Chapter 16

After Amon's announcement

Lin enters her apartment drained by the days events. Despite the task force taking down many Equalist operations, their numbers continue to grow. It's even gotten to the point that citizens are beginning to commit violence against the police force. She's had to run around the entire city to put out as many fires as possible, metaphorically speaking of course. She leans her back on the door and lets her head drop against it in exhaustion. Being the Chief, she has to always be on guard, always have a strong face and never show weakness. She begins to remove her armor and place it into her closet wearily. She heads into her bathroom and showers away the stresses of the day. As the water washes over her she admits to herself, she's beginning to get worried and even dare she say, overwhelmed. The Task force she had tried to have focused on the Red Spirit has been completely taken over by Tarrlok who seems less interested in capturing the vigilante and more interested in using them to assume more political power, which then exacerbates the tensions between benders and non-benders. And who's left to deal with all the fallout? You guessed it, one Chief Lin Beifong.

Lin groans as she slowly sits down on her bed, trying to let the breeze melt away her stress… Wait a minute breeze?

Lin's eyes shoot open as a figure quickly advances towards her, she gets up prepared to earthbend but the figure grabs her arm into a lock and presses her face against the wall with her feet lifted, unable to form a connection to bend with.

"Calm down Chief."

Lin grunts as she still tries to wrestle herself out of her attackers grip before glancing at her mirror and recognizing her assailant as the Red Spirit.

"YOU!" she growls.

"I am not here to hurt you."

"As you're practically ripping my arms off."

"Only as a precaution since we both know you'd attack me the moment I let go."

She grits her teeth and pushes harder, "you got that right you bastard!"

He doesn't budge, but she can here him snarl in annoyance, "I didn't come here to fight. But to warn you."

"About what?"

"The Equalists attacked me with a powerful weapon when I raided one of their hideouts. Strong enough to hurt me."

"Good, maybe they'll make my life easier and take care of you!"

No he growls in anger, "Stop being pigheaded and think! If they have a weapon to counter me in the short time that I've been active, is it too far-fetched to think they have something cooked up to combat benders, the people they were preparing to battle long before I came about?"

Lin hates to admit it, she really absolutely loathes it, but he does have a point. Still, "We'll be ready, I have faith in my benders."

"But the people of this city outnumber you, and the numbers of the Equalists are rapidly growing to match yours. This is becoming a problem that we each cannot end on our own." He confesses, albeit hesitantly.

Lin, despite the uncomfortable position she is in, chuckles humorlessly. "Please tell me you aren't implying you want us to work together, if you are you must be as stupid as you are murderous."

With that he presses his elbow into her back to sting her, "We're on the same side Chief."

"Same side? Are you an idiot?! My side works within the law, my side doesn't leave suspects with broken bones or leaves behind dead bodies! We've earned the respect of this city!"

"If that were true I wouldn't even exist!"

"Yea keep making excuses!—"

He roughed her up a little more to get her to stop talking, "Look, that suit had to come from somewhere and wherever that is most likely will lead to whatever they have cooked up for benders. I'm starting to investigate, I suggest you do the same."

He drops her down and she doesn't wait and jumps up and bends her armor back on… but he's already gone.

Karnak vaults over the rooftop ledge and sprints to the other side before jumping far and high into the night sky. He allows himself to nose dive a few meters before shooting his grapnel to a building and swinging up high into the air before landing gracefully onto a gargoyle overlooking the city. While recovering, Karnak returned to his HQ and poured over all the cities maps, from when it was first built to it's modern update. He realized that the maze of tunnels underneath the city can not only house most of it's homeless population, but even some equalist sects. It's worth investigating. Even if he doesn't find any weapons, he can still find someone who might know where it is. And he knows just where to begin looking.

Karnak descends to the city's lower rooftops, returning to the area that he had first met Korra and Mako as the Red Spirit when Bolin had been kidnapped by the Equalists. The trucks taking them were heading down an alley before he had to stop and help the Avatar. Originally he had not been successful since he had assumed they'd be hiding in a building, but he's confident that this time around his search will bear fruit. He goes to a clearing underneath a bridge and notices that by a gate at the opening, there are tire tracks. I'm an idiot letting this escape my attention the first time around, He admonishes. But there's no use in crying over spilled milk. He checks to make sure the coast is clear and lifts open the gate enough to let him slide under. The tunnel is long and dark, but Karnaks' eyesight allows him to see life it's still lit. He listens in to make sure there's no one around and begins to follow the tire tracks.

He walks as he stays cautious, so as to be able to have enough time to hide in case anyone approaches his vicinity. It takes a half hour before he finds himself in a crossroads of some kind, 5 tunnels in front of him that can lead anywhere with no way of knowing which is the right one. Might as well get started with the right then. As he walks down the tunnel, the unmistakable sounds of approaching motorcycles ring through the tunnel. Taking cover, he watches as they pass by without noticing him and open a hidden door in the wall. He sprints and slides under just in time as it closes as quickly as it opens. He presses his back to the wall as he heads down the hall into another clearing as he surveys the trolleys being loaded with boxes and crates. Once again he waits until he has an opportunity then dashes ahead when no one is looking, gets underneath the trolley and holds his body up parallel to the ground, his fingertips holding onto the edges of the trolley, keeping him in place as the trolley lurches forward and heads deeper into the maze. Karnak doesn't move from his lifted position until he feels the trolley begin to slow down. He silently lets himself drop to the floor and the trolley heads on without detection and stops at the next area.

The red spirit listens in on the conversation being carried between the Equalists.

"How much more do we have?"

"This is the last shipment, Amon wants each prison stocked with weapons for the guards once the next phase of his plan starts."

The other cackles as they finish unloading the last crate. "Hehehehehe, I can't wait to use one of these bad boys on those pigs."

"Soon brother. Very soon. Meantime your shifts done. I'll hold the fort with Lee. Why don't you head home for the night."

He yawns, "Aint gotta tell me twice."

The Equalist bids his farewell and leaves with the trolley. Karnak slips through the shadows and tails the two equalists and they make their rounds through the small area. The ex Assassin follows the two while surveying the prison he has found himself in. He notices that they seem to be the only two there, most likely the equalists were confident no one would think to look down there so security was kept light. Good.

Once they pair begin to start their route again Karnak descends from above and slams one Equalist to the ground face first, which of course breaks his nose while the other Equalist is kicked between the legs and grabbed by the and dragged to the closest room. The Red Spirit throws him into a chair and ties his arms behind it as well as his ankles to the chairs legs. The vigilante grabs the unconscious Equalist and drags him to a pipe along the wall the he ties his wrist to.

"Fuck you man! Fuck your cheap shot too! How bout you untie me so I can show you just how fucked you are!" The Equalist angrily shouts.

The Red Spirit doesn't say anything and simply punches his hostage hard in the face over and over. The thug cries out in pain with each impact, his cries slowly rousing his friend back to consciousness.

"W-what the fuck!?" he tries to get up but realizes his wrist is bound. He tries to free himself but his movement catches the vigilantes attention who stalks towards his prey.

He kicks out at the vigilante in fear but his foot is caught and an elbow goes down into his knee, breaking his leg backwards. He howls in pain as his leg is dropped back to the ground.

The vigilante goes to one of the crates and opens it up to reveal strange gloves. He takes one out and then takes a seat and places it before his seated hostage.

"Now that I have your attention, I want to ask you a few questions. Don't lie to me or else it won't end well for you… what are these?"

"Fuck you!" he spits blood onto the Red Spirits mask. He gets no other reaction than a simple head shake.

The Vigilante fiddles with the glove until it turns on and sparks start to fly off it.

"Hmm." He gets up and goes to the other thug and places the crackling glove on his scalp.

Electricity instantly arcs throughout his body as he yells in pain. The other equalists struggles to look behind him but he can't move.

"Hey! Hey! Stop it!"

The Red Spirit releases him then takes his seat again.

"I think it goes without saying that these gloves are to be used on the benders. This is cutting edge technology. As well as the suit that Amon had his Lieutenant attack me with. That kind of tech has to come from somewhere, probably someone with a lot of money. No theres 3 major companies that specialize in cutting edge technology in this city. One of which the CEO is doing business in the south pole currently so that leaves just two suspects. The Cabbage corp and Sato industries and I want to know."

"(cough) You ain't getting shit from me."

Not a second later a knife is imbedded into his knee.

"AHHHHH YOU FUCKING COCKSUCKER!"

The knife is pushed deeper into his leg.

"If you don't want me popping out your fucking knee you'll start remembering the right answer."

"Ok," he wheezes, tears streaming down his face, "Ok, the-the gloves and gear we got-we got from, engh, Hiroshi Sato, he's been bankrolling us behind the scenes from the beginning."

Hiroshi Sato, that makes sense. He's got the means as well as motive to join with the Equalists, what with his wife being murdered during a break in years ago.

"What else has he made for you?"

The Equalist tries to stay silent. But Karnak twists the knife until his kneecap pops out of his leg.

"AGGHGH!"

"Some kind of suits to take on benders too! I don't know much about them because we haven't gotten a full debriefing on them yet! Please! That's all I know! I'm begging you please!"

"I believe you."

He sighs in relief but his breath is cut short as the Vigilantes hand grips his throat and his fingers dig into his throat and rips out his trachea. His gargles as he drowns in his blood. The Other Equalist stares in wide eyed horror as the vigilante advances on him.

"Fuck you Man! He gave you what you wanted!"

The Red Spirit grabs either side of his head. His victim begins to cry out in pain as the pressure builds more and more, he can feel his skull beginning to crack!

"I know, I'm just leaving Amon a message."

And he squeezes his head until the gruesome matter explodes through his fingers.

Authors note: Yea i know it's a short chapter, but it can't always be action packed. plus had to show you that Karnak is actively investigating just how far the Equalists reach is and yes he knows Hiroshi Sato's involvement, but that doesn't mean it'll be an easy thing to bring to light or justice. Anyway, next chapter will be Karnak dealing with that as well as the attack on the probending tournament. it's just gonna get more difficult from here on out. let me know what you guys think!