'...So this is what you meant
When you said that you were spent
And now it's time to build from the bottom of the pit, right to the top
Don't hold back
Packing my bags and giving the Academy a rain check...'
She was being hesitant. The constant glances that were coming from her officers, in particular Tenzin's gaze was fixed on her too. She turned on her heel. Never finishing her sentence.
"Lin!"
'Keep walking...just walk...' She repeated to herself.
She knew that he was following. She couldn't say it-no tell him for the matter. She had kept it a secret for fifteen years. How was she supposed to tell him? Guess what? We have two kids too.
She had made it to her office door, so did Tenzin.
"Lin..."
She looked at her office door. It was right there. Inches away from her.
"Lin, what were you going to say?" Tenzin was worried now.
'I could tell you so much...'
"The city..." She said.
He furrowed his eyebrows again.
She opened her office door, even though there wasn't anyone in the corridor that they were in now.
"That was all that I wanted to say... The City..." She walked in her office without another word to say to him.
He continued to follow.
She wouldn't have minded the company but the guilt was chewing and nipping at her. They had to spend the rest of the day together.
"It almost sounded like you were going to say something else," he said stroking his beard and narrowing his eyes before adding, "if you say it is 'The City', you have taken care of it."
She sat at her desk gesturing for him to sit in front of it.
'Your guilt is really flipping out on you. What is so hard in telling him that you have kids?'
"Everything..." She mumbled.
Tenzin was looking at her confused and amused.
She chewed her bottom lip and cleared her throat.
"Something's not tying in with some of these statements..." She began.
"Indeed. I'm surprised Mr. Sato would be on our side, considering that..."
"He lost his wife?"
"Yes, you would think he'd be siding with the equalists..."
She leaned back in her seat crossing her arms.
"It felt like his statement was staged. As if he planned it ahead of time, besides... I doubt Cabbage Corp. has anything to do with manufacturing these weapons and the propaganda,"
She watched as how Tenzin sighed.
"We can't assume without evidence."
She snorted.
"Sometimes you don't need evidence." She said coldly.
"L-Lin, are you implying that..." He began nervously.
"No, I am not implying whatever it is that you're thinking... It doesn't take one to see that something isn't right." She said.
She stood up and started to pace.
'Tell him... I would love too. However, by some unnatural impulse I don't. You're afraid. Humph, I am not afraid. Then tell him. I can't-won't...'
She hadn't realized that Tenzin was standing right beside her.
"Lin is something the matter?" He asked placing a hand on her shoulder.
She pursed her lips.
'Say it. It's only three words. I have kids. Not that hard. Easy for you to say...'
She bit her lower lip.
"I have a question; did your mother ever...Ask you if I ever told you something important?" She asked staring directly into his eyes.
He averted his gaze and dropped his hand back to his side.
"Yes but I never got anything out of my own mother or you," he told her honestly.
She nodded walking back to her desk and leaning against it crossing her arms.
"So she didn't tell you anything..."
She sighed.
She felt his gaze lingering on her.
"I'm going to tell you something that I've neglected to say for years now..."
She felt as though the room's temperature went up drastically. There must have been a faint trace of colour against her cheeks.
'Look at you... You're at your breaking point. Say it!'
She looked up to look at him. To her surprise, she noticed that he was blushing. She was confused now.
"Tenzin, are you all right?" She asked, her voice not sounding like her own.
"Oh... Uh... I was just remembering what Korra told me." He gulped.
She arched an eyebrow.
"And that would be?" She sighed, "I won't ask... You see, what I haven't told you for years now is..."
"That you still have feelings for me?"
"Yes... NO! No! That isn't what... No." She was flustered now.
'Where did he get such an idiotic notion? Ha, ha, you're lying to yourself...'
The colour in her cheeks returned. She cursed the outcome of this explanation.
'...I don't ever want to let you down
I don't ever want to leave this town
Cause after all
This city never sleeps at night...'
"Oh..."
Was all she heard. Why was her heart racing? Why was the room spinning? Why was it so hot?
She swallowed hard.
It was too awkward to say anything anymore. She heard shuffling and it came from him. He was pacing and he finally stopped. Turning to face her.
"So you weren't going to say you still had feelings for me?" He asked staring at her.
The colour in her cheeks returned.
"Yes... I mean no... I wasn't... Where did you get that obscured notion?" She said harshly, averting her gaze but looked back at him.
She must have hurt him for saying that.
His eyes were searching for something on her. What it was she didn't know.
The guilt was killing her. It was gnawing, scratching, and ripping its way out.
"I'm sorry..." Were her words.
Her voice was so foreign. Where was her conscious?
"For?" He asked confused.
She chuckled, "I don't know."
The way he was looking at her made her even guiltier.
'Oh spirits... I can't...'
She bit her lower lip and looked at him again. A faint hue was on his cheeks.
'What is going on in that bald head of his?'
He approached her, not too close but close enough for her to see more of the colour that was residing on his cheeks and how he swallowed hard.
She cleared her throat feeling the heat get to her, the closeness, and oh the conspiring guilt.
"We should get a move on and I should check if any of my officers have anything of notice for me,"
She looked at him. The colour in his cheeks still there. She probably reciprocated the same colour on her cheeks. Why was she acting like a schoolgirl?
'Say it! You're killing me here. You don't know how much I want to punch you senseless just to get the truth out of you!'
She looked away but he turned her to face him again. They were looking into each other's eyes. The way their breathing patterns changed the hue on their cheeks, and how their faces were inches away from each other. When had they gotten this close?
His touch was warm; welcoming even and just like that their mouths covered each other in a hungry kiss. They're lingering feelings that had been bottled up for years flowing out. The ferocity of their kiss made them pull each other in more. She was responding with the same hunger as he. She felt his hand on the back of her neck, which was pulling her in more.
'LIN! NO... This isn't what you wanted to do. Snap out of this state of pleasure and comfort and stand your ground! For the love of the spirits! STOP!'
She pushed him away hard, gasping for air. Walking away from him, voicing out her thoughts, "No... NO! This... This isn't... It shouldn't have..."
She stopped herself and slowly turned to look at him and pointed at him.
"What were you thinking? What's worst is that I accepted it." She hissed.
She watched how he dragged a hand across his face and he sighed pursing his lips in a thin line.
There was a knock that made them snap their heads towards the door. She got rid of all the emotions that she had been showing far more than she needed too. She let out a breath.
Walking towards her door and opening it.
"Chief, you have a telegram from the earth kingdom." Her officer informed her, giving her a piece of paper.
"Thank you, you can return to your duties officer,"
She closed the door and quickly read over the telegram.
Lin,
Normally, I wouldn't even be sending you a telegram or call or even write. However, I find the need to let you know that things are chaotic here as well. If you have the time call. Call. If not well, I understand.
- Kei Jung
She bit her lower lip.
"If you could leave," She ordered coldly.
"Lin, I..." He began
"Leave!" She hissed.
She closed her eyes and waited for him to leave. When she opened her eyes and heard the door click shut, she let out a shaky breath. Her hands were clenched into fists.
'Idiot... '
'...It's time to begin, isn't it?
I get a little bit bigger but then I'll admit
I'm just the same as I was
Now don't you understand
That I'm never changing who I am...'
Later that day, it was evident that things were awkward but not to the point where it was noticed by Korra. Informing us of how it may be Mr. Sato who's behind the shipment of equipment to the equalists. Plus she wasn't able to reply to Jung's telegram.
"So, you think Mr. Sato manufactured those gloves for the Equalists then framed Cabbage Corp?" Asked Tenzin.
"That's a bold accusation, but what proof do you have?" She asked.
"Well, I don't exactly have proof, but I know what I heard. Sato's up to something." Said Korra
"He does have the means... and he has a motive." She said looking at Tenzin.
"That's right." Tenzin admitted.
"A motive? What is it?" Korra asked curiously.
"Twelve years ago, the Agni Kai Triad robbed Sato's mansion. A fire bender killed Sato's wife during the break in,"
"That's terrible" Korra said saddened at the information that she was getting.
"It was tragic. It's possible that he's been harbouring anti-bending sentiment all this time." Tenzin said looking at Lin now.
"Maybe we should look at Mr. Sato a little more closely." She said.
...
Looked like the young Avatar was getting herself into a problem or better yet love. She ignored the three teenagers and placed her attention on Hiroshi Sato. They made way towards his private office.
"Mr. Sato, we just have a few follow-up questions for you." She said flatly.
Before Mr. Sato could say anything his daughter barged in.
"My father is innocent. Just because we're not benders doesn't mean we support those awful Equalists." His daughter exclaimed.
"Equalists", Hiroshi walked towards his daughter, "Is that what this is about? I can assure you I have nothing to do with those radicals."
"Yeah, you don't know what you're talking about, Korra."
'What was that kids name again...? Seems like there's tension about...'
"I overheard you on the phone. You said the Cabbage Corp investigation bought you time, and you're getting ready to strike. Explain that! "Korra exclaimed pointing at Hiroshi Sato.
Hiroshi laughed; "this is all just a misunderstanding, resulting from the young Avatar's overactive imagination. My number one competitor was knocked out of the game. It's providing me an opportunity to strike the market with a new line of Satomobiles. It's just business. Nothing nefarious,"
She averted her eyes and looked at Tenzin.
"In order to put all suspicions to rest, might we have a look into your factories and warehouses?" Tenzin asked.
"If you feel it's necessary, you're welcome to search all of Future Industries."
She watched as how his daughter huffed in annoyance. She rolled her eyes.
'That girl needs to learn a few things.'
'...So this is where you fell
And I am left to sell
The path to heaven runs through miles of clouded hell right to the top
Don't look back
Turning to rags and giving the commodities a rain check...'
They found nothing that tied Hiroshi Sato with Amon and the equalists.
"I can't believe we didn't find anything."
She heard Korra say from a distance.
"It would appear Hiroshi is innocent." She said nonchalantly.
"Okay, you did your search. Now you can all leave." Said Asami annoyed.
Lin glared at the girl, "Hmm."
Tenzin hadn't said a word to her. She listened to the bickering that Korra was having with Mr. Hotshot but tuned out when Tenzin said, "I apologize for what happened earlier... I assumed..."
She cut him off with a wave of her hand. Not wanting to remember what happened earlier.
"It was a mistake," she murmured. Leaving it at that and not wanting to talk about it.
His gaze was fixed on her.
She opened her mouth but nothing came out. She closed it. Letting her attention take a hold on the airships. She sensed that he followed her gaze.
"I think you guys should hear this." Both turned their heads to look at Korra. She began to read a note that had been given to her anonymously, "If you want to find the truth, meet me under the north end of the Silk Road Bridge at midnight."
...
"Psst."
They turned their heads.
"Over here,"
A warehouse worker comes out from his hiding spot, which was behind the pillar.
"Listen, I joined the Equalists because I believed in what Amon said. I thought he could make life better for us non-benders. But I didn't sign up for this..." the man turned his head towards them, "this war."
She was curious now.
"What do you have on Hiroshi Sato?" She asked curiously.
"He manufactured those gloves" the man turned his body towards them, "for the Equalists."
'People aren't bright these days, of course it would be for the equalists.' She told herself.
"I knew it!" Korra said confidently.
The worker lifted his collar up to hide his face continuing," and there are rumours he's working on something even bigger. Some new kind of weapon,"
Tenzin lifted his hand in confusion; "we searched all of Future Industries and found nothing."
The worker looked at them. "That's because he has a secret factory."
"Where?" Asked Korra.
"It's right underneath the Sato Mansion" the worker exclaimed.
They gasped and were in shock.
...
Her attention was placed on how small the figures were from where she was, looking down at her city. The city she loved as much as she loved her two children they were far from all of this chaos... Except she remembered Jung's telegram. 'Things are chaotic here as well.'
"Raiding the Sato Mansion is a risky move with Tarrlok breathing down your neck. If we're wrong..."she heard Tenzin say but cut him off.
"I know. I can kiss my job goodbye. But protecting Republic City is all I care about. We can't let Amon get his hands on this new weapon."
'...I don't ever want to let you down
I don't ever want to leave this town
Cause after all
This city never sleeps at night...'
Her officers burst into the mansion.
'Oh joy... Miss Prissy'
"What are you doing here?" Asami asked angrily and surprised
"We have a reason to believe that there's a factory hidden below the mansion." She told the girl.
Asami narrowed her eyes, "I think I would've noticed if there were a factory underneath my house. The lies you people come up with just to persecute my father."
"Where is your father?" Tenzin asked.
"In his workshop, behind the house," Asami replied.
They made way to Hiroshi Sato's workshop. Her officers burst through first and they followed.
"Dad? Hello?"
One of her officers approached her.
"Chief, the estate's been secured. No one has left the workshop since we arrived."
"Perhaps we just couldn't see him leaving,"
She walked into the middle of the room, her hands behind her back. She rose her leg and metal bent her left sole, exposing her bare foot so that she could perform her seismic sense.
She saw the outline of the whole area that they were in. She also noticed that there was indeed a tunnel beneath them.
"There's a tunnel beneath the workshop running deep into the mountainside." She stated flatly.
"What? There's no tunnel." Asami said in disbelief.
She glanced at the floor and metal bended the metal layer that was there. Exposing stairs and elevator going down, walking towards it.
Hotshot's brother whispered something to the girl but the girl was in too much of a shock to even listen to the boy.
"I don't understand. There must be an explanation."
"Maybe you don't know everything about your father. I'm sorry." Korra said sympathetically.
"Officers," She said pointing towards the stairs, "into the tunnel. Be cautious."
Her officers walk in and she halts the three teenagers.
"Uh-uh, you three stay up here," she said, turning to Song, "Officer Song, keep an eye on them."
He saluted her. She made her way towards the stairs.
'Something doesn't feel right... What do you mean? The fact that you and Tenzin kissed or you never told him the truth? None of those, well the truth but something isn't right.'
...
"Not your average backyard workshop," She said flatly.
"And I'm guessing those are the new weapons."
Both she and Tenzin turn to look at what Korra was speaking of.
"Hiroshi was lying all right, but where is he?" Tenzin asked confused.
A metal wall shot up directly behind them. They were trapped in the confines of this new weapon and several equalists.
All hell broke loose. As they fought to the best of their abilities it wasn't enough. She had blacked out from being thrown too hard against the wall.
'...It's time to begin, isn't it?
I get a little bit bigger but then I'll admit
I'm just the same as I was
Now don't you understand
That I'm never changing who I am...'
She had briefly opened her eyes but closed them again. She lost her men. It was a set up. How could she have fallen so low?
...
They were on the airship now. She was trying to collect her thoughts into place.
"My metal benders are on their way to Amon, and it's all my fault. Tarrlok's right, I've failed as chief. First thing in the morning, I'm handing in my resignation." She said softly, feeling weak.
She hadn't felt weak in years.
"No! You can't give up like this!" Tenzin said adamantly.
She sat up; "I'm not giving up. I'm gonna find my officers and take Amon down. But I'm gonna do it my way, outside the law."
She saw how Tenzin looked down at her with concern.
"Lin..."
"No, Tenzin, no matter what you do or try to say it won't change my mind,"
She watched him closely. A wave of pain was coursing through her from sitting up abruptly.
He was looking at her.
"I think its best that you go to a hospital. Let them check you..."
She scoffed.
"I've been in worse conditions then these..."
She lay down again. Listening to the soft murmurings of the airship and Tenzin's light-breathing pattern. She closed her eyes and drifted off into sleep.
...
When she woke up again, she was confined in a hospital room; she heard three familiar voices. Their murmurings hovering about her.
Her eyes were droopy; the first person she saw was Tenzin, with an expression of anger and disbelief. While the next two people she saw were her children.
She incoherently said their names.
"Jie... Mo Li... What are you?"
She tried to sit up but was too weak to even do so.
"May you two please leave your mother and I to speak privately before you all have a lovely reunion,"
She watched as how the two exchanged a quick look and nodded their heads and stepped out giving her a quick glance and closing the door behind them.
The air was tense and silent.
"What did they tell you?" She asked.
"Very little..."
She looked towards him; she saw how his jaw clenched.
"Humph,"
"You were going to tell me this earlier but I misinterpreted your explanation,"
'Talk about cutting to the chase?'
She sighed, "Yes,"
"Why now? You waited... So long to tell me that you had children and... And you had the disgrace to not even tell me?"
She heard the anger and hurt in his voice. She looked away. She perfectly remembered that she clearly said that she did not want children.
"You lied to me Lin..."
"It wasn't as if I chose to be pregnant in the first place," she hissed, looking away, "it just... Happened... Your mother said it was like a little miracle."
Her voice was so foreign to her. She was lost, back tracking to those days.
He was shaking his head.
"My mother knew and I didn't know a thing." He said angrily.
She still wasn't looking at him.
"Yes, she knew, only because I trusted her. She was upset at me for not letting you know... Even though you had no right to know,"
"LIN! You've kept it a secret from me. Why? Why would you not tell me?" He asked his voice cracking out of anger.
She avoided the question; "did they tell you anything?"
"Don't avoid my question Lin and no they did not, they only mentioned briefly that they did not know who their father was... Speaking of which whom is the father? More importantly...Answer my first question?"
She swallowed hard and looked at him now. She saw the hurt, the anger, and the confusion on his face.
She briefly closed her eyes and opened them again.
The small window above her head exposed the moonlight that was seeping through.
She tightened her grip against the thin sheets.
'Come on Beifong, Stop delaying and out with the truth. He's met them now... Under strange circumstances.'
She bit her lower lip and looked directly into his grey eyes.
"Because you're their father..."
'...It's time to begin, isn't it?
I get a little bit bigger but then I'll admit
I'm just the same as I was
Now don't you understand
That I'm never changing who I am
This road never looked so lonely
This house doesn't burn down slowly
To ashes
To ashes
It's time to begin, isn't it?
I get a little bit bigger but then I'll admit
I'm just the same as I was
Now don't you understand
That I'm never changing who I am...'