shattered once again by another explosion. "What are they doing out there?"

Korra smirked even without opening her eyes she could tell Tenzin was irked. "I think Aka is practicing her combustion bending."

Tenzin sighed. "Right…"

I

"Pull!" Aka shouted.

Kirā fired an arrow towards the sea and watched as Aka turned, spotted the arrow, then with two rhythmic shock waves incinerated the arrow in a violent explosion. Kirā laughed as the combustion bender clapped her hands together and punched the air.

"What'd I say? Best there is!"

"Definitely the best I've seen." She shrugged as she realized Aka was the only combustion bender she'd seen.

Aka held her arms out. "Damn right,"

Kirā bit her lip as her heart fluttered at the sight of Aka's massive arms spread which also pulled her vest in very tightly. "Are all DAGR operatives as buff as you?" DON'T SAY IT OUT LOUD YOU IDIOT. Her mind screamed at her.

The combustion bender's eyes narrowed as she grinned. "Nah you've got quite a mixed bag when it comes to them, you'll fit right in, someone with your talents and all."

Was…she flirting? Oh fuck.

Aka raised an eyebrow. "Can you fire a volley?"

She snapped out of it. "Yep! I can do that! Yup! three arrows coming up." God you're smooth…dumbass.

The combustion bender turned to face the ocean with a smile on her face. She's as adorable as she is deadly.

I

Tenzin flinched as three explosions right after each other echoed through the court yard. "Okay new plan, mediation can wait." He untucked his legs and pulled on his beard, he was curious how to phrase the next sentence.

Korra held out her hand keeping her fingers together, for a second it held still but it shook causing her to pull it back like she'd been burnt. She quickly pulled out a little paper envelope that Kirā had given her and took the pill inside it.

"Korra…" Tenzin took a deep breath, ignoring the desire to ask her if she knew what was in the medicine she was constantly taking. "I want you to tell me what's wrong."

She waited for the pill to dissolve on her tongue, nothing now, she made a face at the question. "What do you mean."

"Tell me what's wrong."

Korra sighed and her breath caught in her throat. "You know what's wrong."

"Tell me." Tenzin folded his hands in his lap.

"Tenzin…" Korra stopped herself, she could tell her old teacher wasn't trying to be cruel or inefficient, he had something in mind. "What do you want me to tell you?"

He shrugged. "The truth, I want to know what you think is wrong…in your own words."

Her breath caught again. "I don't know where to start…and I swear if you say at the beginning I will slap you."

Tenzin stopped himself from saying just that. "Start where ever you like."

She abandoned the lotus position and pulled her legs to her chest. "I hurt everyone I care about…I hurt Asami." She was so tired of crying but it felt like a default that her face would be covered in tears. "She ran away from me." She felt Tenzin's arm wrap around her, in a firm hug. "I'm a blood bender…and because of me, my mistakes, because of my failure every avatar after me will know how." Her voice sounded tiny as she spoke between her arms. "I just don't want to fight it anymore." She breathed in heavy sobs. "I could blood bend right now and it would feel amazing…then I could just bend the fortress own on myself. The next Avatar would be able to start fresh. He might not even learn about my mistakes."

"Korra, you can't think like that."

"Why not? I've fucked everything up, I can hardly even bend anymore, I don't want this anymore. I just want it to end."

Tenzin felt his heart drop, for the first time in a long time he had no words of wisdom, no advice to give, he didn't know what to say to help her.

I

Ren kissed Mako's neck tasting the sweat that had coated them both, he really did love that dress, she grinned and turned over laying beside him and letting the cool air in the room dry the sweat that had accumulated between them. Based on how much they'd tired each other out she had no doubt that she'd sleep soundly, if she was lucky she wouldn't even dream. She took a deep breath and blew it out slowly through pursed lips. "I really did leave you speechless."

Mako snorted. "Always babe, I was just thinking."

Ren turned back over reaching an arm over I'm pulling herself against him. "President Tsusamo?"

Mako raised an eyebrow. "So it wasn't just me, the dude was way too…"

"Weird?"

"Right!" He absent mindedly stroked his fingers down her shoulders. "Even for a politician…something is off with him."

"I wasn't going to mention it…but since I'm still on vacation and it's an official RCPD problem. He knew that the blood bender was a woman, and Nyūsu hasn't gone to print yet." She felt Mako's heart rate pick up.

"He could've gotten that from his source in RCPD…" Mako realized Ren's gambit. "You played him."

She smiled. "Since he admitted to us that he had an official source and not a leak, all you have to do is figure out if that's true. I don't think it is, that means either he has a mole inside RCPD or knew about the blood family before hand."

"Damn."

Ren nodded and yawned. "Only thing I can't put my finger on…why is the president interested in blood benders?"

Mako chewed his lip but shrugged it off, he would deal with it in the morning. "Speaking of putting fingers on things."

Before she could roll her eyes at the pun he'd disappeared beneath the sheets. I really will sleep great tonight.

I

Setchi stared at the radio on the bridge of the airship, she was scared, she didn't want to propose her plan and have them shoot it down and order her back to HQ. What would Sergeant Ren do…besides not lose in the ocean to probable kidnappers…fuck it. Grabbing the radio she held down the transmission button. "HQ HQ, this is the Airship Azula,"

"Airship Azula, send it."

"Requesting to speak with Colonel Pai"

"Wait one."

Setchi sat down and waited, she'd asked for her commanding officer, while she could never pinpoint as to why, it was clear that she hated Setchi. This is a good plan, she has to go for it…this is a good plan…I'm a good Kyoshi. She took a deep breath. The radio crackled back to life.

"Sergeant Setchi, this better be good."

"We've got a lead on Asami Sato."

"It's been forty eight hours and all you have is a lead?"

Setchi sneered and flipped off the radio. "Regent Logistics, we found her helmet in the warehouse. DAGR…or someone else removed active Red Lotus operatives from the same warehouse. Regent Logistics has to be a cover for the Red Lotus but I asked at the port and it's an active shipping company. Which makes sense if they had to move a high value hostage without anyone noticing."

"That's a thin lead Sergeant."

"I just need more time, the nearest port in the Earth Kingdom must have a Regent Logistics warehouse. It would be the next logical place to take her."

"You have permission to check, but with the intent of heading too HQ after. If you don't find any further leads there you will report back to me. Over and Out."

Setchi hung the handset back on the radio and jumped for joy. Told you Asami! We're on our way!

"You know I'm still in here right?" The pilot rolled her eyes.

Setchi turned red but tried to save the moment. "Then do your job and get this ship airborne to the port of Dai Lao!"

The pilot sighed and begrudgingly got up to the pilot's chair and controls. "And just a heads up, it's one of the largest ports in the world, makes republic city look like a farmer's market."

Setchi shrugged on her way out the door. "I'll deal with that."

I

Kirā carefully unrolled a leather case for vials and syringes on a small wooden table next to Korra's bed, she was beginning to think she'd have made a half decent nurse. To her annoyance Tenzin had convinced Korra to let him stay with her while she was sedated. How an air bending training session had produced an emotional wreck of an Avatar she didn't know. What little other training she did for the day she was even more distant than usual, putting in even less effort.

"You don't need to stay Tenzin." Korra reiterated as Kirā punctured the cork lid to the vial with the needle.

"I just want you to realize that everything is okay, we can fix this…all of it." Tenzin sat on the edge of the bed next to Korra. Pulling on his beard.

Korra winced as the needle punctured her arm. "No we can't…I've got too much blood on my hands." The first wave of high hit her. "Some of them didn't deserve it…but I slaughtered them anyways." Before she could say another word her mind fell backwards into her warm coma high.

Tenzin sighed as he realized Korra was dead to the world. "What's in that stuff anyway?"

Kirā shrugged. "Lot stronger than what they give injured Kyoshi in the field that's for sure." She sighed and took her usual seat.

Tenzin looked over at his old friend. "If I could just convince her to fight…convince her to keep going."

The Kyoshi pulled out her dagger to sharpen it for what felt like the hundredth night in a row. "You can lead cattle to water but you can't make them drink." Kirā looked at the dagger blade, there was no way she'd be able to get it sharper than it already was. She sheathed it and leaned forward in the chair and saw Tenzin deep in thought. "Look I wish I had answers, but I'm as stumped as you are, she's alive but if she goes into battle she might just sacrifice herself on purpose."

Tenzin rubbed the arrow on his forehead and sighed. "So you just watch her all night?"

"Yup."

He waved his hand back and forth over Korra's eyes. "Why? She isn't even moving."

"In the early days of this we couldn't get the dosage right, and the moon was full, she'd wake up in a full panic or seizure, the symptoms of her withdrawals made her deathly sick. Kirā grimaced as she remembered the feeling of the Avatar's vomit soaking through her shirt. "There was a lot of puking."

"She doesn't do that at this point right?"

She snorted at the worry in his voice. "No she's mostly comatose through the night now, maybe the odd sleep talking, she never remembers though."

"What does she say?" Tenzin asked his heart sinking as he watched Korra.

"It's usually about Asami, some times she just cries."

The gears in Tenzin's mind started to turn. "What do we know of Asami's disappearance?"

KIrā shrugged. "Not a lot, I was just notified via messenger hawk, but someone as famous as Asami Sato, if there's no body it's gotta be a kidnapping.

"…What if we told her?"

"No." Kirā's eyes went wide.

"Think about it, we'll frame it as Asami needs rescuing, which in all likelihood she does. It'll give her something to fight for, something to concentrate on other than her current condition." Tenzin replied trying his best to convince himself as much as Kirā.

"That's…" The best plan we've had in months. "That's a huge risk to take."

"Riskier than drugging the Avatar?"

"…Shit." Kirā let her head fall back against the stone wall. "Okay so it's a good plan after all…but we can't do it yet. Or at least let's plan it so she's not an emotional wreck when we tell her."

Tenzin nodded glad they at least had a plan to work with now. "Deal."

Kirā nodded, with the plan settled the possibilities for conversation between an assassin and an Air Nomad weren't amazing. It took all of five minutes before Tenzin spoke up again.

"If you want I can watch her, you said she was mostly comatose right?"

Kirā shook her head. "I need to be here to administer a second dose if she needs it."

Tenzin raised an eyebrow. "How frequently has she needed that since she's finished her withdrawals?"

Kirā narrowed her eyes and sighed again. "She hasn't."

"I'm sure you can use a night off."

The idea caught her off guard, she supposed she could use a night off. She could take a nice long bath, and sleep for more than her standard five hours if she didn't waste anymore time. She looked at her watch and instantly felt more tired. "Tenzin…I need to know I can trust you. I dove off a cliff to save Avatar Korra, and for weeks I held her down while she coughed up blood and begged me to end her life. Do not fuck this up."

That was blunt. Tenzin nodded. "Korra is like daughter of mine, I won't let you down."

Kirā nodded, and stood already feeling less stressed imagining the warm water of a bath on her shoulders. "I'll be back in seven hours to wake her up." She turned and left hoping she hadn't made a huge mistake.

I

President Tsusamo dialed the number he'd memorized, he was glad he'd convinced the heads of the Red Lotus sects to start conducting their meetings via phone. His charade as President was one that he could rarely break character, and frequent trips to the spirit world even via mediation were sure to be noticed. The line connected automatically and he was greeted by silence. "I called this meeting because I need five operatives, benders, at least one metal bender."

"You've already got all mine,"

"Well then you aren't needed." President Tsusamo sneered at the comment that never would've been made if they'd been in person. The one downside to meetings conducted on telephones.

"I can send my best fire bender, but he's the only one I have at the moment." A woman's voice entered the conversation.

"I'll supply the rest, things are slow here at the port and they could use some exercise. All of them earth benders, just not metal benders though." A gruff voice that President Tsusamo guessed was from one of the few remaining Earth Empire sects.

"I think that'll work." President Tsusamo smiled. "Things are coming to fruition my brothers and sisters. I just need those benders and the rest of our objectives will tumble like dominoes."

"Where should I send them?" The same gruff voice asked.

"Send them to me, I've got a bit of a passion project that needs motivation."

I

Kirā sat on the edge of one of the numerous brass baths playfully waving her hand through the steam as it slowly rose off the water that had begun to fill the tub. The baths were the only part of the fortress that hadn't been renovated in one way or another. The room with its long row of brass tubs in the stone room with its arched ceilings interspersed with dim lighting, she wasn't used to feeling at peace but it certainly helped.

"Oh there you are." Aka's voice echoed through the room.

Kirā tensed at the sudden intrusion but adjusted her towel and turned. What she saw made her mind go blank and turned her smile turned to a dropped jaw. Aka was completely naked with only a towel draped around her neck obscuring absolutely nothing. "W-why are you naked?"

"These are the baths…aren't they?" Aka knew exactly what she was doing, she walked slowly as she eyed Kirā up biting her lip as she imagined what was underneath that towel.

Kirā hadn't heard her answer, her mind was still a mess of fried signals and static as she watched Aka's lean bulk of a body saunter up to the tub next to hers and sit down on its edge. Aka's eyes narrowed playfully loving the desire she felt from Kirā's gaze. Without taking her eyes off her she slowly spread her arms out sliding her hands on the side of the tub. She could almost watch her breath catch in her throat. Kirā's heart was pounding in her chest which made her voice shudder as she spoke. "I…uh…"

"The tub is about to over flow." Aka raised an eyebrow.

"What?" Kirā's eyes went wide and she spun panicking turning the knobs the wrong way then the other. The water flowed out of the tub splashing on the stone floor before it stopped coming out of the faucet. Her shoulders dropped and she realized she was blushing a dark red. Before she could turn around she felt a firm pair of hands on her hips, her entire body shivered. "I…feel like there's a regulation against this." The hair on her neck stood on end as she heard Aka whisper into her ear.

"And I feel…" Aka gently slid her calloused hands along Kirā's hips giving the towel a quick tug sending it to the floor. "Like ignoring the regulation." She slid her hand up Kirās abs feeling the complicated network of scars.

Kirā shivered as Aka's other hand slid down from her hips. "…shit."

I

Asami looked at the small chunk of bread in front of her on the floor. had tossed it through the bars and left making the cruel remark of "I'd give you water but I don't want you to drown." As much pain as she was in with her broken ribs she still felt an extra tinge of hatred for the man. Just starve them out…you might be too far gone before they notice. She sighed and rest her head on her knees. Her stomach ached but she couldn't give in. Asami ignored the squeaks at first, assuming it was just another noise in the complex of empty cells next to hers. Then it got louder. She raised her head earning a pinch of pain from her neck. In the darkness of her cell she could just make out the outline of a rat by the bars. She rolled her eyes, the rat cocked its head at her, then at the bread. Asami's stomach rumbled and the rat darted for the bread. "NO!" She sprang forward instant seeing stars as her broken ribs moved and she fell on the bread sending the rat scampering away. It took her a moment as she lay on the only food she'd been given in a week, and felt her broken ribs on the concrete, if she had anymore tears to cry she would've sobbed.

I

Mako for the first time in a long time walked into the detective's office with a smile on his face, he held his uniform coat on his shoulder as he strolled over to his desk. He even managed to ignore Himiko's empty desk, trading his jacket for his coffee mug he made a b line for the coffee maker. The office was already in full swing but no one seemed to need him so he happily filled his mug and sat back at his desk. He looked at the stack of files and realized they were all about the blood benders. He took a deep breath and smiled, he was just one final report from being finished with all of it. Mako took a deep sip from his coffee as Chief Barzoon walked into the office. "Hey Chief?" Calling him that left a bad taste in Mako's mouth but he needed to find out about President Tsusamo and his sources.

"Detective, don't let me forget but i've put you and Detective Himiko in for the legion of merit." Barzoon had secretly hoped it would be enough to stall Mako and let him get to his office without a long conversation.

"Thank you Sir, she'd have been thrilled. I just need to do some follow up before I can finish my report."

Barzoon stopped in his tracks. "Follow up? We've got the suspect in custody, the whole city is breathing easy, don't go around making people think there's more of these crazies."

Mako forced himself to ignore Barzoon's incompetence. "I spoke with President Tsusamo last night and he said he had an official contact, a source, telling him the details of the case. Is that true?"

Barzoon shrugged. "I wouldn't know."

Mako made a face. "Uh actually Sir, you would know, any official disclosures or declassifications have to go through you."

"Oh." Barzoon shrugged again. "Well I haven't signed anything or talked to anyone requesting something like that. He must've just misspoke."

Mako sipped on his coffee. He must have. Mako shrugged, what was the alternative the president had a mole in the RCPD? Why would he even need one? He could just as easily have asked Barzoon for the details. Why the subterfuge?

I

Lin had always hated flying on bison so she left the piloting to Opal and kept her eyes tightly shut as she slumped in the bison's saddle basket. She was fighting the instinct to freak out, in a matter of hours Opal and her had packed supplies and begun their long flight to the swamp lands. Heading to a place we've never been, looking for someone who probably doesn't want to be found, hoping she can help me do something no one knows how to do. She frowned, it was beginning to feel hopeless.

"We're coming over the swamp now," Opal called back from her seat on the Bison head.

Lin peeked out of one eye and saw nothing but clouds. "If you think I'm looking down you're high."

Opal laughed. "I'll bring her down."

Her stomach lurched as the bison nosed down, she fought the instinct to swear and just shut her eyes tighter. "You're a worse pilot than Bumi was!"

"We're over head now, you can see the banyan tree in the center!"

Lin took a deep breath and opened her eyes, blinking as they adjusted to the daylight, her breath left her as she looked out over more trees than she'd ever seen. Even from the air the swamp stretched out as far as they could see. Her heart sank, hopeless was optimistic. "You ever been here before?"

Opal buzzed the tops of the trees with her bison. "No, never! I'll put him down by the Banyan tree, we'll camp there for the night! Sound good?"

"Fuck it. Why not."

"Huh?"

"Sure! Sounds good!" Lin yelled over the rushing air. Mom…I hope you're out there somewhere.

I

Aka smiled looking up at the morning sky through the singed holes in her tent, when she'd convinced Kirā to follow her she knew it was going to be a good night. She hadn't expected it to be the best night. Looking down at the muscled assassin snuggled against her sound asleep she grinned proudly and let her head slump back into one of the many pillows. Where will I find a replacement tent around here…I wonder if I can just convince her to get me one. It's technically her fault after all. She grinned.

"What are you smiling about?" Kirā mumbled in to Aka's abs briefly remembering the taste of her skin from last night.

"Just thinking about how you owe me a new tent."

Waking up from her groggy sleepiness Kirā kissed Aka's chest. "It's not my fault you can fire bend out of your mouth."

Her stomach tensed as she felt Kirā's teeth graze her chest playfully. "Mmm I'm surprised I didn't end up blowing the ship up by accident." She traced her finger tips down Kirā's back feeling the various scratches she'd left.

Kirā felt drunk with happiness, her legs quivered as she moved upwards hovering over Aka on all fours. "Last night was amazing." She kissed the third eye tattoo and then Aka's lips. Kirā couldn't remember the last time she'd slept with another person, while she felt completely exhausted and even sore, she wanted more.

Aka moaned as Kirā bit her neck. "I didn't think you were the sex for breakfast type."

Kirā's heart exploded. "What time is it?"

"Almost nine." Aka answered bemused at the sudden panic in her eyes. "Why?"

"SHIT!" Kirā shot to her feet and quickly looked for her clothes. "Where are my clothes?"

Aka shrugged enjoying seeing her new lover's body from her angle. "Guess you'll just have to wear one of my skirts."

Kirā laughed stressfully, she knew for a fact she didn't follow Aka out of the fortress and down the beach completely naked. Under Aka's discarded leather vest she spotted her grey uniform shirt and pants. "Thank fuck."

"See you later?" Aka asked hoping the answer was a resounding yes.

Kirā's panic faltered for a moment as she clothed herself, she looked over the woman she'd spent night with and still felt the same flutter in her heart. "Absolutely."

"Say hi to Korra for me!" Aka called after her as she sprinted up the beach.

I

"What do you mean she's being transferred." Mako crumpled the paper and threw it back at the beat cop that had brought it to his desk. "This is ridiculous."

"Hey Detective don't shoot the messenger."

Mako slammed his fist against his desk. "When are they moving her?"

"Depending on how quickly they can ready a convoy, maybe an hour."

"Thanks for telling me." He shot up from his desk and stormed for Chief Barzoon's office. Anger blinded him, rather than knocking and waiting for permission to enter he threw the door open. "What the fuck is this about?"

Barzoon simply raised his eyebrows and continued his phone call. "Just a second."

Mako fumed half tempted to slam the phone down on its receiver. He waited till Chief Barzoon had hung up the phone to ask again. "Why the fuck is Ketsueki being transferred?"

"Ketsueki?"

"The blood bender!" Mako shouted.

"Her transfer was ordered by the commissioner, way above my head." Barzoon lit a cigarette.

"Did he say why?"

"No, and I didn't ask, maybe you should learn to do the same Detective." He blew out the smoke.

"Let me get this right, they're moving the most dangerous prisoner probably in the entire facility, the day after we capture her?" Mako wanted to smack the cigarette out of Barzoon's mouth.

"She's being moved to the mountain facility, much more secure than anything in the city." Barzoon was enjoying Mako's frustration.

"Why would they move her? We haven't even interviewed her yet!"

"Oh I think you and your Kyoshi friend had plenty to say to her, word has it the prisoner spent the entire morning screaming. I've half a mind to reprimand you for brutality!" Barzoon took another puff of his cigarette.

"Excuse me?" Mako's eye twitched.

"You're excused. This transfer is happening no matter how loudly you bitch about it, Beifong might have made you think you're hot shit but you forget you're still a Detective and I am your commanding officer." Barzoon could see the rage in Mako's eyes. "Get out of my office."

Mako took a deep breath stowed his anger and left, rather than return to his desk he went straight out of the office. The convoy carrying prisoners could only leave from one place, if Barzoon was going to be this incompetent Mako decided he would have to pick up the slack.

I

Kirā straightened her wrinkled clothes out before opening the wooden door to Korra's cell. Breathing a sigh of relief when she saw that Korra was still laying completely comatose in bed. To her dismay Tenzin was slumped against the wall snoring loudly. She wanted to be mad but technically she had left him on guard for hours longer than she'd meant to. Kirā let the door slam waking Tenzin in a panic. She checked Korra's pulse and grabbed the roll of medicine and syringes.

"Ah, there you are." Tenzin yawned and stretched. "Uh…" He spotted several dark hickeys on her neck.

Kirā looked over at him. "What?"

He straightened his beard. "Nothing."

She rolled her eyes and injected Korra quickly. "Sorry I left you for so long, I was…more tired than I thought."

Tenzin kept his mouth shut as Korra slowly stirred back to life. "How are you feeling?"

Korra sighed. "Stop asking me that." She sat up feeling every sore muscle spasm and flex. "Fuck…was I out longer than normal?"

Kirā blushed. "Yeah sorry, I uh…slept in."

Korra noticed the bruises on her neck, her hair was also disheveled which Korra had never seen it be. She looked at Tenzin and quickly realized the idea was nonsense, even if it did make her want to puke. "Slept in huh?"

Tenzin stood and brushed off his robes. "Uh, you know what, I think I'll uh, see if Oogie needs any food. You know how bisons get…"

Before Korra could even roll her eyes he disappeared out of the room. "Now that Mister subtle is gone…spill!"

"I don't think that would be appropriate." Kirā's skin had continued to be a dark blush.

"Please, you've cleaned up my vomit. I want to know who melted that stone heart of yours." Korra smiled.

She didn't want to tell her, but Korra did seem to be genuinely happy for a moment. Shit. She sat down on the bunk next to Korra and smiled thinking back through the previous night. How it had begun with Aka's massive hands on her hips. "Aka."

Now it was Korra's turn to blush. "Lucky bitch!"

Kirā rolled her eyes and laughed. "It was…yeah it was an amazing night."

Korra smiled. "I'm glad you had fun, you deserve it, I can't thank you enough for all you've done."

Kirā shrugged. "Just doing my job," she rubbed her neck. "Are the hickies that bad?"

"Ohhhh they're terrible." Korra snorted. "She's as strong as she looks I guess."

Kirā blushed. "Stronger." She tried to straighten her collar over the bruises but realized she wasn't going to fool anyone.

"Normally I'd offer to heal you, it works great for bruises…but"

She nodded. "It's okay Korra, I'll deal with it," Kirā frowned. "Uh actually I think you should train with her today…Tenzin is nice and all but you seemed happier training with Aka."

Korra considered the idea. "I do kinda feel like fire bending today."

"You should see her combustion bending, she shot three arrows out of—" Kirā caught Korra's amused glance. "What?"

"Just saying you two are perfect for each other."

Kirā blushed brushing off the idea, Aka was wonderful, a DAGR assassin, Kirā knew she was more than an equal when it came to combat prowess. She stopped herself as she realized she was smiling ear to ear. Shit.

I

Mako tapped his finger on the steering wheel of the patrol car he'd borrowed, it smelled like cigarette smoke and made his eyes sting if he didn't keep the windows down. The heat of the day had made him toss his jacket off and wished he'd drank more than just coffee the whole day. Some one honked in the throng of traffic Mako and the prison truck were buried in. The police cruiser was dwarfed by the prison truck which seemed to be carved from metal, rumbling slowly though the traffic. He hated the feeling of looking at the small thick panes of glass in the truck and knowing Ketsueki was in there. It felt like staring at a bottle of poison balanced on the edge of a table. Mako took a deep breath and sighed as traffic began to move again. It could be an hour before they got out of the city and into open roads.

I

"Kill them."

"I think you've forgotten that my fucking hands are broken." Ketsueki answered back.

"Keep talking like that and your fuckin' jaw will be too." one of the two cops in the prisoner transport truck spoke.

"It's not me doing the talking." Ketsueki stared at him with her mouth open letting the blood from her raw throat drip out from between her teeth. When the cop couldn't maintain eye contact she knew she'd won. When they'd finally turned on the lights and told her she was being transferred she'd discovered the reason why she hadn't been able to move. Ketsueki was shackled to a giant metal frame that rolled around wheels. In the light she could also see that her hands hadn't just felt like they'd been flattened, they'd been smashed and had turned an ugly purple. If I can just get some water…they'll heal.

"Did you really kill all those people?" The second cop a woman, though her uniform didn't give that away, asked.

"I think I'll let you answer this one." Ketsueki was so used to hiding her insanity that it felt therapeutic, almost fulfilling to let it run wild.

"Yes…we did" The voice inside her head answered before giving a breathy laugh.

The cop's eyes went wide and she looked anywhere but towards Ketsueki. She could feel the truck lurch as it crept forward further into the traffic. When I said yes to this I didn't expect to be guarding a fuckin' psychopath, in fucking traffic."

I

Mako looked at the side mirror of the patrol car and immediately felt suspicious, slowly walking through the cars was a small procession of Air Acolytes. The orange robes stuck out like sore thumbs in between the cars. Relax…they're probably just on their way to the spirit portal… The procession slowly made its way past his patrol car. He watched them pass, instantly on high alert, they were the burliest air nomads he'd ever seen. They walked around the prison truck. Mako was about to exhale as he saw the last of the Acolytes reach out and touch the back of the truck with a set of meditation beads. Mako cautiously reached for his radio. "This is is Keikan 12, HQ have you got—" Mako realized too late, the Acolyte had removed his hand but left the meditation beat hanging on the metal truck. On instinct he dove down into the passenger seat and in the next second the beads exploded Mako was pelted with the glass of his own windshield as he stayed down.

The fake Acolytes and their disguises had worked, and everything was going to plan. They'd each placed explosives on the four wheels of the the truck and the last in their line had place them on the back doors. The cars around them were pushed back and their windows shattered, but the prison truck itself was immobilized completely. They sprang into action as they'd rehearsed ditching their robes in favor for their earth bender garb of green and tan clothing. The team of five split up, the fire bender set to work on killing the driver of the truck while the earth benders circled around to the back carefully. The first of the guards stepped out of the truck in a daze but with her guard up. The first Red Lotus operative sent her shooting into the air with a pillar of rock. As they looked in the back of the truck they realized the explosion had killed the second guard. "Eyes on target!" The first of the earth benders shouted and leapt into the truck. "Are you Ketsueki?"

"We are" Ketsueki smiled even though her ears were still ringing from the explosion. "…who the fuck are you?"

Mako floored the accelerator, the back wheels of the patrol car spun for a split second causing the two Red Lotus operatives to turn around but not before He smashed them both into the back of the prison truck.

Ketsueki didn't believe her eyes as she saw the man who'd electrified her not more than a night before. 'Detective Mako Republic City Police' His voice echoed in her head. "Kill him!" Both of her voices shouted.

The Red Lotus operative in the truck turned and slammed his feet down before squatting and shooting upwards bringing the earth underneath Makos patrol car ripping up with him. He followed up with a combination of movements sending the newly formed pile of earth with Mako's patrol car on it further back then on top of itself. "That should do it!" He smiled and looked out of the blown off doors. "You two okay?" He realized neither of his team mates were going to answer.

Ketsueki watched as he hauled their bodies back into the truck. "Got any more genius ideas?"

He ignored the snide quip and shouted to his two remaining team members. "We ready?" He waited for a firm knocking on the roof of the truck. He pulled a radio out of his pocket and extended the antenna. "Go for bird."

Bird? The voice asked Ketsueki, but immediately the air filled with the drone of an airship. Moving her head to look out what was left of the back doors to the truck she could see a giant metal cable swinging towards them dragging the biggest magnet she'd ever seen. "Friends of yours?"

"You ain't seen nothing yet!" The operative smiled.

Ketueki watched the magnet swing closer till it disappeared over the truck and clanged down on top of it. The drone of the airship increased and Ketsueki felt the truck beneath her feet slowly lift off the ground. In a matter of moments the truck was airborne lifting higher and higher as the airship itself started to fly away. I like these guys. "Okay…I'm impressed." The ship picked up speed causing her stomach to lurch and the city streets to disappear even faster.

The Red Lotus operative searched the corpse of the guard and pulled a set of keys from his belt. "I was told to rescue you, but with specific instructions to offer you a job first."

Ketsueki smiled maybe things really will work out. "Well I'm a big fan of your work so far."

He nodded and un shackled her feet and hands not stopping her from collapsing awkwardly onto the floor of the swaying truck. "I'd shake your hands but it seems they're a bit broken." He winced as she tried to get to her feet. "But regardless, my names Dai…welcome to the Red Lotus."

I

Well readers, we're nearly at 30k views which is an accomplishment i'll always be proud of, this chapter was the fastest I've ever written and it was a joy to do, and who knew Kirā was human after all? Hope you like the new chapter and continue reading, reviewing and favoriting!