Ren leveled her binoculars, the desert sun was burning the back of her neck as she laid in prone. She knew as long as it was on her neck it wouldn't reflect on the lenses of the binoculars and give away her position. She could see the facility an ugly dome of concrete encircled by fence in the otherwise empty desert. "How close do you need to get to scan your sector of building?"

"Close enough to make me nervous." Setchi said from beneath her sand colored camouflage uniform that was more of a thin blanket on the back of her dessert uniform.

"You got this, the DAGR earth benders are some of the most skilled earth benders in the world. Just stay deep, no one in the facility should expect us." Ren consoled her friend.

"Thanks…you saved my ass again by borrowing me for this mission."

"Hey you deserved some saving, you did the right thing, now you get to help save Asami. Off you go." Ren closed her eyes and ignored the small dust up Setchi caused by earthbending herself into the ground. When Ren had found Setchi in the main Kyoshi HQ she'd been getting screamed at by her Commander, who in turn screamed at Ren when she handed over requisition and transfer paperwork for Setchi signed by General Hagashi herself. The transfer was only temporary as Setchi didn't meet the requirements for a permanent DAGR assignment. However where she was transferred next was up to Ren's Lieutenant not Setchi's former commander.

Setchi bent the earth out from in front of her forcing through the desert soil trying to keep the feeling of being buried alive subdued. Every few feet she scanned using her earth bending, still no sign of the perimeter fence. She tried to take a deep breath but it reeked of sand. Her lungs began to strain. CALM THE FUCK DOWN. She forced herself forward in the earth and scanned again. She saw the fence posts. Just a little further. Bending herself through the earth and sand to where she sensed the fence. She scanned again. If she were able to gasp on what little air she had around her she would've. What she could scan of the compound was cavernous with equipment and electric generators scattered everywhere. She scanned again and found a long underground hallway tracing the perimeter of the facility. She could sense a prisoner lying on the ground curled up in the corner. Her heart sank. I'm going to get you out… She made herself earth bend backwards through the earth till she was back to Ren's recon position.

Ren kept a steady eye on the facility as the earth beside her kicked up and Setchi gasped for air. "Keep quiet, I think you made it without them noticing."

"She's there."

Ren dipped her binoculars for a moment imaging Asami as a prisoner. "I know it'll be hard, but we have to leave her for now. When we come back we'll rescue her."

Setchi glared at the facility. "When we come back I want to level that whole fucking building."

Ren nodded. "I think that can be arranged."

I

Asami screamed in terror as she woke up to Ketsueki's face close enough to smell the dried blood on her breath.

"Shhhhh don't waste your pretty little screams. We need to earn them."

Asami had faced her share of evil before, humans and spirits, Ketsueki however made her shake in fear.

"Tsusamo needs you to work."

She watched Ketsueki's eyes, her unblinking blue eyes set into a face smeared in dried didn't even think about resisting. Asami nodded then braced herself for the painful process of standing up. For certain she knew a few ribs had been broken thanks to the late Mr. Sai's beatings, her muscles hadn't felt right since she'd been blood bent. It was like having every muscle and joint over extended till it blinded her with pain. Before she knew it she was limping her way up the metal staircases to the main reactor room. From a technical stand point the reactor was a stroke of genius. If Spirit Vine energy hadn't been used by Kuvira, Asami would've seen it as a revolutionary break through for the world. But at the cost of perverting spirit energy. Kuvira's reactor, as Mako had described, had used an unstable mass of vine constantly arcing energy into and back out of it in larger quantities. Inherently it was hard to keep stable, Tsusamo's team had solved this by charging vine containers in a rotation. It didn't generate as much power as Kuivra's but it had the potential to stably generate more power in a night than Republic city used in a week.

Asami had found it almost peaceful to have a project to work on, something to focus on rather than being nearly drowned and constantly beaten. If she concentrated long enough it was almost like her ribs weren't broken at all. She didn't want to fault the research team, especially considering Ketsueki was wearing them for face paint. The solution to her was simple, scale everything back. They'd been so concerned with pushing the limit and wowing the President that they hadn't considered that inputting half of the voltage while rotating through more spirits vines should have given them enough cool down time. It wouldn't be able to power Republic city by itself but it would be able to power most of the down town.

"How mad do you think Tsusamo would be if we killed it?"

"He'd be furious, he likes this one." Ketsueki responded to the question posed out loud by the voice in her head. "She'll make a nice treat when this is all over."

would have had a field day with you. Asami rolled her eyes making sure to keep her head forward so she couldn't see them. There was no doubt Ketsueki was insane, but in this instance Asami realized she was correct. There was no way she was going to live past her usefulness to Tsusamo. As she approached the control panel of the reactor and eyed the many spirit vine containers she began to recalculate. Maybe the research team had it right the first time.

I

Ren hefted her ruck onto her shoulders the plane had picked them up out in the desert and immediately flew back to Republic City. The DAGR earth benders had all comparing notes as one drew down a approximation of the facility they'd scanned. Setchi followed her off the plane, the other DAGR operatives not bothering to say goodbyes, as they hopped into waiting Sato mobiles that would bring them back to their Headquarters.

Setchi seeing that they were separated from the rest of the DAGR operatives nudged Ren. "Not one for conversation those guys eh?"

"My squads not bad, but things tend to stay serious around here." Ren rubbed the back of her neck feeling the itch of a pending sunburn.

"Seems like it." Setchi watched the city rush by them outside their sato mobile.

"I kinda miss the old squad," Ren rested her head back against the seat closing her eyes. "DAGR is great, I've gotten to do things I always dreamed about as a recruit…"

"But?"

Ren briefly thought of Mako. "I'm DAGR operative first, there isn't a second." The convoy of sato mobiles drove in through the open and waiting garage door of the clandestine DAGR HQ and everyone filed out of their various vehicles. The vehicles turned off and emptied out and slowly as the operatives dropped the gear in the squad equipment area and shuffled over to the large briefing table.

Lieutenant Suki was waiting with a cup of tea in her hands. "Well, earth benders, what'd you see?"

Ren watched the lead earth bender, a short tan woman that she'd never actually heard speak roll out a surprisingly detailed drawing. The compound was almost like a stadium, only instead of the seats only empty space filled with what she assumed were wires and machinery of various types and building materials. A large hall followed the edge of the circular compound, and extended into the earth a few stories down.

The Lieutenant studied the schematic for a few minutes. "I don't get it…he kidnaps, or rather has the Red Lotus kidnap one of the most famous engineers in the world and drags her out to a pro bending stadium?"

"He's building something, the wires all lead to a circle of machinery, what it is we have no idea." One of the taller earth benders who hadn't even bothered to drop her gear off offered. Suki finished her tea. "….Be a shame if someone blew it all up."

Setchi snorted unintentionally, and immediately everyone except Ren was looking at her. "Sorry…sounds like a good plan."

"You're Ren's old squad mate right?" Suki eyed up the only non DAGR Kyoshi she'd seen in weeks.

"Yes Ma'am." Suki tried to sound confident with the eyes of more than a dozen of the most lethal women she'd ever met on her.

"Welcome to the big leagues." Suki switched her attention to the schematics. "Asami Sato is on site there?"

Suki nodded. "I've scanned her before, and the prisoner seems identical."

"A prisoner will have guards, how many are at this facility?" Suki addressed the rest of the room.

The same tall earth bender answered. "That's another mystery, there's more corpses there than guards or personnel."

"Corpses?" Suki scraped the edge of the tea cup with her finger nail.

"At least five, plus one near the Sato woman's cell."

"…What the fuck is going on in that place?"

I

Ketsueki raised her healed hands and concentrated, obediently the corpses shot up unnaturally perched on their dead feet. "And one, two, three, one two three." she counted guiding the corpses through a limply followed dance she was making up on the spot.

Asami tried not to look at the dead scientists dancing in the reactor room as she tried to rig the spirit vine reactor to work long enough to convince President Tsusuamo before sending back power to the vine containers and sending each one into overload.

"It's not the same with corpses is it?" The voice in Ketsueki's head wondered through her mouth. "No you're right."

Before Asami could even drop the wrench she'd been using her body convulsed and she screamed through clenched teeth as she was bent against her will into Ketsueki's demented dance number. As much as she wanted to fight it the pain made her eyes water and as she was forced into the formation of dead scientists tears rolled down her cheeks. The sickening display was broken by alarms sounding, the roof sliding open, and President Tsusamo's Airship coming in for a landing. Immediately Asami was released from Ketsueki's hold collapsing next to the other corpses she'd used for her dance.

"Shame, we were just beginning to have fun." Ketsueki mused as she walked up to Asami, who was still catching her breath and trying to suppress her cries of pain.

I

Lin tried to keep her eyes shut in the sunlight, after so many trips on bison over the years she'd wanted to get used to flying but still couldn't watch the clouds roll by without churning her stomach. It was worse over the swamp with nothing but low lying trees and sky out on the horizon.

"Doing alright Aunt Lin?"

"You know I hate being called Aunt almost as much as flying!"

"You'll get used to it! I'm going to bring him down for a quick break, hold on." Opal shouted holding back on the impulse to send the bison into a dive. They slowly spiraled down closer to the swamp until she spotted a clearing.

Lin tried to keep the feeling of falling from making her puke this time. When she finally did open her eyes the trees were all around them shading her from the sunlight. "What are we stopping for?"

"Water break for the Bison, bathroom break for me." Opal said as she headed out into the woods.

Lin hopped off the bison landing in ankle deep swamp water. Oh for fuck's sake. She reached out for a nearby vine to balance herself as she pulled her self from the puddle, the second she touched the vine she felt the world fall away into darkness. She tried to yell but it made no noise. A flash of light blinded her and as her vision cleared she saw Asami curled up on the floor of a cell, another flash and she saw Mako throwing his police badge into the garbage can of his apartment. Another flash revealed Korra with her head in her hands. The final flash she saw a large stadium like building in the middle of nowhere, the dessert wind blowing for a few seconds before the building erupted in a brilliant flash of light. The flashes stopped and the darkness remained. She heard someone calling in the distance, muffled at first but growing louder. A voice she knew, one that made her heart leap and her whole body float. "KYA!" She opened her eyes to see Opal and her Bison both staring at her with confused looks on their faces.

"Uh…what just happened?" Opal asked almost afraid to approach her aunt.

"I…I have no idea…we need to get back to Republic City fast!"

I

Ren scratched her head as she sat with Setchi and the DAGR earth benders around the briefing table. They'd been brainstorming ways to attack the facility for the better part of an hour till Lieutenant Suki had been called away. They'd settled on breaching through the roof with the earth benders and repelling down, the shock and awe would give them enough time to find Asami while the other DAGR operatives killed the Red Lotus members and prepare to level the facility. Ren eyed her Lieutenant as she walked back into the briefing room with a soured look on her face.

"Bad news I'm afraid, Corporal Akako, you and your earth benders have been reassigned, there's another op that DAGR needs your skills for."

Corporal Akako who Setchi assumed was mute at this point merely nodded and Shrugged her shoulders. The taller Earth bender thanked the Lieutenant for the fun and they all set about collecting their gear and leaving the DAGR HQ.

"Well shit." Ren gave the table a firm thump. "There goes our support."

"Don't worry, command didn't leave me completely high and dry." Suki offered. "Seems The last DAGR has been told, the Avatar wants to help rescue the Sato woman. They're sending a plane for her she should be in Republic City in 12 hours or so."

Ren raised an eyebrow. "And Kirā? With those two we won't need any support."

"She's the Avatar's handler now so where she goes Kirā follows it seems." Suki answered. "However DAGR will snatch her up when she's finished, mark my words."

"Look's like it'll be a bit of a squad reunion for us Setchi," Ren wondered how Kirā was handling her assignment and laughed at the idea of her vacationing on an island with Korra.

"That still leaves us short a few if there's any substantial force or surprises waiting for us in there." Suki returned to her cup of tea waiting for her at her spot at the planning table.

Ren shrugged. "I know a few benders if you don't mind non DAGR help."

Suki rolled her eyes. "Any more non DAGR personnel and this'll start to look like a fuckin' daycare…not you Setchi, from what I hear you pull your weight. But I suppose beggars can't be choosers. Who do you have in mind?"

"Detective Mako of the RCPD, he's a capable fighter and more importantly he can bend lightning so that'll enable me to use a Kaminari suit." Ren explained.

Her lieutenant nodded. "Those things are useful, who else?"

Ren shrugged. "I have no idea where she is, but I might be able to get Lin Beifong."

"Chief of police? No thanks." Suki shook her head.

"Former Chief, she's old school too so she's not afraid to get a little dirty, she can be trusted."

Lieutenant Suki sighed and traced her finger on the edge of her tea cup. "Fuck it, I'll run a daycare. Get in touch with them, command said they're sending a plane for the Avatar so that gives us around twelve hours. I'll assemble the rest of the squad."

I

Aka smiled as she muffled Kirā's moans with one hand and made her moan louder with the other. The two had only sparred for all of five minutes before their grappling turned into anything but fighting. Guess this still counts as submission practice she mused playfully as Kirā wriggled against her. The sparing room had never been sweatier the rough wicker mats rubbing into their bare skin and the stone walls doing little to silence their noise.

Kirā gave one loud moan against Aka's hand and went limp in a sweaty heavy breathing mess against her. "I…I like sparring with you a lot."

Aka beamed and gently caressed her. "Oh we're not done yet."

"Uh…excuse me?"

The pair went wide eyed and leapt into action, sprawling for their various clothes as a regular Kyoshi, one of the orderlies wearing face paint that she seemed to be blushing through and scrubs watched in embarrassment.

Aka realizing how ridiculous they both looked, rolled her eyes and put her hands on her still bare hips. "Yes?"

"There's a message for Corporal Kirā." The orderly answered shy trying to avert her gaze as Kirā tripped over her own pants.

Aka chuckled and walked up to the orderly towering over her. "Thank you." She took the letter from the orderly and walked back over to Kirā holding out the letter as she gave up trying to get dressed. The orderly had very quickly disappeared.

Kirā opened the letter and read quickly. "They've found Asami, they want to bring us in for the rescue op."

"Just us?" Aka smiled.

"Well actually they asked for the Avatar and me but I'd love to bring you along." Kirā frowned. "They're sending a plane for us, tonight, seems like we'll be in a hurry." She began to walk towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Aka grinned.

Kirā looked bewildered. "I've got to tell Korra."

"Of course…but you might want to put the rest of your clothes back on."

Kirā hit her forehead and laughed. "You must've really done me in."

Aka gathered her own clothes off the floor. "And I will again, once this business is all sorted."

I

Korra took a sip of the soup the orderly had brought her, her and Tenzin had sat in silence since she'd made him promise to help undo the damage she'd done with the next Avatar. She'd been focusing on the soup to block out everything else her mind was throwing at her. The darkness enveloping her spirit, the avatar cycle tainted, possibly forever, because of her.

"I know it may not seem like it…but there is always a way to redeem yourself Korra. I believe in you." Tenzin offered staring at his own bowl of soup.

"I don't want redemption."

Kirā entered without a knock. "Korra, we've been able to locate Asami, the Red Lotus are holding her in a facility on the outskirts of Republic City…Ren's team is preparing to strike but I told them you'd want to be there."

Tenzin's eyes bulged. "Are you crazy? She's in no condition to-"

"When do we leave." Korra interrupted.

"As soon as the plane gets here." Kirā answered. "I'll have to get my things packed but if you want I can get you something." She eyed the fresh tears that had streaked down the Avatar's face. "Anything you need."

Korra stood and looked out the window towards the setting sun, and finished her soup. "Just some warm clothes for the trip."

"Korra you can't face the Red Lotus like-"

"Tenzin I don't care…I need to help make sure Asami is safe. I should've been keeping her safe!" Korra sighed. "With Kirā and Aka and probably a dozen other Kyoshi there what's the worst that could happen…they probably don't even need me." She rubbed her chest feeling the fading scar from the burn Ren's Kaminari suit.

I

Mako sat slumped on Ren's couch with his badge in his hands, thinking back to knocking Barzoon's cup of coffee out of his hands. He wished he'd punched him in the face instead, but he'd have gotten fired or arrested. Maybe I should get fired. He sighed and tried to push the thoughts of punching Barzoon out of his head. He took a look at his badge and erupted in anger throwing it against the wall. It collided with a metallic clunk and fell into the trash can beneath. Reassigned my ass. He's half the reason Himiko's dead and Ketsueki is still at large that miserable tub of— His train of thought was interrupted by Ren bursting through the door with a duffle bag full of gear on her back.

"Oh. Hey." Ren paused in the door way. Shit, Setchi better keep her mouth shut about him. "Mako, this is Setchi, you two met briefly at Camp Laghima."

Mako looked as Setchi moved around the still frozen Ren with her own duffle bag of gear. "Hello."

"What's he doing in…" The light bulb clicked on for Setchi and she looked at her old boss with a slight smile. "Well done."

Ren rolled her eyes. "Anyway. Mako, we've got a rescue op for Asami planned, Korra is en route with Kirā to assist. Are you in?"

"If it's for Asami? Absolutely. Is Korra…uh feeling better?"

Ren shrugged. "No idea, but I doubt Kirā and DAGR command would be okay sending her without seeing an improvement."

"I hope you're right." Mako tried to remember if he'd seen Korra after she'd nearly died in a puddle of blood that wasn't her own.

I

Lin was braving the heights to watch intently for the skyline of Republic City she was getting impatient. She had no idea what her visions meant but the ones of Asami in the fetal position on a concrete floor had her especially worried. She listed the possibilities, the last she had heard Asami would've been flying from the Northern water tribe to the South with a security team of Kyoshi. Ren might know something…She thought back to the vision of Mako tossing his badge in the garbage, and realized Ren might be the best way to kill two birds with one stone.

"Republic City dead ahead!" Opal shouted from on Her bison's head.

"Set us down as soon as you get into the city, I need to make a call."

I

Korra wondered where Kirā had found a parka on an island but she didn't question it, night had begun to fall and with it she began to feel all warmth leave her body. They were waiting on the beach ready to depart, Tenzin on his Bison, Kirā, Aka, and Korra on the sea plane that was supposed to arrive any minute.

"Are you sure you don't want me to come with you?" Tenzin asked clearly worried, Korra's now gaunt appearance was exaggerated by the parka and the setting sun casting it's shadows.

Korra chewed on her lip watching the horizon for the first peak of the moon light. She knew it wouldn't be as bad as the nights she'd spent sedated but it still filled her with a sense of dread. "I'll be okay, the Kyoshi will handle it, once it's over and we've rescued Asami I'll come to Air Temple Island to see you." She tensed when Tenzin hugged her, he felt like a furnace against her slowly freezing soul. She returned the hug. "I'll be okay."

"Please be careful," Tenzin held her like he would his own daughters.

Korra immediately began to feel the chill again as soon as Tenzin let her go and departed on his Bison. The moon began to creep into the sky and it made her skin itch. "Kirā, can I have another dose?"

Kirā nodded and gave her a pill from a small tin box she kept in her armor. She didnt quite know what to feel, she was wearing her armor for the first time in months, and standing next to a recovering Avatar and a combustion bender who made her heart flutter with joy and pang with desire. "This was the strangest mission I've ever had."

Aka rolled her eyes. "And the most fun."

Korra smirked through her haze. "I don't think she was having much fun till you showed up."

Kirā shrugged. "Yeah the getting puked on and staying up all night to make sure your heart didn't stop wasn't really my idea of fun."

"I can't thank you enough Kirā." Korra mulled over the idea, she was grateful for Kirā's help, but part of her was still longing for the icy cliff she tried to throw herself off of months ago. She shivered in the moonlight. Save Asami…then I'll worry about myself. She held her hands in her parka so they wouldn't shake.

"That'll be them!" Kirā pointed to a blinking green light high over the water, which in moments became two lights illuminating the wings of a sea plane in the night sky.

"Shit I don't suppose you can lend me some of those pills?" Aka grimaced looking at the fast approaching aircraft.

"You're afraid of flying?" Kirā said not really believing the idea that Aka was afraid of anything.

"I'm not a fan of it…why do you think I took a boat here." Aka smoothed her skirt nervously watching the approaching plane.

"I thought it was just to make an entrance." Kirā teased.

Korra watched the plane descend, it touched the water gently at first then harshly bounced momentarily catching air again before settling into the water with a spray of water then a roar of the engines as they turned them full speed in reverse trying to slow the plane as it shot towards the beach. It eventually slowed and the pilots brought it into a gentle arc catching one of the pontoon landing gear on the sand of the beach. "Your entrance was better," The medicine was kicking in now the coldness of the moon numbed and the shaking had lessened. The trio boarded the plane, the interior was lacking any real accommodations, and was mostly full of cargo that the trio was invited to make themselves comfortable on and against for take off. Korra sat down on a small crate and slumped against the one behind it, thankful for her parka she tried to cuddle up inside it. She felt the acceleration of the plane and in a few moments they were airborne. I'm coming for you Asami.

I

Ren distributed the take out noodles for Mako and Setchi as they awkwardly surrounded the small coffee table. Ren's apartment had only been furnished for one person, then when Mako came along they'd slowly adjusted. Setchi being the third was completely unplanned. She was glad she had enough chairs. "I can't believe you got transferred."

Mako slurped some noodles. "I think I actually quit…I smacked his coffee out of his hands."

"You have said how much he loves his coffee." Ren stirred her noodles. "Can you just up and quit like that?"

He shrugged. "I don't know I've never really thought about quitting before…maybe I should take a vacation."

Ren snorted. "Sure, you on vacation, that I'd love to see." She put down her noodles as the phone began to ring. Ren walked the short distance and answered the phone. "Hello?"

"Ren? It's Lin."

"Lin! I was wondering where you'd ran off too, I called the estate but no one answered."

"It's a long story, are Mako and Asami okay?" Lin was half way across the city in a phone booth but the worry in her voice was loud and clear.

"Uh…actually that's what I wanted to talk to you about, Mako's fine, but Asami needs out help do you want in on the rescue mission?" Ren knew Lin was a good detective but she couldn't figure out why she'd have suspected something was up with Asami.

"I think I have to be, where do you want me to go?"

Ren nodded, with Lin, Kira, Mako, and the Avatar Lieutenant Suki would have her daycare alright. "Meet us at the Kyoshi air base, same one as when we left for Camp Laghima, if you have anything you need to grab do it, but be there in an hour and a half."

"I remember the place, what the flameo is going on?"

Ren sighed. "I'll have to explain on the way there, but I'll be glad to have you along."

I

Asami picked herself up off the ground while Tsusamo's airship touched down in the middle of the floor, she frantically back pedaled away from the pile of bodies Ketsueki had dropped her next to. The Back of the airship opened up and Tsusamo walked down the ramp followed by a dozen or so men dressed in grey robes.

Ketsueki gave a bow to greet her new boss. "I wasn't expecting you back so soon Mr. President."

"Well with Mr. Sai dead I figured we'd need more guards around here, they'll be stationed on the perimeter so they won't bother you much my dear." President Tsusamo turned his attention to his captive. "Mrs. Sato! How's our little project coming along."

She stifled a snarky response in fear of Ketsueki's retaliation. "I've still got a few more things to figure out, I could maybe have a test run tomorrow." She tensed as Tsusamo neared her. "It should be working by then."

"My dear, it must work by then," He kneeled down to look her in the eyes. "Otherwise I'll let Ketsueki add you to the pile" He thumbed over at the dead scientists.

Asami nodded faintly. "I can get it working."

He smiled and lifted her head by her chin. "Don't be so down on yourself, you're making history." he stood and eyed the machine, it's mass of cables and copper coils that stood as tall as he was surrounded by spirt vine containers like numerals on a clock face. "This will be your gift to the world, your final gift, unlimited energy! And unlimited destruction!" His voice echoed through the open coliseum like building. "So get to work!" He sneered.

I

Sorry I've been away for so long, for months I didn't feel like I was able to write anything worth reading, eventually I was able to start another project which then took over my productive time. While that project, a book about members of the Royal Family being werewolves, is fun I still miss these characters and will be writing the finale of Part two after this update goes live. It may take a while as i've got lots of loose ends and i want them all tied neatly together, but hopefully it's something you all will enjoy! Thank you to the subscribers, reviews, and followers. Special shout out to DD who's numerous reviews on here and Ao3 helped give me a push to finish this chapter and return to this project.