Like Fire on Ice

by seananstey9480

After the events of the prior few years transpired, the world is a mess; Republic City is no exception. Mako is forced to find work as a freelancer around the world due to his circumstances, and is swept away into a new adventure, where he will come face-to-face with his personal trauma, his greatest regrets, his history of failed relationships, and in this, he will find new love.

1. Part I: The Setting Sun

…Like Fire on Ice...

"I would like to preface this work by stating that there are a number of subjects I have sought to address candidly within this work that are applicable to the real world. There is a chance that you could feel offended or taken aback. I have attempted to preserve many of the characters as they were in the series, but in a much more human light. This will have taken place a few years after the events of Season four, and thus everyone is a little more mature.

I love to hear from you as the reader and how this story affected you personally, as i have placed a lot of emotional effort into its development, and if you want to message me to scream at me or profess your love for me I would be happy to speak to you either way.

I will forewarn you of themes reflective of police brutality, paralleling with the current policing situation within the United States, references to domestic violence, and a number of other themes of traumatic events that occurred throughout the lives of these characters.

Thank you for your time, your eyes, and your heart," - Sean A.

Part I:

"All units on the South Side: we have a 10-30B At the RC Union on South Side Yue Bay and Recent Reports of 10-10S held up by a couple units requesting back up," the radio sounded. His head turned and he mounted his bike, igniting it and motoring off, leaning into the wind.

He arrived on scene to encounter other units being blasted away at by several firebenders. He asked them why they aren't moving in with fireproof ordinance gear, and a blast of lightning suddenly broke past them, striking a car in the distance which exploded.

"Good point!" he shouted, "we got to get in around the back!" he called over fire.

"What do you mean?! There's fire comin' outta there every second! We can't get back there!"

"Not with that attitude! Follow me!" he shouted running out from the side of the car. The metalbenders followed him. They found themselves rained on with arcs, Mako caught one and dealt it right back with a scarred arm! Explosions broke out in the bank. The metalbenders came around into the alleyway, they meet more agni kais, tossing rocks left and right! Metal vines reach around them and drag them up by their heels from the rafters, and dropping them onto their heads, and they're buried to their shoulders.

They stack along the wall, preparing a breach, Mako the first to enter. Mako kicks the door in with fire, and a flashbang is tossed in. The flashbang goes off, and they move in! The room fills with smoke and Mako makes his way into a corner setting up dominance of the room from the high point of the corner. He rushes upstairs, rains fire down on agni kai heads. The team vaults over the counter and is quick to move in. The agni Kais are on the move, forced out the doors, stuffed desperately into vans and off.

"Mako they're on the move!" shouts the cop, "Southbound of 34th! All units BOLO! BOLO! on the southside four utility vans moving in convoy. Over!"

Mako blasts his way out a window and onto his bike where he roared after the vans

"Don't lose 'em Unit 367M I'm en route! Over" he shouts into his radio.

Mako drives down the center of the road, he's dodging carts, civilians.

"I got eyes on the convoy moving eastbound on Slide rd. Over!"

"Roger, setting up a roadblock, this is Unit 468B! on East Slide! Over!" Bolin acknowledges. Mako rears up with lightning from his bike, shooting just beneath the van in front of them, causing it to speed up. The doors on the back of the van open, and fire erupts from it. Mako takes evasive maneuvers, dodging blows left and right, before dealing a precise streak of fire of his own into the back of the van, it explodes, sending the van into a fishtail before streaking sideways to a halt! Mako brushes past them.

"Unit 489C I got these guys pulled over, M you get after the rest! Over!"

"Roger, in pursuit of three vans moving past 50th on East Slide! B! How's that Roadblock?! Over!"

"Roadblock set on East Slide and 82nd! Over!"

"Block that whole intersection make sure they can't get away! Over!"

"Roger on it forthwith! Over!"

"Here we go!" Mako said, egging the perps on with more blasts of fire. They're on fast approach, they come to a screeching halt on the frontside! The vans in back haven't halted. They're preoccupied with Mako! Suddenly brakes are screeching! Vans are sliding and rear-ending, trapped between the vans and the wall Bolin had set. Bolin Rushes to the Vans, knocking them flat on their side, Trapping the perps in the earth!

"Need Backup at East slide and 82nd Detain the perps! Bring a van! Over!"

"Affirmative, this is dispatch, we got a van coming your way, how many perps? Over?"

"Ten give or take, over!"

"Acknowledged, sending units your way, when the next two arrive get back to station. Over."

"Purpose, over?"

"Administrator request; over!"

"Roger, awaiting arrival of further units! Over."

"Dude! Nice chase!" Bolin said, patting Mako on the back.

"Thanks for the barrier! You did good man!" he said, looking over down the road, "Those look like the units I'm waiting for, I gotta go!" said Mako, mounting his bike.

"See you back at the station!" shouted Bolin as Mako roared off on his bike. He showed up back at the station, parking his bike neatly out front.

"Listen, I did what I had to do to get the guy restrained okay?!" shouted an officer as the chief sat before him. Mako sat outside of the double doors leading to her office. The secretary of the chief typed away at the typewriter at her desk, clicking incessantly with the occasional ding and draw. It was nearly the end of the dayshift and the sun had shaded the city orange as it approached the horizon. He fiddled with his pen, occasionally clicking it, but trying to be considerate of others. Everyone was on edge within the office, publishing statements, phone calls ringing, typewriters dinging, fountain pens scribbling notes and filling out details on paperwork.

"I am your superior officer, and you will not raise your voice at me! Am I clear?!" Lin shouted. She looked to see that Mako arrived, seeing his head from the window in her office.

"Get out of here! You're on paperwork for the next month!" she shouted at the officer who rose and stormed out. Lin's face went into her hand, her breathing heavy, and Mako closed the door. Her room was dusty, and there were papers everywhere. Lin always was always insistent on a professional demeanor and appearance, especially regarding office space, and this concerned Mako.

"Hey…" he asked in a softened tone of voice, "How are you holding up?" he asked.

"This shit's getting out of hand. The approval rating has gone down by forty percent since that damned disaster with that poor kid in Ba Sing Se, and Zhu Li has been all over my ass about the PR since!" Lin remarked, slamming her fist down on the desk. Mako paused for a good minute allowing for her to cool off. The bags beneath her eyes had gradually become more pronounced in the last few weeks with the stress of the situation, especially the protests, and the color had gradually drained from her face.

"I know this may be a bad time to ask… but can I pour some tea for you?" he asked.

"I don't need tea! I need for the PR to go back up so I can get some sleep for the first full night in three weeks!" she shouted. He waited another moment.

"I'm sorry," she sighed, "Why the hell are you here again?" she asked.

"I was hoping you could tell me Chief," he said. She took a deep breath and pulled out a file and put her face in her right hand again. He opened the file to find a picture of a car accident, one he was present for. It involved an intoxicated driver, killing a young man and a woman. He opened the file to look through the details of the case, recalling all of the information regarding the perp and he flipped through the document to find nothing of peculiarity.

"I solved this case; I found this guy. what's the problem?" he asked.

"The DA let the little shit off is what the problem is!"

"Wha-wh-… Why the hell would she do that?"

"Do I look like I know?!" she shouted at him. The office was bustling full of calls, paperwork, complaints, and frustration. Lin unfolded the blinds to view the other officers present within the room and sighed deeply, her hair turning further grey, and her eyes sinking into her skull. Her own reflection sometimes frightened her to look at.

"I know you would have wanted to know, so I told you," She said calmly, in resignation, "You were involved in that case, and I saw you put so much effort into catching this crook of a kid, and I know you would have wanted to know that justice was less than served here. The DA has been overwhelmed with so much PR bullshit that the kid's parents jumped in and threatened to bring the media down on them. That kid killed people doing what he did… and they just, let him off, with a slap on the wrist," she told him. He sighed deeply.

"That…" he said, "This is disappointing to hear."

"It's more than disappointing, it's a load of fucking bullshit is what it is!" she raised her voice again.

"It's awful that the DA would betray us like this, but Zhu Li…" he began. Lin turned to face him, "I don't know what to say."

"There's nothing to say, she's just another politician now. Just like all the rest of them," she said, sitting down at her desk.

"When's the last time you ate?" he asked her.

"Mako, I don't know wha-"

"I ask because we need you to be okay, Lin." She shook her head and turned up her hand in a gesture of resignation.

"I don't know, this morning I guess?" she said.

"I want to get you something, and I'll come back with it. Will that be alright?" he asked. She rubbed her eyes and shook her head for a moment.

"I guess, if you can be back in the next ten minutes with it because I have a meeting in thirty," she said to him.

"I'll be back sooner than that," he told her, standing from his chair, and stepping out the returned in a moment with a small box, placing it upon her desk, gently unpacking it with a disposable cup of Chamomile. She shut her eyes for a moment, massaging her temples.

"Thank you, chief, for speaking with me," he said. She was silent for a moment, until he moved for the door.

"Thank you, Mako," she said to him.

Mako makes his way back, returning to his apartment, as his shift had recently ended. He opened the door to his apartment and sat on the chair where he looked out the window into the city below. It was quiet. He breathed very deeply, massaging the scowl of his own forehead, to find it locked badly with tension. He removed his uniform and undershirt, feeling the cool air cover him in their place. It was hot out. There was a knock at the door.

"What's up?" he asked as soon as he opened the door.

"Oh, um, is this a bad time?" Opal asked.

"Oh, uhh, Bolin's not here right now," he said.

"Oh, okay, I've brought some stuff with me for me and him to share this evening, would it be alright if I come in?" she asked nervously.

"Yeah, yeah, let me get dressed right quick," he said wearily. He donned a shirt and turned on the light, being seated back on the chair comfortably next to the window. She began placing several items from a basket upon the counter within the kitchen. The new apartment had treated them well, with Opal often staying the night, sometimes on the couch and sometimes in Bolin's room. It was a sizeable suite for the city, as most rooms became very expensive due to the skyrocket in demand after Kuvira's assault. At the end of the room was a very large window, almost from floor to ceiling, and this was his usual post-work routine, occasionally sipping at a glass of something to relax a bit. It was a part of the day that he looked forward to.

"How is cop stuff?"

"Oh, you know," he said, "Same old stuff honestly."

"Do you know when Bolin will be back?"

"His shift ended a few minutes ago actually," he said, "He should be home soon." There was another knock at the door. "That should be him!" he said getting up from his chair.

"What's up du-, oh… hey Asami," he said, suddenly brightening his tone.

"Hey! I've been meaning to get to see you!" she said, "Could I… come inside, or is now a bad time?" she inquired.

"Umm, yeah, Bolin will be here shortly and Opal's in the kitchen now. Come on in," he said ushering her inside, "What brings you here?" he asked.

"I was actually hoping to talk to you if you don't mind?" she requested.

"Oh, okay. What about?"

"Well… It's actually about Korra?"

He nodded for a moment, "Okay… is everything, alright?"

"Well… not exactly."

"Are you sure that talking about this with me would be a good idea?" he asked, "I mean- just understanding all of the history, I just don't want to be-"

"We had a fight… and it was really bad… really, really bad." She interrupted. There was a new silence within the room. Even Opal had stopped her dealings with groceries to peak down the hallway where they were in the living room. Asami had sat out on a footstool and Mako on his usual chair, and they just looked at one another, unable to find words.

"Is… everything okay?... Are you okay?" he asked softly.

"I don't know, I just saw her get really… really mad and she started throwing things around, and the bending…" she paused and began to lose her composure a bit. Opal approached from the kitchen, sitting down next to Asami.

"Oh, umm, okay-…" there was another knock on the door, "I'll be back in a moment." Opal took her hand within hers and Mako went to answer the door, eying through the peephole this time prior to opening, and seeing Bolin.

"Dude, don't you have a key?" he asked as soon as he opened the door.

"Oh, yeah, I just left it in my room, thanks for- Is… everything okay?" he asked walking in. Bolin quickly read the room and his facial expression changed from his usual comic self.

"Oh… umm yeah, Asami just came to talk about something, and Opal came to drop something off before, and… I don't know," he said, ushering Bolin inside and shutting the door after him.

"Okay," he said to her sitting back down and clasping his hands, leaning to her, "Do you feel like talking about any of this?" he asked.

"I don't know, it just scared me to see her get mad. I've seen her get angry before but this last time I just felt so helpless all of the sudden," she said, "I wanted to ask how you dealt with situations like these," she said as Bolin sat next to Opal who had already zoned into the conversation. Mako thought heavily about the fits of rage he had seen Korra fly into in their time together.

"Uhh," Mako winced slightly, "I'm not sure how to answer that," he said.

"I just want to know how to deescalate the situation and figured that you have more experience with her than I do."

"I know, but I... I didn't really do a good job of dealing with her moments… or her in general. I'm not really a good person to ask."

"What do you mean?" she asked as the others looked to him flustered. He noticed their attention.

"Would you too mind giving us a moment?" he asked Bolin and Opal. They nodded and stood to move into the kitchen together.

"Hey, Mako, could I talk to you, after this is up?" Bolin asked as he stood in the doorway to the kitchen.

"Yeah, just give us a moment and I'll be ready," he affirmed.

"Okay," he paused, shifting to a softer tone, "I was… not a good boyfriend, to either of you…" he said, "I was really not good at being a boyfriend in general."

"I don't-" she paused.

"I had some moments with Korra as well where she… kind of flew off the handle, and I didn't really manage them very well myself," he told her, scratching his neck.

"What all happened?" she asked.

"Well, you remember the whole thing where she lost her memory and she said she didn't remember the fight we had, and… this was right after they released me from prison with that whole thing with Varrick."

"Oh… yeah, I remember that!"

"Well… that conversation, or fight, sort of started with her kicking my desk across a room…" he said nervously, "And…"

She paused, "And?"

"…I wasn't good to you Asami," he said with resignation, "I should have told her what happened instead of betraying you like that. I haven't brought myself to ever apologize because I've just never… Sorry, I think that's a different conversation I'm confusing with this one," he said to her. She tilted her head for a moment.

"Listen… You should know that it isn't your job to address these problems," he continued, "If she flies off the handle, then the best thing for you to do is to just get out of there and wait for her to cool off. I know you care about her and want to help her, believe me, I do too, but you…" he paused.

"I?..."

"It's different with you. It's not that you are incapable of calming her down, but you will get hurt trying to get to her, and that is not something I want happening to you. It's not something that you should have to do."

"…Okay," she said softly, "So, I just… get up and leave?"

"Yes," he told her, "That is exactly what you should do."

"Umm, okay, I guess."

"I'm sorry, I wish I had more helpful advice to give really," he said looking off to the side. His gaze over the city paused a moment, "Wait here a moment," he told her walking off to reach into the jacket of his uniform. He returned and handed her a card.

"This is a friend of mine, she's a social worker that I work with a lot on the force. If something happens, something that scares you, or if she gets mad at you or hits you… You call her as soon as you can and come here to the apartment." he told her, "Opal has a few spare keys lying around that I think she'd be glad to hand you in case none of us are here, so if you feel comfortable with that, you are definitely welcome to take one."

"Okay, I… I will keep this in my wallet, and… I will talk to Opal." she said to him of the card as she stood.

"Good. Be careful, and stay safe," he said to her in return, "Are you wanting to stick around or are you going to be on your way here soon?"

"I actually do need to be heading out here soon; I have a meeting across town in an hour."

"Okay, I'll let you go then," he said as they made their way out, and as Asami began to walk down the hallway, she paused, and turned back to him.

"You weren't a bad boyfriend, Mako," she told him. He looked away and paused.

"I'll still feel like I was, even if you tell me not to," he said somberly. She paused a moment.

"I told you once that I felt safe when I was with you… Do you remember that? It was around when we first started dating," she told him. He looked up and to her.

"Yeah, I do remember that; you asked me about my scarf, and we were riding through the park, right?" he asked smiling for a moment.

"Yeah!" she responded, "I came to you to talk to you today… because I still do." There was silence for a moment as Mako looked stunned slightly.

"I'm glad that I can help you to feel that way," he said back to her assured but awkwardly, "if you need any help with this in the future, I'd be happy to do my best."

"I'll let you know how things work out," she said smiling and turning down the hallway. Mako nodded and closed the door finding Bolin right behind him. He was startled for a moment.

"Hey dude wh-"

"Are Asami and Korra doing, okay?" he asked.

"Yeah man, they're just hitting a rough patch," Mako assured his brother.

"Are you sure? I heard a lot of stuff about Korra getting really mad and-"

"They're fine dude, I promise!" Mako returned, patting Bolin on the back.

"Mako," Bolin said with a darkened tone, different than his usual, "We're required by law to report anything about abuse."

"It's not abuse dude, nothing happened, okay? Korra just had one of her moments. She has them all the time."

"Lin told me that even if we were suspicious of ab-"

"Look, dude, there's nothing going on, I promise. I know BOTH; I literally dated both," he said grinning, "Korra wouldn't do that, and she's been good for Asami, and I can tell." He filled a glass with water and Bolin followed him into the kitchen where Opal was cutting green onions. Bolin gave him a look, which he took notice of.

"Alright look," he said, "We'll keep track of her, and we'll check in on her once or twice a week just to make sure she's okay. Will that make you feel better?" Mako asked.

"Yeah, I guess," Bolin responded.

"Alright," Mako said to him.

"I just care about Asami is all," he said, getting a side-eye from Opal, "No, Not like-uggh, okay, I meant, like-in a platonic way-" he stumbled. Opal giggled at him.

"I know, I'm just messing with you, I promise," she told him as Bolin approached and hugged her from behind as she minced the spices.

"I care about her too," Mako said softly having moved over to his chair, overlooking the city.

The alarm clock rang out at about 6:30 in the morning, rousing him from his sleep. Coffee had been hot and prepared already, so he smelled from the kitchen. He walked in, making his way around the doorway, peeking into the kitchen where Bolin waited.

"Dude, did you even sleep last night?" Mako asked.

"Yeah, I just woke up at around four… couldn't get back to bed."

"You still thinking about yesterday?" Mako inquired, preparing a mug for himself from the pot. Opal eventually staggered to the table, "She stay over?"

"Oh, yeah, she stayed in my room," Bolin mumbled, "What's happening today? With the president I mean?"

"Oh, Prezzy Moon is supposed to be doing some press conference and some people from the force are supposed to be there."

"Are you going?" Bolin asked.

"Yeah, Lin wants me to be next to her for the ordeal."

"What is all of this supposed to be about?"

"I don't even know dude, this whole garbage with the DA and the President and public relations. Stuff's been breaking down 'cause of all the recent events going on with police forces," Mako said, sipping his coffee shortly, thereafter, pouring himself some water to drink alongside.

"Do you think they'll be going through with the budget cuts? I was hired just recently; will they fire me?" asked Bolin.

"I-… I don't know man; I'm sure whatever happens, you'll be able to find work soon enough. You've been a good cop." Mako made eggs and bacon for the morning, setting a few rice buns to the side, and sitting himself back in his chair, breathing deeply, letting the morning sink in. The steam rose from his breakfast as Bolin slowly reached over to snatch a bun. Opal giggled slightly at this. Mako opened his eye halfway and blew a puff of hot air out to where he reached causing Bolin to pull it back.

"Keep your hands off the buns," he said smirking.

The meeting took place in front of the town hall where reporters, citizens, passersby, administrators and more had gathered to witness the commentary on the current situation. Mako stood between President Moon, Varrick, Lin, the DA, and the public, some voicing their favor, most voicing their bitterness now. Mako kept them at bay with a scowl on his face, keeping reporters from swarming them with their notepads, cameras, and questions. The entourage made their way to the press conference desk, most sitting at their assigned positions where their nameplates rested. The DA sat next to the president however, originally Lin's position. She switched the nameplates, placing hers beside the president where Lin's had once been. Lin glared at her with crossed arms and a raised eyebrow.

"Yikes, quite a bold move in front of the public," Varrick said to Mako aloud, both being assigned to be stood behind the desk, "How's it going Mako?" he asked in his usual cartoonish tone.

"Oh, you know…" he said rolling his eyes a minute, "the usual police stuff."

"No talking either of you!" the DA shouted over the crowd.

"Sheesh, why not just put Raiko in that chair?" asked Varrick to the side, receiving a glare from Zhu Li and a grin from Mako.

"If we may get this press conference started; to clarify, we are meeting today to announce recent city-wide policy changes regarding the police force and budget," Zhu Li announced, "The DA will begin with an announcement regarding the recent issue of prosecution of the intoxicated driver incident near 34th street."

The DA stood, taking the time to open her briefcase before walking to the podium with a speech fabricated prior to the event, "The Office of the DA will not be moving forward with the case regarding the intoxicated driver. There will be no further updates, nor will there be questions regarding the matter. The judge upon hearing the case determined that not enough effective witnesses had been present at the incident to officially determine the nature of the accident, and the autopsy results were inadmissible within the court of law for reasons to remain undisclosed," she said to an audience that threw up their hands and shouted at her in dismay. Lin and Zhu Li both sighed deeply, Lin closing her eyes and clenching her teeth for a moment before nodding and looking off to the side. Zhu Li rose to take the DA's place at the table. Lin looked as if she steamed to be sitting beside the District Attorney, refusing to even look her direction.

"Regarding recent events across the earth kingdom, and the recent statistical findings of police performance," she began before pausing to close her eyes, "The city council of Republic City has officially opted to dock the annual police budget by 7.8 million from its annual allotment of funds." Lin clenched the chair in which she sat leaving a clear print of her own hand, looking red in the face, but still maintaining her composure, taking a moment to relax and take a deep breath.

"The budget will be readministered into social services to decrease rates of crime throughout the city," she continued. Even Varrick shook his head.

"Wow," Varrick mumbled under his breath, "I've screwed over a city a few times in my day, but this is really something else," he grinned.

"You're gonna get us in trouble," Mako mumbled in return.

"There will be no further commentary," the DA raised, cutting off the president, cutting glares from half the city. Mako escorted the group from the table atop the stage and into the building, keeping a very unruly audience at bay, as much as a few officers may have been tempted to join in the ruckus. He, Varrick, Zhu Li, and Lin kept straight faces. Lin eventually broke off to find a bathroom, and Zhu Li followed her. The two of them met inside, where Lin placed both hands atop the counter in front of the mirror, leaning forward onto it. There were a few minutes pause.

"… I'm sorry… I tried all that I could to convince th-" she stopped abruptly to silence.

"… I know, but I'm still disappointed," Lin returned, "My mother gave me this city, placing into my hands, and soon enough it will turn into a madhouse."

"That's not neces-"

"Don't tell me it's not true, Zhu Li!" she raised, turning to the president, "We saw it in Ba Sing Se! We saw it in the Qing Province! They took millions from the police and gave it to some worthless government organizations, and when the police were thinned out all across the city, the homicide rate went up overnight!" she shouted thrusting her fist into the mirror in front of her, cracking it clear to the end of the room, "Hundreds of people have died since then!" she raised, Mako and Varrick wincing from outside of the bathroom where they stood guard and listened. Zhu Li began to tear up.

"I'm sorry… I-I'm doing all that I can," she said, her voice breaking; Lin sighed and embraced her for a moment as she silently cried a moment.

"I know, Moon… I'm not mad at you, I promise," Lin assured her. They both stood for a moment before Zhu Li broke away, Taking Lin's hand.

"Let me help you, please," she said, and as she did, Lin noticed that her hand had bled since the impact against the mirror. Zhu Li aided her, running her hand beneath cold water, where Zhu Li took a sharpened pair of tweezers from her purse, picking small shards from her wound, and wrapped it in a bandage.

"You are prepared for damn near anything aren't you?" she said to the president.

"You work for Varrick long enough, and you find yourself in strange situations," she said, snickering. Lin held her again.

"I won't let this city go to ruin; I promise," she said softly, her voice breaking a bit.

"I know sweetheart. I just can't stand the city council sometimes."

"I'll get that money back where it belongs, I just need more time."

"I believe in you, Moon," she said as they exited, Mako and Varrick stood immediately at attention from their position, listening through the door.

"V-Varrick what?" Zhu Li asked, squinting and tilting.

"What?" he asked.

"What are you doing?" she grinned at his stance of attention.

"Well, I figured this guy looked lonely, I couldn't stand to leave him all by himself!" Varrick said to her elbowing Mako who broke his attention, laughing with a facepalm.

"Mako, that is all we will need of you today I'm afraid; why don't you head home," Lin said to him.

"Are you sure you have everything," he asked her.

"Yes, I do; get lost," she said in return to him. He snickered for a moment before leaving the city hall to return home.

He turned his key in the door and opened the door to find Opal, Bolin, and Asami, seated in the living room, watching the broadcast of the conference.

"Dude! That's so unfair!" Bolin shouted.

"Yeah, yeah it is honestly," Mako said removing the top layer of his uniform to reveal his undershirt.

"They'll probably just cut down on some gas and ground the airships a lot more; I'm sure we'll find a way to work with it," Mako said, patting his brother on the shoulder, "You'll be fine dude, I promise." He sat in his chair overlooking the city, just out of the sun. The AC felt great, and he leaned his head back.

"So how is Korra?" he asked aloud to the ceiling.

"Oh, she's…" she paused.

"Is she here?" he asked raising his head.

"Oh, no she's… She's off doing something, else…" she said. Mako opened his eyes and held a serious look on his face, he slowly made his way back up and tilted his head at her.

"Asami," he raised for a moment, "Are you sure you're doing, okay?" he asked. There was a silence in the room, "I'm sorry, I know I keep pushing, but I get gut feelings about these situations; I don't like to ignore them." The three looked at one another, returning some unsure faces.

"… did something happen?" he asked quietly. She looked unsettled, "You don't have to answer that if you don't want to."

"… yeah actually, I came to talk to you about it, but Bolin and Opal were the only ones here" she raised softly.

"Mako… we have to get this in… today," Bolin said.

"I don't know, I don't think they can do anything about it unless there is incidental violence occurring; otherwise, it's just a report. They have it that way so that if someone winds up…" he paused out of regard, "Less than well… they have some level of evidence." He paused for a second.

"Asami…" he began, "Did she… hurt you?" The question was met with silence for a good minute as she looked a bit nervous at him and the others.

"… it was an accident," she said. Mako sat back and placed his hand on the top of his head, gripping his hair and sighing.

"Okay, I'm not going to ask any further questions about it, but if you want to talk, I am here, I promise … Bolin, go ahead and do the paperwork. I've been involved with these two priors, and it just won't look right if I file a report."

"It was just-."

"I know it may have been an 'accident' Asami, but Bolin and I are required by law to report 'accidents' like these. We'll go to jail if we don't."

"I just got hit by a rock is all," she said, and she lifted her shirt slightly, to reveal a blue welt the size of a fist, Opal covered her mouth in reaction "It was during one of the incidents the other day, and she immediately apologized."

"Oh, Spirits," he whispered to himself, "Alright, maybe we should get you checked out; a hit like that can produce clots sometimes, so go see a doctor about it at least."

"Can I take you?" Opal asked. Asami nodded briefly, "C'mon, let's get you looked at." The two left soon after donning their shoes. He sat back in his chair a moment, massaging his forehead again. He moved into the kitchen and poured himself some water.

"I'm sorry man, I should've heard you out more," Mako said, shaking his head and thus drinking his tap water.

"It's alright dude, I'm just glad we can get her the help she needs."

"I am too…" he said, nodding at the remark.

The police station was a mess the following day. Most patrols had been suspended in favor of a lighter police presence, and resultingly, calls went up; dispatch was quickly becoming overwhelmed with the number of incidents breaking out in the south side. There were papers everywhere, and people were lined up to file complaints. Mako shook his head as he walked in.

"Where are they all coming from?" Mako said.

"Everywhere that we pulled out. The policy ran effective immediately, and as soon as we got the call to come back to the station, something happened," one of the officers at a desk reported.

"What? What all happened?" he asked.

"Everything, c'mon dude! I don't know! Just pick up the phone and find out for yourself!" shouted the officer. Mako looked over to Lin's office, empty with nothing but her with her face in one of her hands. He felt for her. He made his way to his desk where the phone rang.

"This is Mako," he said.

"Mako, we have received recent reports of an individual being admitted to SRC General with a series of bruises and gashes and we have reason to believe she is well known to you, may we ask you a few questions?"

"I suppose you, I don't know if I have a lot to say. This is Asami Sato we are speaking of, correct?"

"That we cannot confirm, as it would be a HIPAA violation, however, all we can say is that she named you as one of her emergency contacts when she was admitted."

"Oh, okay, What…"

"Were you aware of any abusive behavior on the part of Korra?" the voice asked.

"Umm, I did notice some strangeness in Asami's behavior, and I had a hunch for a little bit, but no founded suspicions."

"So, you had suspicions, have you filed a report regarding these?'

"No, I told you I had a hunch, but I didn't say founded suspicions; accordingly, I had not filed a report. She came to me earlier telling me something about an accident that left her with a big welt."

"So, you were aware?"

"No, I wasn't aware; would you listen?"

"We have had Korra reported in the system, and she is currently being brought in for questioning by Det. Mako of the Republic City police."

"Wait wha-" he saw Korra enter, visibly frustrated and raising her voice at the officers escorting her, "I am Mako!"
"Okay, we will add that to the file, thankyouverymuchforyourhelp-goodbye!"

"No! No, you stupid bit-!"

"Mako! What is the meaning of this?!" Korra raised. Mako slammed the phone down and groaned loudly for a minute. His hand went to his face, kneading at his forehead again, and he sipped his coffee.

"Listen, you've been reported for questioning about something that put Asami in the hospital," he said through a facepalm gesture.

"What?" she inquired, raising her voice? "What? Why is she-"

"She said something happened and you got mad and-"

"What?! I had no idea! Who reported-"

"I can't tell you that Korra, I'm sorry."

"What did you tell them?!" she said placing both of her hands on his desk, he was visibly nervous for a moment, "You reported me didn't you!?" she said sweeping a few things from his desk.

"Listen, she came to me the other day and we talked and caught up and wanted to ask a few questions about the moments you've had, okay." Korra tilted her head and squinted.

"She said she was scared okay, and whenever I get word of these things I'm required by law-"

"You reported me to the police!?" she raised her voice as the bustling station began to get a bit quiet.

"No, I didn't, B-," he paused and thought quickly, "Okay, fine I did, I'm sorry."

"Do you have any idea what this could do to my reputation as the avatar?! What will the world do when a bunch of snot-nosed reporters find out about this?!"

"Nobody's going to find out about this unless you lower your voice!" he said looking around and lowering his own volume.

"This is your fault!" she said.

"Look I promise I'm no-
"You had years of opportunity to be with her, and now that you can't have her you are trying to sabotage what we have!"

"Korra, please just calm down for a moment and we can-"

"I don't want to calm down! Don't you tell me to calm down!" she shoved his desk out from between them and moved in on him.

"I'm sorry okay, I'm sorry; I could be sent to jai-"

"Oh, would this be the first time you are going to blame your job for screwing me over?!" she raised as the station got quieter, "Remember this?!" she said, kicking his desk across a room.

"I can't believe you!" she shouted.

"Look, Korra, I'm doing everything that I can to help th-"

"THEN STOP!"

Suddenly the room spun, and his face throbbed. His head was pounding, and he heard laughing and clapping, hooting and cheers around him. Everything was hazy and blurry. He raised his hand to his face to feel his left eye pulsing with every beat. He shook his head and looked around to find Korra gone and his back against the filing cabinets. He breathed deeply.

"Wha-? What happened?"

"Your girlfriend got mad at you," sneered one of the women officers from across the room. His nose bled profusely for a moment, and Lin emerged from her office to discern the trouble.

"What the fuck is going on out here?!" Lin hissed maliciously. Everyone being mindful of the recent burden on her shoulders lowered themselves and the entire room became looked over to see Mako sprawled against the filing cabinet, in pieces and bleeding a good amount.

"Mako!" she shouted running over to him, "What? What happened here?"

"I don't know chief," he said out of his dazed mind.

She turned to the other officers in the room "Why the hell didn't you arrest the pe-"

"Korra! It was the avatar!" he shouted, still trying to make sense of his environment.

"What?!" she woman officers pointed him out and whispered at him as he tried his best to stand and find his balance, stumbling his way to the bathroom. He opened the door and made his way inside, looking at himself in the mirror. His nose was slightly broken, and his eye a lost cause, a dark patch from which tendrils extended in all directions.

"Dude… are you," began one of the men in the bathroom, interrupted by Mako running into a stall to vomit violently.

"Wha-..." he uttered before his body fatigued. Hallucinations and flashbacks ailed him causing his body to be thrown into momentary convulsions. His parents, firebending, the streets, the fear, the child all alone, Bolin, Korra, Asami, … The moon?... everything flashed as she shook trembled violently on the ground. The door burst open all the sudden.

"Mako!" Bolin shouted desperately, "We need.. get….." he began to fade into a blur of mind and spirit. His awareness and consciousness being dissolved. He was nothing, remembering nothing, and being nothing until occasional, sparse moments of resurgence where he would look around and mumble briefly.

"Wh- What the hell?" he uttered through slurred words, remembering being stuffed in the back of a car. He decided sleep would be a wonderful choice of action; he was tired and needed to rest. His dreams were nothing but void and rest. He felt nothing, and no longer existed, unable to contemplate his own quality of inexistence. Days passed and he continued to rest peacefully.

Outside the hospital room a woman with grayed hair paced the hallways back and forth. Her eyes sank further, highlighting the contour of her skull with each passing, sleepless night. A young lady with black, shoulder length hair arose to meet her, taking her hand and holding her for a moment. The two of them and a young gentleman had waited three days to hear further news of his rest, to no relief. Another young woman showed, makeup running down her face, quickly stopping into his room, and quaking at the sight, being helped to his bedside by those within the room. She held his hand for a solid hour, mourning into his bed sheets until she had some time to breathe and calm down. She took deep breaths before raising her head again.

"Please wake up…" she uttered quietly. Tragically, there was no response.

Lin walked in on the sight with Opal, "I'm sending Opal to bring back Kya, but I pray that she can make it, before…" there was a dreadful silence in the room, and the rest of the phrase was quickly discarded from the minds of everyone that listened.

Asami drew up a hospital chair next to the bed where he laid, intubated and sprawled across the bed with his head turned over to the side. He had laid there for six hours so far, the nurse occasionally coming in to check on him generally.

Lin was wearily present at the chaos of the station. The bustling environment had resumed in her absence, avoiding her out of fear and reached the office outside her door, to find it exactly the way it had been left three days ago. She clenched her fist. Where Mako's desk had once been, there were merely a number of papers. The desk itself had just been moved out of the way from people's walking path, and the spot where he bled was still there, most of it having dried.

"You!" she said, pointing at a female officer, one who had made snarky remarks before, "Clean this shit up!"

"I am a police officer and I have paperwork to attend to!" she retorted.

"For the next six months you'll be nothing more than the office bitch, for standing around bumping your gums while one of your own was assaulted right in front of you! If you don't like it then just give me your badge and you can go find another job!" Lin stormed into her office, slamming the door behind her, and shutting the blinds, shaking as she sat before her desk. The building must have shaken on its foundation for a moment, by the account of everyone present.

"Please be okay," she whispered to herself, her face in her hands. She emerges several hours later from her office to find the place cleared out and the floors cleaned, and the everyone silent. The air was thick with pressure. Lin went to retrieve her mail from the basement, the floor having been mopped thoroughly.

"Are you serious!? I've been on the force for eight years now?!"shouted an officer, throwing down an envelope, before saluting as he noticed the chief.

"What the hell is the matter with you?!" she raised.

"I've been hereby discharged ma'am!" he returned.

"What?! What do you mean! I didn't discharge anyone!" she shouted.

"Discharge orders directly from the president due to your absence ma'am!"

"Who?! Why?!" she demanded, grabbing him by the collar of his uniform and shaking him.

"I don't know ma'am, just some of the detective department!" he raised.

"No…" she said, emptied of hope for a moment, "No!" she raised, digging around the mail room for a mail locker. 367M she found, but it was locked.

"Ma'am that's a felo-" shouted an officer as she ripped the door off the mail locker. There was a lone envelope in the locker. Her face sank. She reached to look at the sender; The office of the President of Republic City… she paused for a moment and became calm. She left the scene as it was and walked directly out.

Lin gently opened the door to find Zhu Li and Varrick; Zhu Li in emotional pieces, sobbing behind her desk with Varrick at her side attempting to comfort her.

"You are doing your best Zhu Li… and your best is sure as hell miles better than mine. Everyone in a position like yours is forced to do these things sometimes," he said, "This is not the end for them, okay? And I'll be hanged before this is the end for you," he said in a sweetened tone, turning to notice Lin.

"The city council won't let me reinstate any of them; they just selected them at random and slapped my name on it… I'm so sorry," she said, looking up around Lin, because she couldn't stand to look at her in this state, "I can't do this anymore," she said.

"You can Zhu Li," she said softly, urging the words awkwardly out of herself with her eyes tightened, "You are the best president this city could ask for. This city itself is a disaster, and you can't be blamed for when it falls apart, when all you have done is helped."

"What brings you here?" asked Varrick softly. She laid the letter softly on the desk where he picked it up and read the name of the addressed. He sank back into his chair, with his hand on his head.

"It's a damn good thing I'm not president," he said deeply, "For the city council anyway."

"How is he taking it?" asked paused.

"… Best not worry about him at the moment," she said, turning to leave.

Lin had Mako airlifted to the South Pole; getting the group away from Republic City would have benefitted them too. She couldn't wait for Kya or Katara to come to them. They touched down in the encampment, doctors rushing to retrieve him. As soon as they got him inside, they stripped him of his uniform, cutting it off, and the remainder of his clothing, taking him from the stretcher, and hammocking him down into the spirit water, where Katara rose over him, bending the water gently back and forth.

She emerged after a few moments, "He is well, and there shouldn't be any permanent damage to any of his brain or heart," she said, "But his eye is still mysteriously blackened. I haven't been able to help him regarding that matter I'm afraid." There was an audible sigh of relief across the room as everyone let out their tension.

"Do you know when he will be awake?" Bolin asked. Just as he did, the curtain stirred lightly, and he stepped through, robed, and looking to the others. Everyone rushed to get to hold him, and Lin thanked Katara, holding her in a moment of emotional relief.

"I will never turn my back on those who need me," Katara smiled. Lin held her for a few minutes before releasing her so she could do the same to Mako. Katara takes Lin aside for a moment.

"Do you know what happened?" she asked. Lin gave it a moment.

"I don't understand what happened; Korra hit him really hard, and he was in a daze for a while, but when he went unconscious, he didn't wake up," Lin said. Katara was visibly disturbed.

"Why would Korra do such a thing?" she asked, flustered at the thought.

"I don't…" Lin began.

"Something happened involving him and Asami and Korra got really mad because she was reported for suspicions of abuse," Bolin finished. Lin and Katara looked on in shock.

"My apologies Lin, but I would like to keep him here a few days…" she looked over to him, "I believe this to be more than physical." Lin nodded, briefly, looking over to where Mako stood.

"Are you feeling, okay?" inquired Asami, followed by Opal and Bolin.

"Yeah; I'm still a little dizzy, and I feel really tired honestly, but I feel alright," he assured her.

"We're so glad you're okay dude; I was so worried my bro would never be the same or would come out not able to talk or use his legs," Bolin said in a more sincere tone that he usually manifests as he hugs Mako tightly.

"I think I should be alright; I'm not sure what's up with my eye, but I bet with some of Katara's help we can fix that too," he said to them, assuring them. He noticed that Asami stepped outside a moment ago, and as the conversation rested, he joined her. She stared out across the tundra of the frozen lands.

"Are you going to be okay?" he asked her.

"Mako! It's the South Pole!" she said, running to him with a future industries coat, "You just came out of a coma! You'll freeze to death!" she scolded him.

"I'm fine, Asami, I promise; Being a firebender means I can naturally heat the air around me. It's a bit chilly, but I should be fine," he said, having donned one of his black shirts and slacks that he often wore while working for Wu.

"Well, just to ease my mind then!" she said throwing the coat over him. He smirked for a moment before putting it on.

"As I was saying," he grinned, "Are you going to be okay?"She paused for a moment to think about the situation.

"I don't know… This is all so, sudden. I know that I love Korra, but right now, I'm just so mad at her. How could she do that to you?" she asked.

"I don't know the answer to that; I would be lying if I said I didn't resent her myself right now, but I want to say part of that has to do with the fact that she hurt you."

"You care about me more than you care about yourself."

"Not just you, Asami. I feel that way about Bolin, Lin, Opal, and Korra too, even though I might be mad at her for hitting me so hard."

"I know I would be," she said in response, "She didn't even come to visit you in the hospital or try to find you to apologize or anything… I don't know if I could be with someone-…" she took a moment as her voice broke. Mako gave her a moment of silence.

"Hey," he said to her, "Things could get better with time. Give it a month or two to cool off so you can feel just a little bit better before you try and think too much about it."

"Well, you know I have trouble with that," she said to him.

"I know, it's something that very intelligent people deal with, but it can be pretty helpful to separate how you feel from what you think about something, because the way we feel affects how we think." There was silence for a moment, "Hey… do you feel like I'm…" he went on.

"Like you're what?" she asked.

"… like I'm trying to reel you back in?" he asked her. She paused a moment and looked out to the tundra again.

"I would be lying if I said I wasn't worried about leading something on," she said in resignation, "You've been so helpful in dealing with all of this, and I wish I felt as safe with Korra as I do with you, but I know it's wrong to think that way."

"I do want you to understand that I still care about you, just the way I care about Bolin, but there doesn't have to be anything romantic about it," he said to her.

"I understand. I like that about you," she said, smiling to him.

"I guess that's what I meant to say about how I cared about Korra so long ago when we argued," he said.

"When was this?" she asked.

"Remember when we were in the kitchen, on air temple island," he shook his head, "It must have been five years ago, and Korra was down for the count after that fight with Amon," he said, "I don't think I ever really cleared that up."

"Things were different then. You're a lot better about talking now than you used to be," she told him. He smiled in appreciation

"Mako…" said Lin, stepping outside of the tent, "There's something I need to tell you," She prompted. They stepped inside and she offered up several words somberly.

"…discharged?" he asked, confused.

"I'm sorry, there isn't anything I can do… as much as it pisses me off," was all she said, quietly, in a way that was uncharacteristic of her. He sat back and shook his head.

"Don't be too hard on yourself about it. I honestly expected to get caught in these cuts, and I'm prepared for anything," he said.

"Would you care more about yourself than you do others for once?" Lin asked. He snickered at the remark, and Katara approached as she said this to him.

"Perhaps it is time you rest Mako. I don't want you to be stressed at this time. If you are to heal, then we need for your energy to be flowing through all your vital points," she said, beckoning him to the back room to recover.

"I love you guys, so much," he said to them as they all embraced, with Lin herself even joining.

"Get better soon, son. I need you too."

Mako slept in a southern hammock, unusual for him, but not foreign. He simply found the equilibrium and allowed his eyes to sink, and maintaining balance wasn't as much trouble as he had thought. He woke just as Katara had placed a pitcher of water upon the table next to him.

"Good morning Mako," she said delightfully, bringing in a pitcher and a sweet, elderly smile into the room with her.

"Good morning," he responded, sitting up from his laying "Hey, I wanted to thank you for your help. I wouldn't be alive without you."

"I am always happy to help people in need; today I was wanting to talk to you about what happened to your eye," she said, seating herself on a chair as he sat up in the hammock, "I know about Korra, and I would like for you to tell me what you remember of that day."

"Okay," he said, nodding for a moment. Katara poured him a glass of water, and he took a drink from it, quickly emptying it and preparing himself to speak.

"Asami came to me a little while back after I got home from work, and she said that she wanted to see me. I invited her inside and we sat down and talked some, but she told me that something had happened between her and Korra, and I started to get worried. She said that Korra had been having moments where she gets mad, and Asami was getting scared. The next day when we talked, she showed me a welt on her waist where she got hit by a rock during one of Korra's episodes. Bolin told me he would report it, and I told her to get it looked at by a doctor, which she did. Korra ended up being taken in for questioning… and they sent her to me."

"This all sounds, so very strange of her."

"I've never seen her like that before. I mean, I've seen her angry, like when she kicked my desk across the room back when we were dating."Katara recoiled in a bit of shock, and Mako explained.

"She planned to get United Forces out to the South Pole during the whole water tribe civil conflict, and I ended up being questioned about it, and I was obligated to tell the truth, so I did… she took that a bit… personally. But even with all that, I've never seen her go off the way she did that day." Katara sighed.

"What happened then?" she asked with a tilt of her head.

"When she came in, she walked over to me and asked if I had reported her. I was about to tell her I didn't do it, but I didn't want to pin this on Bolin, especially not with her going off this way. I told her I did, and she got mad. I explained to her, but she told me to stay out of it, and then everything got blurry. I think she hit me in the face." Katara sat back and nodded hearing about all what Mako had been saying.

"That's awful," she said, shaking her head, "That's when you lost consciousness?" she asked him.

"Well, after I kind of stumbled into the bathroom, I threw up, I fell down, and started seeing a lot of different things."

"What did you see?" she inquired. Mako paused for a moment.

"Well, I saw a lot of things from my past. I don't think I want to talk about all of it, but it was just, so vivid. After that, I just remember being lightheaded and I lost control of my body. I remember Bolin busting in and trying to get help, and them carrying me to the hospital, but nothing after that… Do you have any idea what happened?"

"… this sounds almost spiritual in nature, but I'm not entirely sure," she said to him, and then there was silence. He reached his hand up and felt his face, still throbbing a bit. She handed him a small brick of ice, wrapped in paper to place against it to ease any swelling.

"Thank you," he said as she continued to think. Mako allowed her a moment, laying back in the hammock again. He sighed and relaxed for a moment until she spoke again.

"Mako," she raised. He brought up his head a little to listen, "All things being considered… Perhaps it would be best if you find your way out of Republic City," she told him. He paused for a good minute.

"Where would I go?" he asked her, letting his eye breathe for a moment. She neared him with the chair she sat in.

"There is a whole world out there that you have yet to see Mako, and with the loss of your job and this incident, I think it would be best for you to find a new… adventure somewhere."He looked out the window.

"Do you… have any ideas?" he asked her, unsure of himself.

"What parts of the world haven't you seen; may I ask?"

"Well, I guess I haven't seen the Northern Water Tribe… or the Fire Nation," he proposed.

"If I recall correctly, the Imperial guard of the fire nation needs a few security workers for the royal palace. There has been a recent attempt on firelord Izumi and her daughter's life," she told thought for a long moment, understanding that he is supposed to have family there, but nobody that he knows and nowhere he could begin to look. He laid his head back in the hammock again.

"I could do that," he said with a sudden upturn in his tone, "I've done bodyguard work for royalty before, and successfully. Do you think you could write me a letter of recommendation?" he inquired, looking his head over to her.

"I think I would be delighted to do so," she said smiling to him, "A change of scenery will ignite change in you. I think that once things begin to go better for you, your eye will follow shortly, but for now, I want you to rest. Tenzin will take you back to Republic City with him tomorrow and I want to make sure you're ready for the journey. I have food prepared for you here," she said to him, revealing a stew of prunes and seal meat.

"Thank you, Katara," he returned. He ate silently, enjoying the meal more than he originally thought that he would, despite not being familiar with the cuisine of the southern water tribe. He took part in the water from the pitcher, drinking plentifully, before making his way back into a dreamless sleep.

Mako awoke soon enough to find Tenzin beside where he lay in the hammock.

"Mako," he said aloud, "Get ready son, we'll be leaving in thirty minutes." Mako had nothing to gather, having been unconscious when he arrived. Katara approached him with a waterskin and a bag.

"Be safe on the road and spend the next few days resting. You need to heal." She told him, handing him the things which she held, "And please consider what I have told you about a change of scenery."

"Thank you Katara," he said, humbly bowing to her.

"I am always happy to help." She smiled and waved him off as he boarded Oogie's back. The flight was long, but Mako had not found himself bored any, occasionally holding conversations with Tenzin and looking out beyond the horizon. They made their way to the spirit portal where the wind was fierce. Tenzin lowered the altitude, maintaining maybe twenty feet above the ground. He had acquired permission to use the portal to shorten the trip substantially, as access to the spirit portals had been cut off and restricted to those without permission from local authorities.

"We're about to pass through the portal, Hold on!" Tenzin shouted above the winds. Mako held fast to the saddle as they passed through into the spirit arena, where the winds had completely died, and it was warm. Spirits of all sorts roamed in the distance, some gliding across the sky, others skating over the grounds. The purple sky was awe-inducing to look at.

"Alright! Here we go again!" he shouts as they approach the portal of the north.

The two of them arrived in Republic City after perhaps three hours of flight time. Oogie was quite tired, rolling over onto his side as Tenzin patted the belly of the shaggy beast. As the bison snored, Mako laughed for a moment.

"Thank you, Tenzin. I'm going to head out to my apartment and to the police station. There are a few things that I need to take care of."

"I am happy to help," Tenzin reassured him, looking to him and smiling as he continued stroking through Oogie's fuzz.

Mako fiddled with the lock for just a moment before the door opened from the inside. He snatched his key from the lock. Asami ran and snatched him up, and he laughed for a moment, patting her on the back.

"Mako!" Opal shouted, running to join Asami.

"Is Bolin here?" he asked.

"No, it's just us, Bolin will be back around four," Opal responded.

"You guys live here too now?" he grinned, "Mind if I come in?"

"I guess you can I mean…" Opal teased inviting him field uniform had been cut off and disposed of already. The only things there were to turn into the station were his badge and his ceremonial uniform, both of which he gathered.

"Is everything going okay?" asked Asami, she and Opal both having entered his room.

"Well… because of the budget cuts and everything going on with new city policy, they decided to discharge a number of police officers at random on the force," he began, "According to Lin, I was one of them. I'm not too discouraged, at least not yet anyway. I'm planning on finding some security work until I can get settled down." He made sure not to cue the others as to the location of work.

"We did hear about that; that's really awful of the city council to go in and do that, especially with everything going on," Opal said to him as the three sat in the living room.

"I'll get things figured out, I'm sure. For now, I have some things that I need to turn in before I figure any of that out. I'm headed to the station; I'll be back," he told them.

"Be safe!" Asami raised.

"I will, you guys too!" he said as he shut the door.

He placed the folded uniform in a box at the side of his bike and made his way through the city without rush. He enjoyed the ride, and he always loved working with his bike, it gave him a sense of freedom and excitement. He came upon the station and parked his bike out front, sighing as he shut it off for the last time. As he walked in, he passed through the lobby and up to the third floor where the chief of police's office resides. The lobby outside was dead silent, even more so with his presence. He could hear his steps in the shoes that were standard issue among the force. He would be keeping those; however, they were turned to the secretary and inquired if the chief was busy. The secretary shook her head to signal she wasn't, and he gently knocked on the door. Steps approached from the other side.

"I wanted to see you again before I left. I have a recommendation letter from Katara to find security work in the fire nation. I'll be leaving for there tomorrow morning," he told her.

"Come in, come in," she invited him as he stepped through the door, placing his uniform over a chair, and setting his badge down on the table.

"I did everything I could. I argued with those children for hours," she said. Her voice was calm now and resigned.

"I don't feel too bad about it; I'll find work in time," he told Lin.

"Come back this evening at around eight and I'll have a letter for you," she responded.

"Are you holding up okay?" he asked looked out the window and shook her head for a moment. Her chin tightened.

"I don't know…" she answered softly.

Mako thought for a moment on what to say, and there was a profound silence, "This won't be the end of them," he began, "and I know it won't be the end of you." Her ears perked hearing this.

"… and I know it won't be the end for you either."

Mako packed the remainder of his belongings from his locker and said a few goodbyes on his way out, as if it were any other day. He had handed in his keys already to the bike that he loved so much, and he walked out the door with the light shining down on him. As he continued past his bike, he paused a moment, and turned. He picked up the radio, turning it on and tuning in…

"This is Unit Mike-367, signing off hereforth…"

Silence…

"Good luck out there Mako," a voice came back. He switched the radio off again and walked away with a stoic appearance, save for his eye.

Mako returns to the apartment, finding it empty. He packs light, the way he always does. He throws a few things together in a duffel, around four pairs of slacks, and four shirts. He throws his hygienic materials in with his other possessions and a few pictures of family and loved ones. He throws in his Identification and passport and other personal documents, still finding the bag to be empty. He throws in the bag of seal jerky just to get him by and attaches the waterskin that Katara had given front door opens, and Bolin enters with Opal. Mako is already packed.

"Hey man! What are you all packed for?" he asked, shutting the door behind him.

"I'm off to find some work, I'll be headed off at three in the morning. I'll send word once I get settled down," Mako said, patting his younger brother on the shoulder, "Look after Lin and Asami, I worry about them."

"I will man, are you gonna be okay out there?" Bolin asked.

"Yeah I'll be fine; I got a good sum of money to work with for now."

"Where are you going?" Bolin asked.

"I'll be travelling around for a while; Right now I'm going to look in the fire nation."

"Okay man, just make sure you write me whenever you find something that works out," Bolin said hugging his older brother tightly.

"I love you dude," Mako told him.

"I love you too man," Bolin said to his brother as Mako walked out the door.

As Mako returned to the station, he met Lin at the door, who handed him an envelope.

"I telegrammed the firelord's secretary, and they said they will receive you at once. They know who you are."

"Do you think you could send them a message as to my ETA? I'm planning on boarding a ship bound for the fire nation at midnight." he stated.

"I certainly could do that."

"Excellent! That should keep me busy for a while," he told her, placing the letter in his bag.

"Take care of yourself Lin; I'm proud of you. We all are," he told her. She reached out and took hold of him again before he set off down the street. By that point it was late in the evening, and he watched ships come and go from the harbor. His was set to arrive at about 12 in the evening and leave at 2 in the morning, thus he waited. He sat on a bench as the sun set in front of him. He heard footsteps.

"I've been looking all over for you," she said to him with crossed arms. He smiled for a moment.

"Have you?" he asked.

"Did you think you could just go running off without saying goodbye to me?" she said, sitting on the other side of the bench.

"I figured I could get away with it, I don't think I'll be gone terribly long. I just got to find work, and work is calling me out to the fire nation now." He looked out to the sunset

"I hope you find something good for you there. You've lived here all your life. You could use some time away maybe. Do you know how long you think you'll be away?"

"I'm not entirely sure of anything at the moment, just that I'll get by." A horn sounded in the distance with a small trail of steam following it.

"Is that your boat?" she asked

"If it is, it must be at least two or three hours early. My boat isn't supposed to arrive until twelve."

"You planned on boarding a boat that arrives at midnight?" she smirked.

"Yeah, yeah I did just that. It should give me some time to rest while we're at sea. I'd like to arrive in the morning, so I can catch everyone at a good hour."

"That all sounds pretty efficiently done. Didn't you just get laid off yesterday?"

"You know me, I usually have a lot of backup plans. I'm old enough to know that nothing usually works out very smoothly." They sat silently for a time, simply watching the red, hazy sun slip beneath the horizon, taking the orange sky with it.

"I do remember that about you," she said to him.

"Have you spoken to Korra yet?" he asked her.

"Not yet, I haven't been able to bring myself to try and find her… I'm still mad at her. Why do you ask?"

"No particular reason, I was just trying to stay updated is all."

"… I'm really going to miss you, you know," she told him. He took a deep breath.

"I'll miss you too Asami," he said looking over to her. He did his best to remain stoic, not wanting to come between a relationship, but her image in the sunset really did something to him in that moment. He took a deep breath and looked out to where the sun now met the waters. There wasn't much more to say, so they just sat together in silence, watching the horizon as the ship made its way to the dock. He looked over at her on occasion just to get a glimpse. He used to stare at her a lot, and she would tease him about it. He wouldn't allow himself to do that anymore. He hadn't slept much in the last few days, so his eyes were heavy, wanting to close.

When he looked up next, the ship had arrived at the port, and the pilot walked onto the deck, looking around. Mako approached him,

"Does this ship go to the fire nation capitol port?" he asked.

"Yes sir!" the captain responded resoundingly.

"You are the only passenger on the roster for boarding and there doesn't appear to be anyone else present, so if you carry one or two of these boxes for me, I'll call off the fare!"

"I can do that," Mako assured him, hauling a few crates of produce, some explosives, and a large crate carrying some automobile parts, which took some effort, but he and the captain managed to put it down into cargo.

"Well, hop on deck when you're ready, I'll let you say goodbye to your woman here and we'll head on out," the man said heartily, smiling with a cigar in the corner of his nodded and smiled at the man, before walking back past the shoreline to find her waiting for him.

"Thank you for waiting with me," he remarked softly, "You stay safe, and call Bolin if you need anything." She wrapped her arms over his shoulders to his surprise. He returned the embrace lightly.

"You stay safe too," she said, sniffling a bit as she held him. She let him go and waved to him as he carried what all he owned onto the ship.

"Goodbye Asami," he said softly to himself, waving as the ship sailed away from the shore.