Summary: As the war intensifies, Korra goes undercover and discovers a secret about the anti-bending revolution. Meanwhile, her teammates prepare to hunt down an Equalist stronghold.

Once the speech was finished and they had gotten back underground, Korra tore off the mask of her equalist disguise in frustration.

"Can you believe Hiroshi? 'The avatar's on the run'. I'm not running from anything." She included a mocking imitation that sounded nothing like the man to emphasize her annoyance.

"Yeah, well he is working with the equalists. It's not like he's gonna talk about how amazing and wonderful you are, but that's my job anyway", Bolin remarked as he took off his own mask.

"And you're great at it", she told him with a kiss on the cheek. "Just wish we could go out there and bash some heads, you know?"

"Yeah, but then all those united forces guys would be mad we didn't save any for them, and they came all this way for nothing. Just think of showing up with an army as a fun surprise, like when those equalists we took these uniforms from wake up without having them on."

"Good point", Korra noted.

They walked for a few seconds in silence before Bolin spoke again. "You know, the equalists have awful plans, but they have really great clothes."

She gave him a confused look, and he must have felt the need to defend himself. "What? I've never had a jacket this nice before. It's so comfy." Korra merely rolled her eyes with a smile.

"Come on. We should get back to the others."

They arrived soon after that, and they were welcomed by Asami, Mako, and Bushi.

"Welcome back!", the homeless man greeted. "Hope you worked up an appetite, 'cause dinner is served."

Once everyone had sat down, they all received a bowl of stew from Bushi, and Korra thanked him for the food and for letting them hide out in the tent city the last few days.

"Happy to oblige", Bushi told her. "My associates and I heartily oppose Amon's so-called 'Equalist' policies. We got benders and non benders living together down here, but do you see us fighting? No siree, we've figured out how to harmoniously co-exist."

"So how long have you been living down here?", Asami asked.

"We got a whole lotta people down here after everything got all topsy-turvy up top. But me personally, I've been living like this with my brothers my whole life. Dock prefers the park, and Xu can't seem to make up his mind on where to stay."

"Your whole lives? What about your parents?"

"Well, we never met our momma, but we had our uncles helping out our daddy. We actually got named after 'em. It was kind of weird, because they all looked the same and were never together, just like my brothers! Ya know, I still ain't sure if they're actually my cousins!"

Bushi let out an unusual laugh after saying that, while Korra and Asami looked at the boys hoping for an explanation, but they did not get one. Mako merely mouthed the words "Don't ask", while Bolin changed the subject altogether.

"Mmmmmm. I've missed your street gruel. Best I've ever had."

"You know me kiddo, I only get ingredients from the finest dumpsters in the city."

He probably should have kept that to himself, as Asami immediately lost her appetite, setting her bowl down on the ground for Pabu to finish.

A few hours later, Korra was sitting with Naga, watching Mako and Asami sleep, unable to do the same.

"Hey there. What are you still doing up?"

She scooted over a bit so Bolin could join her. "Can't fall asleep. I've been dealing with this awful feeling in the pit of my stomach."

"Me too. And I don't think it's from dinner".

"Be serious", Korra told him with a smile and a tiny laugh.

"I am. I've helped Bushi make dinner. The dumpsters are from really fancy places."

"Are you really making jokes while we're in the middle of an all-out war?", she asked.

"Sorry, it's how I cope. Do you wanna talk about it though?" She really did enjoy his lighthearted demeanor, but she felt herself relax a little as he seemed to comply with her earlier request.

"It's just so crazy. A few months ago the only thing I was concerned about was passing my firebending test. Now I have to deal with...all of this."

"And we hadn't even met yet", Bolin added. "Now, I can't imagine my life without you in it. You're the most loyal, brave, and selfless person I've ever known. And a bunch of other stuff I've already told you."

Korra could feel herself blushing again. "I think you're pretty incredible too, just so you know."

They leaned in towards each other, eyes closing, but a particularly loud snore from Mako broke their focus on each other before they could kiss.

"We should try and get some sleep", Bolin said, acknowledging his brother's unconscious interruption. He stood up to go get in his sleeping bag, but Korra grabbed his wrist before he could walk away.

"Do you wanna stay here? Naga's a really good pillow."

He accepted her offer, deciding to rest himself against her as they were finally able to find sleep.

The next morning, they went to the surface through a drainage pipe, with a bit of luck on their side as there was a thick fog that made them harder to spot.

Korra broke the silence. "We gotta be ready to help the united forces however we can when they arrive."

Mako was able to spot them arriving as if on cue, and Bolin was able to see them as well after fumbling with the telescope for a moment. However, Asami took notice that there were no equalist airships in the sky, making them all wonder what they had planned for the arrival of reinforcements.

When Korra realized, she let out a gasp. "The harbor."

They saw an explosion rock one of the warships in the bay, and soon heard a buzzing sound above them. When they looked up, they saw equalists flying around attacking in machines that no one recognized.

"Man, where does Mr. Sato find the time to keep building this evil stuff?", Bolin asked noone in particular.

Korra wasn't able to give an answer, instead jumping into Yue Bay to use the water to fight, while Bolin ripped up chunks of street to throw at the flying equalists in the hopes of knocking them out of the sky.

However, Korra stopped her fighting when she saw a man fall into the water after a bomb went off near him. When she swam downward to save him, she recognized him from a visit with his family in her white lotus training compound.

"General Iroh. Good to see you again."

"You as well, Avatar Korra. Thanks for saving my life."

She was able to get him back to the others, and they returned to the tent city quickly so Korra could heal his arm and to come up with a plan.

"I was prepared for the equalists mecha tanks, but not those high speed aircraft", Iroh spoke with his face having a blue glow from Korra's healing.

"I know", Korra responded. "Every time we think we have an advantage, Amon outsmarts us."

"He always has a better plan, no matter how good ours is", Mako added.

"Amon may be winning so far, but we're not out of the fight quite yet", Iroh encouraged.

"I like the man's confidence, buuut how are we not out of the fight?", Bolin asked.

"Iroh stood up, grabbing his injured shoulder. "There's a second wave of reinforcements about to arrive, but I need to warn them so they don't run into another ambush. Is there any way to get a message out?"

They all directed him to Bushi, who was able to pass on a warning to commander Bumi about how the first fleet was destroyed, and to wait for his signal at red sand island. Korra recognized the name from stories told by Tenzin and his children, although the former spoke in a more exasperated tone about the wild actions of his older brother.

After that, Iroh pulled out a map of Republic city and told them that grounding the aircraft was their top priority, since Bumi couldn't retake the city otherwise. Asami theorized that there was an airfield in the mountains, since that was the direction they flew in from. Iroh agreed, and they made plans to leave in the morning.

However, Korra couldn't go with them, as she said to them her gut was telling her it was time to confront Amon and put an end to this. Iroh was concerned, telling her that this wasn't a mission she should go on alone.

"She won't", Bolin spoke. "I'll go with her.

"You don't have to do that", Korra told him.

"I know."

"Wait." Iroh interrupted them with additional information. "When we get to the airfield, we'll need a way to stop them from becoming airborne. The best way to prevent them from landing and taking off would be for an earthbender to tear up the runway."

Bolin seemed to realize that he needed to stay with the others, judging by the look on his face. However, Korra still wasn't going alone, as Mako volunteered to go with her instead.

"You guys should take Naga with you", she told them. "She'll get you through the mountains faster. Come on Bo, I'll show you how to ride her."

Her boyfriend did seem to cheer up a bit during the lesson, having a grin on his face unbothered by the slobber Naga had left on his cheeks. But she could still tell that not being able to go with her was bugging him.

"Look, I know you're not happy that you have to go into the mountains with the others, but I'll be okay."

"I know, you can take care of yourself. I was actually gonna ask you to look out for Mako."

"Then what's bothering you?"

"I keep thinking back to when I first saw Amon. In person I mean. I think about how terrified I was up on that stage, trying to say it was some sort of misunderstanding instead of putting up a fight. I guess I just...feel pretty cowardly about the whole thing, and I just wanted another chance."

"I get what you mean. Do you remember when I challenged Amon to a duel?"

"Yeah. Feels like it happened years ago though."

Korra chuckled in agreement, but she got serious when she told Bolin about what happened. How she was ambushed by chi blockers and what Amon had told her. All he said in response was "Wow".

"Yeah, I don't think I've ever felt more scared."

"Huh? No, that's not what I meant. Don't get me wrong, that sounds horrible, but I was just thinking how stupid Amon was being."

"What are you talking about?"

"I mean, he could've stopped the most powerful person in the world and the biggest threat to his plans but he's like 'Nah, I'm good, see ya'", finishing his explanation with a gruff voice.

"He didn't want to make me a martyr or something. Why are you thinking about that anyway?", she asked.

"Just something I thought you could rub in his face after you kick his butt, that he had an opportunity and blew it."

"Thanks."

(-)

When Mako woke up the next morning, he and the others ate breakfast quickly so they could say their goodbyes and start traveling.

His conversation with Bolin was quick, telling each other to be careful and that they loved them, leaving most of their feelings unsaid. However, it was still enough to make Bushi start crying.

Then as his little brother went to talk to his girlfriend, Mako figured he should do the same, and it was clear Asami was deep in thought as he approached her.

"Hey."

"Hi."

He wasn't good at being delicate, so he decided to be direct. "Are you thinking about your dad?"

"Yeah", she said with a pained expression.

Mako apologized right away, but he wasn't completely sure what for.

"I'm ok", Asami responded. "I just...I need to face him. See if he's still the same person that I remember."

"You can do this", he reassured while putting a hand on her cheek. "But whatever happens today, I want you to know that I love you." That came out a little more dramatic than he intended, but she didn't seem to mind as she gave him a smile and a kiss. "I love you too."

Then she went over to Bolin, who was giving a goodbye hug to Korra, although he was clearly reluctant to let go. While he rode Naga out of the sewers and into the mountains with Iroh and Asami, Mako led Korra through a drainage ditch as close as they could get to air temple island, which Korra felt was their best chance at finding Amon given how many equalists they saw heading there. She was able to waterbend another bubble so they would be able to walk over to the island without being seen. It wasn't a short trip though, which gave them time for conversating. "You know, I'm glad my brother has you."

"Huh?"

Smooth. "What I meant was, ever since the two of you started dating, he's been...different. You remember how I said I had to look after him? Well, he's been acting more mature. For him, anyway", he added, remembering it was Bolin he was talking about.

"Really?"

"When Tarrlok took you, he really stepped up. Getting through that equalist hideout was mostly because him. You've changed him for the better, and I'm sorry for how I acted before, I shouldn't have been jealous."

"Thanks for t- wait a minute, I knew it! I knew you were jealous!" Mako groaned, realizing what he just let slip. He quickly told her to be quiet, as they were about to reach the opposite shore.

In their equalist disguises, they were able to move around the island easily, the only time they risked getting caught was when they bumped into mustache guy, who told them that Amon would be having a rally in the probending arena.

Korra then led them to an attic to hide out in until the rally, but they saw an unexpected guest was already there?

"Tarrlok?", she asked while taking off her mask, not believing the state of the man in front of her.

Mako couldn't blame her. The councilman appeared to be a shell of his former self. His hair was undone, and he was sitting on the floor, looking at them with lifeless eyes. His appearance wasn't that surprising to him though.

"Avatar Korra", he spoke with an emotionless tone. "I don't suppose you're here to rescue me."

"We had no idea you were here", she responded. "We heard the equalists were abducting council members, have you seen anyone else?"

"I'm their only prisoner, as far as I know."

"So what makes you so special?", Mako asked.

"Amon is my brother."

Tarrlok ignored their reactions of shock and decided to explain. "His real name is Noatak, and he's from the northern water tribe. And he's a waterbender and bloodbender, just like I was."

"Wait", Korra spoke, once he appeared to be finished. "Did you know this the whole time? When did you figure it out? And how did your brother end up becoming Amon?"

"I didn't realize it was him until he captured me and took my bending. And as for becoming Amon, it all began with my father."

While listening to Tarrlok's story, Korra had a horrified expression on her face, but all Mako could feel was anger. It was pretty hard for him to find a person with a worse childhood than what he and Bolin had, but what he was hearing seemed to qualify.

He didn't expect a mob boss to be the best father in the world, but hearing what Yakone had put his sons through made Mako's stomach churn. Using them as tools for revenge? Bloodbending each other? Not to mention the burden of keeping everything they went through a secret.

He also couldn't help but notice an uncomfortable similarity between Noatak, Tarrlok, Bolin, and himself. "A cold older brother looking after a kind and carefree little brother?", He thought to himself. Would we be like this if we stayed with the Triads? Would Bolin be like Tarrlok if something happened to me?" He pushed away those thoughts, something he did not want to dwell on, as the story Tarrlok was telling seemed to finish.

"That's...one of the saddest stories I've ever heard", said Korra.

"Why didn't you tell anyone?", Mako asked with a quiet voice.

"I doubt that I would have been able to get on the council if people knew I was the son of Yakone." Mako winced internally, wishing he had been clearer with his question. "But if you meant as a child,we were scared. Scared that no one would believe us, that we'd be punished for bloodbending, that our family would be torn apart. Not that it mattered, since both our parents passed away not long after Noatak disappeared that night."

Tarrlok couldn't hide his bitterness at what happened, but he continued the conversation. "I truly am sorry for everything I've done to you, Avatar Korra. I wanted to be better than my father, but I was still shaped by him, just like my brother."

"How did you figure out he was Amon?"

"When I was captured and had my bending taken, I recognized the feeling as Noatok's bloodbending, from when he used it on me psychically the night he left. I'm certain that my brother is Amon."

"So he somehow uses bloodbending to take people's bending away?", Korra mused.

"I don't know how he does it, but then again, I've never encountered a bender as strong as Noatak."

"So how do we beat him?", Mako wondered. "We can't attack Amon without him redirecting whatever we throw at him with his mind. Probably what he's been doing all along to anyone that challenges him."

"Maybe we don't fight him", Korra answered. "If we can expose him as a waterbender at the rally, his whole cause falls apart. All of those people will just see him as a liar and a fraud."

"Don't underestimate him", Tarrlok warned. "He has to have a plan for someone figuring out his real identity. Probably put it together when he realized I was his brother."

"Come with us", she offered. "You can back up what we're saying, you can help save the city."

Tarrlok refused. "You can't risk exposing your cover to get me out of here. And if Noatak finds out I'm gone or that I spoke to you, he'll know something's up. Go. Put an end to this sad story."

Korra and Mako both nodded at him in understanding, then exited from the trapdoor they came in through.

Notes: I debated on whether to have Bolin or Mako go along with Korra to confront Amon, but I decided to stick with canon. Plus, it was an opportunity to write with a little focus on Mako. Hopefully it didn't come across as forced, but I did want to show that Noatak and Tarrlok are kind of a dark "what-if" scenario for Mako and a whole lot happened in this chapter, but I'm really looking forward to writing the next one!