Chapter 12: A City Held Hostage
The sun began to set across Republic City, and President Zhu Li gazed over the capital and took a deep breath. Somehow, her first day as president proved less stressful than her first day as Varrick's assistant, remembering that date particularly well.
Zhu Li adjusted her glasses and smiled fondly at a picture of her with Varrick on their wedding day resting on the desk. Moments later, she heard a knock on the door.
"Yes?"
"Pardon me, madam president, but we have another bill proposal from Representative Lian Xinyue." Zhu Li nodded a slightly wary expression.
"Three in one day? I guess the northern cities don't want us to forget they're part of the Republic too. Alright, Matsuo, do the thing." Zhu Li's assistant struggled not to sweat while tugging at the collar of his shirt.
"I, uh." Zhu Li shook her head, though with an amused smile.
"You wouldn't have lasted as Varrick's assistant." Zhu Li took the large stack of paper from Matsuo then took out a pen and writing pad from a drawer.
"What's my schedule for tomorrow?"
"Yes, madam, president! Let's see, at nine you have a meeting with the Southern Farmers' Association, at ten-thirty you have a briefing from Chief Beifong, huh?"
"Yes?" Zhu Li asked, her eyes still on the bill.
"It says here you have a noon pakik session with the first man. What's a pakik session?" Zhu Li held in immense laughter.
"It's a water tribe term."
"Meaning?"
"Meaning we're going to do the thing, and hopefully, in nine months, I'll do another thing." The assistant's face shot red, and sweat trickled down his back.
"Noted. Well, anyway, tomorrow evening Colonel Kuvira should be returning with Suyin Beifong as well as a delegation from the Fire Nation too, ahhhhh!"
Zhu Li looked up in horror and saw Matsuo's body violently contorting against his will.
"Matsuo!" She got up, but the young man thrashed at her, his actions clearly not his own.
"Help me!" He cried, his fists still trying to strike Zhu Li.
"I'm sorry, Matsuo." Zhu Li swept his legs and then slammed Matsuo into the ground with a swift movement, pinning him down until the assistant lost consciousness, his body finally relaxing.
"What in the world?"
For a brief moment, Zhu Li felt her own body twinge, yet it passed. Something shielded her from whatever afflicted Matsuo.
"Madam President, are you alright? What happened?" Two of the presidential guards in military-esk uniforms raced in, one bending water around his arms while the other donned a pair of electric gauntlets.
"Matsuo started acting strangely. It was like something was wielding him like a puppet-" Zhu Li started.
"Gaaah!" To her terror, Zhu Li saw both guards convulse just like Matsuo had.
"No!" Not giving them a chance to attack, she seized one of Saito's gauntlets and zapped them both before slamming her doors shut and locking them with a flagpole in the corner.
"Ok, stay calm, stay calm." Zhu Li carefully went over to the windows and looked down into the streets. There she saw the remaining building guards collapse in agony while unsavory figures approached.
Zhu Li picked up her phone and dialed like her life depended on it, which it very well might have.
"This is President Zhu Li! I need to speak with General Iroh now! Iroh, something is happening. My guards and personnel are collapsing, and there are people trying to break into the building! I need soldiers down here now-"
Zhu Li felt the heat and concussion as the window and wall behind her lit up in a fiery explosion. Blood trickled down the back of her head, debris littering the room and president.
When she opened her eyes, Zhu Li saw none other than Zaheer fly up through the wall's gaping hole.
"Good evening, madam president." The calmness in his voice became unsettling as the air bender approached.
"You weren't blood-bent like the others. How interesting, though I'm afraid it won't matter much. Today, our Republic will be free from its weak non-bender president." Zhu Li tried to get up, but Zaheer began bending a sphere of air around her head. She soon felt the breath bent out of her lungs, Zhu Li's vision and senses getting blurry and limp. Yet, at that moment, she had just enough energy to act. Thrusting a hand forward, Zhu Li filled Zaheer with electricity from her gauntlet.
"Gaaah!" The elite Red Lotus seized up before collapsing. Zhu Li desperately gasped for breath but didn't have much time to waste. She heard approaching footsteps and raced towards a side door.
Elsewhere, Korra, Diago, Mako, Opal, Bolin, and Iroh sat in attendance with a few other high-ranking United Forces officers near the General. All watched Varrick and Asami, who stood before something bigger than a car draped in a cloth.
"I'm so excited! Asami said, this new invention is going to change the world!" Bolin almost squealed while holding his hands near his mouth.
"Easy Bolin, not in front of four Colonels and General Iroh." Opal chuckled while placing her arm around Bolin's shoulder.
"What do you think?" Diago asked as Korra shrugged.
"I don't know. A part of me likes the Republic Forces will have another edge on the bad guys, but who knows how long before someone crazy makes one of their own."
"Ahh, the sad reality of warfare. Grandpa said an airship was used against the Fire Nation before they developed their own."
"Shhh, they're about to start." Mako said, giving Asami a reassuring look of confidence.
"Thank you all for joining us tonight as Varrick Global Industries and Future Industries presents the next stage of arial warfare! A machine capable of faster than an airship and only a fraction of the size! Asami, do the thing!" Asami pulled the sheet off and revealed what was beneath.
"We give you the biplane!" Asami announced while the others watched with a mixture of awe and intrigue.
"Woah! That thing can fly!?" Bolin shouted, earning a stern look from his brother.
"Yes! It can fly just like an air bender!" Varrick confidently declared.
"Hmm, I don't know about that." Opal said, though still smiling. Iroh gazed at the biplane with keen interest before turning to Opal.
"Perhaps we should put that to the test. Lance Corporal Beifong, why not give us a demonstration of your flying."
"Perfect! Asami, this is our chance to prove the biplane's capabilities!"
Asami and Opal stared at each other with fiercely competitive smiles. Asami climbed into the biplane cockpit and placed on a pair of goggles. A loud sound cracked from the biplane's engine before the propellers began spinning.
Opal took out her gliding staff and lifted off while Asami went after her in the biplane.
"Look at that. Our girlfriends can both fly." Bolin said, placing his arm around Mako, who finally smiled a little while nodding.
"It's incredible. It could change warfare forever!" Diago almost had stars in his eyes while Korra rolled her eyes slightly and stroked Naga's head.
"What's wrong, not impressed?" Diago chuckled, noticing his wife's expression.
"Ehhh, I flew before I turned ten. Seeing someone do it in a machine isn't all that impressive to me."
"Hmmm, how does one impress Avatar Korra?" Diago said in a mocking tone. Korra gave him a mischievous expression before moving her head closer.
"Well, you clearly figured that out last night." Diago blushed slightly before Korra kissed his lips. After a few minutes, Opal and Asami landed with their audience, and nearby soldiers who watched the flying applauded.
"You see! The future of arial travel!"
"The future of warefare." One of Iroh's Colonels said with immense intrigue.
"Agreed. I'll talk with president Zhu Li and get funding for a whole fleet of them." Iroh said.
"President Zhu Li, as in Varrick's wife." Mako said, earning growing laugher from the others.
"Watch yourself, Mako. My dear Zhu Li would never abuse her position to further Varrick Global Industries like that!" Varrick shouted.
"He knows that Varrick." Asami did her best not to laugh while patting Varrick's shoulder.
"General Iroh! General Iroh!" A sergeant sprinted across the parade ground converted into a makeshift airfield for the demonstration.
"Sergeant, what's wrong?" Iroh stood up with growing concern when he saw the urgency in the soldier's face.
"Sir! Presiden Zhu Li is on the line for you. It sounds urgent."
"Zhu Li!" Varrick rushed over beside Iroh, who went to a nearby phone and picked it up.
"Madam president, what's going on?"
"Iroh, something happening. My guards and personnel are collapsing, and there are people trying to break into the building! I need soldiers down here now-" The call ended as Iroh, and everyone else heard an explosion in the distance.
"Zhu Li! You have to do something!" Varrick frantically grabbed Iroh by the shoulders but was pushed away.
"Calm down!"
"Calm down! What if that was Kido in there!?"
"Panicking won't help her! Colonel Shen Xinya, get ahold of Major Yoshiaki. His battalion is still running a cleanup operation close to the President's hall."
"Yes, sir, I, gaaaahh-" Korra almost jumped in fright when she saw the Colonel's body contort before collapsing in pain.
"Shen, what's- gahahahahah!" The other Colonels and nearby soldiers suffered the same fate.
"Woah! Are we under attack!?" Bolin quickly got into a fighting stance with Opal doing the same, standing back to back with him. Korra grabbed her air bending staff from Naga's saddles and quickly flew around the base, noticing virtually everyone inside collapsing.
She landed with an almost pale expression as all eyes lingered on her, dreading what Korra would say next.
"It's happening to everyone here."
"What!?" Diago muttered
"What is it? I don't understand." Mako added.
Iroh got back on the phone and made a few calls, but no one answered, at least until his fourth attempt.
"This is Lin, Iroh, is that you? Please tell me you're still upright."
"I am, so are Korra and the others."
"My entire office just went down. I called Kya on air temple island. Apparently, everyone, there is fine."
"Lieutenant, General!" Diago and Korra looked over at Sergeant Xinyue and a few members of Diago's platoon who raced over.
"Sergeant, you're not collapsed like the others?!"
"No, sir. In fact, our entire platoon isn't impacted. What's happening?"
Korra looked over at the contorted individuals with a suspicious expression before reaching out to them with her water bending. The Avatar's expression turned pale while looking at the emerging full moon.
"Blood bending. Tarrlock is blood bending the entire city." The parade grounds went silent for a moment as they all took it in.
"No, that's impossible, even Tarrlock couldn't-" Iroh started before Korra emphasized the full moon.
"Oh my gosh! He's going to take control of us all! Wait, we aren't being blood bent." Bolin said, Pabu climbing onto his shoulder as the earth bender moved his arms around of his own free will.
"Neither is my platoon, Lin, or anyone else on Air Temple Island. Anyone who's been in close proximity to Korra for a long time." Diago said.
"Dad!" Asami shouted, sprinting to her biplane and pulling out a radio.
"Dad, dad, are you there!?"
"I'm here, Asami. What the hell is going on? Everyone in the factory has collapsed but me."
"Dad, you need to get to Air Temple Island, now!"
"She's right, Lin, get yourself there before Red Lotus agents come for you."
"You don't need to tell me twice. But what about Zhu Li?"
"Yes! What about her!?" Varrick roared.
"My platoon isn't incapacitated!" Diago declared as Xinyue and the other nearby soldiers nodded vehemently.
"Yes, sir! We're ready!"
"Alright, let's get down to Presidential Hall now!" Mako shouted. However, Diago soon noticed Korra staring out at the bay.
"Korra?"
"Tarrlock isn't there."
"Who cares! Zhu Li-" Varrick started.
"I need to bring Tarrlock down tonight. You see what he's capable of."
"Korra, this is insane. He'll be at his most powerful during the full moon!" Opal shouted.
"So will I." Korra said without a hint of hesitation in her voice. Each taking a deep breath, Mako, Asami, Opal, and Bolin each came forward and embraced Korra.
"Don't do anything reckless, please." Bolin pleaded.
"She'll have a United Forces officer with her to make sure that doesn't happen." Iroh looked at Diago, who nodded.
"Sir-" Xinyue started.
"I'll be taking charge of your Platoon in the Lieutenant's place." Xinyue and the others stammered for a moment in disbelief.
"Sir, yes sir!"
"I'm counting on Team Avatar to rescue the president. Think you can manage without me?" Korra asked, smiling with the others.
"Oh yeah." Asami said.
"We've got this!" Mako added.