To call Hakim a taskmaster would be an insult to the gusto he had for ordering people. The only people who weren't gasping for air were Kuvira, Korra and Elio seemed to be still standing as Rio and Mako were gasping for air.
"Seriously Hakim I think you're gonna kill me with these exercises." Rio groaned as she was parallel with the ground. Mako simply dry-heaved, trying to catch up with his breath.
"Your physicality is peak human, we need to maintain that. Also, I expect more from you Mako." Hakim said without looking away from his clipboard. Absent-mindedly writing on it.
"Are we done for the day." Kuvira asked. Hakim tore away from his clipboard to meet her eyes. Even Rio noticed the uncomfortableness that Hakim had with Kuvira. He was always keeping watch of her with a careful glare. Like she was going to turn psycho at any moment.
"You seem to be in a rush?" Hakim questioned. "You have somewhere to be?" He interrogated.
"Do you have an assignment for us today?" Kuvira asked, calmly.
"Technically no. Vira wants you all to attend the opening of the arena but you don't have to." Hakim explained while passing an invitation to Kuvira.
"Wait how did Talos rebuild the arena so quickly!" Mako asked in disbelieve. Hakim pointed to the far-off arena. Now twice its original size with a rectangular sky roof and a large statue of Katara at the front of it. "When did? How?" Mako's brain seemed to short circuit as Hakim had a nonchalant look while everyone took in the sight.
"All you need to know is that Talos is very good at his and that the arena is going to be a new jewel in our mogul's crown." Hakim spoke with a slight bitterness that caught Elio and Rio off guard. Not the bitterness, they always expected that from him but the fact it seemed to be pointed at Talos that was surprising.
"I think I and Korra will stay here for the time being. Elio needs some general assistance before his arm heals." Kuvira gave a careful answer. She and Elio could tell that Hakim was less suggesting that they should go to the arena but more trying to trick them into going out of obligation. Kuvira was one for duty but wanted to spend some more time with Korra and Elio. Elio himself just didn't appreciate the emotional manipulation, however hypocritical that was. He did also want to recover a bit before trying anything drastic.
"Either way Vira wants to come here later." Hakim added. Korra, Elio and Kuvira stared at Hakim. "Right...You won't there. She's our ambassador to Talos for now. He's going to keep to himself for now while we try to capture the person behind yesterday's attack. Honestly, It would be good for Korra to guard Elio for the time being." Korra raised an eyebrow.
"Wait? Me guarding him?" Korra asked in slight shock.
"I am also confused?" Kuvira added. Hakim rolled his eyes.
"You want to fill them in, Mister Doro?" Hakim handed away the answering to Elio. Elio scowled at Hakim.
"The creature that attack was focused on me and me alone. The worst of it was focused on me. In essence, It wasn't a trap for Kuvira and Korra. But only me." Elio explained in detail.
"Wait you think it was after? But I'm the Avatar?" Korra said, expecting to have made her point just by saying those words.
"Korra if any people that simply want you dead-despite you accomplishing nothing as of now- I'll inform you when it's relevant." Hakim said partially sarcastically but Rio and Elio felt some truth from it. "But for now, we simply know that the creature was after Elio and that's that. It didn't change the target but stayed focused. Put simply it wasn't after you." There was a snideness in his voice as he explained.
"It seems you are a man of interest Mister Doro." Kuvira remarked. "Even more so than the Avatar." Elio shrugged at her words.
"I find it more fortunate to have fewer enemies. We are talking about being target by an assassin and not a popularity contest, everyone still remembers that's what this is about right?" Elio asked while looking at everyone.
"Sure whatever? So we just make sure mister popular is not targeted by anyone while…" Korra chuckled while Hakim rolled his eyes.
"In summary, yes." Hakim said with a tired expression. He turned to Kuvira. "Keep watch until Vira comes, I.E don't let them do anything stupid." Hakim turned away but Mako coughed into his hand.
"Does that include me and Rio." Mako asked. Hakim raised an eyebrow. He looked between the two teenagers with slight confusion.
"Why?... You know what whatever. So long as You get back here in two days, sure gallivant while the rest of us have prepare important work." Hakim scowled.
"Maybe if you will tell us where Amon is-"
"We will strategize about how to do that in a timely manner." Hakimshot back at Rio. "What do you know about Amon?" Hakim said while staring at Rio's eyes.
"He is a masked man that is running an anti-bending gang. Kinda has a culty feel, what else could we need to know?" Rio said while the look from Hakim didn't change though his aura seemed more annoyed.
"He has connection's to the spirits...supposedly." Hakim mentioned, to the shock of everyone there. "Yes, quite a claim. At least that's the rumor, something we can't dispel until we actually know something that is real." Hakim's explanation was simple but came off as pompous.
"Well, Mako and I are going to look for Bolin. And we are not going to wait for you to help us. Or are you going to get in our way." Rio scowled. Hakim was taken aback by the sudden tone shift from Rio.
"If you insist…" Hakim seemed not able to answer for a brief second. Trying to find the right words. "I'll allow it, you are *technically* able to go where you please. If you must." There was a gravelly tone to Hakim's voice. "If anything happens call. I need you and Elio in top shape by the end of the weak. I can't do that if you both have broken Limbs." Hakim said while walking away from the greater group. "Be back within two days or me and Talos will assume that you were captured. We don't believe that Amon kills his prisoners, yet anyway." Hakim walked off heading toward the docks.
The group thought about what they heard from both speakers. Rio's assertiveness and Hakim's caution. Elio was the first to act and give Rio something in her hands and turned away.
"Don't do anything that you can't get out of." Elio said before walking toward the Island. Korra following close behind.
"We'll work on water bending when you get back." Korra said before going away. Kuvira lingered looking at the small rod of metal in Rio's hands.
"Hope you put that to good use, it took a decent amount of labor, trials, and error to finish." Kuvira bowed and walk with Korra and Elio.
"I guess they have their own clique now." Mako remarked while Rio inspected her new weapon. Rio found a button at the side of the rod and had a slight smile on her face.
"Eat your heart out Hephaestus Cabin." Rio said softly. Mako raised an eyebrow.
"You asked for a metal rod?" Mako asked.
"No, but I won't spoil it until I need it." Rio cheekily. "So how are we leaving the island and where are we going?" Rio asked as she now walked toward the docks. Mako followed closely behind.
"We grab a boat and find a kid named Skoochy, then go find Bolin from there." Mako said by counting his finger and counting down. Rio thought through Mako's plan while they took a boat. They sailed away, discussing what they can do to narrow their search. As they did this another boat floated past them, on it was an expertly dressed woman who watched Rio and Mako sail away. With one eye she also kept a close look at the island ahead.
Elio was in front of his forge with Korra and Kuvira standing nearby. Kuvira bent the metals they had to work with by Elio's instruction. Korra was using her fire-bending to fuel the forge. Though she felt unfulfilled by it.
"I think we should have gone with Rio and Mako." Korra said bluntly as she used some water-bending to cool the metals that were fresh from the forge. Elio used his abilities while not explaining how they worked. Taking in the energy and heat of the metals and better conforming to his designs.
"I understand your frustration but I am in no shape to help her." Elio said inspecting his latest creation, a simple sword made in the Fire Nation style. He wanted to experiment with the designs of other nations' weapons and mixed them with his greek background. Or what little he had.
"We can help by making sure we can give her our best weapons and armor." Kuvira said when looking over some of the designs that Elio made and made alterations. "I think we should redo some of the measurements for these blueprints."
"You should probably should." A new voice invaded the private forge. Nearly making the three crash or drop whatever they had in their hands. Tenzin was aware that Elio had a spot that he did his crafting in but didn't quite know the scale and Elio didn't want him finding that out before he proved its worth.
The voice came from a well-dressed woman with dark skin that was in between Kuvira's tan and Korra's dark skin. A light brown with black hair and brown eyes. A cloth covering her hair that connected to a dress made from folds reminded Elio of a Pancho with floral patterns. All on top of baggy pants and leather boots.
"Okay who are before I assume you work for some awful enemies of mine." Elio said grasping onto a new sword he just made while Korra and Kuvira entered a fighting stance. The woman had a coy smile on her face and a jovial aura around her.
"Wait, Miss Vira." Kuvira asked as she approached the woman. "I didn't recognize you in these clothes." Kuvira and Vira clasped hands and shook.
"Wait your Vira." Elio asked. Korra had a skeptical look as she stared at Vira.
"How did you know to find us?" Korra asked. Elio was surprised he didn't ask that sooner.
"Dearly it's a hole in the wall of a pristine Island. It's embarrassing that Tenzin hasn't found it yet. Or is it amazing that his children haven't stumble here?" Elio admitted that Vira had a point but the tone didn't make him want that to be known. It felt like a scolding nanny, a pompous, grating tone like Talo's and Hakim had.
"Well, I guess that Talos wants us for something if he sent you here." Elio guessed. Vira had a slight smirk on her face as she turned to look at all the creations that the trio had made.
"I think you'll find that I'm quite different in methods from Talos. Though I do find want the same thing I feel that this as good as place as any to speak on these matters." Vira said cryptically. Elio didn't quite know what she meant until she thought about it for a quick minute.
"Wait you can't mean-"
"If you mean that I allowing you to share a few secrets with our dear Avatar and your hard-working bodyguard, then yes." Vira said as if it was a natural answer. Elio was looking at her with a dumbfounded look. The confusion was plain as day as Kuvira and Korra looked at each other and then Elio.
"Wait are you actually serious?" Elio asked cautiously as Vira walked her way to him. She gave him a hug and whispered in his ear.
"You can tell them both that your power is not bending and that your not human. You can't about give details about other worlds other than your specific island." She pulled away. "Of course you can, we need to foster trust in these trying times." Vira said as Elio felt the whiplash of her tone. "Isn't that right Mr. Doro." She said with a full smile.
Elio didn't know how to react to her words. He was half certain that she was either lying or that this was a trick. He was honestly scared that Eclipso was in front of him, in disguise.
"Now then." Vira took out a basket of small treats and tea. "Shall we break bread and drink jasmine?" The woman asked as she laid down a blanket, setting down an impromptu picnic. "I promise that I am no threat to you." Vira clarified. It put none of the three teenagers at ease.
Elio bit the bullet and say on the picnic blanket. He glared at Vira as Kuvira and Korra followed his example.
"So we get the full story? Some hints?" Korra asked. Kuvira was the most confused in the room. She had the least amount of knowledge about Elio and Vira. Despite being invited by her, Talos steed.
"I would also appreciate some clarity on certain aspects of my job. It seems I was not hired to fight gangsters, at least not in full." Kuvira said as she kept standing as Korra sat on her knees.
"No, but perhaps some clarity can be brought to your clouded mind." Vira poured a cup of tea for Kuvira. She cautiously accepted it. "Let's start from the top then."
Elio looked cautiously at Korra and Kuvira, Trying to decide what to say first. He sighed.
"Ask away and I'll try to answer," Elio said with a low voice. Gauging Vira's reaction, she simply nodded.
As Vira and the others had their picnic. Rio and Mako stalked the area around a statue of Zuko.
"So we're finding a rat named Skoochy?" Rio asked as she and Mako sat in the shadow of the statue.
"The triple Threats hires children for passing along messages and low-level smuggling." Mako explained. Rio was disgusted but found the choice logical. Smart but terrible. What policeman is gun-ho about arresting a child?
"I'm guessing that's he got you?" Rio guessed. It wasn't that hard of a logical leap to make for her. While she lived near affluent areas near the ocean. She was aware of how gangs targeted young people, the younger you can recruit the easier it to enforce loyalty.
"Bolin and Me had nowhere to go." Mako said defensively.
"I'm not judging. I figure a bunch of orphans are easy pickings for shady people." Rio said as she took in the scenery. She was amazed by the statue of Zuko, the redeemed fire prince. Holding a bit of fire in his palm as he looked toward the sky.
"Well...I'm honestly shocked that Kuvira and Korra can stand being near us." Mako said sullenly as she looked toward the concrete ground.
Rio shrugged.
"I think that Korra can tell that you two are good people. Just given a bad hand." Rio placed a hand on his shoulder. "Kuvira just pragmatic, and well what do you think of me and Elio?" Rio asked. Trying to steer the conversation away from such a gloomy tone.
"Well, you two honestly are hard to read. It's like there's a mask underneath a mask." Rio raised an eyebrow at the fire bender's words but recognized what he probably meant. He could tell that their hiding something and is not sure what kind of secret they were hiding.
"What do you think is underneath it?" Rio asked. She wasn't philosophical but she wants to know what people think of her.
"Don't know." Mako shrugged. "It's not really my business but if I had to guess?" Mako tried to put his thoughts into words. "You two come from somewhere important and want to keep who you really are under wraps. You have the hidden important person vibe on lock." Mako said half sarcastically. Rio shrugged, she had to give to Mako. He did get a vague but accurate description of herself and Elio.
"Guilty as charged." Rio said with half seriousness. "My father got into trouble with this powerful guy and made a deal to go this one summer camp." Rio said with a half-laugh. But Mako felt some truth to her words. "I met Elio there and we…" Rio trailed off, at first she played off the events that lead her here as comedically stupid but now the tragic aspects were resurfacing themselves.
Elio making a deal with Eclipso, Elio causing a fire in Camp Half-blood, The hunters. Rio remembered them all at once like a torrent of negative emotions and repression.
"Don't force yourself." Mako said placing his hand on her shoulders. She snapped back to reality. As Mako pointed to a kid that was playing roughly with other children. Rio tried to shake off the feeling of the memories.
"How we doing this?" Rio asked as she put her hands into her pocket. Grasping onto a rod.
"Let me take the lead, He knows me." Mako said. Rio nodded. They walked up to a sketchy kid around other children with simple street clothing Playing simple games while the lead kid kept a watch out.
"Hey skooch how you've been?" Mako asked as he approached the child. The kid had a smug grin.
"Peachy keen, now what brings the pro-bender back to the flats?" Skoochy skipped right to business.
"Triple Threats." Rio said bluntly to Mako's annoyance. Skooch raised an eyebrow.
"Now lady why would I give that away for free?" Skooch said with a smirk. Mako was about to ask her to let him talk but she unveiled her rod. "You think a little metal is supposed to intimidate me."
Rio twirled the small rod as It extended into a true trident. Three prongs with ornate spikes and a mural of images on the shaft of the spear. Skooch face became cresfallen.
"Now I want to test out this metal on some very bad gangsters and only them. So tell us where the scary mobsters are and we can be on our way. You can even say you escaped one of Talo's from the steels works crazy bodyguards. It might raise your reputation." Mako noticed what Rio was doing. Turning the negotiation into her favor with a show of skill and prowess with a bit of guile and name-dropping.
Rio twirled the trident in her palm as she waited for an answer. Skooch sweated like a barn animal.
"All right but the hunk of metal down. All the big guys are going to be at one spot today for some kinda turf disruption." Rio turned to Mako for a translation.
"They are going to carve gang territory in the city." Mako seemed surprised by his own words. " But wait that only happens when a gang is disbanded or is absorbed."
"Word is, is that the creeping crystal had their butts handed to them and their boss was to cut a deal with the triple threats. Also heard about him dragging a body bag to the main hideout." Rio collapsed the trident back into a small piece of metal. "You ain't heard nothing from me!" Before Skooch ran off, Rio showed off a stack of cash.
"For your troubles." Rio said with a smile. It confused everyone from Mako to Skoochy. "What, I give you enough money to leave the gang and I don't have to kick your butt later. It makes perfect sense." Skooch nodded and ran with the money. 5,000 yuans in a single stack.
"I think you gave him more bride money to him than most actual gangsters get in a month." Mako said gasped. Rio didn't respond to the remark.
"We got the info we need." Rio said, trying to move the conversation away from her spending.
"Well...you're not wrong but the hideout is a stronghold that will be impossible to get into." Mako bemoaned. "We might have a chance of getting into the place where they are having the meeting." Mako formulated. Thinking over the different situations they might find when they arrive.
"Tell the truth. How heavily guarded are we talking?" Rio asked.
"A good half a dozen." Mako sighed. Even at both at their best, they can't fight that many on their own. And Half a Dozen was a small estimate. He thought.
"Well, it's time to call the water tribe trump card." Rio groaned.
"I don't think that would be necessary. We just need to find a way to get in without alerting the guards."
"And if I told you I was not exactly the sneakiest?" Rio questioned.
"Then we need to get there quickly, maybe if we are quick enough we can hide ahead of time." Mako formulated as they both went toward the location.
"I still say that we should call Korra or someone at the least. I'm going to message Talos, just in case something goes wrong."
"I rather you didn't. I agree with Elio that the fewer debts to Talos the better."
"Usually, Again, I would agree but we might be dealing with entire gangs. I don't know how powerful you think I am but I'm still learning how my powers work." Rio explained as Mako silently thought to himself.
He wanted to keep this small. In truth he just didn't want to rely on too many people. This mess was partially possible because he had relied on the triple threats. He and Bolin had to of course but the ripples of that choice were kneecapping Mako and it was infuriating him to the bone.
Rio didn't press him but she did clutch the phone in her pocket.
While Mako and Rio planned out their next steps, Kuvira and Korra were in a state of shock.
Elio and Vira were biting into sugar cookies over tea. Kuvira had a book of scribbled notes. She wanted to pierce together what truth that Talos wanted him to hide...Well after Elio said the words, gods, she stopped writing in intermediary periods to absorb what she heard.
Elio told them how he came from an island that they never knew. The name Puerto Rico meant nothing to the Earth bender and Avatar. About how he was encountered by a boy named Jackson and his friends.
Vira whispered in his ear before he said a name that caught Kuvira and Korra's attention. Especially since it seemed that Elo was basically able to speak about most of his past.
Elio had to stop every time he nearly mentioned one name, a name that would bring unwanted attention.
Eclipso. Vira was explicit.
"You can speak about anything from your world, even the knowledge of other worlds but that being is not to be spoken about yet." Vira said with a sternness that reminded him of Talos.
Elio continued but left out some blanks and completely stopped when he talked about Camp Half-blood. Korra and Kuvira were staring at him with a blank stare. Kuvira looked up and down her notes. Double-checking every word she had written and making sure she did not misheard him. She gained a headache in turn as she did not hear wrong from Elio, or record the word wrong.
After clarifying with Elio, to her own shock, she didn't imagine the part where Elio said he was the son of a god. Well, he said Titan but Kuvira did not make a distinction.
"I must say either this is insanity or you have a talent for making up stories mister Doro." Kuvira said with a false smile trying to keep composure.
Korra didn't bother.
"You're the son of what!?" Korra shouted. "I mean, I know your powers are weird and Rio and you are a bit weird but...this?" Korra was stuck in disbelief. She was aware of things such as spirits and the spirit world but an actual god was something outside her wheelhouse, sort of say.
"I understand that it must be a lot but that is everything I'm comfortable with sharing." Elio said while looking at Vira, searching for a reaction. He was doing it the whole time. Keeping an eye on her reactions in case she was going to interrupt him. He said as much as he could, he honestly didn't think that he could say that much but she barely tried to stop him.
In summation he let Korra and Kuvira know everything aside from his time in Camp Halfblood and Eclipso. Elio felt regret, he wanted to see how much he could say without being cut off. Now Korra and Kuvira were looking at him like a raving lunatic. The man you would avoid on the subway for fear of your safety.
"And yet you stopped before you set foot into this...Camp Half-blood?" Kuvira asked after trying not to be in disbelief with the words that were coming out of her mouth.
"The less you know of that place the better. That place is a testament of the worst aspects of my world." Elio said quickly, hoping that the line of questioning would end just as quickly. Kuvira gave an inquisitive glare.
"Seeing as you just revealed that there are more than two worlds-"
"Two?" Elio asked. Kuvira sighed.
"Don't change the subject, I meant the spirit world but it seems there is at the very least your world. And perhaps…" Kuvira went deep into thought as Korra charged in front of her.
"Don't think you can get away with not telling me more. I mean WHOLE NEW WORLDS. Does that have anything to do with the fire thing? With the equalist? Why don't you seem that worried about going home?" Korra asked in rapid succession. Elio was a bit disoriented by the speed of the questions. He turned to Vira.
She nodded.
"In short bursts. Yes, maybe, Yes." Elio said rapidly.
"What do you mean maybe? How else can they be on the rise?" Korra asked. Elio had a disappointed look on his face when she spoke those words.
"I say maybe only because I don't know if they're getting outside help from an enemy of mine. Not if the rise is coming from that, which I doubt." Elio shook his head. "I don't know the situation with benders. I've only been told that they are oppressed. And yet the richest men in the city are non-benders." Elio understood oppression by wealth and mobility. It was how things more or less worked in his home.
"It's not all about wealth itself." Kuvira interjected. "Their leaders are not from the Republic and they are all benders. The exception is Tenzin and that's only because he was raised here. But he still is a bender." Kuivra explained. Eilo dwelled on the information.
"It's about representation. They want leaders that represent them, most of the city is made of non-bender but the people who ruled them are not. It matters not if the rich may share that trait if the people who hold the lives of the people in their hands are not." Vira said. The trio let the information settle into their minds, none were that versed in the political situation of the city and the realization of that made them uncomfortable. They felt like clumsy outsiders, at least some more than others.
"And yet again another problem I can't punch." Korra groaned.
"If it's a constellation prize when I'm healed up we can go back to fighting the gangs as planned. After…" Elio froze once more. He knew that after three days the other half of the deal would come to bear its fangs.
Fighting a giant demonic snake. Elio looked toward Vira and mouthed silently: Snake fight?
She nodded.
"Okay...out of the most insane things that I have to tell you….This will take the cake." Elio said as Kuvira sighed and picked up her notes. Korra placed her chin in her hand with a tired, impatient look. "So I'm going to fight the embodiment of chaos in about three days or so...Something like that at least." Both Kuvira and Korra had a blank stare.
"That is single-handedly the most ridiculous thing that I've ever heard. It sounds like those cheap stories Talo's sells." Kuvira said as she transcribed my words.
"They're not that bad." Vira mumbled.
"So you're telling me we're fighting a god of evil...in addition to the gang's and the equalists." Korra asked with a beleaguered sigh.
"Well him, Rio, and Hakim." Vira clarified as she stood up. "You and the rest of this growing team Avatar are going to be in charge of keeping the city safe while we handle the chaos snake." Vira started to walk away, looking at a device in her hand.
"No, No, No. You don't just bring something like an evil god and suspect me to forget it. You just don't do that, drop that on my lap so casually!" Korra yelled at Vira. "And why are you so calm about this?" She said point blank to Elio's face. Elio rubbed the back of his neck and avoided looking at her directly.
"As far as I know we are just going to be helping Hakim deal with it. He is the one dealing with the actual snake. We're just paid bodyguards with some errands." Elio tried to say honestly. He was mostly just guessing. Hakim was keeping the actual plan to himself and Elio hasn't been able to glean that much outside he was keeping them busy with exercise.
"Well, that's another thing on my plate." Korra groaned. "Any Other surprises?" Korra asked as she had her face in her hands.
"Well, Mako and Rio are currently storming a gang meeting on the other side of town." Vira said with little fanfare. Everyone stared at her. "They assure me that they could handle themselves but Rio did send Talo's a message to be ready." Elio nodded to Korra and Kuvira.
"Tell them where they are and I will stay here." Elio said getting back to work on the forge.
"I'm surprised that you're not arguing that you should go?" Vira asked.
"I'm no good with this dead weight of an arm. The rest of you should go, I have a theory that I want to test and some prototypes to make." Elio explained as He grasped one of the finished blades. He infused the weapon with a bit of his mystical power. A rune of red energy emblazoned on it. "Also a good opportunity to try this out. It should light anything on fire anything it cuts." Elio said as he handed it off to a very cautious Kuvira.
"Isn't that a bit obsessive?" Kuvira asked as Elio went back to work.
"Given what you will find, I would say it would be best to bring a whole army." Elio remarked as he hoped in the back of his mind that if they do face Eclipso they stab him in the heart.