Disclaimer: I do not own anything from Avatar: Legend of Korra; only Xiang, my OC.
Enjoy!
For the next few days following Korra's debut as a Fire Ferret, the young Avatar was finally showing progress. Somehow, she was able to balance out her training as an Airbender, and her training as a Pro Bender. Whether one balanced out the other was unknown, but this much could be said for sure; Korra was no longer getting her ass, literally, beaten by a bunch of doors. A point she was able to prove one evening as she gracefully twirled through the gates as if she were dancing. Since she could not Airbend yet, she had to rely on Jinora and Ikki to spin the gates for her. After successfully passing through a number of times. Korra was about to go through it again when the two girls noticed a newcomer.
"Ooh, he's cute." Jinora commented when she saw Mako walking towards them. "Korra, is that the handsome Firebender boy that drives you crazy?"
Upon hearing those words, and looking to see if said boy really was there, Korra's face blanched in panic while the girls continued to tease her. "Does he drive you crazy in a bad way? Or does he drive you crazy like you like him?" Ikki teased.
In response, Korra immediately launched them into the air with a swift Earthbending move. Naturally, since they were both Airbenders, the giggling children gently floated back down while whispering about Korra's reaction, and Mako's good looks. Hoping her face was composed enough, the Water Tribe girl turned to face her teammate. "Hey, Mako. What's up?"
"Have you seen Bolin?" he bluntly asked.
"Well, good evening to you, too." Korra dryly remarked. "But no, I haven't seen him since practice this morning. Is something wrong?"
"I don't know. My brother has a special talent for getting into stupid situations. Thanks anyway." Mako sighed in frustration, only to be stopped by the girl.
"Wait. I could help you look for him."
"Thanks, but I can find him, myself." Mako politely declined.
"Hey, cool guy," Korra argued with a smirk rather than offense, "let me help out. We can take Naga."
"Who's Naga?" Mako asked. Rather than verbally answer, Korra simply smirked as she led him to her closest friend. Since arriving at Air Temple Island, Naga had since claimed a few certain spots as her territory. While most of the acolytes and White Lotus kept their distance from her, there was one individual, besides Korra, the polar bear-dog was always excited to see; and he just happened to be currently pinned under her massive leg and paw while she chewed on his left arm.
"Korra, either buy your pet some toys, or I'm buying her a muzzle. I can't keep going through this every time I walk past her!" Xiang exclaimed in annoyance.
"Aw, come on! Don't be like that. She likes you." Korra teased while Mako looked absolutely baffled at the sight.
"She likes my arm because it's a stick!" he retorted. "Would you please get her off before she falls asleep on top of me; again?"
With a single, loud click of her tongue, Korra gave her animal guide the command. "Come here, Naga." she chuckled. Obeying her master's order, Naga spat out Xiang's arm, got off him, and walked over to receive praise for her obedience. "Good girl. Yes, that's my good girl, Naga." Korra affectionately cooed while petting her friend.
"So, what exactly is Fire Ferret #1 doing here?" Xiang asked while shaking the slobber off his limb.
Taking pity on her friend, Korra Waterbended the drool off him before answering his question. "Bolin might be in some trouble, so we're gonna go looking for him. Wanna come?"
"Hmm…well, I was gonna have a Pai Sho rematch with one of the lemurs. But what the heck? I'm in." Xiang relented as he picked himself up and dusted off his clothes.
"Great! I'll get Naga's saddle." Korra beamed before jogging off.
Since they were alone, Mako decided to awkwardly ask the Plantbender a certain question. "You were going to play Pai Sho with a lemur?"
"Yeah, and I'm gonna finally win next time, too." he said, shaking his fist with determination.
After swinging back to their apartment to grab one of Bolin's clothes, Naga was hot on the scent. Even though she was carrying three athletic teens, the white hybrid seemed to have no trouble carrying them on her back. It took them a little while, but the trio eventually came across their first lead in finding the happy-go-lucky Earthbender. Per Mako's suggestion, Korra directed Naga to the statue of Firelord Zuko in front of the Fire Nation embassy.
"Is there any particular reason we're here, Mako?" Xiang asked.
"This is Bolin's usual hangout. Even if he isn't here now, that doesn't mean he wasn't earlier. And I'm about to find out if he was." Mako replied as he started walking towards a group of street children. "Evening, fellas. Any of you seen my brother around here today?"
"I can't seem to remember. How's about jogging my memory?" one ten-year-old boy smirked, indicating he wanted payment.
"You're a real pro, Skoochy. You should be proud of yourself." Mako sarcastically remarked while handing over some bills. "When'd you see him?"
"Around noon. He was performing some kind of monkey-rat circus. And then…" Skoochy trailed, motioning for more money. When it was presented, the urchin finished his report. "Shady Shin showed up and flashed some serious cash. They talked for a few minutes before Bo took off with him in his hot rod. From what I hears, the Triple Threats, Red Monsoons, and Agni Kais are all muscling up for something; something real big. But you didn't hear it from me."
"Well, that didn't sound good. Any idea what this big thing might be?" Korra asked.
"Yeah. It sounds like the triads are about to have another turf war; and Bolin's gotten himself snared into it." Mako said with a deep scowl on his face.
"Great, just what this city needs; another pointless gang brawl that's gonna cause all harm and no good." Xiang sighed. "So, who does this Shady Shin run with?"
"He's a recruiter for the Triple Threats. Not much of a fighter, but he knows how to sucker people into joining. He's also a cowardly elephant-rat who'll squeal if we put the screws to his thumbs. I know where their HQ is. If we hurry, maybe we can get Bolin out before anything starts." Mako replied as they all got back on Naga.
"The Triple Threats? Weren't those goons we took down the other day part of that triad, Xiang?" Korra asked as they rode her animal guide.
"Yep. They're what you could consider a bit more diverse in their members, when compared to some of the other gangs. They'll take anybody useful; not just specific benders. What I don't get is how someone like Bolin got involved in-hey!" he exclaimed as Naga suddenly altered course and began to chase something. When the polar bear-dog chased it up a nearby lamppost, Mako was able to recognize it as his and his brother's pet/team mascot.
"That's Pabu!" Mako alerted over Naga's barking.
"No, Naga! Pabu's a friend, not a snack." Korra instructed, causing the hybrid to settle and let the fire ferret climb over her to Mako.
"I take it this means we're near the hideout?" Xiang asked.
"Oh, yeah. Bolin and Pabu are inseparable; something must've happened. It's just up ahead, let's go." Mako said. It only took another few minutes before he had Korra pull over in front of an old building. Since it was the base of a serious criminal syndicate, all three benders were on their guard. However, Mako was the first to slightly lower his. "Something's not right. There are usually guards out here to keep watch. Better be cautious."
Not one to be subtle in anything she did, Korra ignored her teammate's advice and proceeded to kick the doors in. However, when they walked into the room, they found it completely empty and silent. "Gee, this is underwhelming." Xiang commented bluntly.
Before anyone could say anything else, all five sets of ears perked up at the sound of engines revving just outside. When they all barged out to find the source, they saw several motorcycles flanking a large truck carrying both masked individuals, and gagged individuals; one of them being Bolin. In an attempt to keep the interlopers at bay, two of the masked ones tossed a pair of smoke bombs at their feet before speeding away. This proved to be semi-pointless as they were able to quickly get back on Naga and chase after them. Even with Mako's Firebending and Korra's Earthbending, the strangers were able to keep from being stopped. In order to let the truck get away, three of the masked ones broke away and kept the other trio busy.
Having already incapacitated Naga by binding her legs, the three assailants expertly leaped over to them with the skills of a professional acrobat. Since there was one for each side to fight, no one wasted any time in starting the brawl. Rather than use bending, the pair only relied on hand-to-hand combat, completely avoiding Korra and Mako's Firebending. Since both benders had become accustomed to fighting in the ring, their fighting styles reflected this with a blend of traditional techniques. Meanwhile, Xiang was displaying the moves of his own, original style against his opponent.
Instead of staying light on his feet while bouncing around and his hands up and ready for jabs, Xiang remained on the balls of his feet while his arms took a unique position. Having one arm completely stretched out in front of him and the other bent inward, the Plantbender proceeded to swiftly swing his limbs like a pair of whips. Using strikes both offensive and defensive, Xiang was able to deflect the quick jabs being thrown at him and land a few strikes of his own. Since his opponent was clearly not a bender, and only kept in close for quick attacks, Xiang refrained from using his arm. Had there been a bit more distance between them, he might have opted for it. But his bending was better suited for mid-long range combat, much like that of Waterbending or Earthbending. Even so, he was not able to prevent his opponent from landing a few jabs along his left arm.
Since that arm was made completely out of branches and other plants woven together, Xiang felt absolutely nothing from the strikes. Apparently, this person he was fighting was a chi-blocker who failed to notice Xiang's condition; most likely due to his long sleeves and gloves covering both limbs. At that moment, he knew he needed to get some distance, or else his real arm could be blocked along with his bending. With a wave-like, upper swing of his arms, the monk's arm erupted towards the ground, and sent him flying backwards several yards. As he was pushing himself, he saw both his companions get their bending blocked. Had it not been for Naga, and Pabu, roaring at them once they were free, the other chi-blockers might have finished them off. Remaining as silent as ever, all three attackers jumped away before covering themselves in a large cloud of green smoke. Having his arm still extended, Xiang whipped it through the air to clear the cover, only for all of them to see an empty street.
"Damn. They got away; and kept us busy long enough for that truck to escape." Xiang cursed. Off to the side, in a brief fit of frustration, Korra tried to Firebend her anger, only for nothing to happen.
"What's going on? Why can't I bend?!" she exclaimed.
"Relax. It'll wear off soon." Mako eased. "Those guys were chi-blockers; Amon's henchmen."
"Amon? That anti-bending guy with the mask?" Korra asked.
"Yeah. I heard rumors about the Equalists teaching non-benders how to fight like that; guess they're all true." Xiang remarked as he retracted his arm.
"How the hell can you do that? What's with your arm?" Mako finally asked, noticing the wooden prosthetic.
"I'm a Plantbender with an arm made out of branches and various plants. Now that we've established the obvious, let's start ask more important questions; like, why would the Equalists suddenly target the Triple Threats?" Xiang flatly retorted.
"Whatever it is, it can't be good. I can't believe Bolin got himself caught up in this." Mako scowled in frustration.
To appease he friend, Korra gently placed her hand on his shoulder and offered him words of comfort. "We're going to save your brother, Mako. You have my word."
"We may need to rethink our plan of action, though. That smoke they let loose probably masked any trance of their scents for Naga to track. And if the way they all fought was any indication to their dedication to their cause, odds are they won't be willing to talk if we do find one of them."
"So, what do you propose?" Mako asked.
"We find someone who would be willing to talk once properly squeezed. Someone who already loves talking about Amon and his Equalists." Xiang replied.
With a quick gasp of delight, Korra added her own thoughts on the matter. "And I think I know just the guy to squeeze. Come on, let's head to the park." After riding Naga all the way to the middle of the city's only park, Mako finally raised the question he and Xiang had been thinking.
"So, why have we come here?"
"My first day in the city, I ran into an Equalist protester just over there. If Xiang's right, all we need to do is make him talk a little bit more about the Equalists than he normally would. All we can do now is wait for him to show up." Korra replied as they all took a seat on the ground near some trees. In order to pass the time, and get to know her teammates a little better, Korra started up a conversation. "So, why is Bolin running around with the Triple Threat Triad, anyway?"
"Well, we," Mako awkwardly stuttered as he gave his response, "we used to do some work for them back in the day."
"What?!" Korra exclaimed in shock, "Are you guys secretly gang members on the side, or something?"
"No. I just ran numbers for them and stuff. We were orphans on the street; I did what I had to do to survive and protect my little brother." Mako hotly defended.
"I'm sorry." Korra said with guilt. "It must've been really hard for you. Can I ask what happened to your parents?"
Taking a deep sigh to steady himself, Mako gave in and told her the story. "They were mugged by a Firebender. Even after they gave him everything they had on them, he cut them down right in front of me and Bolin. I was eight, he was six. Bolin's the only family I've got now. If anything happened to him, I don't know what I'd do."
"So, that's why you worked for the Threats." Xiang neutrally stated. "But that doesn't explain why Bolin got himself involved. What was it? Some sort of obligation, or old favor that got cashed in?"
"I dunno. All Bolin ever really did was help around their offices and picked up the higher-ups' meals. If he did a good enough job, they'd pay him a little bit just to square things out."
"…Do you think he went to them to get money for the pot?" Korra asked, realization dawning on both her and Mako's faces.
"What pot?" Xiang asked.
"Ugh! I'm so stupid!" Mako hissed. "We need 30,000 Yuans in order to make it into the championship, but we're flat broke. Bolin said he was gonna use Pabu's tricks to help earn some money. I thought he was just kidding around to lighten the mood."
"But instead, he was being serious because he wanted to help, and you brushed him off. Yeah, sounds pretty stupid to me." Xiang casually remarked, earning a glare from the Firebender.
"Xiang," Korra admonished only to be ignored as he continued talking.
"But you wanna know something, pal? It's called being a big brother." he continued, their glares being replaced with confusion. "Sometimes, you say something stupid and you end up hurting your little siblings. I see my sisters do it with our brother all the time; even I say stupid stuff to any of them, now and then. They're like any kid, they wanna prove themselves to the people they look up to. Now, you can either keep doing what you're doing despite knowing this, because you think it's what's best to toughen them up or protect them; which seems to be your tactic of choice. Or, you can own up to your mistake, apologize, and help your brother by encouraging him and only step in when things get out of his level of control."
As much as Mako hated to admit it, the Plantbender was right. Mako did have a bad habit of enabling Bolin due to his over-protectiveness; a trait that often led to him disregarding Bolin as naive and unable to help. There had been times when he thought of this, but having a guy he didn't even know bluntly point this out seemed to be a bit of a wake-up call. Once they rescued his brother, Mako would finally start making an effort to treat his brother as an equal, not a responsibility.
"I guess I haven't been treating him fairly, lately." Mako admitted in a slump.
"All big brothers wanna protect their little siblings from the horrors of the world, Mako. But it's better for everyone if you teach them how to survive it over sheltering them from it. Because no matter what, the world reminds you how awful it can be." Xiang counseled as he folded his hands behind his head. In doing so, his sleeves slid down and revealed both his forearms; a sight both Korra and Mako were drawn to when they noticed his left. Since he had no serious issues on the subject, at least not like he used to, the Plantbender decided to get things out of the way. "If you want to know, all you have to do is ask." he informed, snapping her out of her trance.
"What?" Korra said in alert while Mako blanched. "I-I'm, I didn't mean to-"
"It's alright." he said, raising the hand in question as a gentle stop. "It's a bit of an eye-catcher, I know. Fair warning, it's a bit of a long, and unpleasant story."
"Only if you feel like telling it." Korra replied.
"Alright." Xiang shrugged before taking a deep breath to mentally prepare himself. "As you've undoubtedly noticed, there aren't any children on Air Temple Island aside from my siblings. While marriage isn't forbidden in the Air Nation, or for the Air Acolytes, as my family indicates, the majority of the acolytes have dedicated themselves to learning about the Air Nomad culture so they can spread our teachings, rather than repopulate. This was also the case when I was a child. I'm roughly six years older than Jinora, so I didn't have any playmates close to my age like she did when I was little. My parents realized this and my mom suggested I attend school in the city so I could make friends."
"I take it things didn't go as well as you all hoped?" Mako asked with a cringe.
"Oh, no, not at all. I got along great with my classmates and had tons of fun with all of them." Xiang replied. "For the first year and a half, things were going great. But during the fall of my 1st grade year…that's when my life forever changed." he sadly continued before taking another deep breath. "One day, my class was headed to a museum dedicated to Air Nomad culture. I was so excited; I had been looking forward to that trip for weeks. I couldn't wait to show all my friends what I knew about the Nomads and how my home life was so similar. But I never got the chance. Republic City can be a pretty scary place, especially for innocent kids, so my teacher liked to take opportunities for us to confront the big city. Instead of taking a bus, we walked that day. We were just two blocks away from the museum when it happened."
"When what happened?" Korra asked.
"…The gang violence flared back up after Grandpa Aang died. There had been a turf war going on just a few blocks over where we were. As we were walking down the street, an Earthbender Triad was sent hurdling through an alley across from us. Before anyone could do anything, that bastard used his bending to rip off half the building we were in front of and tried to throw it at his opponent. Emphasis on tried. The idiot bit off more than he could chew and struggled to move the mass over his head. My teacher did her best to get us out of the way before he dropped it, but it was too late. I think he got hit by a Firebender, or something, because the next thing I knew, I was hearing an avalanche in the middle of the city. I saw my teacher get crushed just a few feet in front of me. After that, I felt something hard hit my head, and sometime later, I woke up underneath a hill of rubble. It was probably a good thing I got hit in the head; otherwise, I might have fully felt the pain of having my entire left arm crushed. I was stuck there for almost four hours."
Obviously, Korra was horrified and enraged at the events of the story. Since she did not have a name or face to the guilty Earthbender, her mind instead went to the next person she resented most. "I can't believe the police allowed things to get so bad. Way to go, Beifong!" she sarcastically spat.
"Actually, Lin wasn't chief back then; though her following response to gang activity did lead to her earning that position." Xiang calmly corrected. "In fact, Lin was the one who saved me."
"Really?"
"Yep. Apparently, when the Metalbenders first arrived, they had no idea I was underneath it all, and treated the debris roughly; like an ordinary clean-up. Had Lin not inherited her mother's heightened senses, including the Seismic Sense technique, they probably would have killed me. She single-handedly removed every piece of rubble off me." Xiang informed.
"Wow. She really must be Toph's daughter, then." Mako exhaled, the intense story even getting to him.
"I don't remember much of what happened next. Just brief images of Lin riding along in the ambulance with me. By the time we reached the nearest hospital, the damage to my arm had been done. All the healers could do was amputate it. Next thing I knew, I was waking up in a hospital room with my parents sobbing over what happened, and with one arm less than what I had that morning." he calmly continued. "I had a pretty serious concussion, so I was more confused than upset over losing my arm. My parents, though, ugh! That was a rough time for them. Mom blamed herself terribly for what happened; she thought since she was the one who suggested I attend public school, she had sent me down that street herself. Dad almost buried himself in his work, doing everything within his power to seriously cripple, if not remove all the gangs in the city. From what I could see, neither of them blamed the other, which I was grateful for. But it felt like it was my fault, seeing them so distraught. I thought if I had my old arm back, or at least a new one, they would be happy again. I don't know what led me to do it, but eventually, that thought developed into me bending a branch to my stump and making it look like an arm. Before that, all I could manage was tying grass into knots to trip people, or make flowers bloom faster. It took a lot of trials and errors, and even more arms, but I managed to make it work. Now, I've got two arms again, and both are equally useful in further developing my bending."
"But wait," Korra finally said, "if you lost it because of the triads, why we're you in their territory the day I came here?"
Still retaining his calm complexion, Xiang gave his reply. "Well, that's kind of a coping mechanism and form of therapy I've been giving myself. While at first I had no issues with my arm, due to my concussion, eventually, I started to grasp how much it changed me. Especially when I tried to go back to school. I was so terrified at even the thought of leaving the island. I kept kicking and screaming when my dad tried to take me on Oogi's back to go anywhere. They realized I wasn't ready yet, so they hired some tutors to come to the island to teach me. We kept doing this until I was nine. That's when Lin, who had often come to check up on me, decided to give me some tough love. One day, she just came to the island, tossed me over her shoulder, and hauled me into the city."
"She did not!" Korra exclaimed in shock. Even Mako's jaw was slacked at this information.
"She did. Oh, she did." Xiang nodded, thinking back to that day. "I honestly thought she was gonna leave me until I miraculously snapped out of it. But, much to my surprise, she took my right hand in hers, and we spent the whole day together. She took me out to lunch and mochi, to go see some street performers, and even to feed the turtle-ducks at this very park. It was the gentlest I had ever seen that woman. Don't get me wrong, I was still scared even after all that, even on the ferry ride home. But as we were sailing back, she told me something I'll never forget. 'Even though this city, and even the whole world, can be really scary at times, and it's filled with bad people, there are still plenty of good things out here for you to enjoy. Don't let one bad day keep you from enjoying those things, kid. Otherwise, you've let that punk who did this to you win.' Since then, I've forced myself into the city to confront my fears."
"…I'm sorry you had to go through that." Korra softly said.
"Everything happens for a reason, Korra. Something tells me all that happened because it needed to; and I can't wait to see just what for." Xiang replied.
For the remainder of the night, the three benders took turns keeping watch for any sign of trouble; Equalist or Triad. Eventually, the sun rose and Xiang woke the pair up, completely oblivious to their flustered looks when they realized Korra had slept against Mako. "Look alive, boys and girls. We've got orange ripe for the squeezing this fine morning." he said to them before getting up to approach the protester.
"Non-benders of Republic City, Amon calls you to take action. Take back your homes. It's time for the-oh, not you again!" the scrawny loudmouth gasped when he saw Korra. "You cannot silence me, Avatar!" he shouted through his megaphone. Not appreciating the equipment blasting noise directly into her face, Korra proved the man wrong by smashing the megaphone into a hundred pieces with a single smack.
"Listen up, you little runt. My friend got kidnapped by some chi-blockers. Where'd they take him?" she demanded.
"I have no idea what you're talking about." he denied.
"Very well. I tried to play nice. Xiang, give the man some incentive to tell us the truth, please." Korra requested evenly.
In response, the Plantbender simply grabbed the protester's table covered in flyers with his left hand, and tossed it into the air like a ball. "Alley-oop!" he mocked as he threw the table with ease; its flyers cascading down like falling leaves.
"Witness the Revelation tonight, 9:00." Mako read after catching one of the flyers. "What's this supposed to mean?"
"Nothing that concerns the likes of you three." the protester sneered before Korra lifted him off the ground by the collar of his suit.
"Oh, you better believe it concerns us. Now spill it." she threatened.
"No one knows what the Revelation is. And I have no idea what happened to your friend. But if he's a bender, then I bet he's gonna get what's coming to him."
"Where is it taking it place?" Xiang asked. But before they could get an answer, the swift blow of a police whistle brought the interrogation to a swift end.
"What's going on over there?" the officer demanded.
"Help, help! The Avatar and her goons are oppressing me!" the protester pathetically cried before Korra tossed him away and Mako picked up a handful of flyers.
"Cheese it!" Xiang shouted as they ran away on Naga. After escaping to another nearby district, Mako pulled out all the flyers he took and laid them out in search of any clues.
"Why didn't the Equalists put a location on these things?" Korra asked.
"Probably because they don't want just anyone coming in and crashing their big Revelation. You know, people like us benders." Mako remarked.
"Does anyone else find it hypocritical when a group of people demand equality but promote segregation and discrimination as they do it? Just seems counterproductive and kinda contradicting, if you ask me." Xiang remarked as he pulled out a bamboo shoot from his arm to snack on.
"Wait a minute. Look at the backs of these. Not all of them are the same." Mako pointed out.
"You're right. It's some kind of puzzle." Korra noted.
"Yeah, of a map." Mako nodded. After putting together enough pages to make out the hidden map, the Firebender held it against a real map of the city to match up the layout. "Bingo; the industrial district. That must be where the Revelation is."
"And hopefully, Bolin, too." Korra smiled in hope.
"Huh." Xiang bluntly scoffed with an upset expression.
"Xiang, what's wrong? This is a good thing." Korra reminded.
"No, no. I-I agree. This is good news. I just can't help but think something."
"What?" Mako asked.
"Well, the Equalists don't want benders like us showing up, right? So, they obviously made this map puzzle to ensure that, but it was pretty easy to solve."
"Right…" Korra trailed in confusion.
"So, basically, they think only non-benders can figure it out, and benders like us are too stupid to be able to decipher it." he finished, looking peeved and insulted. An expression that was soon shared with his compatriots.
"…I'm beginning to dislike these Equalists more and more by the minute." Korra flatly remarked with a sour expression.
Later on, just after nightfall, the trio arrived at the Revelation's location in disguise. Mako was easy enough to blend in given how common it was to see someone of both Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom decent in Republic City. Korra and Xiang, on the other hand, had to put on some less inconspicuous clothes; which also meant Xiang had to remove his arm, but kept the wood wrapped around his torso beneath his coat and shirt. After following a few others ahead of them, the trio came up to a large bouncer guarding the entrance.
"This is a private event, folks. No one gets in without an invitation." he informed.
"An invitation?" Korra asked, slightly koala-sheepish.
"You mean this?" Mako asked, presenting the flyer.
At first, the large man gave them a blank stare before putting on a small smile. "The Revelation is upon us, my brothers and sister." he said as he let them pass.
As they walked through the hall to join the rest of the crowd, all three benders were shocked to see just how many non-benders showed up. Quite frankly, it was roughly the same size crowd one could expect to see at a Pro Bending match. "I knew a lot of people hated benders, but I've never seen so many in one place. Keep your eyes peeled for Bolin."
"Roger-roger." Xiang quipped as they headed down to join the crowd.
"Ladies and gentlemen," a proud voice announced from the stage before the crowd, "please welcome your hero, your savior, Amon!"
Rising from the stage floor, with six other Equalists behind him, the mysterious leader and found of the Equalist Movement presented himself before his followers and basked in their adoration. His appearance was both simple and intimidating at the same time. He wore a sleeveless, hooded trench coat over shoulder pads and an under shirt, and wore an ivory kabuki mask with a single, red circle centered on its forehead.
"Fellow non-benders," he said to the crowd, his voice sending chills of excitement to his followers, and chills of dread to the benders, "my quest for equality began many years ago. When I was a boy, my family and I lived on a small farm. We were not rich, nor were any of us benders. This made us easy targets for the Firebender who extorted my father. One day, my father confronted this man, but when he did…that Firebender took my family from me. Then…he took my face. Since that day, I have been forced to hide behind a mask. As you all know, the Avatar recently arrived in Republic City."
At the mere mentioning of Korra, the entire crowd let out a chorus of boos and jeers. "If she were here, I have no doubt she would tell you bending brings balance to the world. But she is wrong. The only thing bending has brought to the world is suffering. It has been the cause of every war in every era, but that is about to change. I know you have been wondering, 'what is the Revelation?' You are about to get your answer. Since the beginning of time, the spirits have acted as the guardians of our world, and they have spoken to me."
"Yeah, I'll bet they have." Xiang bitterly whispered, causing Korra to glance at him in confusion.
"They say the Avatar has failed humanity, that is why the spirits have chosen me to usher in a new era of balance. They have granted me a power that will make equality a reality: the power to take a person's bending away permanently." Amon informed, shocking everyone in the audience.
"That's impossible. There's no way he can do that." Korra denied.
"This guy is insane." Mako concurred.
"If any of you doubt me, allow me to provide a demonstration." Amon continued as his chi-blockers escorted in several gangsters up on stage. "Please allow me to introduce 'Lightning Bolt' Zolt; leader of the Triple Threat Triad, and one of the most notorious criminals in Republic City." the masked figure introduced, resulting in more boos.
"Ah, boo yourselves, ya bunch of nancies!" Zolt bluntly spat at the crowd. As the rest of the crowd continued to jeer at the gangsters, Korra noticed Bolin and his panicked expression as he forced to his knees with the others.
"I see Bolin. Let's go." she said, only to be pulled back by Mako.
"Wait. We can't fight them all. We need to be smart and come up with a plan." he warned.
"Then come up with another 'hat-trick', Mr. Team Captain." Korra grumbled while Amon continued to speak.
"Zolt has amassed a rather large fortune from the extortion and abuse of non-benders, but his reign of terror is about to come to an end. Now, to prove that I am a fair man, even against my enemies, I will allow Zolt to fight for his precious bending."
"You're gonna regret doing that, pal!" Zolt arrogantly mocked before blasting balls of fire at the man. Much to Zolt's dismay, Amon was able to easily dodge every attack sent his way. Even when Zolt launched lighting at the man, he was helpless as Amon swerved in, twisted his arm, and simply pressed his thumb down on his forehead. Had it not been for Zolt continuously using his bending as this happened, the crowd may have been skeptical. But when everyone saw the lightning slowly diminish into slowly receding fire, everyone was convinced. "What did you do to me?" Zolt weakly asked.
"Your Firebending is gone; forever. Congratulations, Zolt. You're one of us, now." Amon coldly taunted before the former bender was dragged away. "The era of bending is over. A new era of equality has begun!"
"How about now? You got a plan now?" Xiang asked the Firebender.
"I think so. See those machines along the wall? They're powered by water and steam. Korra, if you can create some cover, I can grab Bolin without anyone seeing. Then we duck out of here."
"Sounds good to me. Xiang, when I bust the pipes, you go with Mako and back him up." Korra instructed.
"Right-o." Xiang nodded before they spit away. While the two young men were waiting for Korra, Amon was picking off benders one by one until it was Bolin's turn. Just as the head Equalist was about to charge at the young Earthbender, the pipes suddenly exploded, filling the room with screams and steam. "Let's go!"
Maneuvering through the steam, Mako was able to pull his brother away from an Equalist who was quickly kicked off the stage by Xiang. "Bolin, are you alright?" he asked his brother.
"Yes! Mako, I love you, bro!" Bolin cried out in thanks as Mako pulled him away. "And I love you, too, guy whom I barely know!"
"I'm flattered, but I don't swing that way." Xiang replied as they made for the nearest exit. Since Xiang still had his branches around his waist, he opted for jumping down from the ledge instead of climbing the later like the brothers did; an idea he was grateful for when he heard and saw the pair get electrocuted by an Equalist with taser-batons, and a noticeable mustache.
At the cost of the clothes he borrowed from Mako, Xiang used his bending to reveal the plants he kept on him. With a few flourishes of his hand, the wooden belt launched multiple, large splinters at the Equalist like crossbow bolts. Unfortunately, the man was highly trained and easily dodged and deflected each projectile.
"Well, look what we have here. A new type of bending that involves wood. Yet another freak that needs cleansing. Still, I'd like to see what you've got before I take you to Amon." the smug bastard smirked.
"Oh, I'll show you what my wood can do. Wait, that came out wrong." Xiang said before his opponent charged at him. In response, Xiang bended the belt to cover his torso and arm to provide a non-conductive padding against the batons' electricity. This left the Plantbender on the defensive, but the kata he was performing kept the baton's from striking him until he got the chance to sweep out the man's legs. Since he was a skilled acrobat like all chi-blockers, the man was quickly able to bounce back up, which was exactly what Xiang was hoping for.
As the man rose back up, Xiang delivered an open-palm uppercut to the man's chin and swiftly brought it back down as a powerful head strike to his knee. With a quick pivot and spin, Xiang was able to deliver a powerful back-kick to his opponent's torso, staggering him back a few feet. Just before the Equalist could retaliate, he jumped back with a spinning flip to avoid Mako and Bolin's respective bending attacks.
"You're out numbered, and you just got your ass handed to you by a guy with only one hand. Surrender, now." Xiang threatened.
"You benders need to understand there's no place in the world for you anymore. Our time has finally come." the man panted before a patch of earth erupted and sent him into the nearest wall.
"You might wanna reconsider your narrow view on the world." Korra smirked in triumph, revealing she was the source of the attack. With a swift whistle, the Avatar's mount came bounding over to them.
Since it was a spur of the moment situation, and more Equalists were coming towards them, only Korra, Mako and Xiang were able to get on Naga's saddle; whereas Bolin was forced to be carried by the collar of his shirt in Naga's mouth.
"Ah! Oh! Yah! Guys, stop! I. Want. To be. On. Your back!" he pleaded while bucking up and down comically. After making safely out of the industrial district, and to the docks, all four benders were able to breathe easily for the first time in two days. Well, that is until Bolin began to express his thanks. "Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!" he openly wept in gratitude as he fell to his knees and hugged Korra against her waist; an act that made her slightly blush. "I thought I was a goner back there! And then you all rescued me! You're my heroes!"
Looking back and forth between the weeping brother, and the clearly embarrassed brother, Xiang did his best to look for the resemblance. "Stoic and aloof." he said pointing at Mako before pointing at Bolin, "Comical and overly emotional. You sure you two are related?"
"Oh, I'm sure." Mako exhaled, though it ended with a small, caring smile. Realizing how awkward it was for his little brother to still be crying and clinging to the Avatar, Mako gripped his collar and pulled him off. "Come on, enough with the Tearbending, Bolin. We've got practice in the morning, and you need to make up for missing out today."
"Take care, guys. See you tomorrow." Korra said as she and Xiang waved goodbye.
"Bye-bye." Bolin sniffled while weakly waving as he was dragged.
"Oh, and, you guys?" Mako awkwardly said, his ears turning red in embarrassment. "Thanks for all your help."
"Aw, he really does care!" Xiang taunted, pretending to swoon. "I feel so overcome with joy!"
"And now I retract half of my gratitude." Mako waved off as he continued walking away.
After taking the ferry back to Air Temple Island, both teens made their way to confront the worried master Airbender. When they found Tenzin, they saw him speaking with a pair of White Lotus sentries. But when he saw them, he dropped everything and came over to check on them. "Thank goodness. I was just about to send out a search party." he said as he brought them both in for a hug. "Are you both alright?"
"Not exactly." his son replied.
"What happened? Were you not able to find your friend?" Tenzin asked in concern.
"No, we were, and he's safe. But…"
"Korra? What is it?"
"We were at an Equalist rally. We saw Amon. He can take people's bending away; for good."
"What? That's-that's not possible. Only the Avatar should be capable of such power."
"We were there, Dad. We both saw him take away the bending of multiple people." Xiang replied, completely serious.
"I believe you." Tenzin replied, even though he did not want to. "I don't know how Amon has achieved this power, but this means the revolution is more dangerous than ever. No bender in Republic City is safe."
Okay, not bad, right? I feel like I did a pretty good job at revealing Xiang's fighting style. If anyone wants to know what it's based on, it comes from the whip-like Chinese Kung Fu style used by Hermit in the anime "Kenichi the Mightiest Disciple. If you aren't familiar with how that looks, I recommend looking it up on Youtube; it's pretty slick!
Also, if you liked the origin story behind Xiang's arm, wait until you read the next chapter. That will be when we learn more about the spiritual visit Aang's old friend paid before Xiang was born, and how it truly affected him. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised!
Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed, and please, if you haven't already, like and follow to stay updated, and leave reviews! Don't forget, the decision for Korra's pairing is still going on. Unless I get some more feedback on who you all want, the day I post Ch. 5 will be the cut off point. So far, we have one vote for Bolin, and none for Mako. Cast your votes while you still can, folks.
See ya next time!