Avatar: Shadow Factions

by Friedrich Der Grosse

Almost two decades of peace have followed the Hundred Year War, but its' dark legacy continues to lurk in the Fire Nation, the Earth Kingdom and the United Republic. As Team Avatar moves on with their lives, various conspirators prepare to strike, attempting to enlist the aid of a certain exiled princess... Told from the perspective of different characters in each chapter.

23. Chapter 21: Republic City

Apologies for all the delays! I have been away from writing much more than I would've liked, this year. Mostly due to depression and taking forever to finish this chapter. But I should have this fanfic finished (hopefully) by the year's end.

The first part of this chapter got somewhat more topical than intended, and the ending wasn't as strong as I would've liked. Mostly because I was tying up so many plot points in the middle. It IS mostly what I've intended from the start, though, and I didn't have room to move it elsewhere. If you have suggestions for improvement, please send reviews!

---

A light snowfall muffled the night sounds of Tengu Heights borough. However, the four Metalbenders crouching on the apartment roof, weren't relying on hearing alone. The vibrations of the departing train came to them, as clearly as if they'd been standing on its' platform.

"Nice of them to wait until the last one left, before they make their move." Jadu, the youngest officer, whispered. "You'd think they'd want to cause as much chaos as possible-"

"Nice has nothing to do with it, kid." The hulking Shǒutào pulled field glasses from his belt and trained them on a distillery across the street from the station. "Fewer civvies in the way means fewer obstacles for us, but the same holds true for the Agni Kais... and whoever they're meeting with."

"I'm surprised the Chief didn't fill us in on that, after she made that big speech about the Triple Threats' protection racket." Saikhan fiddled with his own field glasses. "She's usually so open about everything-"

"Not always. Not when she knows there's a battle coming." Penga shook her head. "Then, all the bluster disappears... she waits and listens for her opponent, to strike first. Like we're doing, now." She glanced at Jadu. "When did you graduate from the Academy?"

"Four months ago." Jadu replied hastily, looking both abashed and eager.

Shǒutào rolled his eyes. "I still don't know what Chief Beifong was thinking, bringing the cadets and green officers into this. If we get into a hostage situation, it won't be pretty. Remember what happened eight years ago, with the Red Monsoons?"

"That was not Hei'an's fault." Penga's tone became reproachful.

"Wasn't it?" Shǒutào snapped. "I was there, too. Six new recruits and a veteran got captured, tortured and killed, on his watch-"

"And their deaths rallied support for us, across the United Republic." A gruff voice came from behind them. Jadu spun around, while the other three froze. "People didn't trust us at all, before. They were skeptical that a police force could take on the Bending Triads, when we didn't even have enough officers to patrol all the boroughs. Hei'an's strategy proved to the public that we were willing to take risks."

Toph's footsteps crunched across the snow-covered rooftop as she joined them. "If you're going to blame someone for that, Shǒutào, blame me. I trusted Hei'an, I knew he was a good strategist, even if his tactics were a little... unorthodox. So I approved a plan that put lives on the line, and it paid off; the Red Monsoons were crippled. And we learned from those officers' sacrifices. But the Triads learned, too- and not just the Monsoons. Why do you think we're on alert for the Agni Kais now, in the middle of winter, when Firebenders should be at their weakest?"

Penga threw a small smirk at Shǒutào; Jadu simply shrugged. Toph threw a pointed look in Shǒutào's direction. "Sometimes, plans have to be kept hidden from the rank and file, for security reasons- so we don't end up with another incident like the one eight years ago. You want to take the risks of this job personally, go work somewhere else. We're here to be vigilant, and to get things done."

Saikhan and Jadu's pulses were both fast- whether from surprise or indignation, she wasn't sure. Shǒutào's breathing was angry, but he looked away. "Yes... Chief."

Toph nodded, then clapped Penga on the shoulder. "Keep your eyes open." She could hear Saikhan and Shǒutào already muttering behind her back as she walked away. How cold she was, how she and Hei'an hadn't been so 'vigilant' during the Red Monsoon operation. She told herself she didn't care, she wasn't here for popularity. Shǒutào had been a troublemaker, since his first day at the Academy. And she certainly wouldn't tell him more than necessary, until the Triad mole in her precinct was found.

Penga, Ho Tun and Hei'an were the only ones on the force she trusted unconditionally, who'd been there from the Academy's beginning. They knew every new Metalbender lost to the Triads, was like a knife in Toph's chest. That she hardened her heart, kept her face impassive in public, because she didn't want to give the Triads any hint of weakness. Especially now that she had Lin.

Not that it stopped Yakone...

The sensation of hanging in the air, her blood boiling, took her over halfway down the stairs. Toph pressed her fingers to her temples, breathing rapidly, grinding her heels into the steps until it faded. Ever since Zolt brought her Yakone's peace offering, the flashbacks had been coming regularly. Her instincts were screaming at her, to do the opposite of what the Triple Threats wanted. But Zolt's intel on the Wanping Bridge and the distillery had checked out, and a second interrogation of Tergel Tsereg confirmed that the Agni Kais would make their move tonight. Until the immediate threat was dealt with, Toph's feud with the psychotic Bloodbender would have to wait. She'd dictated and sent a brief letter of acknowledgement to Dragon Flats, though she refused to coordinate her strategy with the Triple Threats. It was an unofficial truce, nothing more- and she knew Yakone would break it at the earliest convenience.

The United Forces' naval squadrons were concentrated in the Republic's smaller, less defensible ports. Since Tsai and her allies would probably come by sea, Toph had ordered the evacuation of all harbor neighborhoods, supervised by the Air Acolytes. Air Temple Island was emptied, and Sokka had taken his niece and nephews (as well as Lin, and her parents) to stay in Gigye, further inland. For once, all remaining Council members- Tanken, Kivi and Oyuki- rallied behind Toph, threatened by the mobilizing Earth Kingdom armies near the Republic's borders. Between the United Forces and Fire Navy patrols, Toph couldn't see how the Agni Kais would be able to reach the harbor, but given Takeo's military cunning, and the fact that no one had heard from Zuko or Mai yet, she still didn't feel ready. She'd contacted the White Lotus, but most of the Order had departed for the Earth Kingdom. Probably something to do with Aang and Katara's diplomatic mission. But Toph's Metalbenders were already stretched thin, watching the train station and the harbor; her precinct didn't have enough personnel, to cover all of Republic City. Her only chance was to lure the Agni Kais into a trap, as soon as they arrived.

"Everything Ok, Chief?" Ho Tun appeared at her side as she came out the side door of the building.

"You know what answer I'll give, why do you bother?"

Ho Tun shrugged. Toph's gruff attitude never fazed him. "As long as we're as vigilant as you taught us, everything will be fine."

Toph scoffed. Ho Tun's naive, serene optimism had always seemed out of place. But in battle, he was one of the most calm and dependable officers she had. Besides Sokka, only he, Penga and Hei'an knew about Toph's truce with Yakone. "How well did that work for us six years back, with that big sting against the Triple Threats?"

Ho Tun laughed. "Poor Shǒutào! Got cactus sap in his eyes, spent three days in a padded room. But we got what we needed that time, no casualties."

"No casualties, but not as much headway as we thought, either."

"True." Ho Tun glanced over his shoulder. "How long did it take you and Penga to figure out, that Angakkuk was building a Triad?"

"Are you kidding? I knew the day he landed in Cranefish Town. That silver-tongued bastard was no good."

But her words didn't feel entirely true, especially compared to the current Mountain Masters. Angakkuk had sought talent wherever he could, regardless of nationality or class, and he provided employment (both legitimate and illegal) to many of the Republic's most impoverished citizens and immigrants. Such tolerance hadn't been common then- and in many cases, still wasn't. But Angakkuk also hadn't cared who he stepped on, in pursuit of power. Though the Triple Threat was the last major Triad to form, it had clearly taken inspiration from the earlier pro-Bender movements. As a result, Angakkuk's victims increasingly became Nonbenders, widening the rift between the Bending minority and those without.

Still, Angakkuk was preferable to Yakone or Tsai. He avoided deliberate cruelty, and he'd never opposed the police as directly as Yakone. His power had been built more on respect, than fear.

All the Triads combined wouldn't have been a threat, in the old days, she mused. It wasn't that she was afraid of a battle, it was that Team Avatar couldn't join her this time. Although time had only improved their powers, except for Sokka, they all had so much more to lose now... and they were much more divided.

Moreover, the ones who started this fight, were still beyond her reach. And if the Agni Kais and Takeo succeeded, it would be Yu Dao all over again; the Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom, both under military control, about to tear the United Republic apart. It was true, the Republic had its' flaws. Its' inefficient, decentralized government made it difficult to respond to threats and injustices, both inside and outside its' borders. But the idea of the Republic, that diversity could exist among different Benders and nationalities, that government could be determined on merit and not bloodline, that laws could be made through discussion rather than fear... that was what made it unique, from the other Four Nations. That was worth fighting for.

Twenty years, and we might lose it all today.

Katara had privately proposed re-organizing the government, into an elected one: a single head of government, chosen by the Republic's people, rather than an international council. It was similar to the system Sokka and his father Hakoda had buit, in the Southern Water Tribe. Though the Southern Tribe was technically a vassal of the Northern Tribe's monarchy, the coming conflict might prove its' independence: the Northern and Foggy Swamp tribes had sided with Ba Sing Se, but the South refused to break its' defensive alliance with the Fire Nation.

Toph wasn't sure about changing the Republic's political system too much, right now. Too many of the Triads were already strong-arming citizens to bend to their will; if a new voting system was introduced, there was a risk that they would intimidate voters into electing one of them. On the other side of the scales, even if the elected leader was an opponent of the Triads, being a resident of the United Republic, they would be easier to target.

Then again, most of the Council seemed too intimidated by the Triads already. Toph could see some merit to Katara's argument. The working-class citizens of Republic City, especially the Nonbenders, were completely unrepresented; the only permanent Republic resident on the Council was Aang, and he spent half his time on diplomatic missions. The rest seemed content to ignore Toph's warnings about the Triads. The point of the Council had been to balance the power between the other Nations and prevent another war, but it didn't seem to be serving that purpose anymore.

A new vibration snapped her out of her musings. There were several sets of footsteps hurrying up the street, approaching the square in front of the station. Toph thrust up a hand and closed her fingers into a fist; her helmet visor snapped shut, the cable at her belt silently unwinding from the spool. Beside her, Ho Tun copied her movement, then turned toward the apartment building behind them, repeating the gesture to Penga's team.

Toph tapped her foot, waiting for the vibrations to return. When they did, she was confused. The group was much smaller than expected, only five... and three of them had earthen and stone discs hanging from their belts, while the other two wore what felt like leather waterskins. There was no mistaking it, the approaching gangsters were carrying Earth and Waterbending ammunition.

She knew most of the non-Firebending Triads hated the Agni Kais, and these were far too careless to be the Triple Threats. According to Zolt, the distillery next door was the Agni Kai's newest venue for smuggling stolen goods. Had someone else decided to make a preemptive attack on Tsai? But Yakone had only known about it thanks to his meeting with the White Lotus, unless he'd been lying to them all along...

It didn't matter who they were. The third one was carrying two barrels full of mineral particles under each arm. Toph's seismic sense couldn't identify it through the wood, but her instincts knew it was black powder. Her muscles tensed. A blast from buried powder charges might take out several surrounding buildings, if they were big enough.

Tengu Heights hadn't been completely evacuated; many well-to-do Bender civilians lived here, and unlike Nonbenders many of them dismissed the Triad threat. Toph's officers had searched under the station and distillery beforehand, and found no explosives. But with Earthbenders involved, burying them would only take seconds.

Stepping around the corner, she started to lash her cable forward... just as the ground under the first two Triads' feet buckled apart. Twin pillars of stone tossed them into the air before they could make a move, hurling them to each side of the square. The other two freehanded Triads leaped back and bent water from the surrounding snow. One launched a hail of ice darts at Toph, the other snatched the barrels from her comrade and used a water column to launch herself onto the station roof.

Toph stomped her foot, and several cobbles jumped from the street, deflecting the ice easily. But though she felt every vibration around her clearly, she was more confused than ever. None of her officers had moved; the Earthbending attack hadn't come from them. Who else was two steps ahead of her?

Penga sprang from the apartment rooftop, followed by her three squad members, and darted across the square. In seconds, the two Earthbending Triads were snared, but the other three- two Waterbenders and another Earthbender- had made it to the station's roof. The one standing atop the two barrels opened his hand, revealing a flintlock striker. "Don't move!" His voice shook. "Come any closer, and we go up, along with the building!"

"Might be an improvement." Toph replied, coldly. "Since you lot have been using it for illegal purposes, ever since the Fire Lord finished it." She glanced at Penga. "See any markings?"

"One of them has a White Cascade tattoo on her neck." Penga flexed her foot; her cable reeled back, ready to lunge again. "The two we've already caught are past convictions, both from the Terra Triad."

Toph tapped her foot again, pinpointing their location. She was confident the last three could be taken quickly; the White Cascades were far less dangerous than the Red Monsoons, and the remaining Earthbender was encumbered by the barrels. it was a question of whether the Metalbenders could grab them before he ignited the powder. Even it wasn't buried, the train station and the distillery were both full of combustible materials.

Suddenly, she sensed two more sets of feet: one atop the distillery chimney, and one approaching from the south end of the square, hugging the shadows. She tapped again, recognizing the pulse on the rooftop...

"Hey, Terras!" Zolt's insolent tone rang out through the freezing night air. "Since when do you stoop to the level of the White Cascades? I thought Earthbenders had more class than that."

Distracted, the Terra Triad turned as Zolt hurled a fireball at him, giving Penga an opening. Her left cable lashed onto a lamp post and reeled her rapidly upward; her right lunged for the barrels, sweeping them from under the Terra's feet and launching them into the air. The White Cascade bender lunged a water tentacle after them-

The hairs on Toph's arm suddenly stood on end. There was a clap of thunder, coupled with the stink of sulfur and a shockwave that shattered every front window in the train station. The three Triads were knocked off their feet; Penga, tethered to the lamp post, was hurled backward and would have broken something if Shǒutào hadn't snagged her with his own cable.

Taking advantage of the distraction, the two Terra Triads shook off their bonds and raced away on earthen currents, hurling stone discs back at the Metalbenders. However, the figure approaching from the south suddenly stepped in front of them, her fists on each hip. Once again, pillars erupted from the cobbles under their feet, striking each of them in the solar plexus and groin. They collapsed instantly.

"Nicely done as always, Namu." Zolt chuckled. He was standing over the White Cascade girl, holding a firepoint near her throat. "Now, how about you tell me why you're-"

"Hands off her, before I arrest you, too!" Toph snapped as she lifted herself to the rooftop on an Earthen pillar. Penga and her team followed, right behind. "You've already given me good cause, after that stunt with the Lightning. This is a residential area-"

"Just what about this situation has you in a fuss, Beifong?" Zolt snorted derisively. "Five convicts taken, the bomb disabled, zero civilians hurt. You really oughta be convinced by now, that we've turned over a new leaf." He let out another chuckle. "Is it because I broke the Fire Lord's precious train station? I thought you were one to take risks, in order to get results. Or don't you trust the officers under you, anymore than you trust us?"

Shǒutào glanced quickly between them. "You wanna tell us what this is about, Chief?" His voice hardened with anger. "This one of those 'security reasons' you mentioned earlier? I thought we were supposed to be arresting all of the Triple Threats on sight, that they were our top priority-"

"The situation changed. Very recently." Toph felt a bloom of heat in her face; she was glad the visor hid her expression, but her tone was more defensive than she liked. She covered it by directing her anger at Zolt. "Exactly why should I trust you?! You didn't say anything about other Triads being involved; if anything, you gave me the impression they'd all gone quiet, except for you and the Agni Kais!"

"We didn't know." The Triple Threat Earthbender, Namu, sprang onto the rooftop to join them. "Zolt was exposed as a mole, right after he found Tsai's connection to General Takeo. He had to fight with everything he had, just to get out alive. Tsai had to know her plan was compromised, so she must have changed it to throw us off..."

Zolt nodded. "That still doesn't explain what the Terras and White Cascades are doing here, though. They hate the Agni Kais; Tsai and her Firebenders drove both of them clean out of Republic City." He turned back to the captive Waterbender. "Which brings us back to my question: what do you get, out of bombing their newest property?"

Toph's cable lashed forward from her belt, snaring Zolt's wrist before he could burn the woman's face. Everyone else froze.

Toph took a deep breath, then snapped her visor open, turning her sightles eyes from Zolt to the White Cascade. "Tell us. I'll know if you're lying. And if you give me false answers, or try to stall, you can answer him instead." She kept her face impassive, cold as stone.

Zolt's tone became far more menacing. "We don't have all night. And if our faction loses, I promise you this... I will make time, for you."

Jadu started forward, but Toph raised her arm. Shǒutào, Penga and Saikhan's pulses were fast, their muscles tense. But they didn't move.

The Waterbender glanced hastily between Toph and Zolt, her pulse fast and uneven. "...M-mercy. That's what we get out of it."

"'Mercy?'" Zolt repeated scornfully, his flame flaring larger. "What horseshit are you spouting now? I can smell the cactus sap on your breath-"

Penga slammed her fist decisively against her palm. "She means mercy from the Agni Kais." She glanced around at the others, who were looking at her uncomprehendingly. "Don't you get it? Some of the Earth and Firebending Triads have been around since the Hundred Year War, when this city was a Fire Nation colony. At the time, it was one of the only places in the world, where different Benders, different nationalities, actually worked together to make a living. But, of course... the Fire Nationals, the occupiers, always got the better end of the deal, no matter how much the two cultures integrated and intermarried. The Agni Kais formed right after Zuko and Kuei both renounced their claims to the United Republic's land. And ever since, they've been trying to occupy the same dominant position over all non- Fire Nationals." Her tone was full of contempt as she turned back to the White Cascade. "What did she promise you? Her thugs have been murdering your people and spouting racist bigotry for years, and you're willing to kowtow to her?!"

"We didn't have a choice." The White Cascade replied bitterly. "There are those willing to die fighting the occupiers, and those who survive. We aren't a threat to Tsai, compared to Yakone- especially since some of our best Waterbenders have defected, to his Triad. Tsai... she offered to divide up the Triple Threat empire between us, the Terras and the Jenamites once Republic City is taken-"

"Which leaves Tsai the city itself." Toph sighed. As always, fear was the Triads' preferred weapon. "If Takeo takes the Fire Nation, he'll probably set her up as a vassal-ruler in the 'colonies'. Anything else?"

"We were to give her military support... against you, and against any counter-invasion by the Earth King's armies. At least, until more reinforcements arrive from the Fire Nation. In return, our families and territories will be left alone. Otherwise, Tsai and Takeo will wipe us out."

"But why attack their own base?" Zolt growled, struggling to jerk his arm free of Toph's cable. "Was that a false flag, or-"

"Shut up!" Toph barked suddenly. "Do you hear that?" From the direction of the harbor, she was picking up heavy vibrations, and a strange wailing sound, growing closer...

"Hear wha-"

"TAKE COVER!"

Releasing Zolt, Toph dropped into a crouch, planting her hands palm-down on the station roof. Cracked metal braces and stone slabs leaped into the air around them, forming a dome-like shell.

For half a second, the wailing grew louder, reminding her of the bombs falling during the Battle of Black Sun. Except that had only been a gradual, mournful whistle. This was rising rapidly, to a hair-raising screech-

There was a blast even more deafening than the black powder, and Toph was knocked off her feet completely. A sharp pain tore into her side. She rolled, crashed into something, but managed to keep her arms outstretched as she lay on her back. Her barrier buckled, and a massive chunk was torn from its' upper wall, showering them with debris. But it held together- just barely.

Toph sucked in a breath full of rock-dust, then coughed. Her ears were ringing, her hair falling free from its' bun over her face. She felt hands on her shoulders, but she resisted their attempts to pull her upright. If she let go of the barrier while it was unstable, they might all be killed.

Then, an unseen force lifted the stones and steel slabs away, pushing them outwards, easing her burden. "I've got it, Chief Beifong." Namu's muffled voice came from far off. "You can let go."

"It's Ok, Toph." Ho Tun's voice reached her, shaking; where the Hell had he come from? "You're gonna be ok, everything's fine-"

"It wasn't a false flag." Toph growled, half to herself. Finally relaxing her arms, she tried to sit up, flinching back as the pain in her side doubled. "The small-fry gangs... they were a diversion. The main attack's happening now-"

"Don't talk or move for a minute, Sifu." Penga's hand touched her arm. "You took a piece of shrapnel in the hip. It didn't go deep, but you need to hold still-"

"Don't be ridiculous." Toph snapped. Gritting her teeth, she felt around for the metal shard that had torn through a gap in her armor and pierced her side. Her fingers came away wet with blood. "You, Cascade girl. Was this bombardment part of the Agni Kai plan?"

"Y-yes. Well, not the shelling; I guess they thought the explosions weren't big enough. They wanted to divert most of your police to Tengu Heights with the powder charges, then pit you against our gangs, while their fleet secured the harbor and City Hall-"

"Their fleet?!" Zolt laughed hysterically; he was clutching his right arm. "This just gets better and better. They have a fleet?"

"Pretty obvious, considering they just started shelling us." Toph rolled her eyes, then grasped the shrapnel in her side. Seeing what she was about to do, Ho Tun stopped her, then tore a strip of fabric from the side of his uniform tunic and folded it twice. "On three?" He nodded, crouching next to her. "One... Two... Threeee!" The last word came out as an agonized groan as she ripped the shard from her hip. The instant it was free, Ho Tun pressed the bandage over the wound as tightly as he could, containing the flow of blood.

The Waterbender flinched. "I... can give you something for that pain-"

"I don't need your damn cactus sap." Toph hissed, biting her lip. "Where are the rest of the Agni Kai collaborators?"

"Gathered around Dragon Flats. We... we were supposed to target the Triple Threats' leadership first, then leave their soldiers to the Agni Kais while we fought you-"

"And you morons thought that plan was 'mercy?" Toph scoffed. "More like you were being used as suicide decoys. The Triple Threat Mountain Master is a Bloodbender; none of you would stand a chance against him, even if you managed to snuff out his lieutenants. And then, you'd be caught between the remaining Triple Threats, and us." She turned to her two right-hand officers. "Penga, you and your team get to the Telegraph office and contact Hei'an; he's commanding the waterfront forces. Assuming Tsai's fleet is there, we need to know what equipment she has, and how much. Airships, artillery, ironclads- figure it out, plus how the Hell they got into the harbor undetected. Then, send a telegram to the Admiral of the United Forces Fleet. Tell her the outer towns aren't the main target, she needs to get her ships to Yue Bay now. After that..." She smiled grimly. "Get in touch with the rest of our Metalbending squads, head over to Dragon Flats, and knock some Triad heads. You have command of downtown." The ringing in her ears was fading, but other sensations were taking its' place. The smell of smoke, the quaking of more distant explosions, the snarl of flames, the cries of fleeing or injured civilians. "Ho Tun, you and I are joining Hei'an at the harbor."

Penga shook her head. "You need to recover, Chief. I'll take the rest of our forces and join Hei'an. He's only got two squads covering the waterfront, he'll need all the backup he can get-"

"Were you even listening to me?!" Toph snapped, jamming her fist against the wound. "Once the small-fry gangs are through raiding Yakone's headquarters, they'll attack us from behind! You're responsible for securing our flanks." She also didn't want her Metalbenders to be caught between the Agni Kais and the Triple Threats, but she wasn't going to say that in front of Zolt. "If the Agni Kais are planning a full-scale occupation, they'll need to go block by block; it'll take them time to get this far. Besides, Ho Tun and I won't be the only reinforcements going to the harbor."

She glanced at Zolt and Namu. She hated herself for doing this. But self-loathing for difficult choices was nothing new to her. "Zolt... you wanted to give us a gesture of good faith, prove that you're turning over a new leaf. Now's the real test. Yakone's ready for battle, I assume?"

Zolt nodded slowly. "He's got most of the Triple Threats gathered across from the public school. As if we were going to sit around Dragon Flats, and let those halfwitted bigots come for us." His scorn didn't hide the worry at the back of his voice, the tension in his frame. But his frantic pulse indicated he was telling the truth.

"Namu, go contact Yakone. Tell him Zolt, Ho Tun and I will meet the Triple Threats at the school, then move toward the harbor; Penga and the rest of the police will join us once they've mopped up the collaborators."

Namu nodded as she and Zolt embraced briefly. Then she descended to the ground, racing off through the night.

Toph turned back to the White Cascade. "Do you know any healing?"

The Waterbender glanced at her injury. "A... a little. But that wound's going to take time, to close properly-"

"I don't have time. As long as the bleeding's stopped, I can fight." Toph gestured to herself and Zolt. "Fix the two of us up, then go with Penga. You're going to try and talk down your fellow White Cascades. If you succeed, I'll see what I can do about getting you a reduced sentence- and protection for your family."

"Not much of an incentive, when the city's falling apart around us." Zolt's voice dripped with hostility as the woman approached Toph, bending a globule of water from the snowy debris. "If she decides to defect, take Tsai's offer-"

"Penga will make sure Tsai knows, that she talked to us." Toph's jaw finally unclenched as a warm glow spread across the surface of her wound, the pain slowly receding. "Tsai doesn't tolerate turncoats, at any level. Whoever wins this battle, there'll be nowhere in Republic City the White Cascades can hide."

Penga nodded slowly. Though she was an excellent detective, her personality wasn't quite as ruthless as Toph. But she wasn't naive, and she hadn't missed another unspoken detail about her leader's plan: that Toph was pitting the Triple Threats and the Agni Kais against each other, in a fight to the death.

Like their past gamble against the Red Monsoons, it was an opportunity for either triumph, or disaster.

---

Ho Tun barreled through back alleys and side-streets on an Earthen current, carrying Toph on his back. She would normally have forbidden such pampering, but the Waterbender's healing had only knitted her skin together; the wound would almost certainly reopen under enough stress. Even if the pain was minimal compared to Yakone's Bloodbending, she needed to conserve her stamina for the real fight.

The roar of flames and the smell of smoke were coming from all around; her senses felt blurred. She could hear the shouts of battle and the occasional scream of shells not far ahead, a few blocks at most. Had the Firebenders already penetrated this far in?

It was no surprise, really. The Agni Kais were on their home ground, same as their opponents; they knew which routes would take them through Republic City the fastest. But she couldn't hear raucous battle cries or the tramp of massed feet; there couldn't be more than a few squads of Agni Kais, at most, and a Metalbending phalanx would stop that easily. Especially if they were hemmed in by narrow passes and stone structures, some reinforced or decorated with iron. So if the Firebenders' fleet and artillery were in the harbor, why were they rushing so far ahead of their strongest position?

Unless they'd already wiped out Hei'an and his skeleton force... her heart twisted at the thought, and she forced it away. Focus.

Ho Tun suddenly stopped. Toph tapped her foot as he set her gingerly on the ground. They were standing in front of Bumi's school, part of its' roof caved in and burned. Facing them were row after row of Triads, each of them down on one knee. At their head stood a tall, thin man with his arms folded, a fur cowl hanging low over his face.

Toph felt her flashback threatening to take her over again, but she clenched her jaw and forced it back, her hands balled into fists at her belt. "Yakone."

"Chief Beifong." He still had a maddening tone of mockery when he said her name, though all the smugness was gone. "We're here to serve."

"Interesting words, considering the last time we met, you tortured me." Toph walked slowly towards the Triads, Zolt and Ho Tun behind her. A pit of nausea gathered in her stomach.

"This changes nothing, between you and me. We both know that." Yakone glanced west, in the direction of Yue Bay. "But I'll be damned, if I'm going to let those barbarians take my city." His face turned toward her bloodstained hip. "You've taken a nasty injury, it seems."

"I'll survive, I've already had it patched up-"

"Not very well, you haven't." He raised his hand toward her, palm uplifted. "I could have that healed in half the time, give you better odds on the battlefield-"

"I'll take my chances, thanks." Toph resisted the urge to step back. She couldn't read his pulse clearly. But whether he was telling the truth or not, she wouldn't give herself the smallest obligation to this monster.

"Suit yourself." Yakone shrugged; his tone still sounded faintly mocking. "You've got the seismic sense. What are we up against?"

Toph took a deep, slow breath, spreading her arms out to her sides. Then she lifted her right leg, the armored sole of her boot sliding back, and slammed her bare foot against the frozen ground. As the vibrations rushed outward, she cocked her head sideways. Her keen ears strained to pick up the immediate sounds of battle: the menacing hiss of flames, the crash of breaking stone, cries of pain or triumph, quickening footsteps. Thankfully, the shellfire from the harbor seemed to have stopped; perhaps the Agni Kais were concerned about hitting their own soldiers.

The vibrations returned, suddenly. Toph pressed her palm to the ground, straining to filter through the three- dimensional map her seismic sense provided. "Looks like they have three cruisers and a frigate in the harbor, with a large force of soldiers landing. Probably Tsai's reinforcements from Takeo. They've used either shelling or charges to blast a path, to the City Hall; most of the Agni Kais are gathered around it." Her mouth went dry. "Hei'an's squad... most of them barricaded themselves inside City Hall. They'll probably be able to hold out for a while, but if Tsai and her allies decide to shell the building..."

"Then they need to get out!" Ho Tun clenched his huge fist. His optimism was gone, replaced by worry for one of his oldest friends. "If they haven't tunneled free, we could clear them a path-"

"Not quite yet." Toph shook her head. "If Hei'an's not escaping underground, he's trying to delay the enemy advance, keep them occupied. But we've still got their vanguard to deal with- that's what we're hearing, two blocks away." The last of the vibrations came back to her, completing the picture. "This attack pattern... Tsai's re-organized her forces to use updated Fire Army tactics. Continuous advance by her elite troops, breaking down gaps in the enemy line, leaving strong positions to be encircled and bombarded by the rearguard. If we wait here, they'll cut through our flanks and encircle us next." She gritted her teeth in frustration. The Firebenders would never have been able to advance this far if she'd massed all her officers around a single defensive position; the enemy spearheads would have been broken completely.

Then again, if Tsai was feeling impatient, she might use her artillery to finish the job. The Agni Kais alone weren't enough to break the Metalbenders' ranks, but shellfire certainly could. And Tsai had already proven she had no qualms about causing collateral damage; some of the dying screams in the distance were civilians, not police or Triads.

Toph clenched her jaw. The Agni Kais hadn't known the police were forewarned. Or, about the truce between Toph and the Triple Threats, it seemed. And that bit of knowledge might still make the difference between defeat and victory. She took another deep breath, put her hand on her lieutenant's shoulder. "Ho Tun. Tunnel your way to City Hall, and give Hei'an a direct order from me: evacuate his position, along with anyone else who's still alive." She turned back to the Mountain Master. "Yakone... most of my Metalbenders are busy fending off an attack on your H.Q. in Dragon Flats."

Yakone nodded. "We figured they'd come after us first, ever since Zolt came back from his mission. The place needs some renovations, anyway. But your officers should be able to handle the jackals; where do we go from here?"

"There are Agni Kai squads advancing down the Umiak, Dàjiē and Intor streets. They've already broken through most of Hei'an's support squad, so they'll be here soon. Send your Benders to intercept them." She glanced at the Triple Threat ranks behind him. "You lot know these streets better than anyone, proceed how you see fit. Stop them in their tracks, encircle them, drive them back- I don't care, you give my Lieutenant some relief."

Toph brought her foot upward, then down sharply. A sizeable, sloping tunnel opened in the ground, easily wide enough for three people. "Yakone, Zolt and Namu, you're coming with me. Ready to make yourselves useful, for a change?"

The Bloodbender's tone was as calm and ironic as before. "Just as I said... we're yours to command, Beifong."

Toph couldn't see his face, but she knew he was smiling. The nausea in her gut increased. The way he'd said "my city"...

Forget Tsai. If I have to die trying, Lin will never face him.

---

Being back underground soothed Toph, even if continuous Earthbending put a strain on her hip. Her Element was everywhere, and there was nothing in the immediate area she couldn't sense.

Yakone, just behind her, clearly didn't feel the same; his pulse was uncomfortably fast, his wiry muscles tense. Namu calmly shouldered aside the debris Toph sent back to her, but Zolt was sweating and swiping his hands wildly as pebbles and bits of earth pelted his face. Toph felt a stab of cold satisfaction. A bit claustrophobic, were they? She'd have to remember that.

Toph was confident that the Triple Threats' soldiers could contain the Firebending spearheads. Whatever equipment the Agni Kai's vanguard might have, their opponents had greater numbers and three Elements on their side-including Waterbending, now at its' peak. If only Ho Tun could get Hei'an and his surviving officers out, in time...

Toph was more concerned about the reserve Firebenders near the harbor. Their outlines had suggested that they wore armored uniforms, though she hadn't sensed any metal. If these were some of Takeo's veterans, it would get ugly fast. Taking out the Agni Kai Mountain Master would finish the battle quickest, hence Toph's underground shortcut with the three Triple Threats. Tsai was no coward when battle arose, but the urban environment would make it hard for her, as commander, to stray far from her artillery. Besides, if Tsai knew Yakone was her opponent, she wouldn't be fool enough to meet him alone on the front lines.

Toph jabbed the heel of her hand forward again, and the stone and earth in front of them gave way, opening onto a sewer duct. Earthbending a bridge across the putrid water, Toph headed for the ladder rungs on the far end of the passage. "We're next to the dry-dock facilities. The enemy cruisers are at the next pier to our north."

She glanced behind her. "You remember what we agreed on. I want Tsai on trial, not in the morgue. Otherwise, you're all on your own."

"Are the ships at anchor?" Namu spoke up. "If they are, I can Metalbend them into place, make sure they can't retreat."

"No, they've only thrown mooring lines..." Toph stopped as Namu's words hit her. "You can... Metalbend?"

Zolt let out a smug chuckle, despite his discomfort. "What's wrong, Chief? Did you assume no one outside your precious Academy could pick up the skill?"

"Shut up, so I can focus." Toph snapped, but the uneasiness in her gut returned. If the Triple Threats were already recruiting Metalbenders, it would be frighteningly easy for them to infiltrate her precinct. Though, if Namu hadn't been to the Academy, she couldn't be the mole...

She pushed that thought aside as she opened the sewer's service hatch. As they climbed up the ladder and emerged onto the street, Toph was almost deafened by the report from the ships' cannons; the Firebenders must have made another bombardment. For once, her hearing was a liability- but it wasn't her only enhanced sense. Again, she brought her foot down sharply, pressing her palm to the ground.

"The Firebenders are forming ranks in the market square around the corner, almost five hundred strong. Tsai's been holding them in reserve, to deal with counterattacks as they come. Looks like she's getting ready to send them in." She hissed as the other three bent close to her. "But I can't sense anyone else coming off the ships, now. If Tsai wants to use her ships' cannons properly, she won't be able to see her targets from the turrets-"

"She doesn't need to, because she's not on the ships." Yakone interrupted her, his voice urgent. His arm gestured toward the sky. "There's a small war balloon low over the city, two blocks in. I'll bet all the yuans in my pocket, she's up there giving commands by messenger hawk."

"Ashura spawn!" Zolt let out a growl of irritation. "Well, that sinks our chances of cutting off the Dragon's head!"

"Unless..." Yakone turned back to him. "Zolt, exactly how far can you conjure lightning?"

Zolt's pulse slowed slightly. His voice changed from frustrated, to doubtful. "It depends... she can use Lightning too, though. If she knows how to redirect it-"

"That skill's even rarer than conjuring it, love." Namu put an encouraging hand on his shoulder. "I've seen your range before. If we can get a few blocks closer-"

"No." Toph cut all three of them off, sharply. "I told you, we're taking her alive."

Namu's tone turned to a sneer. "Look, I know you can't see, Beifong. But it should be obvious, that option's expired. You wanted this battle over quickly? The fastest way we do that, is taking Tsai out. And we don't have the luxury of taking her alive when she's in the air, with a wall of Firebenders between us-"

"So take them out." Toph glared back at her, then turned to Yakone. "We all know what you can do, even if you'll never admit it. While Namu and I sabotage their cannons, you and Zolt attack the Firebenders." She curled her lip scornfully. "Or does your Bloodbending have a limit, on how many people you can control?"

Yakone's jaw clenched briefly, but he didn't respond. Toph removed one of the spools of cable from her belt and slapped it against Namu's chest. "I'll leave it to you to get the Firebenders' attention, Yakone. if Tsai knows you've finally crawled out of the woodwork, she may come after us willingly. Once she's near enough, we tether her balloon to the ground with this, then take her hostage."

"She's an Agni Kai." Zolt scoffed. "They all are. They won't surrender just because she's been captured."

"No, they won't stop." Yakone's voice was thoughtful. "But they'll falter, for a moment. They'll be confused, leaderless." To Toph's surprise, he nodded approvingly. "Zolt, follow me. Namu, Chief Beifong... wait for my signal."

Toph frowned, pressing her hand to the ground again. "What signal?"

"Oh, you'll know it when you... hear it." Namu smirked.

Pulling the cowl firmly down around his face, Yakone took a deep breath, then rushed around the corner of the drydock, heading for the market square. As he and Zolt reached the first row of stalls, there was a shout from across the harbor; one of the sentries near the frigate had seen him. As one, the entire rear rank of assembled Firebenders turned about-face, aiming their fists at him. Toph felt the heat of at least a hundred projectiles searing across the square-

And, abruptly, an even greater bloom of heat. A massive curtain of flames erupted from the ground as Zolt dropped to one knee next to Yakone, arms raised, palms and fingers splayed. The fireballs exploded as they struck the barrier, ripping it apart, but Yakone had already bent a large tendril of water from the falling snow. With a sweep of his arm, he extinguished the flames before they could strike him or Zolt.

The water suddenly dropped, splashing on the frozen cobblestones, as Yakone's hands lifted, fingers curling into claws. As simultaneously as they'd turned around, the first row of Firebenders were lifted into the air, their limbs contorting in grotesque positions. Toph couldn't feel them anymore, but she could hear terrible garbled gasps, as if they were being strangled.

Namu sprang upright, hopped the dock rail and ran for the other side of the pier, where the warships were docked. Toph followed her as if in a trance, her heartbeat thundering in her ears. The flashback was threatening to pull her under again...

The next ranks of soldiers had turned as well, but the sight of their comrades being Bloodbent distracted them. Instead of the perfectly-coordinated attack of the first rank, they let out shouts of alarm and scattered, trying to avoid hitting their fellow Firebenders. Yakone gestured again, and at least thirty more joined the others in the air; some began to shriek in pain as their bones snapped like firecrackers. Toph felt bile building at the back of her throat. Over a hundred, all of them experienced Benders... Even Aang would be in trouble, against this one.

But for the first time, Yakone's breathing was growing labored, his muscles straining. Controlling this many, seemed to be pushing him to his limit. As if sensing his weakness, the Firebenders surged forward, flames igniting from their hands or heels. Zolt, who had been curling his arms together across his torso, suddenly thrust his hand forward. There was a thunderclap and a faint smell of ozone as the Lightning blasted apart one of the market stalls, hurling burning debris and Firebenders in all directions. The soldiers at the rear fanned out, launching fire bursts as they advanced on the Triads' flanks, but Yakone suddenly brought his arms sharply downwards. The hanging Firebenders dropped instantly, their bodies crashing into their comrades. As the uninjured ones began to pick themselves up, Yakone and Zolt were already retreating, Zolt launching a flaming arc from his spinning kick.

Namu suddenly stopped, halfway across the pier. Toph rushed to catch up to her; they were dangerously exposed, and the sentries would see them at any moment. "Keep going, idiot." She growled, grabbing the woman's shoulder and pushing her forward. "You said you can Metalbend, that's what we're here for-"

"Tsai's balloon has turned around." The Earthbender's voice was worried. "She's... headed for the marketplace." Her hand went to the cable Toph had passed her. "How could she have gotten a signal that fast, even with a messenger hawk?!"

Toph paused. Capturing the Mountain Master was still their quickest path to victory- but whether they won or lost, the artillery was the biggest danger. She shook her head. "They've got their job, we need to do ours first. If they can stall her long enough-"

"No." Namu flicked her wrist, and her cable lashed out, coiling onto a loading crane. "You can do all the sabotage you want, I'm not leaving Zolt and Yakone to die." Before Toph could stop her, she was launching herself back across the pier.

Toph cursed to herself. Namu's pigheaded loyalty to her comrades put them all at risk. Not that her relationship with Team Avatar, was any different...

She put her fists to her belt and conjured an Earthen current, racing after Namu. Already, she could hear shouts behind her; the sentries had seen them. She only had herself to blame, of course; she'd chosen to let the Triple Threats onto the front line. And now, more people were probably going to die as a result.

There was a sudden series of high-pitched whining sounds, and the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. Instinctively, Toph lashed her remaining wire onto a gable and reeled it in, launching herself off the street. As she landed on the roof of the drydock, several blasts shook the market square, followed by the stench of sulfur again; explosives, not Firebending. But they hadn't been fired from the ships, and their impacts were lighter and sounded different. Rockets, maybe? But Toph should have heard them being launched.

The two sentries behind her launched fire jets, but Toph deflected the attack with a slab of the roof, then hurled it down at them. Without waiting for their response, she rushed to the opposite side of the roof and tapped her heel on the shingles. The Firebenders were encircling a fresh crater in the middle of the square, iron and stone debris strewn around them; a few were dead, many more injured. Zolt crouched protectively over Namu, who was lying prone on the ground, her pulse weak. Yakone stood just behind them, his hands spread defensively. His breathing was labored, and his movements were slow and ginger, as if he'd been injured. Namu hadn't been able to deflect the entire attack, it seemed.

Two things suddenly caught Toph's attention. A block north of the square, three soldiers were clustered around a set of four-foot-long metal and ceramic tubes, their ends propped skyward. A fourth figure next to them held a bag of oval objects, each about the size of a peach... or, a hand grenade.

The other thing was a large object, floating just above the eastern entrance to the square, that she definitely hadn't sensed a moment ago. Then the vibrations brought her the shape of the cable, lashing the balloon's rail to a lamp-post, and she understood.

"It's been a while, Zolt." A female voice rang out from above, curt and cold. One of the three figures on the balloon leaned over the rail. "I believe you took something from my desk, the last time we saw you. How discourteous."

"Oh, did you need that back?" Zolt's voice rang back, belligerent as ever. "Didn't seem to do you much harm, anyway. Here you are."

"Here I am, indeed." Tsai's voice became lower, more menacing. "You've spent too much time mixing with the colonials, for your own good. At least, the ones who don't know their place. Perhaps my brethren can teach you some manners."

"Why don't you come down here and teach me yourself, you b-"

"Nice new toys you've got... there." Yakone cut Zolt off with a hand to the shoulder. His breathing was still ragged; Toph could sense ribs grinding together. "Boiled leather armor... rather than metal. Well planned. And that new artillery... did you come up with that, just to take me out? I'm flattered."

"Oh, we've had hand mortars in the works, as far back as Ozai's reign- although we did upgrade their range with you in mind." Tsai's tone was smug now, dismissive. "I knew from the start that you'd come for me, in person. You're like me: it's not in your nature, to retreat. Pity, really. If not for your lesser Element, you'd have done well in the Fire Nation."

"HEY, ASHMAKER!" Toph bellowed suddenly. "You've spent this whole battle hiding in the sky! Why don't you come down and fight someone who's actually ready for you? Or do you only get your hands dirty when you know you can't lose?!"

She felt Tsai's pulse quicken as most of the Agni Kais turned toward her. But not with fear, anger or excitement, merely irritation. Trying to capture the Mountain Master on her own would only leave her surrounded by Agni Kais, and the pain in her hip was growing worse. But if she could lure her down, or stall her for even a bit longer...

"So, the Leadslingers were forewarned too, were they? How inconvenient." Tsai scoffed. She snapped her fingers in Toph's direction. "Kill her."

Toph lifted a section of the drydock's tin roof to deflect the Firebenders' attack, jumping back at the same time. Her judgement was correct; the force of the barrage tore holes in the metal sheet, sending hot shrapnel whizzing past her face. As her foot came down to spring from the roof's edge, she caught a brief vibration. In the balloon's basket, Tsai was bending over, her hand on a metal device with several knobs and wires protruding from it. Funny, the outline looked a lot like...

And suddenly, Toph knew how Tsai had responded so fast. Forget firepower, communication was what always won battles.

She hit the ground with a jolt that set her hip on fire, conjured an Earthen current and raced down the street, keeping her head low as fireballs whizzed after her. As long as she had their attention, Tsai couldn't direct artillery fire on Hei'an's position-

A white-hot projectile whistled into the ground next to her left foot, exploding with such force that she was thrown off her current. Toph managed to make a rolling landing, encasing her feet in stone as she came upright, but she felt a sharp twinge in her ankle. A sticky wetness was running down her side, soaking through her uniform; the wound had re-opened. Her ears were ringing from the blast, her nose already overloaded. The explosion had jarred her seismic sense, and the outlines coming to her seemed blurred and overlapping, now. She couldn't sense the outline of the airship, anymore; Tsai must have taken off again.

But there was no mistaking the thundering of boots- how many, she couldn't tell exactly, but too many- surging forward, from two directions. Blooms of heat were coming from all sides, but she knew the greatest danger was the one she couldn't sense at all; you never heard the shot that hit you. Instinctively, she raised her fist, forming a domed barrier of rock to deflect the next mortar round. But given how easily the naval artillery had shredded her last one, it wouldn't last more than a moment.

At least we bought my officers some time. At least I'll be fighting, to the end. She closed her eyes and drew her arms back, ready to thrust the heels of her hands forward.

She wasn't afraid, but she felt a brief stab of regret for her daughter. If nothing else, her parents would keep Lin safe, see that she never took the same path as her mother...

"FORWARD!" A familiar voice rang out, behind her. "DRIVE THESE INVADERS OUT! DEFEND OUR CITY, AT ALL COSTS!"

Stone projections erupted on either side of Toph, taking the brunt of the fire bombardment. It was answered seconds later as jets of flame, ice and pressurized water flew past her, driving into the enemies' ranks. Multiple figures, some armored, some in street clothing, rushed forward, on foot or riding their Elements.

For a second, Toph was dumbstruck. Then, she felt a primal surge of triumph in her chest as the realization swept over her: the Triple Threats and Metalbenders had arrived. With their reinforcements held up by her group and the City Hall defenders, the Agni Kai's spearheads must have been defeated. Ignoring her injuries, Toph drew her arms back and began jabbing her knuckles into her barrier, launching melon-sized stones at Tsai's troops as they fell back under the sudden onslaught.

"Grapple onto that war balloon!" Another voice came from somewhere on her left. "Don't let her get away-"

"Suki?" Toph focused her seismic sense, recognizing the Kiyoshi Warrior's tall, armored form. "What the Hell are you doing here? You should be in the Fire Nation!"

"Just came from across the border!" Suki panted, deflecting a burst of flame with her shield. She darted to Toph's side, sheltering behind the barrier with two of her Warriors. "We found evidence linking General Takeo to a renegade faction of the Dai Li. Zuko and Mai sent us to the Earth Kingdom, to pass it on to King Kuei. We found his military encampment, just across the border from Gigye, but we got sidelined by the Council of Five. So... we went to King Ariq instead. He still won't stand down until Zuko's forces do the same, but he let us through his lines." She drew her katana. "Figured you and the rest of Team Avatar wouldn't turn down backup, if things were getting messy."

"We would, if the rest of them were here." Toph spun and kicked her barrier. A particularly large chunk of rock went whizzing across the harbor, smashing apart one of the gangplanks. "We've had no clue what's happening, with Zuko. Aang and Katara were headed for Kuei, to see if he's willing to talk; you must have missed each other. But if you're looking for Sokka, he's in Gigye with the kids-"

"I wasn't." Suki replied, shortly. "Your lieutenants filled me in on what's happening here, though. Where do we go next?"

Cold, Toph thought. But she wasn't in a position to judge. She scanned the battlefield. A group of the Triple Threats were rallying around Yakone, Zolt and the unconscious Namu. The rest fanned out across the shattered square, pushing the Agni Kais back toward their ships with a relentless barrage of three Elements. Behind them, the Metalbenders advanced more cautiously, centered around two familiar figures. Toph felt a wave of relief as she recognized Hei'an's pulse next to Penga, though he sounded injured.

She pulled her helmet off and waved urgently. Penga caught sight of her and rushed over. "Sifu!" Her voice was shaking with relief... and something else. "Thank the Spirits, you're still alive."

Toph forced a smile as she tested her ankle. Sprained, but not broken. "Oh, relax, Penga. Once Ho Tun got Hei'an out of there, it wasn't like any of us were running risks. You knew I was putting the Triple Threats on the vanguard, right?" She fired another chunk of rock after the Agni Kais, then noticed Penga wasn't responding. "What?"

Penga's face turned downwards, her throat constricting. "Ho Tun... As he was evacuating the last of Hei'an's squad... There was another bombardment..."

Toph felt the blood drain from her face. "Ho...Tun?" She couldn't believe it. Her first student, who never let anything get him down, who'd been at her side barely an hour ago...

"We should have stopped their ships, when they first approached the bay." Hei'an staggered over, supported by Shǒutào and Saikhan. Several shards of his own armor protruded from his bandaged shoulder and side. "There was a lot of fog, and snow. My sentries at the mouth of the harbor weren't expecting such an...inconspicuous rendezvous, between Tsai and her allies. They assumed the warships were just a Fire Navy patrol that got lost, or ran out of fuel. We tried hailing them, but they didn't answer. And then, when the cruisers were nearly at the dock... they took down the Triple Flame banner, and ran up a black kirin flag instead. By then, it was too late."

Hei'an's blunt voice dropped to barely above a whisper, thickened by tears. "I'm so sorry, Sifu. Ho Tun... he wouldn't let me cover the stragglers, due to my wounds. He wouldn't listen to my orders. There was no time to go back..."

"Stop." Toph clenched her armored fingers into a fist, then reached for both her students' hands. "We grieve...later. Now, we save our city, and our people... that's what Ho Tun just gave his life for. If we want to tell his family, that his life had meaning...We finish the job."

Shǒutào's pulse was as angry as before, but for once, he didn't speak; Saikhan simply bowed his head. Suki put her hand on Toph's shoulder. After a long pause, she felt Penga and Hei'an squeeze her fingers. She forced herself to inhale the icy morning air, then turned around.

Most of the Firebenders were falling back towards their beachhead, pursued closely by the Triple Threats and Metalbenders. Once they reached the ships, however, order seemed to restore itself. The veteran soldiers spread out along the docks, drawing the enemies' fire, while the Agni Kais began to retreat up the gangplanks. Most of the mooring lines had been undone, and Toph could feel the vibrations as the engines' turbines began to churn.

"They're... they're retreating?" Penga's voice was full of disbelief. "But the Agni Kais don't retreat from battle, they either win or... oh. Oh, Spirits."

"Scorched earth, same as Ozai." Toph's voice was flat and cold. "If they can't subdue us, they'll just burn as many as they can." She nodded to the Firebenders still on the shore. Though many of them were being surrounded as she spoke, they continued launching flame attacks, even as they went down one by one. On the decks of the cruisers, the armored turrets were rotating, the muzzles of their cannons angling upward.

"And they'll get away with it, too." Suki shook her head. "The United Forces' ships are faster, but they've got to come from the opposite coasts of the Republic."

"So what do we do next?!" Shǒutào slammed his gauntleted fist down in frustration. "By the time they reach the entrance to Yue Bay, these bastards will be gone!"

Anger surged through Toph's veins, driving away pain, grief and everything else. She swept a knife-hand to her side, and the remaining pieces of the barrier crumbled apart. Stepping over it, she began to walk quickly toward the harbor, conjuring waist-high walls to force various Benders out of her way.

A familiar, tall figure appeared at her left side. "You think you can do something about that?" Yakone gestured with his good arm, at the gun batteries on the nearest ship.

"We're about to find out." Toph tapped her heel on the cobbles as she strode forward, making sure she had the distance right.

The Bloodbender glanced furtively around- making sure no one else could hear him. "You know... it's not just healing, that it can amplify. If your limbs are manipulated as precisely as you require them to, regardless of how exhausted or injured you are-"

"Shut up." Toph stopped. Her rage ran cold as ice; she was in control. Without turning around, she lifted a finger inches from his nose. "Just... shut up. This truce... is over, now. End of discussion."

Before Yakone could reply, she drew her right leg back, raised her arms over her head, and thrust them down and outward. A column of steel and rock punched through the cobblestones, hurling her through the air, over the last of the Firebending troops.

For a split second, she felt weightless, unable to sense anything except the wind and snowflakes, whipping her in the face. It was just like when Yakone had Bloodbent her, except all she'd felt then was agony. Now, the cold numbed her instead, and she welcomed it.

She hit the cruiser's deck with a thump. Ignoring the slicing pain in her ankle, Toph rolled into a crouch and stretched her arms out to her sides, fingers curling into claws. Instantly, all the gangplanks crumpled like paper screens, dumping most of the Agni Kais atop them into the bay. A few managed to catch hold of the rails, but Toph's cable lashed across the front of the deck, slashing at their fingers and dropping them after their comrades. Her hands closed into fists, and the armored hatches all along the deck and superstructure snapped shut, their wheels spinning closed. Firebending and fists hammered on them from inside, but they stayed sealed.

Without pausing, Toph spread her feet into a wide stance, extending her fingers and arms again. Her seismic sense felt for the traces of refined minerals and earth trapped throughout the ship's hull. Especially those in the gun turrets, still angling slowly toward her allies on the shore. She pressed her hand to the deck, straining even harder as the vibrations came back to her, then stomped her heel again. She reached out even further, across all four ships' armaments. Tracing the outline of the barrels, the breech loading mechanism, the gunner's seats... and, at last, the black powder inside the ammunition itself.

Her arms rose, then brought her fists back to her belt. Once again, she was deafened by a thunderous blast. The deck rocked under her feet, throwing her into a loading crane as the ship's artillery ripped itself apart. Shards of steel armor plating went whizzing to and fro. She couldn't feel the frigate and the other two cruisers anymore, but she knew the same was happening. She didn't realize she'd been holding her breath, until she finally fell to her knees.

The faintest warmth touched her face, from the east; dawn was breaking. It was over.

Ho Tun...your death will mean something, now. Just like your life, always did-

A fireball suddenly snarled past her face, scorching her cheek. Startled, Toph rolled across the deck and sprang up, fusing together chunks of shattered plating to form a shield. Then, a pair of boots hit the deck, and she recognized the attacker's outline.

"It would be you, Beifong." Tsai's voice dripped with barely-contained rage. "If that's the best you can do... why don't I show you mine!" Her hands angled together across her torso, sparks gathering around her fingers as they approached.

Toph felt a curse forming on her lips. A lightning bolt here might take both of them out, not to mention the crew trapped below deck. But Tsai didn't care. She had suffered a terrible defeat, one that only death could 'redeem' her from. Time seemed to slow down as her arm extended...

Out of nowhere, a steel cable lashed through the air, coiling around Tsai's wrist and jerking her arm skyward, just as she released the bolt. The electricity raced up the strand, surging through Shǒutào's armored body, his limbs jerking with spasms. With a cry of rage, Toph hurled her shield at Tsai, but it was already too late. Shǒutào plummeted limply into the icy harbor, his cable unraveling behind him.

Tsai was thrown backwards as the chunk of metal slammed into her torso, then overbalanced against the railing. Toph lashed a cable toward her, but her aim was off, and it fell short. The Firebender plunged over the side, after her victim.

Toph felt her knees give way, again. All the pain of her injuries came back, in a rush. Her heartbeat throbbed loudly in her ears as the oblivion of her flashback finally pulled her under. This time, she welcomed it. Bloodbending was a tonic, next to the ones she'd lost today.

---

It was the voices that finally brought Toph back. For some reason, she was in her bed at home, her hip newly bandaged, two figures standing over her. She could feel someone else, moving around downstairs...

Without opening her eyes, she discreetly raised her fingers under the blanket. Then, she recognized their outlines and relaxed, trying to hear what they were saying.

"...Still don't know how he pulled it off, without anyone seeing."

"Anyone except the Triple Threats, you mean-"

"Shut up, I think she's awake. Sifu, can you hear us?"

"Yeah... I can hear you fine." Toph's voice came out raspy; her throat felt parched. "Can you get me some water?" Penga handed her a cup, and she guzzled greedily. "How long... have I been out?"

"Two days. More than enough time for those mad Healers at Katara's clinic to work their magic on us, and send you home to laze about." Hei'an's air of sarcasm seemed more forced than usual. "You... want the details, Chief?"

Toph touched her cheek, where Tsai's fireball had grazed her; it wouldn't leave much of a scar, and her ankle felt fine. Her hip, still throbbing, was another story. "Just... give me the basic summary. We'll go through... the full statistics, tomorrow."

Her faithful lieutenant nodded. "The Agni Kais on the ships were taken alive...except the ones in the turrets." There was no reproach in his tone, only admiration. "We managed to snare a few of the ones that fell into the bay, when you single-handedly disabled their fleet. The rest scattered, probably to outlying towns."

"The Firebenders on the shore kept fighting, until they were all killed or captured." Penga added, refilling Toph's cup. "None of the armored ones were citizens, so the United Forces flagged down a Fire Navy patrol and told them to contact Admiral Jee. As soon as he's replied, the prisoners should be transported back to the Fire Nation for trial-"

"No." Toph cut her off. "We hold them, until we hear from Zuko. We know Takeo's planning a coup; I know Zuko trusts Jee, but we don't know how far Takeo's reach is in the Fire Nation's military." Penga nodded slowly. "Put them in the cells- just make sure they're not near that Agni Kai kid, Tergel what's-his-name."

Hei'an glanced hastily at Penga. "About that... we've got bad news, Sifu. Tergel Tsereg was killed, sometime during the battle. Strangled."

"What?" Toph sat up sharply. "Who did it? The escaped Agni Kais?"

Penga shook her head. "There was no sign of damage or forced entry, at the precinct- and no burns on Tsereg's body. The only ones there were a handful of younger officers I sent, after we rounded up the White Cascade Triads. Which means, unfortunately... one of them, has to be the Triple Threat Triad mole."

Toph pushed the hair out of her face. "Do you think... you can narrow it down?"

"Give me a week, and I'll have a test that none of them can get past." Penga's mouth was a hard line.

"Do it. We need more information, on the Triple Threat and what's left of the Agni Kais. Talking of which... did we arrest Tsai?"

Hei'an glanced at Penga again. "...No, unfortunately. She was already dead, by the time we got her out of the harbor."

Toph frowned. "She was a master Firebender. There's no way cold water would do her in." Unless she took poison...

"It wasn't the cold, that killed her." Penga's tone was grim. "The docks were so packed I could barely get to the edge of the pier, let alone reach Tsai. But I saw her thrashing and convulsing, just before she expired; the veins in her neck and face were bulging. She was still on the surface, and the water wasn't immobilizing her. Then the Triple Threats around us started cheering... they were focusing on a tall man a few feet from me, wearing a blue jacket and a white fur hood. I couldn't see his face, but he was turned toward Tsai." Her voice shook, with both disgust and dread. "Was that... Yakone?"

Toph nodded, her jaw clenching. "I've never witnessed Bloodbending, used to kill before. But I always knew... it was a possibility." And he can Bloodbend far more, than just one at a time. "During the battle... Tsai had some kind of... wireless telegraph device, in her balloon. Did we recover it?"

"Only a few parts. Her guards ignited the balloon's fuel, rather than be captured; there wasn't much left."

"Did you tell Teo?"

Penga nodded. "Sent a telegram to Gigye already. I'm not sure if even he'll be able to salvage anything, though."

"Good. What happened... with the Kiyoshi Warriors?"

"Suki headed out, as soon as we had everything under control. She said, now that she's gotten through to King Ariq, there are plenty of other ways for her to reach Ba Sing Se. The rest of her company followed her."

Toph inhaled slowly, pressing her hand to her temple. She hadn't wanted the numbers until later, but she might as well know the worst one. "So...how many deaths, came out of that attack?"

"We don't have a total body count yet. At least, until we've cleared the damage around the harbor and the surrounding blocks. But we've found twelve civilians dead, in Tengu Heights. A few of the Agni Kais got far in, and set an apartment block on fire." Hei'an clenched his fist. "Several more people were burned, but Katara's clinic can take care of them. At least nineteen Agni Kais and forty-seven ex-Fire Army veterans, plus a great many injured. Twenty-six of the Triple Threats are confirmed dead, fighting on the front lines." He scoffed. "The press is already making them out to be heroes- although some of the reporters, may already be on Yakone's payroll."

Toph breathed out sharply, anger building in her chest. That her alliance with the Triple Threats had given that monster credibility, legitimacy... he would be harder to bring down than ever, now. Once again, she regretted making that flimsy truce. But she had seen no way around it, anymore than what she'd done with the gun turrets. "And how many of... ours?"

"Besides Ho Tun..." Hei'an's breath caught in his throat, and Penga turned away, daubing at her eyes."... We've accounted for forty-one of our officers dead, and seven more still missing. Outside students at the Academy, and a lot of injuries...we've lost about one-tenth of the Metalbending Police force." He bowed his head slightly. "Including Shǒutào."

Toph closed her eyes briefly. "Shǒutào and I almost never agreed, on any police policies. But... he saved so many lives. Including mine."

"You did, too. We all did." Penga's voice was firm. "It could have been so much worse, Toph."

Toph nodded dumbly. She knew, on some level, Penga's words were true. But they were no comfort now. Swinging her legs off the bed (she was wearing a sleeping robe over her bandages and underclothes, thank the Spirits), she stood up, shakily; her students put out their arms for her to lean on. Her hip throbbed a little when she moved, but otherwise her body was fine. "Who's... downstairs?"

"Sokka's making some tea. He came as soon as the news reached Gigye, didn't even wait for the train. Not that he could have anyway, with the damage done to the station-"

"What? Why the Hell is he here?" Toph pushed between them toward the door, already descending the stairs. "Did he bring Lin with him?! It's still not safe-"

"Well, that's quite a greeting, considering you kicked me out of this city about a week ago." Sokka turned as she came down the landing, a small tea jar and mixing brush in his hands. A kettle hung over the fire behind him. "Don't worry, Lin's safe. Your parents are hosting her, my niece and nephews, and the Air Acolytes on their Gigye estate-"

"Well, then why are you here?"

Sokka's tone became guarded, and indignant. "I... assumed this was a free city. But, if you don't want me around, or think I can't take care of myself around Benders..."

Toph felt her ears flush. She looked away sheepishly. "Of course not. Just paranoid, on your behalf. We... lost a lot of people, in this battle..."

Sokka's shoulders relaxed, his voice softening. "I heard about Ho Tun, and your other officers." He came forward, enfolding her in a hug; Toph returned it, squeezing his waist. "I'm so sorry, Toph."

Penga's hand touched her back as she passed them. "Good to see you again, Sokka. Sifu, I... probably need to get home. My husband hasn't seen me in almost a week; he's such a worrier, I'll be surprised if he ever lets me leave the house again."

"Empty threat, considering you're married to a Nonbender." Hei'an snorted, from behind her. "Rest up, Sifu. Don't come back to work until you're ready. Penga and I... we'll get things together for you."

Wordlessly, Toph let go of Sokka and reached out to both of her students. She thought back, to how much she'd mocked the three awkward youths, when they first entered her Metalbending Academy nineteen years ago. And now, Ho Tun was just... gone. Her throat constricted, and she clasped their forearms tightly, as if she might lose them forever when they let go. She took a shaky breath. "...Go see your families, both of you. And... thank you. For everything."

Penga and Hei'an both squeezed back, then headed out the door. Toph paused for a moment, listening to the crackle of the fire. The silence was awkward; for once, Sokka wasn't the one opening the conversation. He was busy fiddling with the kettle, waiting for her to join him at the hearth. But words weren't coming easily to her tonight... and in the silence, the horrors of the battle kept returning. An ache was building in her left temple.

Toph walked into her kitchen, opened a cupboard, withdrew the bottle of baijou and poured some into a cup. Sokka glanced over. "That's probably not a good idea on an empty stomach, especially if you've been injured."

"It's not that strong." Toph barely controlled her irritation. She took a sip of the liquor, feeling a pleasant, numbing warmth seeping into her veins. "It's not like I can't tolerate it."

"No, but you ought to consider what's best for Lin."

Toph felt her face burn with shame, and anger. She flicked her wrist sharply, and the cup flew across the room, shattering against the wall.

"Whoa! You okay?" Sokka hurried into the kitchen, glancing at the mess of liquor and pottery shards. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"

"As if you haven't made a drunken fool of yourself, or worse, before?" Toph snapped suddenly, rounding on him. "I can name a time, not so long ago."

Sokka's tone turned defensive. "Suki and I were engaged for three years-"

"Oh, please. I didn't drink myself under the table after Satoru and I broke off our engagement. Or when I split with Kanto, even though I chose not to tell him about our child!" Toph slammed her palm on the table. "And I can tell you, a simple split doesn't come close, to losing someone you've known and treated as family, for more than half your life! Because at least you know they're still alive, still have a chance for happiness, even if you don't!"

Sokka's pulse quickened with irritation for a moment, then calmed as he approached her. "You're right, I'm sorry. I shouldn't lecture you on the subject. My experiences aren't the same as yours. Especially, given your relationship with your parents. But... Katara and I have known, what real loss feels like... since I was ten years old."

Toph flinched. In her pain, anger and exhaustion, she had forgotten about Sokka's mother. "I...I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me."

"I do." Sokka hugged her again. For once, Toph wished he would stop doing that, and stop analyzing her. It didn't feel helpful right now. "You should hold on to the people you still have, though. Like you were doing with Hei'an and Penga, just now. If you don't, the grief and anger will just keep pulling you under."

Toph shook her head slowly as she pulled away. "I... wish I could. But I don't have time for that, just yet... I have my work, and Lin."

"Then give yourself time to breathe. Let Hei'an or Penga take over, for a while-"

"That doesn't solve anything!" Toph felt her frustration building again. "They're just as battle-weary as I am, and with the losses we've taken, none of us are ready for what comes next!"

"'What comes next?'" Sokka sounded incredulous. "Toph, you just crippled half the city's Triads, and all but destroyed the Agni Kais! Even the Triple Threats' numbers have taken a hit-"

"And as a result, Yakone has more legitimacy than ever before, and almost no competition! The exact opposite of what I was hoping for, when you suggested that anti-Bloodbending petition! It's the same situation as always: I beat down one faction, and another rises out of the ashes!"

"It's still progress. If you hadn't done what you did, things would have been so much worse. So many more people-"

"Spirits, Sokka, will you stop with your feeble platitudes?!" Toph's tone sharpened. "You're just repeating Penga and Hei'an's words, it doesn't help anyone! If you've got nothing except useless reassurances and tea, just get out!" She wanted to kick herself as soon as the words left her mouth. But she wouldn't deny them.

Sokka didn't leave. Instead, he glanced back toward the fire, breathing slowly inward through his nose. When he finally turned around, his jaw muscles were tightened with anger.

"I know, that you're hurting right now. I know you're looking for someone to blame. And you shouldn't be blaming yourself, like I did after the Battle of Black Sun. That doesn't help. The lives lost- on both sides- aren't on you. They're on the attackers." Sokka's voice had gone cold. "But you don't get to blame me, either, just because I wasn't there this time. If you don't want me to stop you from hurting yourself, then at least quit treating me like a damn PUNCHING BAG!" His last words came out as a shout, to Toph's surprise; she hadn't seen him genuinely angry in years. But she wasn't going to stop, now that she'd gotten a real response from him.

"I'm not going to censor myself, when what I'm saying is true." She snapped. "Everywhere I turn in this city, there's nothing but empty words and hipocrisy. And I'm going to call it out, every time! Including myself!"

"How are either of us being hypocrites?! I wasn't even trying to make a point!" Sokka shook his head. "I know you're more direct than the rest of us, Toph, but just say what you want to say, what you're feeling, instead of picking a fight!" He sighed. "This... this isn't what I came here for."

"Oh, and what did you come here for?" Toph kept her tone scornful, but something about his suddenly-subdued mood caught her attention.

Sokka glanced away. "I... don't know. I just knew, as soon as I heard Ho Tun was gone... that you'd be in pain. And when I see people that I love in pain, I try to do something about it, even if it's useless. Well... now, I've tried." He slowly began to turn away. "Good ni-"

Toph flicked her wrist, and a current rippled through the stone floor, spinning Sokka around. The bewildered warrior shot across the room, cannoning into Toph. As he opened his mouth in surprised protest, she pulled his face down with her hands, tilted her chin upwards, and pressed her mouth to his. For a moment, he froze. Then, as her hands moved through his hair and down his neck, caressing his shoulder blades, he responded. His lips brushed back against her open ones, his arms crushing her against him.

She felt a hot, primal surge in her chest and abdomen. The pain hadn't disappeared; it was more as if this new lust (or maybe the baijou), had simply pushed it back for the moment.

Sokka finally broke away, panting slightly. "What... the Hell are we doing, here? What... is this, Toph?"

"I don't know." Toph was breathing hard, too. And right now, I don't care. Her headache was beginning to build again, coupled with flashes of Yakone, the bombardment. Shǒutào falling.

She stepped toward Sokka and reached upward, tracing his face with her fingers, bringing her lips to his neck. She would do anything, to banish this pain for a few more hours. As long as Sokka felt the same way. She wished she could see his face, right now...

After a pause, Sokka's head bent, and his lips found hers again. His hands slid inside her robe, as she undid the clasps of his leggings.

Her tears would fall later. For now, this was all she had.