"What do you have on him?" Toph tapped her foot on the floor, feeling the vibrations pass through the steel-plated interrogation room and return to her. The young man inside was slumped against the wall, his pulse unnaturally fast.

Penga glanced at the arrest report."Tergel Tsereg, twenty-two years old. First-time offense, but he does have an Agni Kai tattoo on his wrist. Possession of two pints of Si-Wong cactus sap, in bamboo vials strapped around his forearms and calves. One of them must have cracked; my officer noticed the sap dripping down his arm, and he ran when questioned. By the look of his pupils, he's already been using for some time." She set the report down. "Unfortunately, this is all we have on any of the Triads this week. The Agni Kais have been especially quiet; after their last buy-up of territory near the train station, they haven't made any moves against the Triple Threat stronghold in Dragon Flats."

"And as of yet, we can't prove that expansion was unlawful, because everyone is too scared to talk." Toph ground her teeth in frustration. "If Aang had actually brought in those two thugs he caught, a few weeks ago-"

"I don't know if that would have made much of a difference now, Sifu." Ho Tun shook his massive head. "The Triple Threats have been just as quiet as the Agni Kais, since the bending curfew was announced. Their attack on you was too aggressive, so they're playing it carefully now. Which is why we haven't caught a single Triple Threat since-"

"Since Yakone ambushed me, yes. Thank you." Toph snapped, rubbing her temples as they walked away from the cells. She resented Ho Tun for bringing up her frantic flight to Air Temple Island, after the Triad attack. No one was perfect, and she would do it again in a heartbeat if a Bloodbender threatened her child. "I admit: not collaring ten Triads in one sweep, that's on me. But I'm not going to waste time, lamenting over how he managed to land a blow. I'm bracing myself, and listening for the next strike. Isn't that what I spent three years drilling into your thick heads at the Academy?"

Ho Tun gave a sheepish chuckle. "No disrespect intended, Sifu. I'm just not sure where we go from here, if our primary target is the Triple Threats-"

"Find a way to pit them against each other, then divide and conquer. Always." Toph didn't add what they all knew: that strategy worked for all the Triads, except the Triple Threats. While there was always some backstabbing in each faction, the Triple Threat's multi-ethnic background gave them greater numbers and a more extensive intelligence network than their competitors. And as the other gangs had steadily lost ground in the last few years, more and more out-of-work benders turned to Angakkuk for opportunity... except, that Angakkuk was no longer Mountain Master of the Triple Threat Triad. The day after the attack on Toph and Katara, Angakkuk had died suddenly. The press had run wild with speculation over unknown illness, or poison; the crime lord had already survived several attempts on his life in the past. But Toph didn't bother investigating, when she already knew exactly what had happened. She could still hear Yakone's voice rasping in her ear, "His retirement is coming sooner than he thinks."

Deputy Chief Hei'an cleared his throat. "We might not have the Triple Threats in our sights now, but let's go over what we do know. Until last year, the Agni Kais were still almost neck-and-neck with the Triple Threats, in terms of power. At the risk of sounding less than poetic-"

The two guards near the door stifled snickers. In his youth, the Deputy Chief had been known for composing terrible poetry. Toph shot them a look, and they fell silent.

"When Zuko and Kuei first started at each other's throats, gang activity doubled across the United Republic, especially recruitment. But this week, ever since the attack on Chief Beifong, the Triads have gone quiet. No strong-arming citizens for new protection rackets, no running numbers on pro-bending matches, no incidents involving cactus sap deliveries or overdoses... except now, and this Tergel boy didn't have much."

"Maybe the Triads are just trying to finally go legitimate?" Ho Tun shrugged. "You never know, if they just took time to consider Sifu Toph's warning, and the anti-bending measures-"

Penga smacked Ho Tun on the shoulder. "Ho Tun. You're a great Metalbender, but get your head out of the clouds. They're not going to miss an opportunity, with the Avatar out of town."

"Which is why... I was about to suggest that we offer the kid a plea deal." Hei'an cleared his throat impatiently. "A reduced sentence, or even amnesty, in exchange for any information he has, on either the Triple Threat's recent activities... or, any Triad involvement in the spat between the Earth King and the Fire Lord. Assuming this kid's a recent recruit to the Agni Kais, he should fold fairly quickly if we hit the right nerve-"

"Are you insane, Hei'an?!" Penga interjected. "You want to let an Agni Kai walk, just for some information that could turn out to be lies? Or nothing worthwhile at all?"

"We'll have a file on him. If he turns out to be lying, we can simply arrest him again, and extend the sentence." Hei'an shrugged. "Same result, and a green recruit is more likely to talk to us than a street-hardened veteran."

"That's not my point! You're willing to... negotiate with those bigots?! They're so xenophobic, they'll target Fire Nationals who so much as socialize with other communities! They don't accept anyone who doesn't fully embrace the same ostrich-horse manure Ozai used to feed his subjects!"

"And because of that, nearly everyone in Republic City is already against them, which limits how far they can expand their power base. Which means they are not our biggest threat, at the moment." Hei'an's tone became condescending, as if explaining something to a child. "Our biggest problem, is that the Triads are still smuggling munitions and machine parts. In spite of the lack of gang activity in the city this week, factory and warehouse owners keep coming to us with incomplete inventories. My officers have only intercepted one shipment so far, which was last week. No surprise, the culprits were Triple Threats. Also no surprise, none of them are talking, either out of loyalty or fear."

I'm betting fear, Toph thought. Her encounter with Yakone still woke her in a cold sweat, even a week after the attack.

"It's reasonable to assume that other Triads- especially the Agni Kais, and the Jenamites- want a piece of this smuggling business, if they aren't already involved." Hei'an continued. "But as Penga pointed out, they're so mistrustful of each other, that none of their alliances last. If we can dislodge their main rival, or force them to back down in exchange for further information on the Triple Threats-"

"But that strengthens the Agni Kais! And let's face it, they're the ones that give us most of the real horror stories." Ho Tun shuddered. "I'd much rather weaken them, over the Triple Threats-"

"That's because you've never been Bloodbent before." Toph cut in. She turned to face her three most trusted officers. "Hei'an's right, much as I hate to admit it. The Agni Kais are well-organized, but they're too overt in their racism to ever unify the United Republic's Triads. The Triple Threats, on the other hand... Honestly, if they operated within the law, I'd almost be inclined to support them. Spirits knows, we tolerated Angakkuk for a long time. But his successor's too ambitious, too indifferent to how his business affects the lives of civilians. You've seen the way the Triple Threats' soldiers have behaved since Yakone started climbing the ranks, even before Angakkuk's death. And he's drawing the interest of less-committed soldiers in other Triads, making them desert their gangs in favor of the Triple Threat. Whether they've backed off for now or not, they're getting more powerful by the day. If they actually unify every syndicate in the country, the United Republic will be run by Yakone's laws, not ours." She tapped her foot on the floor again. "This Tergel kid, did he resist arrest?"

"Ran toward the Yu Dao borough, but we had him cornered in about fifteen minutes." Penga glanced over her shoulder at the interrogation room. "We tried talking him down, but he was so delirious I don't think he even heard us. He used Firebending when I got close, but I wasn't in any real danger. We secured him without any injuries."

Toph kept her feet flat on the floor, feeling the vibrations of her ex-student's pulse. Penga was telling the truth. "Did you already get a photograph?" An inventor from Gigye had recently come up with a technology, that could capture images by burning their reflections onto a light-sensitive material. As soon as Toph had heard about it, she insisted on photographing all arrested Triads; it made identification much easier for her officers.

"Took care of it as soon as we got back to the precinct."

"Anyone come in for him yet? Did he ask for his parents, fellow Agni Kais, lawyer?"

"None. We've barely gotten a coherent word out of him, but it's been about three hours. He's probably starting to come down now, if you want to question him."

Toph paused. She usually didn't do interrogations; her new recruits needed practice. But in these desperate times, if any of her officers harbored anti-Fire National sentiments, it might get out of hand. A healthy dose of fear wasn't a bad thing for the Triads, but Toph drew the line at physical torture. Then again, she'd never needed to, when she could detect lies as easily as breathing.

"Fine." She turned on her heel and strode back toward the interrogation room, the steel door swinging open at a gesture of her hand. The young man flinched and backed against the wall, but a tremor in the floor jolted him off his feet, and he landed on his rear. She didn't bother to immobilize him; if Penga had been able to capture him single-handed, he was no threat.

"I assume you've already been read your rights, and the charges against you?" Toph didn't address him by name. "I hear you were alone. Most of the Agni Kai mules we collar work in pairs; one diverts the police, while the other runs off with the contraband. What happened to your backup? They get cold feet?"

Tergel's voice was hoarse and slightly slurred, no doubt from the sap. "I'm not an Agni Kai-"

"That tattoo on your arm told my officers otherwise." Toph snorted. "You're wasting your breath anyway, I can feel your heart rate change whenever you lie. You're within your rights not to answer me, but I have charges against you for transporting an illegal substance and assaulting a police officer." The last charge was a bit of a stretch, but she wasn't going to mention that. "Your heart rate also tells me you use Si-Wong sap pretty regularly. Unless you want to face eight months of... unpleasant withdrawal in prison, I suggest you start talking."

Tergel's voice shook, but he was still defiant. "If you think... I'm going to give you names-"

"No, I don't think that at all." Toph shook her head as she walked around him. "I already know all the important names for your Triad, but individuals don't make a difference to me. Every time we arrest one soldier, another one springs up; every time a Mountain Master is dethroned, they have a successor waiting in the wings. I'm not even asking you to rat on the Agni Kai Triad's operations. No point, when I know what Lady Tsai would do to you as soon as you left the police station." Lady Tsai was the Mountain Master of the Agni Kai Triad. "I'd take eight months in prison over that, too. No, what I'm interested in... is crippling the Triple Threat Triad, in one sweep."

Tergel froze. "I've got nothing to do with those freaks-"

"Neither did I, until they threatened me and my daughter." Toph let her anger show. She didn't share the Agni Kais' mindless bigotry, but if she could persuade this narrow-minded child that she had common cause with him... "You know they have a Bloodbender now, right? You think withdrawal or Ordeal by Fire is agonizing? Well, I can tell you firsthand what it's like to have someone tugging at every vein in your body, with a flick of their wrist. And Yakone doesn't even need the full moon to do it. For all I know, he's strong enough to take on a room full of benders, without breaking a sweat. At this rate, anyone who crosses him- except maybe the Avatar- will die or be broken. But the Avatar's not here, and I'm guessing he won't be back for some time. Maybe you even know why. That's not what I'm asking, though." She gestured at the table in the center of the interrogation room, where a pen and parchment rested in front of a chair. "Yakone's two biggest obstacles to controlling Republic City are your Triad and my police force, which means that eventually, he'll come for both of us. If you want to help me weaken him- and by extension, improve your odds of living- write down everything you know about the Triple Threats. Especially, anything they've been up to this week. In return... I'll waive the charges against you."

Tergel rubbed his head as he pulled himself upright. "You think I'm any safer... if you release me?" His tone was still scornful. "The Triple Threats... aren't going to worry about me, if I'm in prison. I'll take a trial and a few months in a cell, any day. Like you said... if I'm released the day I'm arrested, Lady Tsai will assume I squealed, no matter what I tell her. I'll disappear for good before I've gone three blocks. You can bet she's watching this building, right now."

"You're absolutely right." Toph had hoped he wouldn't be so stubborn, but it seemed she had to play her last card. Because once she had, he would have nowhere else to turn. "So... you're free to go."

"Wh-what?"

"Free to go. As in, get out of my precinct. Now."

"Y-You can't do that! I just told you-"

"What your Firebender pals will do to you, if they think you talked? Should've thought of that before you joined an organization that requires professionals, when you're clearly an amateur." Toph sneered.

"You're sentencing me to death!" A fireball sparked over Tergel's hand. "You're the Chief of Police, you're supposed to enforce the law-"

"You want to talk to me about the law?!" Toph whipped around, her cables snaring the youth's wrists and pinning him to the wall. "You chose to join a group that preaches discrimination and hate, against non-Fire Nationals! You should be grateful I'm even giving you options that leave you alive! Now either you shut up and listen, or I throw you to your own pack of wolves." She dropped him to the floor, then gestured at the table. "Here's the alternative: You confess to your crimes, and provide me with any intel you can on the Triple Threats' recent operations. I keep you in the cells for two weeks, start to wean you off the cactus sap, then write to my very good friend Fire Lord Zuko. He'll arrange private transport for you, to the Fire Nation. You stay there, you keep your nose clean, and you and I will be good. You try to come back to the United Republic, or put a toe out of line in the Fire Nation, and I'll make sure Lady Tsai finds you. And, if I have any future questions... you'll answer them for me."

She gave him a moment to let it sink in. After several wheezing breaths, Tergel finally pulled himself upright again and moved toward the table. "You'll... keep this out of the press?"

"Hell, no. The faster I spill the beans on the Triads, the faster the public sees their true colors. But we will keep your name out of it...provided you do as I say." Toph pushed him into the chair. "This is your first and last chance, kid. Don't waste it."

"It's not much." Ho Tun commented, when Hei'an finished reading Tergel's confession. Most of the Metalbending officers were assembled in the mess hall, with the Deputy Chief at their head. "He doesn't have anything actually linking Yakone or Lady Tsai to the warehouse raids-"

"Did you really expect him to? He's a newbie and a grunt, it's a wonder he knew as much as he did." Penga cut in, glancing over her shoulder. "You were too soft on him, Toph."

"He's a kid. If I threw the book at him, he'd serve his time and be back on the streets, more hardened and committed to the Agni Kais than before. It's strategy, not softness." Toph shook her head. She was sitting at the back of the room, rocking a fussing Lin against her torso. Ever since Yakone's attack, she'd taken to bringing the baby everywhere with her; when she first came back to the precinct yesterday, she'd had a cradle set up in her office. "Bigots who are young and foolish may turn their lives around- but only if you can scare them so badly, they can't find an alternative. At least we got something out of it."

"But if he's lying to us-" Ho Tun interrupted.

"He wasn't lying when I was talking to him in there." Toph had been monitoring Tergel's pulse the entire time. Only people who lied as easily as breathing could fool her senses, and Tergel Tsereg was too high and too green for that. "At least, he doesn't think he was. Either way, we have a file on him now. If we have a use for him in the future, when we're more focused on the Agni Kais..."

"I dunno, Chief." One of her cadets, a teenager named Saikhan, raised his hand. "If the press finds out we're holding things over people's heads like this-"

"I don't like it, either. But the Triads already run half this city, and several of the outlying towns. We don't have the numbers or resources to go toe-to-toe with all of them. The only way to beat them one after another right now, is to be a bit devious ourselves." Toph felt a pang of guilt as she said those words; she believed them, but they were not the example she wanted to set for Lin. She squeezed her daughter closer. Hopefully, by the time Lin was grown, things would be different... "Thanks to him, we know the Triple Threats have been buying up nearly every protection racket and private security contract in Republic City." She hardened her tone, relieved that her voice didn't shake. "Yakone's trying to throw us off his scent, by disguising his rackets as legitimate business. He's trying to subvert the people's faith in our police force, give his faction legitimacy during a time of unrest, when we're supposed to be demonstrating to the world that the United Republic is a place of tolerance, neutrality, and upheld laws. Are we going to let him get away with that?"

"NO." The voice of nearly every officer rang back. Penga's heart rate suggested she was still frustrated with Toph's decision, but she bowed her head in assent.

"No, we are not. Starting tomorrow, we push the Council to debate legislation that will outlaw private security companies, whose forces are loyal to their wallets and not our constitution. We double our patrols through Dragon Flats. We station regular watches on neighborhoods that have been contracted by the Triple Threats. And I may not be on the front lines with you yet, but as soon as Lin is old enough... Well, maybe I'll just bring her along with me. If she gets firsthand experience this young, she ought to turn into a more respectable officer than you thickheads." Even Penga smiled at that one. "Now, unless there's anything else, I'd like to go home and actually try to relax a little. We'll meet tomorrow to plan logistics for our operations."

The officers rose together and saluted. Toph returned the gesture with her left hand; her right was cradling Lin to her chest. "Goodnight, Metalbenders. Those of you who are off tonight, get home safe."

"That goes double for you, Chief." Hei'an chuckled as the officers began to file out. "In a few days you're going to be Triad Enemy Number One again."

Ho Tun turned back at this remark. "Speaking of which, Sifu, do you want an escort home tonight? I know it's your first time back at your old house since... well, y'know-"

Toph felt a harsh retort rise to her lips, but before she could speak, a familiar voice responded. "Not to worry, Ho Tun. She's got an old friend to escort her home tonight... with his trusted assistants."

A small smile spread across Toph's mouth. "Sokka, I told you: you didn't need to show up until six." She stood up, shifting Lin to her hip as Sokka came through the hall entrance, Kya hanging onto his hand.

"Bumi's school finished early. You think I'm putting up with him and Kya all the way home, alone?" Sokka enfolded them both in a hug, Kya wrapping her arms around Toph's leg. "He's waiting out front, I hired a carriage for all of us. Nice speech, by the way. You both alright?"

Toph nodded. Sokka was the only friend who asked her that regularly since the attack. Her officers offered her hollow reassurances, and Aang and Katara were out of town. Her old flame Satoru might have shown concern if he'd known about the attack, but Toph wasn't comfortable discussing Yakone with him; as co-owner of Earthen Fire Industries, Satoru saw her father regularly, and she did NOT want her parents to hear about this.

Sokka's presence had been her only real comfort during her week of hiding on Air Temple Island, even if most of their conversations were about United Republic politics- which had become increasingly complicated. The Council was now reduced to three: Oyuki, Tanken and Kivi. Yaou had been withdrawn by orders from Ba Sing Se, raising the tensions higher as the Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation continued to mobilize. Toph wondered if Sokka was considering her suggestion of trying to run as the new Southern Water Tribe representative; Oyuki's term would be ending next year. Sokka was easygoing and charismatic, able to persuade people with his words rather than browbeat them. Plus, his status as a member of Team Avatar gave him international prestige. It wouldn't hurt to have him as her ally on the Council.

That's not the only reason you want him around though...

She pushed that last thought from her mind as they entered the foyer. "Thanks for picking us up. If you want some tea, we can stop by my place after we get Bumi and Kya home..."

Sokka shrugged. "It's a bit far across town, if we're stopping at the island first... but, if we're walking I could use the exercise. Dinner first, though. Kya's choosing the restaurant."

"I want fire-flake noodles!" Kya jumped up and down. "Mum never lets us have those, she says they burn our throats and give us stomachaches if we eat too many-"

"She's not wrong, kiddo." Toph shook her head. "You'll need a gallon of milk, just to wash a bowl of those down."

Sokka ruffled his niece's hair. "Well, as long as Mom doesn't know..." His tone turned mock-pleading. "Aunt Toph, can you help us keep a secret?"

Toph rolled her eyes, but she couldn't stop herself from smiling. "Well, since my specialty is spotting lies, I guess I should be pretty good at keeping them, too. Fine. If Katara finds out, it won't be from me." Sokka mock-punched the air in victory, and Kya giggled. "Alright, fire-flakes it is. Let's get going!"

She could forget the Triads for a few hours, at least. Though she'd been adamant about leaving Air Temple Island after a week, she'd already gotten used to seeing Sokka each day. The warmth and humor he radiated...It brought her back to the old days, when it was just her and her four friends against the world. Of course, it still felt like most of the world was against her now. But it felt good, to know Sokka still had her back.

"Well, I don't think you had to take a second helping." Toph laughed as she and Sokka trudged down the snow-lined street, Lin swaddled comfortably against her back. It had been a thoroughly enjoyable evening, barring Kya's attempt to Waterbend their drinks. They'd dropped the kids off at the temple under the watchful eye of the Air Acolytes, then made their way back across the bay to Toph's neighborhood.

Sokka gave a groan that was only partly feigned, rubbing his stomach. "Gotta improve... my spice tolerance, sometime. Anyway, it's also about impressing my niece and nephew. If you're an aunt or uncle, you always have to be cooler than Mom or Dad-"

"Remind me to keep Lin away from you, when she gets older." Without thinking, Toph reached out and slipped her hand into Sokka's, helping him keep his balance. To her surprise, he squeezed back. For someone who'd grown up in polar terrain, he didn't run hot; his hands were pleasantly cool.

She wondered what it would be like to feel the rest of him. She hadn't been with anyone since Kanto, and that was more than a year ago. If she could get Lin into her cradle quietly enough...

"...We almost there?" Sokka's voice broke through her thoughts.

"Just around the corner. Let me-" Toph froze as her heel came down. She sensed a familiar pulse near her door, recognized the outline of a muscular figure wearing a long coat and boots. It was Yakone's young Firebending lieutenant, Zolt. She let go of Sokka, her hand flicking instinctively to the spool of steel cable on her belt, before she realized Zolt wasn't in a fighting stance. He was leaning casually against the wall, arms folded, head turned in their direction.

"Toph, what's-" Sokka put a hand on her shoulder, then stiffened as they came around the corner. Clearly, he noticed Zolt's Triple Threat tattoo, wherever it was displayed. "What the Hell is he doing here?"

"I'm about to find out." A muscle twitched in Toph's jaw. She tapped her foot on the ground. "Yakone's not with him this time; he's alone. Can you take Lin for a moment?" As soon as Lin, still asleep, was secure in Sokka's arms, she strode toward Zolt, cracking her knuckles. "You want a rematch already? Not that last time was really even a match, I just broke your jaw."

"Good thing I know a fantastic Healer, then." Zolt chuckled, raising his hands in surrender. For someone who'd been on the receiving end of her Earthbending, he was still irritatingly confident. "No need for bending, Chief Beifong. I'm only here as a concerned citizen... and a messenger."

"From Yakone?" Toph felt a chill run down her back, both dread and anticipation. She'd been waiting for the Triple Threat leader to make his move, but at the same time, she couldn't banish the awful memory of dangling in the air, immobile, her blood boiling... "Unless he's turning himself in, talk to the Avatar. Diplomacy is Aang's method, not mine."

Zolt laughed again. "Quit lying to yourself, Beifong. You and Yakone might not prefer diplomacy, but you both know it's necessary... when the enemy of your enemy, can become your friend. Isn't that why you made a deal with that Agni Kai whelp, instead of tossing him out or locking him up?"

Toph's breath caught in her throat. How did they already know...but the answer came to her, almost immediately. Her own precinct must have a mole. She'd known that the Triple Threats had an extensive intelligence network- and with benders of all three elements, they could carry messages across the city quickly. But that they'd managed to infiltrate her police station or her Metalbending Academy... it made sense, though. How else would Yakone have learned about her bending-restriction proposal quickly enough, to attack her and Katara the same evening?

She'd been so focused on her enemies, she'd taken her eyes off her students, her friends. Hei'an, Penga and Ho Tun would never stoop so low, of course. But the others... She would need to run the gauntlet at work tomorrow, see if she could root out who was feeding the Triple Threats information. At least Yakone didn't know about her planned anti-Bloodbending petition; the only one she'd spoken to about that, was Sokka.

She made an effort to keep the turmoil out of her voice. "So... you're here to make me a counter-offer against the Agni Kais? Considering what they just gave me on your protection racket, this better be good." It was heartening, to think that Yakone felt threatened by her negotiating with his rivals. Then again, if he was already several steps ahead of her...

"Oh, I think you'll be quite satisfied." Zolt reached into his coat pocket. "Yakone sent me to pay a little... undercover visit to Agni Kai headquarters, a week ago. Barely made it out alive when a past acquaintance gave me away-"

"Hands where we can see 'em, kid." Sokka's voice was stern; he was holding Lin against his chest with one hand, but the other was on the jian sword at his hip. "Don't think that I can't cut you down one-handed; I've been fighting benders since before you could walk."

"Yeah? How many of them did you actually beat?" The stocky Triad pulled a folded piece of parchment from his coat. "Anyway, just before I left, I happened to find my way into Lady Tsai's office. Didn't find anything particularly incriminating in her desk... except this. A communication with one of her Fire Nation allies, concerning the recent tensions with the Earth Kingdom." He held out the paper. "The Agni Kai might not have spies in every corner the way we do, but some of the connections they have..."

Toph took it gingerly, feeling the ragged edge, the broken seal. "You already read it? Then you might as well tell me, you know I can't read."

"Happy to." Zolt's tone suddenly became serious. "Tsai was writing to a General Takeo, of the Fire Nation. You've probably heard that name before?"

Toph nodded. Having been raised in an aristocratic household near the end of the Hundred Year War, she'd gotten a thorough education of its' history. Of course, her tutors had been so pompous and boring, she'd tuned them out half the time. But she'd been naturally drawn to the battles, and many of the commanders' names had stuck with her. Takeo's, though, left her cold. "He's the one who used to dress his prisoners in Fire Nation uniforms, then force them into his vanguard as suicide decoys during the next battle. And that's one of the milder atrocities that happened under his command. I was shocked Zuko didn't have him beheaded or imprisoned after the war."

"A lot of us weren't happy about that." Zolt shook his head grimly. "You might be surprised to hear that, coming from a Firebender. But I grew up side by side with Earth Citizens, in the Yu Dao borough. I don't believe in that 'superior element' horseshit that Ozai's supporters and the Agni Kais preach-"

"Yeah, you really seem to be making the Republic a better place here. Attacking and threatening a single mother and child, that's very upstanding." Sokka cut in.

"Wasn't talking to you, outsider." Zolt angled his left arm in an arc across his chest, then pointed it outward, his index and middle fingers aimed at Sokka. Toph felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up; the smell of ozone and a sharp crackling noise came from around the Triad's hand, reminding her vividly of her encounter with Azula.

"I thought you said we didn't need our bending?" She brought her elbows back, her fists level with her belt. Her voice was flat and cold. "Sokka can take his own lumps against any bender, but if you're going threaten him while he's holding my child, I'll just bury you right now. Put. The lightning. Away."

After a tense pause, Zolt lowered his hand. "Sorry, forgot myself. Nature of the business, you know? In our line of work, dealing with all these factions...sometimes you need a little ruthlessness to make your vision happen, yeah? But what the Agni Kais want... what they're planning with this Takeo... it's too much craziness for Yakone, for all of us. It'll tear apart the United Republic, the Earth Kingdom and the Fire Nation. That's why Yakone backed off some of his business interests-"

"Yeah, he's 'finished' with the smuggling, we already know." Toph made a mocking quotation mark with her first two fingers. "But in the meantime, it hasn't escaped my notice that he's doubled down on his protection racket."

"Hey, what can I say? When you're the most open-minded agency there is to offer, businesses that preach order and tolerance are happy to hire-"

"Get to your damn point already, before I get bored and bring you in." Toph was considering it anyway. Zolt's pulse was hard for her to read. If Yakone had only sent the Firebender to feed her false information... She ran her fingers over the broken seal on the paper again. It was the Agni Kai insignia; there was no mistaking the outline of a kirin, stamped into the wax. But that was easy enough to forge.

"I'm making it now. It's about your Agni Kai friend, in the cells. He probably told you that we stepped away from a certain... export business recently?"

Toph felt her mouth curve into a smirk. "See, this is why we can't trust each other. You won't even acknowledge your shady business when I'm not on duty, you're not even pretending to turn over a new leaf."

"Oh, like you're actually going to stop coming after us if we do?" Zolt snorted. "Peace offerings don't have to be about trust, when they come with a good-faith payment. That's what Yakone and I are offering you." He tapped the side of his nose. "You know that burglary at Earthen Fire Refinery, last week?"

"You mean, the headquarters of my dad's company? I'm pretty aware of it, yeah." Toph flexed her foot, feeling the solid cobblestones under her boot. All she had to do was shift her body, and Zolt would be on his back, immobilized. "You going to tell me where all the missing gears and black powder capsules ended up?"

"Nope." Zolt shook his head. "But I can tell you where they are now. Check under the Wanping Bridge, on the north side of the canal. Also...your police have been watching the roads and the harbor for smugglers, but not the railways. Ever since the Agni Kais bought that old distillery across from the train station, they've been sending out more and more deliveries of cactus sap and stolen machinery. They've even been launching attacks on the Jenamites' smuggling route to Omashu, stealing most of their cargo. Give them a few more weeks, and they'll run all the other Triads out of the business."

Toph frowned. "I can understand why the other Triads would back off, between Yakone and Tsai... but If the Agni Kais dominate smuggling now, why would they bother to go quiet on their other businesses?"

"Because they're concentrating all their effort, on feeding the conflict between Kuei and Zuko." Sokka's voice was grim. "This Takeo... he must be getting ready to make his move soon."

"Moves, plural." Zolt nodded, gesturing at the paper in Toph's hand. "In that letter, Lady Tsai was assuring Takeo of her support, after he's overthrown the Fire Lord. She's also reminding Takeo of his assurances to support her Triad's interests... after an upcoming Fire Nation invasion of the United Republic."

Toph felt another chill run down her spine. She thought back to how distracted Zuko had seemed, just before he left the United Republic. How he'd asked Katara to shelter his parents after the attack on Hira'a, but refused to give any more information. And after that, none of them had heard a word from the Fire Nation Capital. During which time Princess Hou-Ting had been kidnapped, Earth Kingdom troops were surging west, and the Fire Navy and Air Fleet began patrolling just off the coast...

She closed her eyes. Damn Zuko. Damn him for hiding this much from his friends, when it could cost them everything they'd built in the last twenty years.

Of course, she didn't know how much support Takeo's supposed coup would have in the Fire Nation itself; Zuko's reforms had won him affection from his people. But there had been hawkish elements in both the Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom militaries after the war, that resisted peacetime and resented their loss of status. if Zuko and Kuei really were both in danger of being overthrown...

The Earth Kingdom didn't pose much of a threat to the United Republic, even with the mobilization of Ba Sing Se's huge army. Their logistics and infrastructure were too outdated to match the United Forces, the Republic's military arm composed of Water, Earth and Firebenders. The Fire Nation's military, however, possessed the most modern technology and a centralized, highly disciplined command structure. If even part of it was backed by a fifth column of Firebending Triads, within Republic City itself... Even Toph's Metalbending police would be overwhelmed. And Aang wasn't around to back them up, he and Katara were off on a wild goose chase, trying to get Zuko and Kuei to talk to each other. It didn't look like neutral diplomacy was an option anymore.

Toph found her voice. "If Zuko's overthrown...How much time do we have, before we're attacked?"

"The letter didn't say exactly when the coup was happening, or the invasion. But apparently Lady Tsai herself is receiving a party of Takeo's followers at the docks, two days from now at sunset. They're nearly ready." Zolt paused. "My girlfriend's an Earthbender. Her father was on the losing side against Takeo, during the Battle of Pohuai, thirty-five years ago. Whatever the Agni Kais are planning with Takeo...if they win, we'll all be wiped out, and those bigoted fools will control everything. You can't have that, we can't have that. And Yakone knows the only way we can stop this before it starts is by joining forces."

"And that's exactly what convinces me that your Triad is the bigger threat, long-term. Because your Mountain Master's smart enough to use his head." Toph clenched her fist around the paper.

Zolt glanced over his shoulder. "Well... It wasn't all Yakone. He got a visit from someone a few days ago, some old man wearing White Lotus robes. I don't know what he was told; he wouldn't discuss it with us. But the next day, he ordered us to back off all the rackets except protection, and sent me to infiltrate the Agni Kais."

"White Lotus?" Sokka sounded surprised. "Did he have a goatee, and grey eyes?"

"Dunno, I wasn't there." Zolt turned back to Toph. "You need us right now, Beifong. And we need you. Check on the distillery and the train station. If you find something that interests you, send a letter to Angakkuk's old office building. We'll be happy to lend you a hand, when the Agni Kais make their move." Before Toph could reply, he turned on his heel, thrust his fists behind him and propelled himself into the air with Firebending. Landing on an adjacent rooftop, he began leaping from one building to the next, heading for Dragon Flats.

Sokka stared after him. "Was he telling the truth, Toph?"

"I'm not sure." Toph swiveled her heel, and her door unbolted itself. She took Lin back from Sokka as they went inside, closing the door hastily behind her. "Let me get Lin into her cradle, then I'll get us something to drink." She paused. "Thanks for backing me up, by the way. I didn't really reciprocate."

"Yeah, you kinda threw me to the wolves there." Sokka smirked, but then his tone turned serious. "It's alright, though. Kinda flattering, that a prodigy like you has confidence in me as backup...Reminds me of our mission during Sozin's Comet."

Toph looked away, a bloom of heat coming to her cheeks. How was he reading her mind like this? Fortunately, at that moment, Lin caused a distraction by waking up and letting loose an angry squall.

"Spirits." Toph sighed. "She sleeps through all the scary parts, and just when we're ready to relax... I know, I know, you're hungry." She shot Sokka an apologetic look. "You mind lighting the fire while I feed her?"

"No problem."

Once Lin was fed and asleep in her cradle, Toph returned to the living room; Sokka had already gotten a blaze going in the hearth. She opened a cupboard. "Do you want tea, or something stronger?"

"I'll take a small cup of sake, if you have some." Sokka perked up. "I used to drink it it whenever I visited Kiyoshi Island..." His voice trailed off.

Toph winced. She hadn't meant to remind him of Suki. She tapped the bottles and jars in the cupboard, feeling each one. "Sorry, I've only got baijou right now. Jasmine tea okay?"

"That'll be great. Keeps the cold away just as well, and doesn't make you vomit if you drink too much."

"Very true." Toph smiled briefly as she filled the kettle, then hung it over the fire. "Sorry my place isn't much to look at, but, y'know, not being able to look at things..."

Sokka snickered. "Well, it might be simple compared to your dad's estate. But considering Katara and I grew up in an igloo half the size of your living room, it doesn't look that bad, especially with all the potted plants." His tone turned serious again as they settled into wicker chairs in front of the fire. "So... if that Firebender was telling the truth..."

"Yup. The United Republic may be about to get pulled into a war no one wants. Not to mention, my entire plan for dealing with the Triple Threats goes up in smoke."

"But you don't actually have to work with them, assuming they've already given you the information to hunt down the Agni Kais."

"Wasn't planning to." Toph shook her head. "If I let the Triple Threats join forces with the police, the peoples' trust in my Metalbenders is gone. Especially the trust of Nonbenders, since the Triads already exploit many of them on a daily basis. But I will investigate Zolt's lead on the Agni Kai's property near the train station. If Zolt was telling the truth about a rogue Fire Nation invasion, this is bigger than any Triad takeover. Whether we join forces with Yakone or make our own preemptive strike against Tsai, the Triple Threats will need me and my Metalbenders to act."

"Unless Yakone arranged all of this as a hoax, just to manipulate you and the Agni Kais to his advantage." Sokka pointed out. "Still, given the timing, and the weird news we keep getting about Zuko and Kuei..."

"I know. I don't think Yakone is trying to deceive me this time. That doesn't mean he isn't looking for opportunity, though; he's very good at waiting and listening for the right moment to strike."

"Sounds like someone I know." Sokka reached out, squeezed her hand again; Toph wrapped her fingers around his. She wasn't sure she had the energy to follow her libido now, but it felt good just to be close to him. "What was Zolt saying at the start, about "that Agni Kai whelp?"

"Penga caught a Triad newbie this morning, carrying Si-Wong cactus sap." A smirk flickered across her mouth. "I bet you can imagine how that went down-"

"Alright, alright, continue!" Sokka raised his hands hastily. "Why were they so interested in a kid?"

"Because he told us about the Triple Threats' buy-up of the protection rackets. I offered a deal: he could disappear from Republic City and get himself cleaned up, in exchange for the information." Toph winced. "Looks like I may have to break that deal, now; if the Agni Kais are plotting with this General Takeo against Zuko, it won't be safe to send the kid to the Fire Nation." She rubbed her temples. "That's not the only change that has to happen tomorrow; my precinct has a Triple Threat mole. My first order of business will be finding them and throwing them in the cells, right next to that Agni Kai."

Sokka stood and unhooked the now-whistling tea kettle, filled Toph's offered cup. "Don't you think... that might send the wrong message to your officers, after affirming your trust in them so strongly tonight?"

Toph shook her head again. "They need to know that I'm not going to show them any favors, if they're feeding information to the Triads. And I can't afford to have an enemy agent in my camp, when I'm already fighting on two fronts and trying to keep the United Republic out of a war." She took a sip of her tea, then closed her eyes wearily. "I've... had to make a lot of decisions today, that were more than a little underhanded. And part of me kept wondering... if, one day, Lin is in my place... whether it'll be any different for her. Having to out-think, out-fight all these different factions... it starts to turn you, into exactly what you're fighting. When Yakone Bloodbent me... he said that the only difference between me and him, was that I had a uniform-"

"Yakone's full of shit." Sokka set his cup down with a bang. "How many lives has he saved? None. How many lives have you saved, during the Hundred Year War and ten years of police work? Beyond counting. And you're just going to forget about everything you've accomplished, take the word of someone who was literally torturing you while he said it? That doesn't sound like the Toph Beifong I know." He put his hands on her shoulders. "You're a good person doing a hard job, Toph. No one gets it perfect. But I've been reading the newspapers and walking around the streets, and I've seen nothing but support for you and your Metalbenders. A lot of citizens think you've scared the Triads off the streets for good, given how quiet they've been this week!"

Toph felt a reluctant smile stretch her face, and a warm glow spread through her chest. "Yeah, we'll see how long that illusion lasts." She patted his arm. "Thanks though, Sokka. For someone who started out as a grouchy skeptic, you've gotten really good at looking on the bright side- and at bucking people up."

"No problem. I have to buck myself up pretty regularly, anyway." Sokka shrugged. "There are moments where I feel like I'm sticking my head in the sand, though-"

"No, we could all use a bit more optimism. You've taken a leaf out of your sister's book." Toph's smile faded again as she turned her face toward the fire. "But, if we can't get this crisis resolved, in the next few days... Hope really might be the only thing we have left."