Hands of Fate

by RGM-96S Stark Jegan

Spider-man has to make and live with his choices in a new world. The curse of power consumes all.

20. Day by Day Part 1

A/N: I do not own Spider-Man or Avatar

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XXXxxx Republic City: Peter's Apartment xxxXXX

The air in the humble apartment felt stale to Peter as he laid in his bed, staring blankly up at the ceiling. He'd been in the same position for what felt like hours on end. He was well rested despite the eventful night beforehand. He had locked horns with a timeless spirit hours ago and yet he didn't feel the least bit tired. The whole thing was just so surreal, even compared to Peter's standards. No matter how much thought he put into his current predicament, no viable solutions came to him.

Peter covered his face and groaned in frustration. For the first time in a long while he found himself without a plan or a lead to follow. He put all his eggs in the 'defeat Amon at the finals' basket and was effectively back at square one. Now his only option was to put his ear to the ground and pound the pavement in search of leads. Urich had taught him well but he lacked the veteran reporter's experience. It really was all he could do at this time.

"Oh well." Peter told himself. "It's not like leads fall out of trees."

The phone suddenly rang and interrupted Peter's train of thought. He paused and regarded the phone for a moment before reaching to answer, wondering if it was a good or bad omen.

"Hello?"

/Takuya, thank goodness. I've been trying to contact you all night!" Mr. Sato's voice blared through the phone. "You had me worried sick son. I almost sent Fat over to check on you/

"Sorry Mr. Sato I was just…" Peter almost forgot his double life and adjusted his wording. "Wait, what happened last night? Was there an accident at the plant or something?"

/:What? No, my boy. Weren't you at the arena last night?:/

"No, I caught a cold and couldn't make it to the finals. Wait, Amon didn't…"

/: I'm afraid so Takuya. That maniac made good on his promise and attacked last night. He dispatched the police and made a grand speech on the arena floor before leaving. At least that's what the official word is. Me and Asami managed to get out before things got serious.:/

"Dang, looks like I finally caught a lucky break." He tried to sound as clueless as humanly possible. "Not to make light of the situation sir, but did the Fire Ferrets win the last match?" Peter winced at the last comment. He sounded like a fool.

Mr. Sato couldn't help but laugh at the comment. /: Even after all that you still want to know if our team won? Huh huh, if I didn't know any better it sounds like you got ice water in your veins.:/

"Umm…well…"

Sato bulldozed through his awkward pause and answered. /: I'm afraid they didn't win the night, my boy. But from what I saw, the odds were stacked against them.:/

Peter silently agreed with him but 'stacked odds' was putting it lightly. "I'm not sure what that means, but that just put a damper on my day."

/: Well allow me to brighten it up for you. I'd like to start on that project we discussed the other night. That is, if you're still up to it. You sound fine but I don't want to push you if your not feeling well.:/

Peter's eyes shot open. Hiroshi's super-secret project had managed to slip his mind amid all the chaos from the last couple of days. "Just name the time and place Mr. Sato." He couldn't wait to sink his teeth into some hard science with his mentor.

/: That's good to hear Takuya. Now, I do have to meet Chief Beifong before I do anything else today; she wants my testimonial on last night's attack and my input on their ongoing investigation.:/

"Why would the cops want to talk to you? No offense or anything, but what could you tell them that they already don't know?"

/: I can't say too much, confidentiality and all, but they want some insight on my old colleague, Gon Long. Truth be told, I don't think I can be too helpful to them. Between you and me, I think the whole thing is just procedural.:/

"Oh okay, I get it. Anyway, I'm feeling a lot better and I can jump on the project as soon as your available, Mr. Sato." Peter knew it was selfish considering all what was going down, but he really wanted to work with Mr. Sato on his hush-hush experiments. He started to change into civilian clothes as he talked. "That sound good to you?"

/: Hmm…Tell you what, I can scoop you up and take you with me to Police HQ. That way we can jump right into it when I get done and save some time.:/

Peter paused at the idea. He was thrilled to be able to work with Sato, but he really didn't want to go through the lion's den to do it. Unfortunately, he trapped himself in the corner. He would just have to keep his head down and make himself as small as possible walking through Beifong's domain. "Sound's like a plan Mr. Sato."

/: Great, great. I'll pick you up in an hour or two. :/

"Yeah, see you soon." Peter hung up and started to mentally prepare himself for the coming trial. He wouldn't make a scene or anything close to an impression with any of the officers in the building. Despite the hurtle he was still excited to work on Mr. Sato's crazy inventions he may have. He would forget Spider-Man's troubles just for today. Peter Parker had earned himself a small reprieve in light of the harrowing events from the past couple of days.

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XXXxxx Police Headquarters: Conference Room xxxXXX

Chief Beifong sat at the end of the large table nursing her building headache. She still wasn't one-hundred percent after Amon's assault on the arena. The medic gave her an earful on how she should rest for two weeks, but there simply wasn't enough time to fully recover. The people of Republic City were losing faith in the police and she couldn't blame them. She garnered the safety of the Pro-Bending arena and failed miserably. And to make matters worse, Spider-Man proved more effective than the entire police presence at the arena. Quon's team was wasted on a wild goose chase, which meant that Amon's intel network was far more sophisticated than theirs. And to top it all off, Councilman Tarrlock was fanning the flames calling for her resignation. It was a miracle that she could still function under the mounting pressure. But she soldiered on, not showing a hint of worry or self-doubt. She found herself asking how her mother would've handled this. She opened her eyes to the skeleton crew in the room. Quan, Saikon, and Yumi were seated and sharing intel and trying to formulate a new strategy with the scraps that they could forage.

She sighed and went on through the meeting. "Okay…lets recap. Our intel on the Forest 'base' was a trap. Our…. my plan to defend the arena was our second spectacular failure of the night." Beifong turned her attention to the young sun warrior on her right. "And apparently we're forming alliances with known felons. That sound about right?"

"Unfortunately." Quon answered.

"More or less." Yumi admitted.

"Yep…" Saikon chimed in.

"Right." Baifong said somberly.

"Umm, pardon me Chief Beifong." Yumi spoke up. The exhausted police chief gave her attention. "I'm the one who agreed to the little team-up with bug boy. Lou just sort of got roped into it because of me. I just wanted you to know when you report me to General Iroh. That was all me. Lou had nothing to do with it."

"Please disregard my subordinate's statement Chief." Quaon spoke up. "Specialist Yumi is under my-"

"Stop." Baifong cut him short. "Just stop. I'm not going to play the blame game or file petty reports at a time like this. That said, Yumi, I think you made the right call under the circumstances. That kind of out-of- the -box thinking is why I requested your help in the first place."

Yumi let out a sigh of relief. Baifong took a huge weight off her shoulders. "Oh, thank goodness… I mean—"

"Relax kid, your fine."

"You sure it's a good idea for you to be out and about in your state Chief?" Captain Saikon didn't let his superior's poor health go unnoticed. "You can rest up for a bit. I could even set up a cot in your office if you want."

"Thanks, but no thanks Saikon. I'm under the weather but I'm still useful." Baifong assured. "Let's move on to current events, shall we?"

Saikon rubbed the hair he had left. He had worked under Beifong for years and knew she could handle the riggers laid before her. But that didn't stop him from worrying for his friend. He pulled up his notes and cut to the chase. "Right. The raid on Cabbage Corps was a success. We just cut off a major manufacturing wing of the Equalist machine. We found a mountain of evidence and it seems that Mr. Gong Long was the Equalist's financial backer and supplier of those new weapons. And we got all that done before breakfast. At least we got one shining light in all this chaos."

"Thoughts?" Baifong asked the small group.

"I'm not convinced." Quan announced.

Saikon cocked a brow. "Care to elaborate, captain."

"It was too easy."

"What part?"

"All of it. We suffered a big loss the night prior and we suddenly find ourselves with not only a huge weapon cache, but the 'perpetrator' and shipping leaguers a mile long. You know what they say, 'if it's too good to be true it usually isn't."

"You think Amon would just throw ton's of cutting edge, expensive, weaponry and a boat load of evidence pinning Gon Long just to throw us off?" Saikon pointed out.

"You have a point. But tell me, did you find any of those 'special' gloves in the cache?" Quan asked.

"Are you referring to the ones with the talons and mid-range capability?" Baifong asked.

"Yeah."

" Afraid not. We only came across the standard shock glove, if you could call those things standard." Saikon answered.

"Then I rest my case."

"You're telling me, that Amon is willingly throwing away millions of yuans in weapons and equipment, all for the sake of taking us for another ride?" Saikon protested.

"Why not? He did it to my team." Quan stood up to share with the entire group. "I think we're still taking Amon too lightly. From this point forward, we need to stop thinking of him as a usual criminal. We all need to come to terms with the fact that this man will willingly sacrifice anything to destroy bending all over the world. We need to acknowledge that the extremists will implement extreme measures against us."

"I agree with Quan on this. I want it to be true, but I can't ignore the fact that this is all too convenient." Baifong shared her conclusion.

"So what are you saying? We just release Gon Long and tell the public that we made a mistake?" Yumi asked.

"No, unfortunately we can't do that now. Letting Gon Long go will only tip off the Equalists. It's better to let them think we took the bait and continue our investigation." Chief Baifong laid out her will.

"So, we're just going to hold an innocent man in prison in the meantime?" Quan asked the hard question.

"We don't have much of a choice now." Beifong admitted. "Extreme measures, right."

The stoic captain's face twisted at the willing injustice that was being carried out. The chief using his logic to justify it only twisted the preverbal knife. "Understood."

"We'll explain the situation to Gon Long. When the dust settles, the only thing he'll suffer from is a minor financial hit and a blemish on his reputation that he would no doubt come out clean."

Quan's face twisted at the logic. He understood the grave situation they found themselves in and that drastic measures would have to be taken, but the whole thing didn't sit right with him. Chief Baifong was unwittingly laying the foundation to authoritarianism. No matter how you sliced it, Republic City and Beifong would be picking up the pieces to this uprising for years to come. He shook his head and powered through to the matter at hand. "Do you have anything else to add, Chief?"

"Not at the moment, no. Me, Saikon, and Councilman Tenzin will be starting witness interviews in a moment. It'll give us some much-needed insight on how we'll operate going forward." Baifong answered. "I'm gonna need you two to get scarce now. Can't have my top secret assets being around me."

Quan stood and motioned Yumi to do the same. "We'll be heading out then. I'll contact the big man and get him up to speed in the meantime."

"Alright, I'll keep you posted." Chief Baifong assured the two as she got up and opened the door for them.

"Sure thing." Quan was two steps out the door when he saw two familiar faces. The renowned industrialist sat and waited while his friend stood up with his arms crossed. "Well I'll be." He grinned.

"Chief Beifong!" Hiroshi got up in a hurry and shook the woman's hand. "It's good to see you out and about so soon after the Equalist attack. I hope your-"

"Thank you, Mr. Sato, I'm fine." Baifong cut him off. She was sick of the well wishes and concern for her wellbeing.

"I see…" Hioshi's gaze focused on the two strangers. "And who are these fine upstanding guests you have here?"

"Just a couple of material witnesses sir." Yumi answered with a half-truth. "We were just called in to answer a few questions just like you Mr. Sato."

"And we were just leaving." Quan made an effort to make himself look smaller than he was. "Oh, hey kid, how's it going?" He greeted Peter with a friendly tone.

"You know this brat?" Beifong spoke up.

"In a manner of speaking, Chief. I bumped into him and his friends a few nights ago. I believe this is one of those cosmic coincidences. The planets must be aligned or something." He closed his eyes and held up a finger. His brief pause ended with a snap. "Takuya, right?"

"That's right, good memory." Peter was already on edge the moment he stepped foot in police HQ and now he managed to cross paths with this palooka again. His 'Parker Luck' was in top form today. "So, Chief Baifong needs your sanitation expertise to catch Amon?"

"Ah, someone else's got a good memory. As for my involvement in the case, well you'd be surprised at the things people try to hide in the trash." He said with a laugh. "Oh, by the way, how do you know our mutual friend here Chief?"

Lin found herself a little perplexed at the UF officer's act. The cold stoic career military man was replaced with an easy-going blue collar working stiff. If she didn't know him any better, she would assume this was genuine. She wondered if this was Dai Li training or his own worldly experience. "We had a run in at Councilman Tarrlok's little vanity gala. I hope you've learned some manners since the last time I saw you."

"As a matter of fact, I have Chief Beifong." Peter flashed her a false smile trying his damndest not to get in a shouting match with the rotten police chief. "Congratulations on the big bust this morning. That's some top-notch police work chief!" He finished and hoped his sardonic cheerfulness was a sufficient middle finger to the second biggest antagonist in his book.

Beifong cocked a brow at the teenager's phony pat on the back. If she was in more lively spirits, she'd have the little punk escorted off the premises or to an impromptu tour of a cell. But it was already a long day and it hadn't even cracked noon yet, so she'd let the childish antics slide for once. "…Thanks…"

Saikon audibly cleared his throat and got everyone's attention. "Mr. Sato, please come in. We're busy as it is and I'm sure you have places to be." He had no idea what was going on with the kid Sato brought with him but he decided to snuff out the odd exchange.

"As you wish officer, I just hope I can be of service to you all."

"I'm sure you will be Mr. Sato." Beifong assured.

"See you around kid…" Quan gave his goodbyes and made his way towards the exit with Yumi in tow. She flashed him an odd look before disregarding Sato's plus one.

"Weirdo." Peter said under his breath.

"You can wait outside until we're done, kid." Beifong told Peter. "I'd like to dish out some more 'top notch police work' in peace." She flashed her own false smile before slamming the door in his face.

Peter let out a sigh and found a bench to park his rear end. He didn't appreciate the condescending tone but was thankful the tense exchange was over.

Some time passed and Peter was bored out of his mind. He thought he remembered Mr. Sato saying that this wouldn't take too long. What could they be talking about? He shouldn't know much more than they already do. He was itching to get to work on Sato's secret project and Beifong's investigation was getting in the way of that. It would seem the police chief was just as big a thorn in Peter Parker's affairs as she was to Spider-Man's.

"Well well well, look what we have here." A pretentious voice announced. "The Avatar's nerdy little buddy here to make my day worse."

Peter turned to find a disheveled Tahno sneering at him. The Pro-Bending 'champion' looked worse for wear. His hair lacked its usual veneer and the heavy bags under his eyes told him he didn't get much, if any, amount of rest. His clothes still looked expensive but weren't properly prepared. His new look reminded Peter of the former stock brokers that found themselves in May's soup kitchen. In spite of all that he still managed to look down on him. The human psyche was truly befuddling at times.

Tahno sighed and took a seat next to Peter on the bench.

"How about you do us both a favor and sit somewhere else pretty boy?" Peter suggested.

"They told me to wait here for Beifong ." Tahno admitted. "Look, I'm sorry, it's…I've been having a hard time alright."

The apology came as a shock to Peter. The Pro-Bender didn't come off as the apologetic type to him. He still had some misgivings towards Tahno and his team, but it was clear that he had suffered enough. "Don't worry about it. How you holding up?"

Tahno shot him an evil eye that told him all he needed to know. His state was obvious but he answered anyway. "Not too well four eyes."

"Sorry." He turned his head away. Moments passed with an uncomfortable silence between the two. This was a good time to glean some additional details he may have missed that night, but he had a hard time segwaying into it.

"What did it feel like?" Peter chose to be direct.

"Beg your pardon?"

"Umm…well…what was it like to lose your bending?"

Tahno's face twisted with raw emotions. It looked like he was on the verge of tears.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have asked." Peter quickly retracted his question. It was stupid to ask. He had a hard time relating with those who lost their bending to Amon. It didn't seem so bad in his eyes. Either way he had no right to come at a victim like that, cheater or not.

Another fit of awkward silence spawned between the two. Peter was complacent not getting another word out of Tahno, but once again he surprised him.

"It—I don't know—it's like a piece of myself was getting changed." Tahno struggled with his explanation. "Amon just reached into me and shifted something. I blacked out for a second and after it was all over, I couldn't bend anymore. It doesn't make any sense. I've been bending since I was four. WHY CAN'T I—" He cut himself short and buried his face in his hands. A few concerned officers were ready to escort the grieving champion to a private spot to calm down. Thankfully, their services weren't needed.

"Why can't I bend anymore…" Thano whispered.

Peter reached up to comfort the mourning 'champion' but pulled himself back. His change of heart didn't stem from any hard feelings he had towards the man, he just felt it would be taken the wrong way. He instead opted to give him a few moments to decompress before digging for more information. It was admittedly callous but he wouldn't get another opportunity like this and Tahno wasn't that innocent.

"I know this is going to come off as strange, but I have to ask. Why did you guys cheat?" Peter couldn't think of an elegant way to ask and decided to be direct.

The Pro-Bender shot Peter the dirtiest look he could muster. "What did you say?"

"You heard me." Peter was done coddling Tahno and he needed answers. "I heard the broadcast last night. Illegal headshots, icing, rocks in the water, you guys cheated and everyone knows it."

"You some kind of reporter now four eyes?" Tahno's mood changed. He was still downtrodden but was clearly getting defensive. "Let me guess, the paparazzi waiting outside for? How much are they—?"

"This isn't some get rich quick money game Tahno." Peter's tone was flat and to the point. He had given him enough slack and his patience was wearing thin. Unfortunately, he would have to try his damdest to keep this from turning into a full-blown interrogation. "I'm just curious, that's all. I'll be honest, I don't like you guys, but I can't deny that you guys have a reputation at being the best."

"We are the best…"

"If that's true, then why do the raining champions need to cheat exactly?" Peter closed in using Urich's training to the fullest. "Were the mighty Wolfbats that scared of some no name team?"

"We weren't scared…" Tahno seethed with quiet fury. He then looked around making sure no one was paying them any mind. "Listen and listen good four eyes, every team squeezes in an illegal move every now and then. Everyone in the league knows it. It's not our fault the Avatar and her little buddies didn't get the memo."

Peter's persistence was paying off. He had provoked the truth out of the former bender. "Oh alright, but you guys were pulling fast ones left and right."

"We had a lot of money running on that match. Sponsorships, bonuses, groupies, we weren't about to take a chance at losing all that to a bunch of amateurs. Heck, we do it every year. Besides, the Ferrets or whatever, cheated first. Who lets the Avatar into a sport with a bunch of normal benders for crying out loud?!"

"That's what this is about? Do any of the other teams feel this way about Korra being on a pro bending team?" This conversation was taking an interesting turn.

"Everyone feels that way." Tahno confessed. "The bending queen decides to climb down her ivory tower and play with us mere mortals. Any team would've done what we did in our shoes. She has no business being a part of this sport."

"But she wasn't bending any other elements whenever she played."

"That doesn't change anything. Ever hear of the Avatar state? She was probably boosting herself in all her matches."

Peter didn't take any of this personally. Interestingly enough, Tahno brought up some valid points. But still. "You know for a fact Korra was in the –what do you call it—Avatar state?"

"No. Have you ever seen an Avatar in the Avatar state?"

"No, I have not."

"Exactly, no one knows what kind of wild Avatar powers she's got tucked away." Tahno finally relented with a sigh. "I don't know what Bootaka was thinking of letting her play. We brought in plenty of money for that ungrateful prick."

This was surprisingly good intel out of the disheveled champion. Peter had no idea the other teams had bad blood with the Fire Ferrets since Korra was involved. But this also created more pin holes. He never thought to look into the Pro-Bending administration or that they could have a hand in last night's attack. A deeper analysis was needed.

"You think Bootaka has it out for you?"

"Heck no. The guy only cares about his bottom line." Tahno scoffed at his main employer. "The jerk probably thought he'd get more money with his Avatar sideshow or something."

"You're probably right." Peter said honestly. The former waterbender's words were pure conjecture but ultimately sound. There wasn't a sports promoter in any reality who didn't want more money in their pockets. He was satisfied with the info Tahno unknowingly provided, but there was still one stone left unturned. "One more thing."

"Wow, you're pretty chatty." Tahno complained.

"This is the last thing, I swear." Peter promised. "I just, I don't know, did you see anything out of the ordinary that night?"

"No. We knew the police were going to be there to beef up security –lotta good that did- and we thought everything would be alright. We'd beat those losers and paint the town red." Tahno's head hung low. "Now we've got nothing. Our endorsements are shot and Bootaka's severance package isn't enough to pay half my rent…I'm finished…" Tears started to roll down his cheeks. He was once again reminded himself of the gravity of his predicament. "Amon ruined me."

In Peter's most private moments, he always dreamed of seeing people like Tahno down in the dumps. He thought seeing the people who made his life a living hell for him and his family would be one of the greatest joys he could experience. A small part of himself did take some satisfaction at seeing a creep like Tahno get his comeuppance, but the vast majority felt like an overwhelming urge to help. He placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"I know we're not friends Tahno, but you can't live like this." Peter's consoling was clumsy at best. He paused, searching for the right words to use. "You're more than your bending and a championship belt."

"It's actually a cup."

"Oh for- not important!" Peter snapped. "Look at me."

Tahno did as he was told.

"Are you just going to let Amon win?"

"What are you talking about? My bending's gone, I can't just—"

Peter ignored him and pressed forward "My aunt always tells me that a man only loses in two instances. You only lose when you quit or you die. You still seem to be on the mortal coil, so you must be giving up."

Tahno's head shot up, his icy blue eyes locked with Peter's. "I'm not giving up! Whatever Amon did to me-"

"Forget about him, what are you doing right now?!" Peter increased his volume. "I'll answer for you: you're moping around, crying about what you lost to a guy you hardly know and that's it. Guess Amon did win."

"HE DIDN'T WIN!" Tahno barked, getting everyone's attention again.

Peter cocked a brow. "What do you know, guess he didn't after all."

The Pro-bender had renewed vigor in his eye. He still looked worse for wear but his spirits were lifted. "You did that on purpose;, didn't you?" Tahno surmised.

Peter looked away. "I had to do something about your little pity party, 'champ'"

"…Thanks…"

"Don't mention it." Peter looked away. "I was just getting sick of all your moping."

Tahno chuckled at himself. "I can see how it would. Didn't think you cared, four-eyes."

"Like I said, don't write too much into it. But if you're feeling gracious, answer one more question for me."

"Go for it, Poindexter."

Peter winced at the dirty champ using his pet name but ultimately ignored it. "Did anything else feel off to you? I mean besides the attacK and getting your bending taken away, the whole tournament even."

Tahno recalled everything he could from the past couple of days, even grinning at the thought of demolishing the Mongoose Lizards in record time before answering. "Come to think of it, the refs were a little too lax that night. They might've let one or two violations slide but we were on a roll."

"And you guys just decided to keep upping the ante through the match? You were even throwing headshots for crying out loud."

"Gift ostrich horses, right. We were on a roll,so why question it? We would lay off and play it straight if they threw up a red fan but it never came." Tahno said with a shrug. "Way I see it, someone way above us had a lot of money running on that match. Maybe one of the triads was looking for a big pay day or something."

Peter sighed, he wanted to be angry at the false champion but couldn't muster the rage. There wasn't anything he could do about it and Amon saw to the Wolf Bat's humbling experience. It was all water under the bridge whether he liked it or not. "That sort of thing happens often?"

"Back in the day it did, but the Triads typically keep their noses out of the Pro-Bending scene now. A couple of the lower guys might get mixed up in it here and there, but the big wigs aren't interested anymore. Maybe it's too small a fry for them." Tahno opined.

Peter's instincts had paid off but created new questions as well. Tahno's theory was sound but unlikely. He would need more time to decipher the clues he received. This day was proving to be quite fruitful.

"I guess so." Peter ended the conversation with a casual dismissal.

"So, what are we doing here again?"

Peter's head jerked at the familiar voice. His family 'luck' was already turning against him. To his horror, Councilman Tenzin was making his way to the conference room with Korra in tow. "You've gotta be kidding me…"

He popped his collar up and made himself as incognito as humanly possible.

Tahno arched a brow at Peter's odd behavior. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing, just act like I'm not around." Peter said without thinking.

Tahno looked up to see Korra and Tenzin approaching. "Did you and the Avatar break up or something?"

"She's not my—just do what I said!" Peter whispered.

If Tahno were in higher spirits he would do the opposite and make a spectacle of his armchair psychologist, but the trauma was catching up to him and was exhausted. He silently decided to let the cards fall where they may. "Whatever man, she's going to see you anyway."

"She won't if you shut your—"

"Takuya?"

Peter's eyes locked with Korra's. The awkward moment the two teens shared was a quiet stalemate. The words didn't come to either of them at first. What could he say? Should he just get up and leave? How would he explain that to Mr. Sato?

"Is everything alright Korra?" Tenzin asked.

Korra ignored her teacher and made the first move. She smiled and waved at Peter. He didn't know it but she was on the same boat. "Hey Takuya…how's it going…?"

The off-duty vigilante just passed the point of no return. "Great. Everything's great."

"Oh, I didn't see you son. I hope you're well." Tenzin greeted.

"Hey Councilman Tenzin."

"So, what brings you to police HQ Poindexter?" Korra found her bearing before Peter.

"I'm just tagging along with Mr. Sato, that's all. What about you?"

Korra pointed at Tenzin. "Same thing with Tenzin here."

"Right."

The conference room's double doors swung open with Chief Beifong and Mr. Sato making their way through.

"Thanks for the breath reprieve Chief Beifong." Sato said.

"You're welcome Mr. Sato, we can get you some tea if you like."

"No no, that won't be- Ah Avatar Korra, Councilman Tenzin, it's been too long." Mr. Sato smiled and shook Tenzin's hand. "Haven't seen you since the gala."

"Yes, it's good to see you too. Though I am sorry it's under these circumstances."

"Likewise, Councilman."

"Hello Tenzin, glad you could make it." Lin's tone was even and all business.

"Of course Lin. You haven't done too much without me?" Tenzin asked

"Not at all, we were waiting for you to show up."

Peter coughed into his fist and stood up. "Hey Mr. Sato, I don't think I can go through with the plan."

"What?! Why not?!" Hiroshi couldn't hide his shock and disappointment. Today was supposed to be the day. He quickly calmed himself so as to not raise any unwanted suspicions. "What's wrong?"

"I'm not feeling too hot right now." Peter was steering towards his inevitable exit. He hated bailing on Hiroshi, but it couldn't be helped. He needed to get to work on the case and get some distance between him and Korra. "I guess I'm not quite over that bug I caught last night. I'm real sorry Mr. Sato I—"

Hiroshi could barely contain his rage at Peter's words. Time was of the essence and any setback this late in the game could mean catastrophe for the movement. Thankfully, his mask held firm.

"Well that's disappointing Takuya, I really wanted to get the ball rolling on that project." Hiroshi smiled in spite of his poor mood. "But I want you at your best. Give me a call when you're ready, alright?"

Peter coughed to aid in the illusion. "Thanks Mr. Sato." He said weakly much to Korra's dismay. "And sorry to pull the rug out from under you. I'll give you a call as soon as I can. It shouldn't be longer than a day or two."

She looked around in bewilderment. 'They actually bought that?!' She thought.

"Alright, I can have Fat give you a lift if you want." Sato offered.

"Thanks, but I think some fresh air will do me some good, and the trolley will beat traffic."

It was odd seeing Peter at work. Korra wondered why she didn't see past his act, but seeing his charm in action while knowing the truth. He twisted small lies in such a fashion that it was sympathetic. Who hasn't felt under the weather and wasn't up for the day? His excuses were relatable pitfalls that anyone could find themselves in. An outside observer would either see him as unreliable at worst or just a guy having a bad day. Regardless of the reason, people would dismiss him and go on about their day. Korra found it frustrating but fascinating at the same time. It's no wonder it had the others fooled.

"Alright then, you know how to reach me."

"Right, see you Mr. Sato. Good seeing you again Korra, you too Mr. Tenzin." Peter only spared the two a passing glance before making his exit.

"Weird kid, does he do that often?" Beifong asked Sato.

"Unfortunately, yes." Sato admitted. "He's a gifted young man, but he doesn't have a firm grasp on priorities yet."

"That comes with age." Tenzin added, patting Sato on the back. "Alright,we're all here. Ready to get started Lin?"

"No time like the present I suppose." Lin agreed.

"Hey Tenzin, I'll catch up with you later!" Korra rushed past the adults. "I'll be right back, I think!"

"Guess she skipped the priorities lesson, eh Tenzin?" Lin grinned.

"She's just…ugh criminy."

"You know, I think I could scrounge up a leash from the evidence locker if you need one." Beifong teased.

"That was very funny Lin." Tenzin's stone-like face was at odds with Lin's smirk. "Really, I'm in stitches."

"She'll be fine, probably just forgot to ask Takuya something." Mr. Sato surmised. "Now, can we get this show on the road? I still have other matters to attend to." He let out a minicom of his frustration show.

Beifong didn't appreciate the industrialist's tone but kept that factoid to herself.

"Agreed, let's go Tenzin." Lin practically ordered the bending master into the conference room.

The door shut while Tahno just gazed dumbfounded into the double door. "Did they just ignore me?"

Peter's heart was trying to burst out of his chest. It felt like torture walking through the halls when he wanted to burst into a full sprint. It was foolish to come here in the first place. He should've just waited to meet up with Sato on a later date but he couldn't resist. Now he felt like trash avoiding Korra like that but it couldn't be helped. He couldn't afford to involve himself in her affairs. Hopefully she would take the hint and-

"TAKUYA!" Korra playfully called out. "Where you going?"

Peter put on his best poker face and turned. "I'm going home, didn't you hear?"

"Yeah, I heard." She stepped to his side and leaned in and whispered. "But where are you really going?"

"I'm 'really' going home to nurse this splitting headache, Avatar Korra." He flashed her a stern look and wordlessly told her to back off.

Korra laughed off the veiled threat. "'Avatar Korra'. When did you start getting all formal 'Mr.' Takuya?" She imitated his stilted tone that didn't suit him in the slightest.

Peter shifted tactics. He looked away and kept his mouth shut. The silent treatment was crude compared to his standards, but it would have to do. 'TAKE THE HINT ALREADY!' he cried out internally.

"Hello? Cat got your tongue?" Korra continued to yank his chain. There was no way in hell she would relent after what they went through. "Oh I get it, you're doing the whole distance yourself bit, right."

Peter's face twisted as he continued to walk. His argumentative nature was working hard against him, but he remained focused. He was in a viper pit and could do little more than calmly waltz out of the building. If he could make it outside without incident, then maybe he could ditch her in the crowd.

Korra wasn't anywhere near as stressed as Peter was. She was half way enjoying herself toying with Peter. It was a little payback for the runaround he put her through for the last couple of days. "Real committed to this act, huh?"

"Yep." Peter couldn't hold back anymore. "Really not feeling well."

"I see." Korra grasped her chin in mock contemplation. "And you're absolutely sure you don't have anything to say about the past forty-eight hours."

" 'Fraid so."

Korra let out a sigh. "Well then Takuya, you leave me no choice." She took a deep breath. "HEY EVERYBODY, THIS GUY RIGHT HERE, HE'S ACTUALLY SPI—"

With inhuman speed, Peter whisked Korra off her feet and made a beeline to a service closet before she could even react. Everybody in earshot of her shouts looked up only to see an empty hall and quickly went about the rest of their day.

It was pitch black in the small closet Korra and Peter occupied. Korra held up a fist and held an open flame only to discover Peter's face inches away from hers. His gaze was deadly serious and was totally alien to his face. It was an unnerving sight to say the least. The deadly stare quickly melted with a tired sigh.

"I'm Spider-Man. That's what you wanted to hear, right? Well there you go, you won! Happy now?!"

"Say it again." Korra demanded.

"I'm Spider-Man."

"Now three more times."

"Korra—"

"You heard me!"

Peter rolled his eyes at the juvenile demand "…I'm Spider-Man, I'm Spider-Man, I'm Spider-Man."

Korra smiled smugly. It was a long and hard road, but she came out of it as the ultimate winner. She took a moment to bask in her victory. Being thrown in a janitor's closet was a small price to pay. "Darn right you are. Now don't you feel better being honest for a change?"

Peter hung his head in defeat. An old saying from Abe Lincoln came to mind. "Not really. Now that you know my secret, I would really appreciate it if you didn't go yelling it in public spaces."

"Hold on Web-Head, we're nowhere near done yet. You still have a lot to answer for."

"Like what?"

"Like…well…I'll be honest Takuya, I didn't think this would go down today, sooo yeah." Korra laughed nervously. She was only now aware of their compromising position to make things worse. "Let's take this somewhere with a little more space."

"Fine."

---

XXXxxx Police HQ: Conference Room xxxXXX

The whimsical mood the adults had at the young people's antics were left at the door. The four parties took their seats and Mr. Sato fired the first salvo of the dialogue.

"I'll be frank with all of you, I don't think I'll be much help in your investigation with the Equalists, Chief Beifong. I only know as much as the rest of the city knows about Amon, but I'll try to be as helpful as I can."

"Don't sell yourself short Mr. Sato." Tenzin encouraged. "You're one of the brightest minds this city has to offer. Your insight alone could be instrumental in stopping this uprising."

"It's an 'uprising' now." Sato shook his head and sighed. "I still remember when they were just annoying protestors."

"Tell me about it." Saikon chimed in.

"That's why we called you in Mr. Sato. With your help, we believe we can bring this dark chapter in our city's history to a close."

Hiroshi smiled warmly and laughed internally. The irony in the Chief's words almost overwhelmed him. "Well I'll be happy to help. So, lay it on me. What can Hiroshi Sato do for this great city?"

"Alright then. What can you tell us about Cabbage Corp and its founder, Gon-Lon?" Beifong wasted no more time. "Specifically, your personal history with the man and his company."

"Oh, well we met about 30 years ago. We both studied under the late Councilman Sokka's scientific grant program. We were closer back then, and even planned to start a company together, but we ended up parting ways after a disagreement over our respective business models."

"Can you elaborate a little more on that Mr. Sato?" Tenzin asked.

"Me and my company believe in, for lack of a better term, quality over quantity. Gon Lon and cabbage corp. work on the inverse. He'd rather push out as much product as humanly possible than to put in the extra effort for quality control. His company's income is somewhat higher than mine, but it's safe to say that my company turns out with superior products." Sato explained.

"I see. It's a shame to see such a deep friendship end in such a way." Tenzin added.

Sato only chuckled at the misplaced condolences. "Please, don't be. The entire affair was quite amicable I assure you."

Beifong grimaced; she needed to get this interview back on track. "Mr. Sato, could you shed some light on any possible motives for Mr. Gon-Lon conspiring with the Equalists?"

Sato paused and collected his thoughts. "Possibly, but in all honesty Gon-Lon might not be the culprit." His small audience wordlessly asked for details which he quickly obliged. "Cabbage Corp. is a fairly large operation. They have offices in all four nations. Lots of moving parts and even more employees. It might very well be a member of his board of directors or even a division head. It's impossible to tell from an outside viewpoint. Now mind you this is all conjecture. I'm not a detective and I'm too invested in my company to know too much about the goings-on of another company."

Beifong took a moment to process his words. It may have been conjecture but it was a sound theory. "Tell me, what sparked this theory of yours?"

Sato smiled and reclined in his seat. "We all rub shoulder's Chief Beifong. We hold different charity functions and other get-togethers. Word from the grape vine is that Cabbage Corp. practically runs itself. Or at the very least Gon-Lon isn't running the show anymore. From what I could glean from a few casual conversations with the man, well I'd be shocked if he attended two board meetings in the past year."

"That would explain his reaction when we took him in. He could've been bankrolling an anti-bending uprising without even noticing. Heck, I bet we could find a fair amount of embezzlement if we launched a finance audit." Chief Beifong added.

"Or he's a really good actor." Saikon said.

"Both are valid theories unfortunately." Tenzin said with a sigh. "Seems we only uncovered more questions than answers."

"I hope my answers didn't impede any of your efforts, Chief Beifong." Sato seemed remorseful but it took every ounce of his will not to smile ear to ear. He was quite pleased with the impressive smoke screen he put up. Beifong and Tenzin may be able to see past it in time but it would be far too late when they did. Benders were truly fools. They couldn't even fathom that he could be their culprit. Their inherent advantages had lolled them into a false sense of security. It would be funny if it weren't so pathetic. "I was only being honest with all of you."

"Rest assured Mr. Sato, your input did no such thing. This information will help us put an end to the Equalist threat." Tenzin assured.

"It's just as he said, Mr. Sato. Any information will help us bring Amon to justice. Thank you, truly." Chief Beifong stood up. "That's all I need from you today Mr. Sato. Me and the department appreciate your time and insight."

Sato smiled and got up. "No Chief Beifong, it was my pleasure. And let me assure all of you, I will dedicate as much of my time and energy needed to put an end to these so-called 'Equalists'!"

"Here Here!" Saikon cheered.

Tenzin approached Sato and presented his hand. "Glad to hear that Mr. Sato."

Hiroshi stood for a small moment, just regarding the Councilman's hand. He was quickly approaching his daily limit with benders and the Councilman would hand him one last disgusting pill to swallow. He smiled through his teeth and shook the hand. "Anything to help Councilman Tenzin."

Beifong and Tenzin escorted the industrialist to his car before going their separate ways. The exchange was both entertaining and infuriating. It was a real roller-coaster ride. Sato sat in the back of his limo with an audible huff like he just set down a large weight.

Fat has been working for Hiroshi Sato for decades and some change. Needless to say, he knew when he had a bad day but opted to ask anyway. "How'd it go with Chief Beifong Mr. Sato?"

Sato didn't look at his driver and focused on the passing roads instead. "It went off without a hitch." He was thankful that Fat was a part of the revolution. His participation allowed him to drop the charade every now and then and speak his mind. "Feed the benders some half truths and dress them up with pretty words and they think they have all the answers. They are frighteningly gullible. At this point we are doing this city a favor by taking it over. Their arrogance is truly awe inspiring my friend."

"But that's not what's eating you up, is it Mr. Sato?"

"Preceptive as ever Fat. I was actually hoping the benders would make this more challenging. It would help to take my mind off the…personal angle to all this."

"I assume you're referring to Mr. Takuya?"

"Asami as well. My involvement will come to light sooner or later and my time in the shadows is quickly coming to an end. I want them to be a part of our cause, but there's no way of telling how they'll react when I tell them the truth." Sato chuckled at himself. "Look at me, I close on ten million yuan deals and I hardly break a sweat, but the opinion of a couple of kids is bothering me. Go figure."

"That's nothing to be ashamed of Mr. Sato. Asami's your pride and joy and Takuya could expand the movement to untold heights with his help. I mean, we're making history here. It makes those million-yuan deals look like chump change in comparison. You're in a tough spot, there's no way around it. You need to meditate and find the extra strength to go forward."

"Speaking from experience?"

"You know it Mr. Sato, I still haven't told my wife."

"Yasuko would have my head if she were still around." Sato smiled warmly at the thought of his late wife.

"No kidding, she was a real fire cracker." Fat said solemnly.

"I was really looking forward to bringing Takuya in the fold today." Sato quickly changed the subject. "That darn Avatar."

"Beg your pardon Mr. Sato?"

"The boy claimed he was sick, but I'm beginning to suspect he just wanted to avoid Avatar Korra for some reason. Takuya needs to learn how to lie."

It was Fat's turn to laugh. "Oh boy, you don't think there…"

"Lord, I hope not. Regardless, they are friends, and I suspect he missed the finals to get away from her."

"What for?"

"A fight, a courting snafu, jealousy. Typical teenage nonsense."

"We were all there before Mr. Sato."

"Yes, but their timing couldn't be worse. And he really thinks I don't suspect anything." Sato sighed. "They think they have all the answers and that anyone over thirty-five is totally clueless. I wish Takuya was ten years older and got this garbage out of his system."

"Were it so easy. Back to the estate sir?"

"No not yet. Just drive around for a while longer. Talking to the top benders was nauseating and I need some air."

XXXxxx Republic City: Diner xxxXXX

The diner Peter chose to have a chat with Korra was a small out-of-the-way establishment that wasn't on anyone's radar. There was nothing particularly noteworthy about it so it was a perfect place to discuss sensitive matters. It was a ways away from the police headquarters and Peter used the time to conceal his identity as much as he could on such short notice.

The two teens had about ten or twenty words between them on their search for a suitable venue. Both were tight lipped for what felt like hours in the shared seating booth. Peter didn't meet Korra eyes while she was trying to stare a hole through the vigilante. Neither of them knew how to go about the laborious subject at hand, but Korra proved to be more embolden than Peter.

"Don't you think your being a little over dramatic with that getup?"

Peter had added a pair of sunglasses, a second-hand fedora, and a scarf that covered a portion of his face.

"Where did you find the time to buy all that crud anyway?" Korra asked

"I bought them when you weren't looking." Peter confessed. "It helps when your black mailer's trying to make small talk."

Korra scuffed. "Oh, don't be so dramatic."

"Last time I checked, you were about to yell out my little secret inside a police station full of cops that hate my guts and are all itching for a little payback!" Peter protested as quietly as he could.

Korra laughed nervously. "Common Takuya, I wasn't going to do anything like that. I was only bluffing to get a reaction out of you that's all. I was going to play it off as a stupid joke before you stuffed us into a janitor's closet."

Peter folded his arms like a disgruntled parent. "Well, you got your wish princess."

Korra sighed. "Okay I'll admit it, it was a dirty move and I'm sorry. I know you and Beifong have bad blood and I wasn't about to throw you to the wolf-bats like that I swear!"

Peter took a deep breath and fumed for a bit longer before coming to his senses. He was a little ashamed of himself for jumping to the worst conclusion right off the cuff like that. This was the same girl that pulled him out of more than a few jams. He should've known better. "I'm sorry too. To be honest, I'm really on edge after last night and I really couldn't afford any more friction with the coppers and I may have… possibly jumped the gun."

"It's all good Tak' were all a little…I don't know, whatever all this is."

"How bout this, you got your big prize. You wanted to talk, right?" Peter extended the olive branch.

"I did, but I also didn't think I would get this far so fast with you so…I don't really know where to go from here."

It was Peter's turn to sigh. "You're hopeless, you know that, right?"

"What? I saw a golden opportunity and I couldn't just let it pass me by!" Korra argued. "We're not all as cold and calculating as our mutual creepy crawly friend."

The fact that such a brash person like Korra could get the better of him left him a little bewildered. He took such processions to keep Peter Parker and Spider-Man separate and all his efforts were undone by luck and happenstance on Korra's part. The old Lincoln adage was echoing through his mind. "Trust me, he hasn't been as calculating as he used to be lately." Before she could respond he introduced a proposition. "We'll try this on for size. We're just a couple of friends talking about life. Just say what's on your mind and try to keep your voice down."

Korra nodded her head. "I can work with that Takuya. I gotta say, I didn't see this coming. I thought you'd be a lot more tight-lipped about your—our mutual friend that will not be named."

"Real smooth Korra, you're a regular PI."

"Give me a break Poindexter! I'm new to this cloak and dagger stuff."

"Right. Anyways, to answer your question, my secret was bound to come out to someone sooner or later. I'm not happy about any of this but for what it's worth, I'm glad it was you who found me out and not Beifong or some two-bit rag looking to sell papers."

Korra smiled. His words put her mind at ease. "It's worth a lot Takuya, thanks."

"Don't mention it." Peter played it cool and dismissed her praise. "Is that all you want to know?"

"Hardly! Alright umm…why all the secrecy?"

"Come again?"

"You know, the double life; the mask; why go through all the trouble? I can't even imagine trying to manage all that, especially on my own. So why do it at all?"

"Because I have to." He said without skipping a beat. His answer twisted Korra's face in confusion which signaled him to delve deeper. "Being Spider-Man is challenging. It's more than just running around beating up muggers. Spider-Man is a symbol, and symbols work a lot better when there isn't a flesh and bone meatsuit weighing it down. Does that make sense?"

"That's nonsense." Korra answered. "I don't mean to be rude or anything, but all that just sounds like an excuse to me."

Peter couldn't help but laugh at himself. "Figures. Bear a piece of your soul to a girl and she calls it stupid."

"Hold on! That's not what I meant."

"Relax princess, I'm just naturally pessimistic." Peter surmised.

"Well, you shouldn't be!"

"Pessimistic or secretive?"

"Both!" Korra yelled out and caught the attention of a few patrons. She took a moment to calm down and continue. "Look Takuya, I know you think the whole secret mask thing is helping, but it's not. It's not working in your favor and it has to be slowly driving you up a wall."

Peter chuckled at the unintentional irony. "I do that just fine on my own."

"I'm serious." She did a better job keeping her voice low. "Listen, you're a hero. You go out night after night helping people and you deserve some recognition for it. This city should be throwing you a parade, not sic'ing Beifong at you."

"Oh I don't need all that, but I'd settle for a golden idol honestly." Peter couldn't help but let his inner web-head out of the bag. It was nice that he could be himself out of costume. "Maybe some street art."

"Oh, for crying out loud. Is any of this getting through your thick skull Poindexter?!"

"It is, I'm just having a little fun at your expense that's all." Peter folded his arms and looked away in thought. He pondered the right way to approach Korra's notion. "I get where you're coming from Korra. Hell, I even catch myself thinking that way from time to time. You see, I don't do this looking to get some kind of fan fair. I'm just doing what I can to help people in need, to be that little miracle that shows up on a bad day. Don't get me wrong, it's nice to get a thank you every now and then." He paused and chuckled at a memory. "You know, a group of cosplayers helped me get through security during the last Pro-Bending match. Hard to believe there's people out there who are willing to dress up as me. It's nuts, right?"

"Not really. You've never heard of a cosplayer before? Sheesh Takuya, I'm from the South Pole and even I know what a cosplayer is."

"Well, I didn't." Peter moved to change gears as fast as he could. One revelation was enough for one day. "Alright, let me take a crack at this. Tell me Korra, when did you figure it out?"

"You want to know when but now how?" Korra graced him with a smug grin. "Can't wrap your head around the fact that yours truly was able to do the impossible? I'm more than a pretty face, you know."

Peter stared at her blankly. "You got the subtlety of a gorilla with an attitude to match. No offence Korra, but you don't strike me as the deep-thinking type of person."

"You're calling me stupid, Takuya?!"

"I'm calling you direct. You're not the type of person to sit back and think before you leap. You're loud,proud, and not afraid to tell people what's on your mind. Basically, I never would have guessed that it would be you that would solve the big mystery. Maybe Asami or Mako, but not you. So, paint me curious, when did you find out?"

"Are you asking out of curiosity or do you just want to know so you won't make the same mistake again?" Korra chose not to take his words personally.

"A bit of both."

"I knew something was up that night you fell off Naga and begged me not to take you to the hospital. The look on your face; you were terrified when I brought it up. I just kept asking myself why would some science nerd get so worked up over something like that. That little chat we had back on the island sealed the deal, I think. I just kept wondering and the truth just fell on my lap when I was in bed."

Peter went quiet at the memory. He had thought he had fed her enough bread crumbs of truth to satiate her curiosity, but his fears came to pass anyway. Her explanation sparked an epiphany. Korra was acting strange whenever he was around her. All the excitement of meeting Yue and figuring out what to do about Kumo had distracted him so much that he didn't even notice that Korra was trying to connect, to help even. "Damn it…"

The look that was written on Peter's face told Korra all she needed to know and spawned her next question. "Tell me, what's been eating you up lately? It can't just be Amon and Beifong that's got you so worked up."

Peter's demeanor shifted. Maybe he had misjudged the young Avatar from the start. She was surprisingly insightful, picking up on things people normally overlooked. He didn't want to answer the question. Or maybe the answer just didn't come as quickly as it usually did for him. He ended up taking the direct approach.

"Did Councilmen Tenzin tell you what happened that night?" Peter asked. "In detail?"

"He didn't get into the nitty gritty of it. He only told me that Beifong set up some big operation to arrest you but you got away at the last minute. I just figured you pulled some of that 'web-slinging do-gooder' magic out at the last second and managed to escape." Korra tried to mask her concern with a hint of humor. "That's how it went down, right?"

"I wish it was that simple Korra." He knew he owed her an explanation, but it didn't come easy. He was past the storm but the memory would haunt him for years to come. "Turns out I got a spiritual monkey on my back. One of Beifong's goons had shot some kind of toxin that paralyzed me. I couldn't move as Beifong's 'spider-slayers' hauled me off to a police truck like a sack of potatoes."

Korra's shock was palpable. She knew next to nothing about that night, but she couldn't have guessed that it was that bad. To hear that the great Spider-Man was practically hog tied and hauled off like that was unbelievable.

"Takuya, I'm so sorry you had to go through that. If I was there-"

"We had this conversation already Korra. There was nothing you could do about it and it wasn't your fault that it went down." He flashed a pessimistic smile. "It gets better. So apparently my powers come from a spider spirit. He…it isn't happy with my performance that night, but it didn't want me to get pinched either. So, it worked its magic, burned the toxin out of my system, and proceeded to beat those policemen within an inch of their lives. I was about to get control before the worst could happen but it still did plenty of damage. Those guys are probably still in the hospital."

"A spider spirit freed you and violently freed you? That's…I don't know what to say to Takuya . All that sounds terrifying. No wonder you were acting so stand offish this whole time. I've never even heard of spirits taking people over. Why didn't you say anything Takuya?!" She almost made another scene but quieted down at the last moment.

"Korra, I'm stuck with a spirit with homicidal tendencies that can turn me into a meat puppet. No offense Korra, but what could you have done exactly?"

"I could've helped you. Didn't you know that the Avatar is the bridge between the physical and spiritual worlds?"

"We'll that's good to hear. I won't get into the nitty gritty, just tell me what you know about a spirit named (Kumo)?"

Korra was admittedly caught in the moment as her mouth went into action before her head. "Sorry Tak', I need to add some context. As the Avatar, I'm supposed to cover spiritual matters, but I can't right now. I'm still in training and I haven't quite mastered the spiritual stuff yet. It's actually why I came to Republic City in the first place." Korra confessed.

Peter sighed. "I'm in the same boat, unfortunately. You know, that's why I pulled us out of that airship that night. The spirit was trying to take control again. Must've thought he would just end Amon that night."

"Tenzin could help! He's my spiritual teacher too and I could ask and he could—"

"No thank you sister! The last thing I need is a city councilman getting in on my secret. One is enough. Besides, I'm already through the worst of it now."

Korra leaned in closer. "How do you know? The spirit could come back and start all over again."

"It could and I don't know if it'll ever happen again. Kumo did give me his word that he wouldn't pull that again."

"And what guarantee do you have on that arrangement?" Korra

"None." Peter stated flat out. "Korra, all this spirit stuff was dumped on my lap like a flash flood. I deal with chemicals and machines, not this mystical mumbo jumbo. I'm sailing on uncharted waters and I can barely make heads or tails of it all. Believe me doll, the second I do, you'll be the first to know. I'm just going to put this issue on the back burner for now. I'll be a lot more receptive to your suggestions once the dust settles. Now, can we please turn the page on this already?"

Korra's disapproval was evident. "You're playing this real fast and loose Takuya, but I'll respect your wishes. But I can still get you some help during down time. Sound good?"

"I can live with that."

"Alright, I'll cut to the chase now. What are we going to do about Amon? After last night's attack, he's gained a ton of ground and nothing, me or the police, are slowing him down."

Peter planted his arm on the table and rested his head. "You're really committed to the 'we' bit aren't you?"

"Hold the phone. You're telling me, even after all you've been through, that you're still trying to tackle this one on your own? You've got some kind of death wish or something?" Korra resisted the urge to grab him by the lapels but opted to verbally talk some sense into him.

"No, I just think my odds are a lot better riding solo over some team-up stuff, especially this late in the game." Peter explained.

Before Korra could push the subject, a waitress approached their table. "Sorry about the wait kids; got caught discussing personal matters with my boss." She smoothed out her apron and pulled out a notepad. "So, what can I get you two?"

Korra quietly groaned at the intrusion. She was on the edge and almost jumped from the server's disturbance, but she caught herself at the last second. She turned to Peter. He simply shrugged and started ordering. She was a nervous wreck while he had ice water in his veins. Even when he was recalling his terrible episode with the slayers, he seemed eerily calm considering the circumstances. It was just now dawning on her that convincing him to her way of thinking wouldn't be as easy as she thought it would.

"I'll have a pot of jasmine tea please."

The waitress scribbled on her notepad. "Um hmm. And what can I get for your miss?"

"I'll have the same, thanks"

"Okay two…jasmine…I'm sorry miss do I know…OH MY GOSH! YOU'RE THE AVATAR!" The waitress cried out and pointed. "I can't believe I missed it!What is someone like you doing all the way out in the boonies?!"

Korra smiled awkwardly and felt a small bit of guilt from her earlier feelings towards the woman. "Hey-heh-looks like you found me."

Peter just sat still and kept his mouth shut. He would let this play out and make himself as insignificant as humanly possible.

"Well, we don't get too many famous people to show up to this little rinky-dink diner. Guess I just overlooked you until I walked up." The waitress was ecstatic. It wasn't every day that a person crossed paths with the Avatar. Her excitement would be two-fold if she knew who the Avatar was talking to.

"Yeah, the papers did plaster my face all over the place, didn't they?" She humored the waitress with some small talk.

"I'll say, I've clipped all of your newspaper articles from the papers. My personal favorite was from the gala. That dress was beautiful by the way." The waitress had thrown out all sense of professionalism as she gushed at Korra.

"Thanks, just something I whipped up at the last second."

Peter smiled at Korra. "Blue is literally your color." He couldn't help but enjoy the spectacle the waitress was putting on. Karma was finally working in his favor today.

Korra shot him a stink eye before engaging with her surprise fan. "I do like blue clothing, heh-heh."

"Oh, me too." The waitress took a pause and found her bearings. "Oh, you probably don't want to hear any of this after last night. I'm sorry, I just never thought I would ever meet the Avatar, that's all."

"No no, it's fine. I'm just sort of in the middle of something right now…" Korra hinted.

"I understand, but before I get out of your hair, I'd like to ask for a photo." The waitress asked in earnest. "I won't send it to a tabloid or anything. I just want it as a keepsake, that's all."

Korra thought about it. She turned to Peter looking for wordless advice only for him to shrug. "Alright, I don't see why not."

"Great, I just need to run home and grab my camera." She assured.. "Don't worry, it won't take long. My apartment is only a block away." She rushed away with a smile on her face.

"See why I put this get up on now?" Peter stated.

"Never mind that." Korra stayed focused and avoided arguing. "Here me out Takuya. We both know your good at what you do. Heck, better than good, amazing even. You've done spectacular things with your abilities. Honestly, I still have some problems wrapping my head around a guy who shoots webs and sticks to walls. I get how someone like you could get cocky and think you can just end the Equalists all by yourself. But after all that's happened to you, no offense, it's obvious that's not the case with you. Amon's been building up to this for who knows how long. At this point, I'm pretty sure his plans have plans. He's not just some common thug who can chi-block or a would-be tyrant you can just shut down. This guy can work in the shadows better than you and he's always getting the drop on the both of us, and he's only been getting stronger since he started. You're very proud, I get it, but right now that pride isn't doing you any favors lately. So please, put whatever hang ups you have against working with others and help me take this monster down before anyone else gets hurt."

Peter just stared at her dumb founded. For once she wasn't shooting her mouth off recklessly or handling this like her usual brash self. "That's a surprisingly good thesis Korra. Color me impressed, I never would've pegged you as a critical thinker."

Korra's brows furrowed. "You making fun of me Takuya?"

Peter laughed at her comical expression. "Not at all. You made a great argument. Even JJ would've been impressed."

"What's a JJ?"

"Oh, it's just someone I knew back home. Don't worry about it."

"Okay. So, what do you say? Wanna help each other and take that lunatic down?" Korra delivered her ultimatum with a confident smile and an outstretched hand.

Peter's jovial nature and playful jabs at Korra were whipped away in a second. He simply regarded Korra's hand for a moment as his mind raced through every conceivable consequence with his next decision. Bad things tended to happen to him whenever he trusted someone to the extent Korra was proposing. He thought of the world of Urich, but he ultimately fell short of his principles and, for better or for worse, looked the other way at Osborn's crimes. That felt like a life time ago now and his world was flipped upside down. Is a partnership really the right choice in these troubling times? Could he live with himself if the worst happened to Korra because of his world?

Peter swallowed the lump in his throat and looked her in the eye. She deserved that much at least. "I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to decline Korra. And before you ask, I'm only—"

"You don't get it do you?" Korra retracted her hand and leaned closer to him. "You can't even see it can you?"

Her words perplexed Peter. "What are you talking about?"

"You still think this is all just a simple game you can win if you just keep hacking away at the problem? That may have worked in the past, but that kind of attitude just isn't going to cut it anymore. You probably can't tell, but you've changed. When I first met you, you were untouchable. You must've thought the same thing once and honestly, I did too. But look at you now. You're getting yourself busted up and only getting by on the skin of your teeth. I don't know the nitty gritty of it all, but you're getting sloppy and I hate seeing you like this. I…I think the world of you Takuya and I think of you as, I don't know, an example, I guess. I'm not going to pretend to understand what's eating you up about working with others, but it can't be easier dealing with it all on your own." Korra shook her head at her clumsy words. "You don't want to work with me, fine. I won't try to convince you anymore. And honestly I'm getting tired of…whatever this is right now." She got up and placed a few bills on the table. "Good luck Takuya. If you ever need me you know where—"

"I didn't want to lose to him again." It was Peter's turn to interrupt. "I didn't want to lose to anyone after the sting operation. When I started in this city being Sp- me, it was as easy as breathing. But then the triads started to wise up, and the Equalists started making moves, then all the garbage with the spider spirit. The whole thing just felt like one life was strangling the other. I guess through it all I just wanted things to be like they used to be." Peter let out a breath as an odd sense of relief washed over him. "My other life used to be liberating. Don't get me wrong, I know it's dangerous and I'm nowhere near invincible, but it felt like it sometimes. I think, deep down, that I blamed Amon for taking my 'invincibility' from me."

"So if you beat him, you think everything will get back to normal, right?." Korra stated as she returned to her seat. "I think I heard that number before."

"Heh. I suppose you have." He smiled at himself. It was dire but comical hearing it out loud. "How the hell did I get here Korra?"

"Well, speaking from experience, you let the power go to your head and wound up putting yourself on a pedestal. You stick to these crazy standards and when you fall short of them you start making excuses instead of dealing with the problem. Then those shortcomings start to pile on until you're drowning in them. Same thing almost happened to me but this bug-eyed guy in these goofy threads helped me out before I got into too much trouble."

"You're going to talk about my clothes while wearing those twelve-inch ham hocks on your feet? You're a lot braver than me princess." Peter chided.

"You're really defensive about the costume. You know that right?"

"Can't help it. It's near and dear to my heart. I pulled it together myself."

"Oh, I believe you." She said with thick sarcasm.

The two teens started to laugh at the absurdity of the conversation. The tension in the air had evaporated to nothingness. Korra recovered before Peter and got back on topic.

"So, does this mean you're reconsidering my offer?"

Peter groaned loudly. "I'm probably going to regret this, but…yes." He extended his hand to Korra. "I'll give this 'team-up' thing a test run."

Korra quickly shook his hand with a wide smile on her face. "Alright! See? Was that really so hard?"

"For me, absolutely." He took a sip of his tea. "So, you have some kind of plan in mind?"

Korra's smile started to fade. "Well, not really. Getting you on board was my whole thing for now."

"Don't worry about it. I don't have much of a plan either." Peter admitted.

"So, you got something then?"

"I managed to put a tracker on Amon's airship before we bailed out. I was planning on canvasing the city until I picked up the signal."

"That's great. Two questions though. What kind of tracker are you talking about, and what's a 'spider-sense'?" Korra asked.

Peter couldn't help but sigh at her ignorance. His secretive ways were coming back to haunt him. "I'll explain all that later. Let's just say I built a device that I can track. So, if I find the tracker, I can find Amon."

Korra trusted him and took his words at face value for the time being. "Alright it's something, I guess. But what if Amon found it and chucked it somewhere?"

"The airship could be parked outside of it's range. Or maybe he found it and put it somewhere else to throw me off." Peter added. "There are too many holes in that plan, which is why I said I didn't have much to work with. The tracker was a shotty insurance policy at best honestly. I gambled and put all my chips on capturing Amon at the arena last night and we both know how that went."

"Don't beat yourself up over it Takuya. Amon's craftier than any of us could've imagined." Korra reassured. "He even had that weird stun suit thing set up just for you."

"Well, that's all I got Korra. I know you said you didn't have a plan but I'm open to suggestions."

"Hold on." Korra reached into her pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. "I put together a list of suspects in last night's attack. What do you think?"

Peter grabbed the paper. "Look out world. Avatar Korra's got a list." He joked as he scanned the contents.

"That sarcasm isn't helping Poindexter."

"I'm ninety percent sarcasm Korra." He confessed as his eyes scanned the names. "That's something you'll have to get used to if you're going to work with me."

"Fine, fine. So what do you think?"

"Totally useless,I'm afraid." He slid the paper back to Korra. "None of these guys could be the culprit."

"Oh, come on! That's all you have to say? What about Bootaka, huh? He could've been behind it right?" Korra challenged. "He probably staged all of this as an insurance money scam or something."

Peter simply took another sip of his tea before opening on her theory. "Okay, but Bootaka has nothing to gain from trashing his own venue or the sport he helped build. Why would he ally himself with a feverish anti-bending organization or even let it happen for that hypothetical insurance pay out? I don't buy it."

"I met the guy Takuya, and trust me; all he cares about is money. He squeezes every stray yuan he can out of his players to pocket as much dough as he can. He loves money and Amon has plenty of it."

This exchange reminded Peter of the many times he locked horns with Mr. Urich. They would argue for what felt like hours on different leads but his legendary tenacity always gave way to Phil's experience. He never got a leg up on the veteran reporter but quietly loved every second of the heated exchanges. Exchanges he sorely missed. He smiled at the warm memory and the irony of finding himself in his mentor's old position. "One, a massive insurance pay out is chump change next to a decade of revenue from an adoring clientele. The man's sitting on top of an empire with zero competition. Two, he has nothing to gain partnering up with Amon and everything to lose. And three, Bootaka might be the type of guy to pull off some shady deals, but he still wouldn't buy whatever Amon was selling. Amon has deep pockets, but he can't make the deal sweet enough for Bootaka to take it and fund his revolution at the same time. Now is it possible that he cut a deal with Amon, sure. Probably, no way."

Korra's mouth opened but the words didn't come. "I really thought that jerk was the culprit."

"There's a difference between knowing someone is guilty and wanting them to be guilty Korra. It's a rookie mistake, so don't dwell on it. I fell for it plenty of times, believe me."

Korra never saw this side of Peter before. She knew he was smart but not like this. She always just figured he found himself at the right place at the right time, but now she realized that it was intentional. The conversation was getting a little surreal. It was strange seeing the bookish Peter Parker, but hearing the Wall-Crawler? Everything about him had a slight but noticeable shift. The young Avatar could see how he fooled everyone around him, herself included, for so long. He was eerily familiar yet totally alien at the same time.

"Alright Korra, I'm going to give you the short and sweet version of the investigation. So, perk an ear and pay close attention."

"Fine, lay it on me."

"When launching any form of investigation, you have to ask yourself two key questions: what's out of place and who stands to benefit from everything going to hell?" Peter explained. "As long as you keep cross-examining these two questions your investigation won't fall apart. Understand?"

"Sort of." Korra looked down in thought. "Out of place…The cops aren't usually there, maybe one of them—"

"The police presence was a predictable response to Amon's declaration. I bet he was banking on Beifong beefing up security at the arena." Peter unwittingly shot down her hypothesis. "The council would've done more damage to his cause if they just canceled the whole thing."

"And canceling the tournament wouldn't help the Equalists." Korra asserted. "Caving into Amon's demands would've been just as bad!"

"I agree. The council was screwed either way." Peter surmised. "You need to delve deeper into it Korra. What was out of place that night?"

Korra was getting annoyed. "I already answered. Your turn. What caught your attention last night?"

"The shock gloves." His answer came quick. "Not the run of the mill stuff most of the Equalists were using, but the enhanced versions. The ones with the shooting cables."

"I didn't hear anything about an 'enhanced' glove. Everything happened so fast that I didn't notice. Besides the extra features, why were they so special?"

"They're too sophisticated for mass production. And if they had a more capable weapon at their disposal why did they opt for the cut down model? It doesn't make any sense." Peter vented his frustration. "Should've copped one when I had the chance."

As Peter fumed, an idea popped in Korra's head. "The ref!" She cried out.

"The referees? What about them?"

"The refs were acting strange through the whole match. The Wolf-Bats could've gotten away with murder with those clowns watching the match. Mako told us that the refs were paid off. I didn't give it too much thought at the time. Could it be connected to the attack?"

"Possibly. I ran into Tahno back at the station and even he thought they were acting strange. They just let them do whatever they wanted through the whole match." Peter pointed out. "I wasn't sure it was connected to Amon but now I'm certain. Good catch Korra."

"Exactly!" Korra crossed her finger behind her head and smiled at her accomplishment. "Guess you needed me after all. No need to thank me."

Hundreds of chide remarks popped in Peter's, but he opted to ignore the Avatar's smug sense of accomplishment. Plus, he had a feeling that she would provide plenty of opportunities to knock herself off her high horse in the foreseeable future. "But here's the kicker. Do we have one conspirator or a whole group of them?"

"That's easy, there's a team…no its umm…I don't know." Korra's head deflated to a more manageable size. "What do you think Takuya?"

"I think we have something to work with and it doesn't matter how many were involved." Peter surmised. "I only need one of them to start singing."

"Awesome, when do we start?"

"Actually Korra, it'd be better if I handle that part on my own." He broke the bad news as best he could.

"Hold on a minute. I thought we agreed to help each other." Korra protested.

"I know what I said Korra. It's just, how can I put it; I need to do some…unsavory things that you aren't going to like." Peter confessed.

"You're trying to say I can't handle it. Is that right?"

"More or less." Peter remained blunt.

"Well, you don't have to worry about that Takuya. I'm one-hundred percent." Korra made her intentions clear.

"Fair enough, but I need to set up some ground rules if you're going to roll with me." He attested.

"Fine, what kind of rules?" She huffed.

"It's really simple princess. I just need you to stay out of my way and know that I'm running the show for now." Peter asserted. "No offense Korra, but you don't know the ways of the trade."

"Anything else, your highness?" She chided. "You're starting to sound like Tenzin by the way."

"There is one more thing."

"Ugh! I was kidding web-head."

"Relax, I just want you to know that I'm the good guy. No matter what happens I need you to remember that."

"I will Takuya, are you satisfied?"

"Honestly no, but I've had worse arrangements in the past." He smirked. "I'm still cautiously optimistic though."

"Oh, I don't know about that Takuya." Korra smiled back. "Feels like a sure thing to me."

The diner door swung open to reveal the waitress from earlier holding a camera in hand. She walked to their table, placed the clunky looking camera on the table, and took a moment to catch her breath.

"Sorry…about the wait…I got here…as fast as…I could…" She stammered.

"No need to apologize miss." Korra assured your server. "Take as much time as you need."

"Thanks…"

Peter just sat and watched as the waitress took a picture with Korra. The manager was nice enough to take the photo for his employee. He found the whole thing sparingly endearing. Korra was a person that openly relished in her celebrity, but wasn't corrupted by it. He felt that small moments like this showed who they really were. What people do when no one is watching could tell you a great deal about them and Peter liked what he saw. Korra was still rough around the edges, but she had clearly matured since he first met her. The world dropped an incredible weight on her shoulders, in the middle of her training no less, and she handled it surprisingly well. Maybe he should've trusted her with his double life sooner.

Korra shared a few parting words before making her way back to the table.

"Took your sweet time with your adoring public, didn't you Korra?" Peter teased.

"From what you told me, you've got a pretty big fanbase yourself." Korra shot back. "Heck, I think you have more fans than me at this point."

"Eh, maybe." He got up and paid his part of the bill. "So, this sure was eventful, huh?"

"I'll say." Korra scanned the room before whispering in his ear. "So are we going to get the ball rolling on that plan tomorrow or…"

"Nope, right now."

"Now?"

"Now."

Korra spared a stray thought before shrugging away any misgivings. "Alright then. Where to?"

"The arena. We're going to have a little chat with some referees."

"Lead the way you web slinging do gooder."

"Ugh…"

---

XXXxxx Northern Water Tribe: Chief's Office xxxXXX

An ominous silence graced the Northern Water Tribe's leader's office. An unnerving sense of foreboding assaulted any unfortunate soul who had to report to the Northern Water Tribe's sovereign. The ice city's brilliant lights shined like a diamond at night but gave off a haunting glow in the office. The room was sparsely populated with personal effects and creature comforts. Two simple chairs and a small couch were in place and the desk only had one family photo atop the desk. Unalaq didn't care much for worldly items and his decor made it painfully obvious. The only ounce of indulgence was an ornate meditation rug set aside to the corner in the spacious room. Tarrlock had spent a great deal there in the past couple of weeks. He had a dream and obligation to the world and there was no room for error. He organized his plans accordingly, put key people in key positions for years, quietly built up his military, indoctrinated his children to his cause, and yet doubts still plagued his mind.

He sat on his desk reading his Republic City representative's latest report on Korra's exploits. He scoffed at the thought of an Avatar taking part in parties and sporting events. The 'Spider-Man' character did spark a shred of his interests but was quickly dismissed. He thought of the vigilante as either a simple urban legend or a petty sideshow at best. He would have very little impact on his schemes in any way. He sighed as he continued to read. His niece needed proper guidance, not meaningless distractions. He could only regard Tenzin as an utter failure as a master. Tarrlock did question the nature of these reports in the beginning, but stopped when he was reminded of his position and was threatened that his lineage would be made public if he questioned him again. His threat proved fruitful as the reports came promptly and on time. He even went so far as enlist the help of a psychiatrist to build a psychological profile to better understand her. He had to vail his intent with the doctor but her dissertation was masterfully done. He was armed with vast knowledge on his target and more than enough resources at his disposal to see it through. His plan appeared ironclad but yet he was still plagued with doubt.

He set the file aside and strode over to the window. A light snow pelted the great ice city he presided over. Despite his metaphysical ambitions, a hint of humanity broke his stone like face in light to all that was at stake. His carefully laid out plan was about to be derailed by Amon and his foolish uprising; his time table was thrown off and forced into a hurry. Harmonic Convergence was on the horizon and he was scrambling to set the stage before time ran out.

"I need more time." He whispered to himself.

"What you need is a helping hand Chief Unalaq."

Unnaloq's shady eyes shot open at the intrusion. He fought the urge to turn as his mind raced to make sense of it all. He steeled himself for any possibility as he turned to face the voice's origin. His mouth went agape when he saw who…what the voice belonged to. It was clear that it wasn't human. The water tribe chief knew spirits longer than he knew his family, but oddly enough the being wasn't a spirit. A spirit always made a splash whenever it crossed over to the physical plane, and it was practically impossible for a spirit to slip past his empathic senses. And yet, this sentient shadow sat on one of his chairs, hunched over with its forearms over its knees. Its form gave off a hazy miasma. It looked like a man was set on fire and the flames were extinguished far too late to make a difference. The red cracks adorned it's body shined like embers that were on the verge of dying out. In spite of its striking appearance its strongest features were the blood red eyes staring him down.

'No, it has to be a spirit. It couldn't be anything else!" Unalaq silently asserted himself. He knew what alignment this spirit had and knew how to deal with dark spirits. His heart started pounding softer.

"I don't know how you managed to sneak in here, and frankly I don't care." He stared daggers at the intruder as he commanded the water from the ornate fountain around the room.

The water twisted and turned around the sitting spirit. Surprisingly, the spirit didn't lift a finger to the Chief's retaliation. Spiritual energies gave the water a brilliant gold hue as it spiraled around the stoic spirit. Nothing happened. The chief gritted his teeth and doubled his efforts to exorcise the dark spirit. Again, nothing happened.

The sprit broke its haunting gaze to shake its head like a disappointed parent as it rose to its feet. It stuck a hand into the water, casually observing the phenomena before exerting a vast and sudden pressure, dispelling it like nothing.

Unalaq's gaze went wide; seeing a technique that took him years to perfect was brushed aside like loose dirt.

The look on the Chief's face let the entity know that he got the desired effect on the man. "Apologies for the unannounced visit Chief Unalaq, but this seemed like a good a time as any to have a little chat."

"What are…" He cleared his throat and recovered from the shock. "What do you want?"

"You're a busy man so I won't waste too much of your time." Its voice was mescaline and impossibly distorted. "We have mutual goals, and I think we can help each other."

Unalaq scoffed at the 'spirits' claim. "I find that hard to believe."

"Is it now?" The figure started to inch closer to the Chief. "You're tired of the status quo, business as usual, right? You've been stewing on these feelings for what, 20-30 years now? And now you see the finish line on the horizon and now you're having doubts. Nothing wrong with that, it's natural."

"…Human…" Unalaq added with great contempt.

The spirit's aura oozed palpable malice that assaulted Unalaq's every nerve and only got worse as he got closer. The Chief had vast experience with the supernatural, but nothing could prepare him for this encounter.

"You want all the pieces on the board to fall into place like they should, but that nagging feeling just won't leave you alone." The spirit stopped on the border of Unalaq's personal space. "I can put your mind to rest and make all your dreams come true."

The Chief locked eyes with the being's unholy gaze. "Let's say I'm interested. What do you have to offer, specifically I mean?"

"Additional manpower, force multipliers, and logistics, just to name a few." The being replayed immediately. "I can cover bases you could only imagine Chief Unaloq."

"And what would my contribution in this hypothetical arrangement be exactly?"

"Your eternal soul and undying loyalty." Its distorted voice dropped an octave and sounded like a hungry beast.

"What?! That's absurd! I would never—"

The spirit shook its head and chuckled. "Calm down Chief, I'm only kidding. To answer your question, I'm expanding and you just so happen to be sitting on a prime piece of real-estate, and I could use some local talent to help me break in."

"I will not surrender the Northern Water Tribe to anyone!"

Again, the spirit laughed at Unalaq expense. "You won't have to Chief. Look our times up. Think about my offer. Can't wait to hear your answer."

"Unalaq, is everything alright?" A woman in a nightgown stepped in through the door.

"Malina darling, what are you doing up?" Unalaq asked while trying to act normal. His wife wasn't keen on his true motives but she wasn't a fool. If he didn't play his cards right then she might start suspecting something was off.

"I could ask you the same darling. Were you talking to someone?"

"Yes, I was on the phone with Tarllok just now. Things are heating up in Republic City and I wanted to know if our interests were still intact." Unalaq spun a believable lie. "I just have a few more things to wrap up and I'll get back to bed darling."

Malina raised a brow at her husband but ultimately dismissed her suspicions . "Alright then. Don't take too long. You need your rest."

"Right, I won't be long."

Unalaq waited for his wife to leave the room before collapsing on his decorative desk chair. He planted his hand on his face and let out a sigh. He would need to report this to Vaatu immediately. His instincts screamed at him that this creature was a possible rival who could derail all of their plans. Truth be told, it could've killed him on a whim if it wanted to. 'Was it even a spirit?'

He removed his hand and was greeted with the second shock of the night. The 'spirit' rematerialized in front of his desk and violently got in his face. Before he could do anything, the monster spoke.

"I just wanted to leave you with some parting words, Unalaq. I want to let you know that this train is leaving the station with or without you. If you don't want to join in, fine. But if you get in my way, well…you know the rest."

The monster faded away as quickly as he appeared. Unalaq was sweating bullets and taking deep breaths. He would break his promise and wouldn't return to bed until his nerves were mended. Sleep would not come easy for a while.

---

A/N:

Well that took forever huh? Peter and Korra are finally on the same page, Mr. Sato's mask is starting to break, and the bigger bad is making moves. How is he, I know but I won't tell. I'm sure the smarter readers have already figured it out (Lord knows you've had ample time to figure it out). I agonized over the dinner scene for many nights and I hope it came out alright. Ended up having to part out this chapter, seems to be a recurring theme with me, and the second part shouldn't take too long to write. It's been a busy year and it might've impacted this chapter more than it should have. That's on me and I promise to do better in that front. So anyway, I hope you all enjoy this update. I look forward to continuing this story. Take care everyone.

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Dimensional Wanderer: I'm a sucker for dream sequences like the one in chapter 19. It's a creative playground for me. Metaphors and such become 'real' and I can essentially do whatever I want. I've watched the old tv evangelion and a few of the movies but I'll be honest and say that it didn't come to mind when I wrote that chapter. Amon's death/survival has been a hot point of discussion I've had on my discord. Can I have Amon survive the events of book 1, yes. Do I know what to do with him if he does? Not really. Either way I'll come up with something more solid when I eventually cross that bridge.

MajorBrony95: Peter is still not comfortable with the whole 'opening up' thing. He has reservations and won't tell Korra everything but he'll improve on that as the story goes along. Based on the character's history, the man is very slow to trust others. It's not meant to be a good or bad trait of his but just a trait. It's just who he is nothing more nothing less.

Wizardwolf 1020: I like your ideas but I'm not feeling the whole 'turning into a monster' thing. Rest assured I've got some interesting things planed for Peter and the spirit world in book 2 and you won't be disappointed…in 2035. Korra's spider villain vision will be addressed in the next chapter.

CRUDEN: Spider-Man Noir spirituality was one of the reasons I chose him in the first place. Truth be told I'd have an easier time writing Ultimate Spider-Man since I read so many of the comics but Noir just ended up being a better fit for this world much more than the others. This story started on a whim and evolved into something a lot of people enjoy and I'm thankful for all the readers for pushing me.

gods-own: Thanks for the advice. I'll keep it in mind.

Juxshoa:…Stay tuned

Astrovert: Basic was hard for very strange reasons. It's really a head game my dude. Would I do it again, hell no. I made the best of it and the cadre were all good people for the most part. It's just the process man. I'm glade I made that choice but good god I never want to see another campaign hat ever again. I'm excited to flesh out Kumo and Peter's dynamic in future chapters but please tell me what you didn't like about Kumo. Not bucking your critique or anything I would just like to hear your thoughts. Feel free to pm me or just write your answer in a review. As for where he fits in the ATLA world, I won't spoil anything but I got a hell of a backstory to tell with Kumo.

Cylon One: Yeah…after all these years…that statement doesn't bother me at all promise.

Sabastian Burlis: Afraid not bud. But there's no telling what the future has in store for us or the story. The story has changed wildly from my original vison so who knows what will happen.

Mrsauce906: I think I avoided the chatty cathy trope pretty well in this chapter. But I failed miserably with the fast update, again sorry about that. I don't think you'll be disappointed in the Peter/Mr. Sato confrontation. Lots of emotion flying every which way, you're going to love it. Peter's past will be told eventually.

johanhaniff28: sort of.

crazycarl364: I did ramp up the violence in the last chapter just to show that Peter could be a monster if he didn't hold back. The spider god thought it would show him how much easier his life would be if he stopped holding back but he got the opposite effect and made him resist more.

wargreymonxtreme11: *dusts off bullet points*

-All the bending art can be used in catastrophic ways. Burning someone to death or blood bending someone's heart to make it explode. The sky's the limit.

-Peter does have a high aptitude for innovation, always liked that about the character. He doesn't get enough props for it but he's basically batman on a budget. Naturally, this could be applied to bending but in all honesty that's stuff is closer than the end than the near future of the story.

-Good ideas with Zaheer and gadgets. I won't get into the nitty gritty of it but let's just say that Peter isn't the only one with a knack for innovation on the playing field.

-Eh the radio wave thing has been shelved for the foreseeable future. I wouldn't hold my breath on seeing it again but like I said many times, anything can happen. It doesn't take a lot to change my mind when it comes to the story.

-Damn I like that blood bending idea for Amon. I could see him workshopping new ways to combat Spider-Man but chose the full body shock suit instead since the enhanced blood bending (Tactical Blood-Bending?) would cause too much damage. But I could see him using it as a weapon of last resort if, I don't know, someone outs him for a fraud and his life's work has been reduced to shambles. How knows if that will happen. Definitely putting a pin on that idea, good stuff dude.

-I can't see Korra doing blood bending even in bad situations. I can see normal water-benders using it to give them a leg up on others but the Avatar is already pretty OP and I'm sure she's heard nothing but bad things about the art. Not a bad idea or anything I just try my damndest to keep in steep with the characterization from the characters respective source material.

-Varrick is going to be a thorn Spider-Man side that's for sure. The man is a pure capitalist and wouldn't hesitate if there was a buck to be made. Who knows, he might just buy the rights and wreak havoc on Spider-Man's image. Lots of fun to be had writing that conflict I tell you, and I can't wait to get to that part.

-Things have been pretty hard and heavy lately but I haven't forgotten the comedy. So don't worry too much about that. The tone will lighten up pretty soon…and then go back to dark right after.

-Kumo is an original character so I can do whatever I want with him. I'm not crazy about him having minions since he's kind of a loner like Peter. Remember, no one remembered who he was because he didn't have ties or stuff like that. Now can that change, absolutely. But I think he has those eyes and ears bases covered by himself. He's not just a single entity, in a physical sense, and he wouldn't need a whole lot of help. Now that's not to say that he doesn't have ties with others.
-I don't see a need to buff Peter to an Avatar state power level. One, he's plenty powerful in his own right. Two, the story doesn't need two power houses walking around. I just think the power dynamic is a lot more interesting with their different backgrounds and abilities. Peter is good in one aspect, while Bolin is better in others. There has to be a give and take when it comes to an ensemble cast. Take Asami for example. She was never meant to be in the other books of the show and I don't think the creators did her justice. Every time there was a fight she was written out of the scene or flat out wasn't involved because the creators didn't know what to do with her. She either had table scraps from the writhers (A couple of fight scenes in book 3) or a glorified equipment provider (The airship in Book 3 and the flying machines in book 4). Her involvement in the story was neglected to hell and she was tacked onto some out of nowhere romance scene right at the end of the series. In conclusion, each character has to have a dynamic and more importantly a purpose to the narrative and me tacking on additional abilities to Peter, or anyone for that matter, would disrupt both of those.

-I think the di-lee agents did that way back in the first series with their gloves.

-Kumo doesn't have contempt for humanity in and of itself. He just hates concepts like cowardice and villainy with a white-hot passion. That is why he is extremely selective on who gets his power and who gets dead. I haven't gotten that far but Kumo will have some interactions with his fellow spirits in future works. I'm really digging where you're going with your Wong-shi-Tong and Zaheer ideas.

-Kumo does get something out of his relationship with Peter and his predecessors. What that is is still a mystery. Again, I like your parasitic ideas you proposed. Not crazy about him eating souls though. I'm between a hard PG and a soft PG-13 and soul eating getting into the hard PG-13 and a soft R. Not my tempo.

PrudishSet: Which part felt like filler? I don't write any part of the story with the soul purpose of filler. I grew up in the Naruto 100+ episodes of fillers and I take some offense to that statement.

dperson3569: The spider-god has the social graces of a brick. He's like those grandparents from the old country that traded a goat for the neighbor's daughter's hand in marriage type of guy. He wants something he takes it. And Peter is the most unique Avatar Kumo ever had. In the past, his champions world view aligned with his for the most part and he never had to extend a helping hand in the past. He's not a simpleton mind you but his methods are brutal. Like Peter, Kumo is slowly growing with this new dynamic. He's been dormant for centuries before coming across Peter on that fateful night. Society has changed dramatically and he hasn't been home in an extremely long time. (More on that later). Peter's repeated failures did spur him into action since he felt like he needed course correction but it was ultimately the wrong move and he saw that at the end of their confrontation. Peter willing to lay his life on the line really drove the point home that Kumo was in the wrong through it all but his pride will never let him admit it out loud. He thought that his torment was building Peter up was ultimately doing the opposite. His overreaction wasn't entirely his fault. When Kumo returned to his home reality it was like a former alcoholic falling off the wagon. All the raw spiritual energy messed with his head and impaired his judgment the longer he was in his home reality.

hunter 139: I was actually talking to my buddies on discord about that recently. I think I put it best. Noir is playing on veteran difficulty with is inexperience but when Amazing finally comes through he'll be playing on recruit. Mainstream Spider-Man is stronger and faster than noir and has about a decade (in story) of experience under his belt. He's going to have a much easier go of things than Noir Peter did that's for sure.

I think I've made my hatred for Miles Morales known so I'm just going to keep pretending he doesn't exist. I hate him so much that I didn't even play his new game. PS: Peter's redesign looks stupid.

Kratosavatar18: Oh he's coming don't worry.

johanhaniff28: RIGHT NOW!

TheSolarCommando757: Yeah man believe me I know. My life has gotten more and more complicated since I started the story. It has gotten pretty overwhelming at times and my time management skills are still crap. Unfortunately, regular-ish updates was a causality of this and I'm going to try like hell to remedy that in the future. I like writing but I don't want to be in book 1 until 2028 either. So, all I can say is that I'll try to be more punctual with the story. I might fail here and there but I'll keep tying. Feel free smack me over the head in a PM or review. I get distracted really easy.