Asami fought her way through the crowd swarming the entrance of Lao's Bar, barely able to squeeze inside. While this place had always been a fairly popular hangout, it was especially busy tonight. Could that actually be because of Wu's band? Difficult to imagine. Sure, he had that former-royal clout going for him, but he had never been particularly gifted in the musical department. Then again, she hadn't kept up with him over the years. Mako kept in touch with him on occasion, but other than that she hadn't heard anything about Wu since he'd stepped down from the Earth Kingdom throne six years ago. Perhaps he'd improved?
Asami smoothed out the front of her dress when she made it inside, standing off to the side to keep from blocking the door. The interior of the bar included an entire restaurant, complete with tables, waiters, diners, and of course a full bar. A stage had been set up at the back end of the restaurant, around which the tables were centered. No doubt where the band would be playing before long. Spirits, how long had it been since she'd had a chance to go out and enjoy herself with her friends? Between running a company and running a nation, her free time was in short supply. Most of that time went to catching up on sleep. With a quiet breath, she looked around for the others. She spotted several of them sitting at a pair of tables pushed together near the far side of the bar—Mako, Bolin, Opal, Varrick, and Zhu Li.
"Hey, everyone," she said, making her way towards them with a wave.
"Hey, if it isn't the president herself!" Varrick announced. "Now it's a party."
"Asami, you made it!" Bolin came forward and greeted her with a hug. "Isn't this great? Just like old times."
Mako held out his hand, and she gave it a firm shake. "Glad you could make it."
"I am too," she replied. "I needed a night out where I can just relax."
"Things must be pretty crazy right now," Opal said, brushing back her bangs. A flash of blue appeared beneath them, the tip of an arrow tattooed across her forehead. Finally reaching the status of airbending master, she had received her airbender tattoos eight months ago, and only recently grown her hair back enough to even have bangs.
Asami heaved out a tired sigh. "They really are. This whole empire business has everyone on edge. It'll be nice to forget about it for one night."
Zhu Li offered a reassuring smile and extended her hand. "I'm sure you'll get through it just fine, Asami. We're all here for you."
"Thanks, Zhu Li." Asami shook her hand, while shifting a curious look back and forth between her and Varrick. "So, who's watching Iknik Jr.?"
"The babysitter, of course!" Varrick replied. "I hope this one turns out better than the last one, though. I leave a very detailed list of instructions, and they have to be followed to the letter. So what does the previous babysitter do? Forgets to put Junior down for his nap!" He leaned closer to Asami, staring intently at her with rigid concern. "You know how important naps are? They're right up there with eating, or... or breathing! They keep the mind rested, and sharp." With a simple shrug, he leaned away again. "My point is: if you can't follow a simple schedule, you have no business looking after someone's kid, least of all mine."
Bolin raised an eyebrow. "Uh, how detailed is a two year old's schedule? Don't they pretty much just eat, sleep, and... I don't know, play with blocks or something?"
Varrick threw his arm around Bolin's shoulders and pulled him close. "Kid, two is a very delicate age for the development of a child. Their minds are ripe for molding, and need constant stimulation for optimal growth."
"We're trying to make sure that Iknik reaches his fullest potential," Zhu Li explained. "That means following a strict program. Deviating too much from the schedule could throw off his development."
"Huh, I don't know, that sounds a little... not fun?" Bolin said.
"Oh, there's plenty of time for fun in there, I guarantee it," Varrick insisted. "It's the same way I was raised, and look how great I turned out!"
Mako stared at him, interjecting with a furrowed brow. "I guess we'll take your word on that..."
Opal glanced towards her fiancé. "So, speaking of kids..."
Bolin blinked at her. "Wait, are we telling them? Right now?"
"Now's as good a time as any."
Asami looked curiously back and forth between the two. "Tell us what?"
"Well..." Opal smiled, and reached out to hold Bolin's hand. "We're having a baby!"
Mako's eyes widened. "Seriously?"
"Yeah, can you believe it?" Bolin laughed, spreading a delighted grin across his face. "I'm gonna be a dad!"
"I don't believe it... I'm going to be an uncle." Mako snapped out of his shock long enough to wrap his arms tight around Bolin. "Congratulations, little bro."
"Zhu Li, you hear that?" Varrick said, leaning close to his wife. "I'm sensing some play-dates in the future. We'll have to start rearranging the schedule."
"I think we have plenty of time before we need to do that," she replied.
"Hey, you can never plan too early for something!"
Asami flashed a excited grin and pulled Opal in for a hug. "That's fantastic, congratulations. How far along are you?"
"Just a month," Opal said. "So, I should still be able to fit into my dress for the wedding next month."
"That's good news," Asami said, with a chuckle. "But really, I'm happy for both of you."
The crowd in the bar shifted and moved, bringing with it another group of individuals making their way towards the table. One of them called out over the background chatter. "Well, look at this sorry bunch. Got room for a few more?"
Asami turned to the source of the voice, noticing Bumi standing there with his hands on his hips. His sister, Kya, stood next to him, while Jinora and Kai lagged a couple steps behind. She smiled at them, and gestured to the empty seats at the table. "Hey guys, glad you could make it."
"Likewise, Madame President," Kya said, with a subtle tease in her tone. She held out her arms, and pulled Asami in for a brief hug. "It's good to see you again."
"You too," she replied. "No Lin?"
Kya laughed. "Ha, no, she passed out on the couch hours ago. I didn't have the heart to wake her. She's been working herself way too hard lately, and quite frankly she could use the rest."
Jinora made her way to the other side of the table, greeting Opal with a hug of her own. "So good to see you guys. How are the tattoos doing, by the way? If you need any touch ups, you can stop by the island any time."
"Oh, no the tattoos are perfect," Opal insisted. "I don't know how the acolytes manage to get the arrows so straight."
Jinora smiled. "Lots of practice, I assume."
"Pretty soon, I'll have tattoos of my own," Kai said, spreading a confident grin across his face. "And you know they'll look great on me."
"You already look great without them," Jinora said, as she leaned up on her toes to give him a gentle kiss.
When their lips parted, Kai's grin widened even further. "I do, don't I?" He didn't bother waiting for an answer, as he dove back in for another kiss.
"Alright you two, save the making out for after the show," Kya said, folding her arms tight across her chest. "Don't make us separate you."
"Ah, let'em be," Bumi insisted. "Nothing wrong with showing a little affection for people you care about." He spread his arms out, and gave his sister a smile. "Come on, give me a hug."
Kya glared at him. "Bumi, I am not giving you a hug."
"You know you want to."
"Bumi..."
"Ah come on. Don't tell me Lin's rubbed off on you that much."
The old waterbender huffed out a groan, reluctantly holding her arms open. "Fine."
"There," Bumi said, wrapping his arms tight around his sister's shoulders, "was that so hard?"
She rolled her eyes. "Come on, we should order our food while we still have the chance. The show should be starting soon."
While Kya flagged down a waiter to take their orders, Varrick leaned in close across the table. "Oh, hey Asami,3 I've been meaning to schedule an appointment with your company. I got an idea I want to pitch your way."
Asami sighed, staring back at him with a doubtful gaze. "This isn't about your time machine is it? You're wasting your time with that."
"Are you kidding? I'm telling you, that's a winning idea! How much do you think people would pay to go back and throw cabbage at Fire Lord Ozai in prison? We'd make a fortune!"
Zhu Li frowned, and held a hand to her husband's shoulder. "Varrick, honey, I've told you before. Time is a unit of measurement that people created to keep track of events. It isn't a physical substance that you can manipulate."
Varrick frowned. "Well not with that attitude it isn't."
"Right..." Asami held her elbow against the table and raised a skeptical eyebrow. "And what kind of progress have you made with that, exactly? According to the papers, there was another lab explosion?"
"So there's a few kinks I still need to work out. I'm getting there," he said, with a shrug. "Anyway, that's not the idea I wanted to pitch you."
Asami sat up straighter. "Oh, what is it?"
"Get this..." Varrick leaned closer with a knowing grin, as if about to tell her the most interesting secret to have ever existed. "We make personalized mover screens. Smaller than your standard screen. We make them cheap and affordable, and bam, we could have one in every home in the city!"
Asami mulled over the suggestion with careful intrigue. For all of Varrick's ridiculous ideas, he did come up with a few gems from time to time. The general public loved movers, ever since Varrick had first introduced them nine years ago. If people had the opportunity to take movers home with them? That was definitely a profitable plan worth looking into. "Okay, I'll admit, that could be big. How would it work?"
"Well, there's not enough time to go into detail right now," he said, with a dismissive wave of his hand. True enough. Varrick's proposals tended to run upwards of a hundred pages long. "Essentially, you have a box, and the box projects an image on a glass screen. The only thing I haven't come up with yet is the best way to get different movers into the box. I suppose we could try to fit a projector inside of it and make it like a phonograph with pictures, but that would make it way too bulky and complicated. Completely inefficient."
"Hmm..." Asami leaned back in her seat and let her gaze shift out of focus, as she often did when settling into a deep thought. "Actually, there might be something we could do with radio waves."
"A radio with pictures?" Varrick pressed his hand to his lips, considering the suggestion. A second later, he snapped his fingers and flashed an excited grin at her. "That's it! Asami, you're a genius!"
"Well, I am—"
"Almost as much of one as I am."
Asami deadpanned. "Right, anyway, if you're looking to partner on this idea, send your plans to Baatar at Future Industries R and D."
Varrick immediately reached across the table and shook her hand. "Ha, you got it!"
"Oh, oh, quiet everyone!" Bolin said. "Here they come!"
The lights in the bar began to dim, causing the chatter to die down into mere whispers. A pair of spotlights shifted around from the ceiling to point directly at the stage, highlighting a group of five individuals stepping into view. Wu and the Badgers, as the band was called. Cheers and applause greeted them, eager for their performance. Asami's brow lifted, as she glanced back and forth at the expectant crowd. Had she been living under a rock for the past six years? How on earth was Wu's band this popular? More importantly, why wasn't Wu carrying an instrument?
Oh. Oh, he was the lead singer. Asami preemptively cringed. The last time she had heard him do anything remotely related to singing, he had sounded like a dying hog monkey. Please, spirits, let him have actually improved. As the music began to play, and Wu raised the microphone to his lips, Asami's jaw dropped. What in the world? That voice... so smooth, and soulful, with perfect pitch. And the range. How on earth was this the same Wu she had known years ago?
"Wow," she uttered, gawking in absolute disbelief over what she was hearing. "He actually sounds good. Great, even"
"Yeah, no kidding," Mako said, staring in equal amazement. "He said he'd taken some singing lessons, but I never imagined this. I guess those lessons really paid off."
She managed a slow nod in response. "Clearly."
The band continued to play all throughout dinner, constantly mixing up their style from slow and emotional to uptempo and electric. The crowd maintained their excitement with repeated applause and cheers, while some even abandoned their dinners altogether so they could take to the dance floor in front of the stage. Varrick sprang up from his seat to join them, pulling his wife with him to dance.
"Come on, Zhu Li!" he proclaimed. "Let's do the thing!"
While Asami remained quiet and calmly ate her meal, she did watch the others with a delighted smile. For as worried as she had been about the performance, Wu and the Badgers had proven unexpectedly entertaining. Just sitting there with her friends, enjoying the music and a nice meal—as perfect a night as she could have hoped for.
Two hours after the band first went on, things finally wound down. The band finished their final song, the crowd thinned out, and a much calmer, quieter atmosphere descended over the bar. At their own table, everyone except for Mako, Bolin, Opal, and Asami decided to call it a night, saying their brief goodbyes before heading out. Several minutes later, Wu himself marched out of the back to join them, a friendly grin spread across his face.
"Hey, Wu," Asami said, waving to greet him. "Nice job up there."
"Aww, did you guys all come out just to see me?" he replied, taking up a seat at the middle of the table.
"Yeah, we figured we'd come see what all the fuss was about with your band," Mako said. "I gotta say, I'm impressed."
"Well thank you, Mako." Wu slapped a hand to Mako's shoulder, giving him an affectionate smile. "You're still my favorite former bodyguard."
"I'm... your only former bodyguard."
"That's what makes you so special," he insisted. "Now, who wants a drink? Rounds are on me!"
Asami stifled an oncoming yawn, pushing herself away from the table. "I'll be right back, I'm just going to head to the restroom."
"Alright, but make sure you hurry," Wu said. "You don't want to miss the story about how I came up with the band name!"
Asami stood in the empty bathroom, washing her hands in the sink. She hummed a quiet tune to herself, one of the songs Wu's band had played tonight. Even as she dried her hands and began to fix her hair in the mirror, she kept up the tune. Spirits, was it catchy. She'd probably be humming it for the next three days at this rate. Somewhere beyond the sound of her own humming she heard the bathroom door squeak open, but she didn't pay it any mind. At least, not until she heard a following click—the lock.
Asami shifted a glance towards the door. A woman with short brown hair dressed in a casual suit walked by the stalls, seemingly not paying any attention to her at the sink. She watched the woman briefly, before easing her attention back to the mirror. She must have imagined hearing the lock. Yes, that was it. Too much to drink.
A metallic flick echoed through the bathroom. Asami's gaze shot upright into the mirror. Just fast enough to catch the reflection. Fast enough to see the attack coming. Throwing herself back from the sink, she shifted away from the thrust and countered with a square kick to the center of the other woman's chest. The woman stumbled, and raised her fist. A razor sharp blade poked out from beneath her sleeve.
Asami sank into a defensive stance, hardening her glare with intense focus. "Who are you?"
The woman lunged in for another strike. "The Dragon Empress sends her regards!"
Asami ducked beneath the blade and threw herself close to the woman. She grabbed hold of her midsection, pushed the woman's arm away, and delivered a thudding knee to the chest. The assassin grunted at the impact, but managed to wrap an arm around Asami's leg. With a jerking motion, she yanked the president off balance and slashed again with her weapon.
The blade cut like fire across Asami's thigh. She tightened her jaw, swallowing the scream threatening to burst free. Couldn't let it slow her down. Couldn't let it stop her. The assassin swung again, but Asami caught the woman's arm between her own and pinned it to the side. Nowhere to go now. With a grunting breath, she lurched forward and delivered a brutal headbutt to the woman's face. Bone snapped, blood sprayed. She managed three quick jabs to the ribs before the assassin recovered enough to follow through with a counter of her own.
Asami's head snapped back against the mirror, shattering the glass into countless shards. The bathroom spun around her. She hit the floor and rolled across a sea of tiny razors, slicing her legs and arms as she went. When the world righted itself, she pressed her hands to the floor to push herself upright. Glass cut into her palms. She recoiled with a pained shout, collapsing back to her elbows.
The assassin thrust her blade once more. Asami twisted her body and kicked the blade away. With glass cutting into her backside, she wrapped her legs around the woman's neck and tugged her to the floor. She grappled the woman close, kept the armblade pinned away from herself, and drove another knee to her opponent's ribs. The assassin managed to swing with her other arm, burying her knuckles into Asami's abdomen.
The two exchanged a quick succession of blows. Asami took a shot to the head, so hard bright stars exploded in her vision. She blinked her vision clear, and jabbed her elbow into the assassin's chest. Not enough to stop the next attack. Not enough to get away. The woman's bladed arm slid free from its hold. Asami lost sight of it, made a desperate grab. Too slow. The narrow blade thrust into her abdomen, spraying crimson down the front of her dress.
Asami screamed, toppling backwards against the floor littered with broken glass. The world around her warped and faded, sounds filtered through a wall of molasses. Her vision blurred, with black splotches undulating each time she blinked. Come on, get up. Get up and keep fighting. A harsh cough tore from her throat, coating the front of her jaw with slick, viscous warmth. No use. She couldn't get up. Couldn't even move. Every twitch of her muscles, bringing with it searing, horrid spasms of pain.
"Crazy bitch," the assassin muttered, staggering against the edge of the sink. She heaved a deep breath and wiped a line of blood from her lips. "You were just supposed to lay down and die!"
As the assassin moved in to finish the job, a knock pounded on the locked bathroom door, followed by a frantic voice. "Uh, hello? Is everything okay in there?"
Asami opened her mouth to call for help. No voice. Only a shrill, hoarse grunt of pain. She could do nothing now. Nothing except wait for the end. She managed a slow look towards the approaching assassin, watching her blood drip in a steady stream off the tip of the blade. Spirits, was this how she died?
The bathroom door smashed inward, tearing clean off its hinges. Another woman hurried inside, a woman with a dark bob cut, dressed in green robes. Both she and the assassin paused, staring at each other in a stunned moment of silence. The woman in green reacted first, reaching an arm forward. A metal cable zipped out from the bracelet at her wrist and wrapped around the assassin's arm. With a firm yank, she dragged the assassin off balance.
The assassin lurched forward, tripping over Asami as she went. The woman in green simply held up her arm, allowing the assassin to spin straight into a clothesline, head whipping back and body flipping around in midair. When the assassin crashed atop the broken glass, the woman in green delivered a furious stomp to her head. The assassin fell limp, out cold.
With the assailant taken care of, the woman in green ran forward and knelt at Asami's side. "President Sato! Are you alright?" Asami managed only a fading groan in response. Looking to the open doorway, the woman yelled, "I need help over here!"
Asami pressed her hands over her stab wound. A steady flow of crimson warmth flooded through her fingertips. So very warm. At the same time, so cold. Frigid. That wasn't right. Was it? That... shouldn't happen.
Asami's eyes flickered open, vision returning in a blurred haze. Where was she? Dark room, surrounded by the soft glow of various medical machines. The hospital. That's where she was. With a deep breath, she attempted to sit upright. Sharp pain cut through her abdomen, forcing her flat against her bed. "Ungh... hello? Is anyone there?"
Footsteps shuffled outside the room. Seconds later, the door burst open and the lights turned on, revealing both Mako and Chief Beifong standing in the doorway.
"Oh, thank the spirits you're awake," Lin uttered, with a relieved breath. "Was afraid you might end up in a coma."
"What happened?" Asami muttered. "I remember fighting an assassin and then... nothing."
"You lost a lot of blood," Mako said, taking a step closer to the hospital bed. His eyes sank with visible concern, puffy and bloodshot. "That assassin really did a number on you. You're lucky to be alive."
"Not anything that won't heal, though," Lin assured. "You're going to be alright."
Mako nodded. "We have the woman who attacked you in custody, so we'll be interrogating her as soon as she wakes up."
Asami eased a sigh, staring straight at the ceiling. "There's no need. Yula sent her. Told me as much, before she stabbed me."
"It seems the Dragon Empress is trying to make a preemptive strike before her invasion." Lin's expression creased with worry. "Well, I have officers stationed all throughout this floor of the hospital, outside the room, and around the entire building. We're not letting anyone else get to you."
"There was another woman," Asami said, pressing her hand to her forehead. Memories flickered, slowly filtering into her mind. "A metalbender. She was the one who finally took down the assassin."
"We know," Lin stated. "Actually, she's waiting outside if you want to meet her."
Asami lifted with surprise, managing to push herself mostly upright in bed. "Yes, please. I want to thank her."
Lin nodded, ushering Mako to follow her towards the door. "We'll be right outside if you need anything. Just holler."
They disappeared through the doorway, replaced moments later by a woman wearing green robes entering the room. She was a younger woman, her silky black hair cut in a straight bob with flat bangs spread even across her forehead.
"President Sato?" she said, in a cautious tone. "Are you alright?"
"I'll be fine, thanks to you. What's your name?"
"It's Sinn, ma'am."
Asami took careful note of Sinn's green robes and silver jewelry. No mistaking that style. "You're one of the Zaofu refugees?"
"Oh, yeah." Sinn stepped closer to the hospital bed, holding her hands together in front of herself. "I went down to the bar tonight to see the band with some of my friends. Guess I picked the right time to go to the bathroom, huh?"
Asami coughed out a soft chuckle, only to stifle it seconds later when a sharp pain ripped through her side. "You certainly did. Thank you."
"It was nothing, really."
"You know, from what I saw before I passed out, you handled yourself pretty well against that assassin. Are you on Zaofu's security force, by any chance?"
"Oh, no," Sinn replied, with a simple shake of her head. "I'm just a dancer. No formal combat training, but when you learn how to dance, you know how to move effectively. Plus, my metalbending is top notch, if I do say so myself."
Asami poised herself straighter in bed, stuffing her pillow against her back to provide some cushioning. "If you don't mind, I'd like to at least give you something to thank you for your help."
"You mean like a reward?
She nodded. "Is there anything you want? I mean, I do own one of the top businesses in the city. I can get you just about anything you want."
"What? Oh, no that's fine, really," Sinn stated, with a bashful smile. "I don't need anything. I was just glad to help."
"Well, if you're sure..." Asami paused, studying the other woman carefully. Sinn was staring at her, as though caught in some sort of trance. Staring, and blushing. "What about dinner?"
Sinn blinked. "Huh?"
"I mean, would you like to go out for dinner some time? After I'm out of the hospital, at least."
"Dinner?" Sinn shrank backwards, unable to keep her smile from growing. Her blush strengthened, reddening her cheeks to an almost comical degree. "Oh, yeah. Yeah I could... I could definitely do that."
Asami smiled. "Good. So it's a date?"
Sinn gave an eager nod. "It's a date."
