This is an idea that I have been entertaining recently. I know that stories with a similar premise have been written so I will try to keep this as original as I can. No plagiarism intended. I do not own either Legend of Korra or Harry Potter. They belong to Bryan Konietzko, Michael Dante DiMartino, and J.K. Rowling.

Also a little warning: this chapter does contain references and depictions of abduction, human trafficking, and animal cruelty.

-Line Break-

As the police airship neared the island, Korra felt herself getting increasingly agitated, pacing back and forth inside the cabin of the ship.

'Please be alright! Please be alright!' she thought, pleading for her brother's safety.

"What, what is that?!" someone yelled, breaking through her anxiety. Looking out, Korra saw a large shadow floating in the air ahead of them. A bright searchlight aimed at the shadow made her gasp, as she saw Hina instinctively, but weakly, turn to avoid the glaring light. As she turned, Korra realized two very worrying signs.

One: she was missing her saddle and blanket. And her rider.

Two: she was listing toward the sea, her wings barely flapping or moving.

Thinking quickly, Korra ran out the door and jumped off the airship, using fire-jets from her feet to control her fall. Nearing the water, she started spinning her arms around herself to draw water underneath her. Floating on the surface, the water whirling beneath her, she swept her arms beneath her waist, skating across the sea. As she neared the listing wyvern-hawk, she pushed outward with her hands, exhaling slowly, her breath glowing frigidly in the warm air. Ahead of her, the water froze into an ice sheet, which Korra, skating alongside it, elongated to give Hina a cold, slippery, but serviceable landing pad.

"Hina!" Korra called, drawing the wyvern-hawk's attention. Seeing the ice beneath her, she lowered her talons down to grab onto the surface. Landing roughly, she bent her wings, bringing her wing-claws onto the surface and began hopping down the ice. As she ran, Korra elongated it further until, continuously slowing, Hina came to a stop near the end, panting from exertion and relief.

Korra, seeing her distress, gingerly climbed onto the ice and began caressing her neck feathers while humming softly to ease her anxiety.

"Korra, what are you doing?!" Lin Beifong demanded, suspended from a cable lowered down from the airship..

"This is Hina." Korra replied, looking up from the exhausted wyvern-hawk. "She's Ryuukhan's familiar, like Naga is mine. I saw she was listing and about to fall into the water, so I made a landing pad for her."

"I told you to stay at Tenzin's side at all times." Lin snapped. "If you had done the jump wrong, or if you didn't land right, you could have died. Or severely injured. Then we'd end up with two minors in trouble instead of one. And think of your brother. How would he like it?"

"I'm sorry Lin." Korra replied. "But I know how important Hina is to him, and she can't swim. If she fell in she would have drowned, which would NOT be good for Ryuukhan. Not to mention we're not exactly equipped to rescue or transport a large flying animal like her, so what was I supposed to do? Try to turn the airship around and try to catch her? Just let her fall and hope we get to her in time? It may not have been the best idea, but it was the best I could do."

Lin, never breaking eye contact, simply inhaled and exhaled slowly a few times. Then shutting her eyes in frustration, she asked "So what do you plan on doing now?"

"I can get Hina to shore, Air Temple Island preferably." Korra replied. "I can stay there and look after her. In the meantime, you and the others go on ahead, though if Hina's any indication, you better expect the worst."

"Very well." Lin sighed. "See you on Air Temple Island. But no wandering off or any vigilante work young lady.". Then, with a quick, downward jerk of her arm, the cable began withdrawing upward, hauling her back to the airship.

"Yes madam." Korra muttered under her breath before turning to the far shore. "All right, let's see, where's Aang?"

The distant harbor, awash in light, seemed almost like a miniature sun in the darkness, making pinpointing exact landmarks difficult. Then, on her third sweep of the shore, she spotted a large, irregularly shaped shadow. Looking more closely, she realized that it showed two vertical shapes connected by a bridge of some sort. She also noticed that one of the shapes was wider and more rounded than the other, which was taller, thinner, more rod-like.

"If that's not Aang's statue, I'll eat my boots." Korra said as she began sweeping her arms downward first one side then the other, pushing them forward. As they neared, the shadow became more definite, and soon she began to make out the engraved features of the statue: the smooth, clean-shaven head, the Air Nomad tattoo, the calm, focused determination in his eyes, the intricate carvings of his staff.

"Yep that's Aang all right." Korra said as they made landfall. Looking to the shore, she pushed outward, creating more ice to securely teether her ice sheet to the island. Testing the ice sheet, she stepped onto the shore and, assured of its security, she called out "Come on Hina, let's get you onto dry land."

At first, the wyvern-hawk refused to move, overcome with exhaustion and everything else that had happened that night. Frowning slightly, Korra dug through her bag and, thankfully, found some fish. Holding it out, she said "Come on Hina. Come get the nice fish."

Hearing the word "fish", Hina looked up and, confirming the signal, she walked slowly, wearily toward Korra. Upon stepping onto the shore, she gulped down the fish as Korra began checking her over.

'Not too bad.' Korra thought, seeing Hina's breathing and ruffled feathers. 'Mostly just tired. But it seems she might have been in a fight recently.'

Near her beak, she saw brown-reddish fluid of inconsistent viscosity. Some of it dripped down like water drops from the roof tiles. But the rest clung to the underside of her jaw, hanging down in thick, globs like honey. Recognizing the fluid, and the implications thereof, her prior worry hit her like a tsunami. To alleviate her anxiety, she began stroking Hina's neck feathers, working her way down her back to the tail, then reaching down underneath her wings.

Before long, the sound of propellers broke her from her anxiety and drew her attention toward the sea. Above her, she saw the police airship hovering overhead, Lin Beifong lowering herself on her cable with Tenzin riding a ball of air. As they descended, Korra felt her spirits plummet at the looks on their faces.

"I'm sorry Korra." Tenzin said, his brows furrowed and downcast. "We scoured the beach but found no sign of him. We found evidence of a battle, with at least one man killed, based on the blood and the imprint in the sand, but the body was too large to be him."

"Then he's alive?" Korra asked, her eyes darting back and forth between them. "What about his scent? Surely Naga could've picked it up."

"We did pick up a trail leading off the beach." Lin Beifong answered. "We trailed him to the harbor, specifically to the airship launch pads, but that's where the trail ended. The blood was still fresh, so they couldn't have taken him too far."

"I've ordered a sweep of all airships coming in and out of Republic City." Lin added. "Normally we would need express permission from the owners and/or operators of the airships, or a warrant from the Council and myself. But given we have probable cause, we can search any and all airships that have been on the island since this evening. With any luck we should pick up the trail within a few hours, five maximum."

"In addition to the sweep, we're offering a substantial reward for any information on your brother's whereabouts." Tenzin interjected. "We're also investigating the harbor to try and find any clues that might point to the destination of the airship he's on. But this will take time."

"Isn't there anything we can do to expedite the process?" Korra asked, her eyes alight with worry. "Interrogate your prisoners about the Tong?"

"That's our next stop Korra, but I must tell you that success there is extremely unlikely." Lin replied. "The Tong is notoriously difficult to gain information on due in large part to the intense loyalty they instill in their followers. Tong members are almost never taken in. Either they escape, or they die, at their hand or their comrades. Even if we do take them in, they are VERY difficult to interrogate because, because there are things we can't do."

"Like what?" Korra asked, furious disbelief in her voice.

"We can't threaten them, torture them, or extort them." Lin answered. "Not only are they illegal, but put a person through enough, and they'll say anything to get you to stop."

"But they're criminals." Korra said. "Surely if anyone deserves it, it would be them."

"Don't forget young lady that you are technically a criminal yourself." Lin retorted, her eyes fixed in her infamous glare. "Would you say you deserved to be tortured? If not, then what makes you different from these criminals? As the Avatar, you need to set a better example, and that means respecting the law, not just when it's convenient for you to do so."

Korra, frustrated and anxious, simply sighed in exasperation and crossed her arms.

"It's late, Korra." Tenzin said. "I know it's hard, but there's not much you can do now. Take Hina inside and let her rest. We'll drop Naga off before heading back to the station. That's the best you can do. We'll let you know if anything changes."

"All right Tenzin." Korra replied, turning to Hina, leading her away. "Come on Hina, let's get you into the stables. I'll get you some fresh water and nice, soft straw."

As Korra made her way to the stables, Naga was lowered from the airship via metal cables controlled by the Metalbending police. Once she was firmly on the ground, they withdrew the cables and watched as Naga followed Korra and Hina. Inside, Hina was lying on a bed of straw, her wings flat on the ground, tucked near her chest, sipping water from a bowl as Korra sat beside her, absent-mindedly stroking her feathers.

Naga slipped past Hina and nuzzled Korra's arm, drawing her attention. Smiling, Korra began scratching her behind her ears, leading Naga to settle down beside her.

While Korra seemed at ease to passersby, within her mind, worry, anger, and frustration raged like a maelstrom. Images of her brother and the prisoners she'd seen at the police station flashed across her eyes, the words of Tenzin and Lin Beifong echoing in her ears. Her imagination worked overtime, conjuring images of her brother imprisoned, tortured, or worse.

"Spirits, please help him." she pleaded as silent tears leaked from her eyes.

-Line Break-

Pain.

Shooting.

Throbbing.

All was pain.

First in his neck, making him ache with each breath. Then in his wrists, and ankles which itched and burned as he tried to move. Then in his jaws as he tried to open, but found them jammed open and obstructed by a hard yet malleable ball.

Looking around, he could see nothing. He opened them and saw nothing. He blinked, shook his head, trying to remove whatever was clouding his eyes.

And then he felt it.

The rough, thick fabric chafing around his head. And soon he realized what had happened to him.

'How did I get into this?' he thought, remembering exactly what had happened.

-Line Break-

Taking a deep breath, Ryuukhan looked to see where the statue of Aang was, hoping to see it from the island, but searched in vain. To the left, he could see the dark-blue ocean, rippling in the moonlight, with the coast merely a black shadow in the distance. To the right, the beach gave way to dark brown shrubs and trees ascending a hill, their shadows darkening as he looked further inland. Behind him, he could see a bright silhouette from behind a ridge, most likely the harbor he saw earlier. And in front, he saw the main harbor of Republic City awash in light, casting a halo out into the sea, the bright yellow shimmering in the waves, only to be blocked by the curvature of the island to his right.

'Guess I gotta take a little trip.' he thought, turning to Hina. Picking up the saddle and blanket, he made to reattach them to her back, but he saw her attention fixated to her right, her muscles tense and her claws digging into the sand.

Turning, he made out three, or four, shadowy silhouettes making their way down to the beach. His eyes adjusting to the dim light, he could tell they were all men, dressed in fine long-sleeve shirts, their collars high with white trim, and gold knot buttons running down their chests, and black trousers with white trim and knee-high boots completed the ensemble.

Looking up at their faces, he saw why Hina was so on edge; even in the dim light, he could see their eyes alight in glee, and their mouths split into grins.

Grins like a tuna-shark honing in on its next meal.

"Well, well, well…" one of them said. "What have we here? Intruders?"

"We're, we're just passing through." Ryuukhan replied, his voice slightly cracking. "Leave us alone and we'll cause you no trouble. Please, leave us alone."

Hearing Ryuukhan's cracking voice, the men simply started laughing, their cold and mocking laughter sounding eerily akin to hyena-fishers and causing the hairs on his neck to prickle.

"Sorry kid." one of them said. "But we're of the Eight-Animals Tong, and we've got a reputation to uphold. No intruders allowed. No exceptions."

"So we're gonna have to...escort you out." a second one said, walking forward.

Thinking quickly, he dropped his saddle and blanket before kicking them away, knocking down the man and giving the others pause. Turning he mounted Hina's bare back and kicked her in the sides, signaling her to start running but she refused. Starting to panic, he kicked her again, but again she refused. Looking to the men, he saw that they had started to close the distance.

In desperation, he grabbed one of his bags and threw it at them, but they were ready this time and dodged easily. Soon, they had Hina and Ryuukhan surrounded and cut off from escaping.

Seeing this, Ryuukhan grabbed his remaining bag and jumped off Hina's back, swinging it toward the closest man. Smirking, the man easily ducked the bag, but Ryuukhan followed up with a spinning fire kick, catching him in the head and sending him staggering backward.

With his first target down, Ryuukhan then turned to the man near Hina's tail and gave a series of jabs, launching fireballs at his new foe. The man jumped back, dodging each one and began side-stepping his way around Hina's flank. Running after him, Ryuukhan turned and found the man's fingers aimed for his right shoulder. As the fingers dug into his shoulder, he felt intense pain radiate through his arm, followed by a wave of numbness and his arm fell limb by his side.

As he winced in pain, Ryuukhan managed to make out his attacker following through with a second jab to his left shoulder. Instinctively, he jumped back, giving himself some distance between himself and the chi-blocker. Throwing out a left jab, he launched a fireball, which the man promptly dodged and began charging forward.

In panic, Ryuukhan swung his bag, managing to land a solid hit on his opponent's face, sending him tumbling into the surf.

But just then, he felt powerful arms wrap around his chest and pin his arms to his sides. As he felt his feet lift off the ground, he kicked and flailed, trying desperately to break free, but he was too weak. Then, in a flash of speed, he saw the sky briefly flash overhead as he was flipped over and slammed into the ground head-first, pain and stars flashing across his tightly-shut eyes.

As Ryuukhan slid down, he felt powerful fingers wrap around his wrists, pulling his hands around his back. As he was pulled to his feet, he saw the chi-blocker strike him in the left shoulder, sternum, and stomach, pain radiating from the pressure points followed by a wave of numbness. Soon, he felt the pressure around his wrists cease and his arms fell limb at his sides, replaced by a new pressure around his neck, followed by hot breath from behind. As the pressure increased, his vision began to dim, yet his breathing remained constant.

'So they're NOT trying to strangle me.' he thought. 'How thoughtful.'

In desperate defiance, he kicked up and out, catching the chi-blocker in the chest and burning the flesh directly over his heart. As the chi-blocker fell to the beach screaming in agony, Ryuukhan took one deep breath and yelled out "Fly, Hina! Fly!" just as darkness swept over him.

-Line Break-

'Okay, not my best idea ever.' he thought, angry and frustrated over the situation. 'I hope Hina got away. If they did this to me, what would they do to her?'

Briefly, he imagined all the things they might do to Hina. Sell her to a zoo or a circus. Truss her up like a wood-turkey dinner. Chop her up and sell her to apothecaries.

'Focus, Ryuukhan.' he snapped. 'Focus. You can't help her if you're stuck like this. Now where are we and how do we get out?'

Wriggling around, Ryuukhan found that he could turn and twist, but not by a lot. His waist was strapped to a table or board of some kind, as were his ankles and his arms. His wrists were tied tightly with twine, making movement difficult and extremely painful.

'Maybe I can wriggle out of this?' he thought, as he began twisting his wrists to loosen the twine, but no matter which way he tried, the twine would not give. He next tried producing a small flame, using some of his early Firebending exercises, but his movements were too limited. In desperation, he took a deep breath and tried Fire Breathing, but he ended up coughing and wheezing when the pain in his neck flared up.

'Focus, Ryuukhan, focus!' he thought and inhaled deeply. Once more the pain shot up his neck but he ignored it. Exhaling slowly, he found the pain was more bearable, and began his breathing exercises. With each breath, the pain ebbed away, and soon he felt ready to try again.

Inhaling slowly, he focused on his chi, visualizing it as fire flowing from his stomach into his lungs. Feeling his chest heat up, he then visualized breathing it out like a dragon.

Once he had the image in mind, he began exhaling slowly, his breath hotter than he had ever managed before.

But all he exhaled was air.

Realizing he was stuck for now, Ryuukhan turned his attention to his surroundings, trying to gather any information that might tell him where he was.

Inhaling deeply, he noticed a strong scent of machine oil, similar to steamships. Mixed in with the oil was a strong scent of rubber and steel, and from the bag he could smell dried rice. He could also taste rubber in his mouth, likely the gag, and to his surprise he could taste a slight aftertaste of singed rubber.

Quieting his breathing, he could hear the rhythmic thrum of propellers, along with the gentle whoosh of air, likely a small breeze. In the distance, he could hear chattering but it was too faint or too far to make out specific words.

Then he heard the creaking of wood nearby. Focusing on the sound, he realized it was getting louder and louder, then the voices became more distinct and he could make out the tail-end of an ongoing conversation.

"...kid has spunk, I'll give him that."

"Can't believe he put Fu Kurin in the hospital like that."

"That was just a lucky shot."

"But it does show his power. I bet the rings would love him."

"He'll need further training first. You know how the rings are."

"No worries. A good trainer will soon lick him into shape. Or kick him into shape if need be."

"Not to mention he's a migrant. No papers."

"No identification."

"No passport."

"No nothing. So who cares if he goes missing?"

By this point, based on the direction of their voices, the two men were looming over Ryuukhan's head and feet. Then, with the sound of wood creaking nearby, he felt himself being lifted from the floor and carried out feet-first. Outside, he heard the propellers whirring down to be replaced with a cacophony of animals, like pig-chickens, hippo-cows, and geese. As though to confirm his thoughts, the stench of fresh manure assailed his nostrils, making him gag even with the ball jammed in his mouth.

A short while later the smell, and the cacophony magnified, and, through the bag's thick fabric, the light seemed to dim. Soon after he heard a door close behind him, and felt the board turn to the right before tilting downward. After a while, the smell and the cacophony ceased, bringing a measure of relief to his battered senses.

Suddenly, he heard a whoosh of rushing air, followed by a frigid breeze. Then the bag was removed from his head, allowing him to see where he was at last. He, and his captors, were in a long, wide room, with tables running along both sides, adorned with knives and cleavers. Ahead of him was an open door, leading to a refrigerated room, as he surmised from the glowing, ice-cold air emanating outward. Inside, he caught a glimpse of red and white masses suspended from the ceilings. Looking more closely, he realized they were animal carcasses freshly butchered.

"Wakey wakey kid." one of the men said, drawing his attention. He was large, easily five or six feet tall, with a broad chest and massive arms revealed in a bright-orange tunic. His face was obscured by a large beard and tattoos covering his shaven head, though one could make out prominent cheekbones and a strong jaw. "I do apologize for the accommodations on your voyage, but you didn't buy a ticket, so we gave you the stowaway class. As our means of making amends, let me introduce you to your new accommodations. Fresh meat, all you can eat. No windows to violate your privacy. Plenty of space. Temperature only slightly below freezing. And only one way in and out."

"With such a get-up you'll never want to leave." the man's partner said from behind Ryuukhan's head. He tried to look at him but the straps dug into him and prevented him from turning.

"Now while you're chilling out, we're gonna make some arrangements for you." he continued, his face coming into view as he walked out from behind the board. While about as tall as his partner, he was much leaner, though his bare arms had a tough, wiry build, like tightly wound cable. His appearance was virtually the opposite of his partner, with a full head of brown hair, a clean shaven face revealing a thin face and retreating cheekbones.

Just as Ryuukhan made eye contact with him, the wiry man lashed out, digging his fingers into Ryuukhan's shoulders and hips, making them go numb with a flash of pain shooting up and down his limbs. With his limbs incapacitated, the chi-blocker and his hulking partner unstraped him from the board and tossed him into the meat cooler. Immediately, Ryuukhan began shivering as he made contact with the icy floor, his breath hitching outside his control as his limbs violently vibrated in an effort to keep warm.

"Enjoy your stay kid." the chi-blocker said before closing the door, the click of a lock muffled but still audible from within the cooler.

Inhaling deeply, Ryuukhan turned himself onto his stomach, then, seeing he could still move his hands and forearms, pushed himself up against the wall. Making contact with the wall, he felt his breath catch once more, but quickly regained control of it. Sitting himself into a meditative state, he focused on his breathing, using his Firebending exercises to warm himself up, and tried to wait out the chi-blocking effects.

'Looks like I'll be here awhile.' he thought, looking around at the cooler. 'But I'm not giving up. There's gotta be something I can do. Think, Ryuukhan, think!'

-Line Break-

"Korra, Korra wake up!" Tenzin called, rousing the young Avatar. Blinking the sleep from her eyes, she bolted up from Naga's head, which she had been using as a pillow. Her sudden motion caused Hina and Naga both to cry out in surprise and bound to their limbs, ready for action.

"Korra calm down!" Tenzin said, drawing her attention. "I'm sorry I startled you, but I'm here to inform you that we are starting a search for Ryuukhan in half an hour. I think you should get some breakfast before we begin our search, as it will likely be a long day."

At the thought of food, Korra's stomach growled like Naga in a bad mood, and she clamped her abdomen in discomfort. "Yeah, I think that would be great." she said, standing up from the straw she had been sleeping on. "Do you have fish or meat for Hina and Naga?"

"No." Tenzin replied as he made to leave the stables. "We're vegetarians here, so we don't eat meat or fish. But I can buy some. How much do you need?"

Thinking quickly, Korra replied "About three to four pounds, with each getting about half. I should come along and look them over. Also, I should get them water."

"Very well." Tenzin said, heading for the harbor on the island, where an early fisherman was already pulling in from his expedition.

"Excuse me." Tenzin called out, drawing his, or rather her attention. "Do you have any fish to sell? I know it's rather early but we have some very hungry animals to feed and we're short on time."

"No problem, Master Tenzin." she replied, smiling with a slight bow. "I got lucky today. Plenty of fresh fish this morning. I have tuna-shark, mackerel-eel, cuttlefish, halibut, and crab-octopus. What would you like?"

"I think I'll let Korra answer that." Tenzin answered, looking over to her and stepping aside. "She's more knowledgeable about these animals than I am."

"Alright Tenzin." Korra and the fisherwoman said at the same time, causing both to smile at the uncanny timing.

Stepping forward into the boat, Korra inspected the fish, noting their size, condition, and smell. Picking out two tuna-sharks, ten halibut, and five cuttlefish, she weighed them in her hands, gauging their weight, and nodded. Turning to the fisherwoman she asked "Do you have a basket I could use?"

"Sorry no baskets." she replied. "But I do have paper. I can wrap it up for you. Keep the smell out of your clothes, and the birds out of your fish."

"Yes please." Korra said, handing them over. As the fish were wrapped, she saw Tenzin step onto the boat, rummaging through his robes until he caught onto something. Pulling it out, she saw it was a pocketbook, plain and simple save for the Air Nomad symbol that decorated it.

"Here you are." the fisherwoman said, holding out three paper wrappings. "That'll be 15 yuans please."

"Thank you Min." Tenzin replied, handing her the coins. "Pleasure doing business with you."

"Thank you Master Tenzin." Min answered, smiling as Korra took the fish and disembarked, Tenzin following her.

After leaving the fish with Naga and Hina, Tenzin and Korra went to the Temple to eat their own breakfast, tofu and vegetable curry on rice, where Korra had the chance to meet Penma and their three children.

"Real quick before we head out." Tenzin said, looking up to the clock. "Should we include Naga and Hina in the search?"

"Naga definitely." Korra replied. "She's a great tracker, and will definitely come in handy. But Hina should sit this one out. You saw how she was last night. Based on the map she would have had a long flight ahead of her before getting to the island. Add in the stress of the fight on the beach and the need for an immediate departure and you get a very weary Hina. I'll like for her to get seen by a Healer if it's possible."

"Good to know." Tenzin said, getting to his feet. "Penma, would you mind looking into that please?"

"Of course." Penma said, rising to collect the dishes. "Good luck you two. I hope you find Ryuukhan soon."

"Me too." Korra replied, standing and heading for the door. "I'll go get Naga and see you at the dock Tenzin."

Arriving at the stables, Korra found Naga and Hina lying on the straw, the fish devoured and the water bowls empty. Looking over Hina she said "Sorry girl but you'll have to sit this one out. Just relax and take it easy."

Turning to Naga she asked "Ready girl?"

In response, Naga stood up, stretched her limbs, and walked up to Korra. Smiling, Korra saddled her and rode out of the stables to the dock, where she saw Tenzin at a ferry to take them to the mainland. Flicking the reins, Korra and Naga boarded the ferry and settled alongside Tenzin.

"So what's the plan?" Korra asked.

"Our first stop is the police station." Tenzin replied. "There we will confer with Lin Beifong and her officers regarding a list of airships that departed the island. We'll then scout the areas they were heading for, where we'll use our tracking animals, Naga included, to try and find Ryuukhan."

"How many are we looking at?" Korra asked.

"According to our research, seventeen airships have departed since last night." Tenzin replied. "More than half of them did so in the morning, but for all we know, the Eight Animals Tong could have kept him confined in an airship until early on before departing. To make matters worse, they left for multiple areas of the nation, and a few even left for the Fire Nation or the Earth Kingdom."

"Do we have any leads?" Korra asked, worry evident in her face.

"I'm afraid not." Tenzin said, shaking his head. "But we've contacted the Fire Nation and the adjacent Earth Kingdom provinces and requested they search incoming airships. The former we can count on, but I have doubts about the latter, given the situation and everything."

"Do we have any ideas where to search first?" Korra asked, her voice hitching higher.

"We were able to track some of those that departed earlier." Tenzin said. "If they departed soon after the battle, it'll likely be one of those. We already sent some people to investigate, but they'll likely need backup."

"At least it's something." Korra said, feeling a little relieved. Turning to the mainland, she noticed Aang's statue and tried to draw strength from his presence as they neared the harbor.

-Line Break-

Ryuukhan, still in the cooler, felt his chi flowing again as normal, allowing him to move his arms and legs to their full mobility, save for the bonds on his wrists. Trying once more to free his wrists, he twisted and turned, but the rope just dug deeper into. He even tried using his teeth to get a better angle, but the gag obstructed his efforts.

As he wriggled around the bonds he happened to glance up and saw the tables amidst the suspended slabs of meat. Standing up, he inspected the tables and found a sharp, angular corner free of blood. Setting his wrists against the side, he began rubbing the rope against the table. The rope dug into his wrists, burning his skin. His stomach rumbled from the lack of food. His breath became ragged as he tried to breath around the gag.

Then he heard the first cords begin to separate. Emboldened, he quickened his pace, hearing more and more of the rope give way until his hands were free. As the rope fell around him, Ryuukhan reached into his mouth and removed the gag, flexing his jaw for the first time in hours and bringing much needed relief.

Just then, he heard voices from outside the door approaching the meat cooler. Thinking quickly, he turned to the slabs of meat and began heating them with a small flame. Due to the cold, he had to concentrate heavily on the flame, as the meat, slowly but surely, melted, droplets of water dripping off the bone.

Outside, the voices grew louder and louder, and Ryuukhan realized it was the men who brought him here from before. Soon, he heard the latch unlock and begin to rotate. Reaching down, he rotated his palm and drew the water up before it could freeze. Twirling his hands, he collected the water into a ball and, blowing slowly and softly, he spread it across the floor in front of the door, freezing it into a slick surface just as the door began to swing outward.

"Kid outta be frozen stiff after that." one of the men said. "No matter. I know a way to warm him right up."

"If it's what I think it is, you're si-" the other started but stopped as he glanced at where Ryuukhan was, only to find the cut rope and the gag.

"Where'd he go?!" he yelled. "At this temperature Firebending should be impossible! And with my chi-blocking he should be immobilized!"

"I don't know!" the chi-blocker's partner replied. "You know chi-blocking isn't an exact art. Some people recover faster than others."

"I'm a MASTER!" the chi-blocker snapped, storming to the cut ropes. "No one can recover THAT quickly!"

"There's always a first ti-IMMMEE!" his partner said, following him…

..,only to find himself slipping on the ice, toppling onto his partner and slamming them onto the floor with a jarring crash.

Seeing his chance, Ryuukhan bolted out from behind the meat slabs, jumping on top of them to avoid the ice and sliding out of the meat cooler, grabbing the door frame as he exited. Spinning quickly, he slammed the door shut and turned the latch, locking it.

Without skipping a beat, or catching his breath, Ryuukhan turned and looked around and to his relief he was alone, save for the men now trapped inside of the meat cooler. Breathing a sigh of relief he looked around and found himself in a long room with a high ceiling with four long tables running from the meat cooler to the far end of the room. The tables, percolated at the edges and centers, had once been a metallic silver, but now they were drenched in blood, with knives, cleavers, and saws scattered across their surfaces. Looking down on the floor he saw dried blood smeared across the floor, alongside what he assumed were bits of bone and organs from the work of the butchers.

'This is a slaughterhouse.' he thought. 'But where?'

Looking down he saw the stairs that his captors had taken him down earlier near the end of the room. Making his way down the room to the stairs, he kept to the shadows, ducking in amongst the tables, keeping a keen ear out in case more people were on the way, and picking up a knife along the way.

Just as he reached the stairs, he heard voices from above, low-pitched with strong tones. Ducking under the far table to his left, he waited and listened.

"I say we offer a discount on fresh pig-chicken meat. They're breeding like rabbit-finches."

"A 20% discount should be more than enough. At those low prices anyone can afford them."

"Let's make them time-sensitive, to encourage spending. Say 25% off for one week only."

"Sounds about right. Now about the hippo-cows."

"Well those past their prime…"

The conversation then trailed off as the voices grew fainter, replaced by footfalls moving away from the stairwell.

Pulling himself up from under the table, Ryuukhan cautiously approached the stairs, listening intently for anyone else, but all he could hear were the animals. With great trepidation, he ascended the stairs, thankful that the cacophony drowned out his footfalls.

Reaching the top, he saw a wide, expansive chamber that mirrored the one he just departed, but where the one below was dark and silent, this one was lit by sunlight from the windows, and drowned in frantic activity. Looking around he saw four massive ailes of cages, each jam packed with animals, brown and black hippo-cows on the bottom, pig-chickens and geese stacked above them, and, much to his surprise, he saw insects crawling around in the top-most levels.

Taking a step forward, he slipped on something soft and moist, nearly losing his balance. Looking down, he found fresh dung under his feet. Looking back, he noticed that many of the animals were standing in their own excrement, with the hippo-cows being covered in the guano from above, explaining their color. Mixed in with the excrement was moldy bread, dirty hay, and rotten fruit, their diet apparently.

'I love meat, but this...this…' he thought, visibly disturbed at their treatment. Shaking his head, he made his way out of the compound, keeping an eye out for workers. Upon exiting the compound, he saw a wide area leading to a road. To his right and left, he saw tall dilapidated buildings, made of bamboo with brick foundations, topped with flat roofs and featuring open windows without glass. Adding to the rundown appearance he saw that many were covered in graffiti and had broken or misaligned doors, and the smell of garbage and refuse hung in the air. Further down he could see people working and children playing, dressed in plain clothes colored dark green and brown, and specks of red.

'Are they the workers?' he wondered. Looking around, he saw no one else was out, and headed out of the shadows to greet them. Seeing his arrival some of the people paused and looked him over.

"Hello, can you help me?" Ryuukhan asked, bowing politely.

Stumbling briefly, a young woman bowed in return and replied "We'll help if we can. What do you need?".

"Can you tell me where I am?" Ryuukhan asked. "I need to find my sister."

"We're in the Crane District near the Mo Ce coast." she replied.

"Can you tell me where Air Temple island is?" he asked.

"It's southeast of here." she replied. "The best way there is by flight, usually by airship, but there's a road that goes along the coast to drop off meat and pick up supplies."

"You mean this road?" he asked, pointing to the road leading off into the distance. "If I follow it, will it take me to the coast?"

"Indeed." she replied smiling. "Just follow the road and it'll take you to the coast. Once there you can get a ferry to Air Temple Island, but it's a long way."

"I'll be fine. I've been through worse." Ryuukhan said, turning to the road, but stopped and looked back. "Just a few more things. I saw two men, one large, bearded, and bald with tattoos, and another lean, wiry, clean-shaven, and frizzy. Do you know who they are?"

At this, the woman frowned, glanced around skittishly, before saying "I do not know such men."

Ryuukhan, frowning slightly, then asked "Do you know when the vehicles that drop off supplies are next due?"

"The next one should be coming soon.." she answered, apparently relieved at the change of topic. "They usually come in the morning and early afternoon. Maybe you can get a lift down to the coast."

"Thanks for your help." Ryuukhan said, bowing once more.

"No worries honey." she replied, bowing in return. "If you need anything, feel free to ask."

Ryuukhan, glancing around one last time, headed back to the compound, sticking to the shadows when he heard an engine pull up the road. Seeing a large truck, he ducked into the shadows and watched as the men began unloading animals, hippo-cows and pig-chickens.

'Just how many are they gonna pack in this place?' he wondered, curious and affronted at the same time. As the last of the animals were led out of the truck, he saw other men start loading bags and bundles in their place.

'Okay, now to get on that truck.' he thought, looking for an opening, but every time a man deposited a bag, he would meet another carrying a new one halfway between the truck and the compound. Also, the area was a wide open field, with no rocks, trees, or bushes to hide behind. Realizing his window of opportunity was closing, he assumed his horse stance and stomped the ground.

'Hope this works.' he begged, his frown furrowed in sweat.

To his shock, he saw a wave churn through the earth toward the men, forming a small ridge in their path. The first man simply stepped over the ridge, leaving Ryuukhan disappointed and racking his brain for a new plan…

...just as he heard a crash and a yell. Trying he saw that the man had tripped on the ridge on his return trip, bowling over into his partner and spilling the bundle he was carrying.

Seeing his chance, Ryuukhan quickly and quietly ran toward the truck, checking to see if anyone saw him. Nearing the door, he glanced around before leaping into the back. Looking around he saw a large stack of bags near the back of the truck and made his way there. Quickly, he pulled the stack out just enough to give himself some room between the bags and the back of the truck. Squeezing himself into the space, he heard the man begin loading the truck once more, but the stack obscured his vision. In the tight confined space, he felt himself begin heating up, sweat trickling and then pouring down his forehead.

To his relief, he heard the doors shut and, with a lurch, he felt the truck take off, throwing him into the stack, which he found out smelled of, unsurprisingly, meat.

'All right Korra.' he thought as he pulled himself back up. 'I'm coming.'

-Line Break-

Korra followed Tenzin through the police station in uncomfortable silence, trying to think of what to say but could not find the right words. They had just received notification that their preliminary search parties had investigated their targets, but there was no trace of Ryuukhan anywhere. To make matters worse, there had been a few skirmishes between the Tong and the Police, with a few officers being chi-blocked and the Tong members having fled or committed suicide. The bodies had been brought to Police HQ for analysis, but at the moment they had no leads.

'There must be something!' Korra thought, frustrated and furious. 'But what?!'

This silence held as they passed the prisoner cells and Korra briefly saw the benders she had fought with upon her arrival. Pausing, she looked again, locking eyes on one of them sitting on the bed. He was about her age, with black hair, pale green eyes, and a strong, stocky build. After a while, he noticed her and said "Hello. Can I help you with something?"

"Do you know the Eight Animals Tong?" Korra asked, making his eyes widen in shock.

"I know of them, yes." he replied. "But only that they're one of the strongest syndicates in Republic City, and they only hire non-benders. They're also one of the most notorious syndicates in the city."

"Do you have any idea where they work?" she pressed, hoping for answers.

"They work pretty much everywhere." the man said, shrugging his arms. "They're strongest on Yue Island, the large island guarding the bay, but they also have bases throughout the city. I think they have a strong presence in the Dragon Flats and-"

"Enough Bolin." the man's partner snapped. "Why are you so interested in the Tong? You think you're gonna take them on and be a hero? That you can put them all away and everything will be fine?"

"Mako!" Bolin exclaimed, interrupting his partner.

"She needs to know who and what she's dealing with." Mako replied, looking eyes on Bolin. "The Tong is extremely dangerous, and everyone knows it. Going up against them is a death sentence."

"I need to know about them." Korra demanded, drawing Mako's attention. "Anything you can tell me could help."

"Why's that?" Mako asked, locking eyes on her, gold meeting blue. "Did they take something from you?"

"Not something, someONE." she replied, eyes furrowing angrily as she gripped the bars furiously, causing Mako to back away.

"They took my brother." she answered, her eyes downcast, her voice cracking. "We were supposed to meet Tenzin, but we got separated and now he's out there and I've no idea where he is or what's happened to him."

Hearing this Bolin looked up at Mako before standing from his bunk and crossing over to Korra. Reaching through the bars, he began massaging her shoulder, causing her to start and go into a defensive stance. In response Bolin jerked his hand up and slammed it into the bars, causing him to yell in pain as he grabbed his quickly bruising hand to massage the pain. Korra, seeing Bolin in pain, reached toward his hand, worry alight in her eyes.

"Korra, what are you doing?!" a voice yelled out, instantly snapping her attention. It was Tenzin accompanied by Lin Beifong and five or six officers.

"Get away from them!" he yelled, his eyes wide in fear and fury. "You know better than to trust criminals!"

"But-" Korra stuttered.

"Tenzin." Mako interrupted, drawing their attention. "Korra was asking about the Tong, so she could find her brother. And we'd like to help."

Hearing this, Lin furrowed her eyes in suspicion as the gears began working in her mind.

"And I suppose you want something in return." she said, locking eyes on Mako. "A pardon perhaps?"

"No madam." Mako replied, taking her aback. "We genuinely want to help. No one deserves to be at the mercy of the Tong."

Lin stood there, silent, she and Mako locked in a staring contest. Then, with a deep inhalation, she said "All right, we'll give you a chance. But no funny business."

"Understood, no funny business." Mako said, nodding in affirmation.

"So how can you help us?" Lin asked, crossing her arms.

"Well, here's my plan." Mako said, beckoning them closer.

-Line Break-

Author's Notes: I know I haven't been here for a while. You can thank/blame school for that, but I'm back for now.

Response to review: I'm glad that you're really getting invested in the characters, even though I had to dash your hopes. But how could I play up the Tong without involving Ryuukhan in some manner? Don't worry. Nothing worse will happen to him, but his troubles are far from over.

On a separate note, I am also looking for a beta reader, one to help proofread my work and suggest new ideas. If you would like to volunteer, please PM and we can work on the details.

I really appreciate your patience and your feedback.