Still working on the title.
So this is a story that I would like to give a try. I hope everyone will enjoy this story.
I'll be straight up honest here first, I have very little knowledge about the Avatar franchise, only brief information learned from wiki pages.
I actually did not watch a single episode of Legend of Korra, I only see small clips here and there but that's about it. I still wish to write this story because of the idea I have in mind.
So this story will take place after the series finale, about a couple of months more or less. Since the whole story of Turf Wars is not shown yet, I'm going to assume that after Turf Wars everything just goes back to normal for the purposes of this story. Mako is recruited into a unit for the fire nations because of an issue the Fire Nation seemed to be facing.
There will be original characters I've made that will have some relation to other minor characters in the first show.
Italics will be used for thoughts. Apologies for any grammar error. Also I study UK English in case if my spelling looks wrong.
Please enjoy and review.
Chapter 1: Beautiful Lie
"There was a time above, a time before.
There were perfect things, diamond absolutes.
How things fall, things on earth.
And what falls, is fallen.
In the dream, they took me into the light.
A Beautiful Lie."
Thick clouds filled the night sky. A couple and their son returning home from night out at dinner. San and Naoki held Mako's little hands as they walked together. They tried to take a shortcut back home through an alley, to get home before the rains come pouring down and to return to Bolin whom was sleeping peacefully back home.
Through the dark alley they did not anticipate someone else behind them. Upon hearing the footsteps San and Naoki turn around to see a cloaked man. Naoki and San pulled Mako behind them, hiding and protecting their son from the shady character.
They did not have any second to react when the man raised a hand, and fire had blasted right through San's chest, and he cried out in burning agony and fell limp. Naoki let out a scream as her husband fell before another blast of fire through the chest. Mako stood shaking with horrified eyes as the fire ceased, leaving a hole through each of his parents' chest and they fell to the cold ground. The fire bending criminal took a good look at the boy before he immediately ran away leaving the crime he had committed in the alley.
The night roared out a thunder with flash of lightning and the rains came down heavy.
"San…Ma…ko…" Naoki let out a gurgled choke with her mouth warm with blood. Teary eyed Mako turned to see his mother calling to him one last time. Mako and his mother looked into each other's eyes one last time before she the life in her eyes disappeared and she finally stopped moving.
His legs couldn't carry anymore and Mako slumped into to the ground, the ground pooled with water and blood. Young Mako screamed into the night.
A horrible crime in a horrible alley.
Parents murdered, a poor boy suffered.
In that night, everything inside him died.
Robbed of his childhood and innocence.
A Beautiful Lie.
Mako opened his eyes and stared at himself in the mirror, his face a little lifeless after recalling that night years ago. His mind played the voices of his parents screaming and his mother calling to him before they died.
He was in the bathroom in the police station, and he was done for the evening in the station. He raised up his left hand and rolled up the sleeve to inspect it after it had recently healed up, as much as it can anyway. The scars and marks were scattered across his arm, he sighed and rolled the sleeve back down to cover his arm.
It's been about a couple of months or so since Kuvira's defeat, everyone returned to their lives in bettering Republic City.
Bolin had spent time being a police officer himself, but he stopped being an officer and moved back with Opal as she was training on her air bending, he was considering getting back into the movers with Varrick's aid, or perhaps something else.
Asami had been busy with the repairs of Republic City along with Zhu Li, and developing Future Industries further, so much as to building a new factory in the Fire Nation with Varrick's aid. And making new inventions the company are quite privy of however.
Korra being the Avatar was been occupied with well, being the Avatar for the people and the spirits.
And thus, those four had been together with double dates here and there, with Mako being invited or dragged along with them. When he learned about Korra and Asami being together, he told Korra that he was 'cool' with it.
Truth be told, he could not help but feel a little bitter with it inside, feeling like over the grand scheme of things he was nothing more but a means to an end in this, being led around for nothing. And Bolin's teasing and jabs did not help at all.
He put on a smile for their sakes, out of respect. But when he told Korra that he would always love her, he meant it.
But…maybe from another lifetime.
Letting out another sigh, he washed his hands clean and stepped out of the bathroom, heading for the exit. Along the way Lu and Gang spotted Mako heading to his desk, and took the opportunity to mock the 'super cop'.
"Hey Mako, what's with the long face?" Lu asked him.
"Wait, wait. I think I know." Gang answered. "You're still bummed about your exes, preferring to be with each other instead of you?"
Mako did not answer to that, but his eyes narrowed. He was really not interested in entertaining them, not on this particular day. He slowly turned his head to them and gave them a cold glare and a scowl.
"Whoa, guess I was right then eh hotshot?" Gang taunted once more and Lu laughed.
Mako continued to glare at them, his fists clenched up. Lu and Gang finally took a good look at his glare, ceasing their laughing. But then Mako just shook his head and carried on to the exit with a sigh.
He had his hands in his pockets as he reached the lobby, he didn't expect to see who would be at the lobby though.
"Mako, wow perfect timing." Bolin said, with him was Korra. She waved and said. "We were just about to come up looking for you, but you're down here already. Great."
Forming a smile, he greeted them. "Hey Bolin, Korra. What are you guys doing here?"
"We came because we wanted you join us for dinner together." Bolin enthusiastically said. "We got a table at Kwong's Cuisine."
"Who's we?" Mako asked.
"Us. With Opal and Asami. It's going to be great."
"Another double date." Mako thought with dread. But on this particular day, he could not join them.
"Sorry guys. But I can't go today." Mako told them.
"What? Why not?" Korra asked, a little disappointed. "We've not had dinner together for quite some time right?"
Bolin added. "Yeah, Mako come on. It's dinner together as Team Avatar."
"Come on Mako." Korra persuaded.
"There's something important I have to attend to." Mako said.
"What? What is it then?" Bolin asked, then he pointed at him. "Oh wait. Don't tell me, you've already have a date?"
"No Bolin. I don't have a date." Mako calmly answered.
"No? What is it then?" Bolin asked.
"Don't you remember Bolin?" Mako asked, hiding his slight disappointment.
"Hmm." Bolin had a scrutinizing look. "Is it….Is it someone's birthday? And I forgot someone's birthday is it?"
"Ah never mind. It's fine." Mako waved him off. "Look, sorry guys but I can't go with you guys. I have to go already." Mako started walking past them. "Say hi to Asami and Opal for me. Enjoy your dinner ok?"
And with that he left them in the police station and was out in the street with the evening sky covered with grey clouds.
"He doesn't remember. Maybe he's too occupied with the date to remember." Mako thought as he walked down the path with hands in his pockets.
"But….he's going to spend time with Opal, he's going to be happy…along with Korra and Asami…maybe that's more important…but…..I could not forget today…I just couldn't." Mako thought.
Night has arrived, the clouds turned dark and red. Mako had arrived to his destination, the alley where he lost his parents. And in this particular night, was the anniversary of their deaths.
The streets were empty and Mako went in further into the alley, the memory of his past came back into his mind. "San…Ma…ko…" The last words of his mother was still fresh in his head even after years.
The thick clouds in the sky poured the rains down, Mako simply stood in the alley as he felt the raindrop landing on him. His clothes turned a little wet and his hair came down, his fringe covering his forehead and a bit on his eyes. The police had never been able to catch who killed them, and even if they tried to now it would be almost impossible to get any leads.
"Till this day I could never understand, why you had to die like this for no reason at all." Mako closed his eyes in sorrow. He stood in the alley for a little while longer as the rain continued.
Taking a deep breath, he turned and left the alley to return to his apartment.
At his home, he had just finished a shower to wash off the rain water and now he was having noodles for dinner, in this quiet night with the rains finally stopping.
His dinner however was interrupted by when the phone in his house rang.
"At this time of the night?" Mako got up from the table and picked up phone.
"Hel-"
"Rookie." Lin Beifong's voice cut him off through the phone. "I need you back at the station, now."
"Chief? What's going on?" Mako asked, confused as to why she was calling.
"It's simpler to explain if you just get over here rookie. Pronto." She told him and hung up. Mako groaned as he placed the phone back. Mako dressed up in his uniform and exited his apartment, both annoyed and curious as to why he had to come back to the station.
Reaching the police station, he headed up to the Chief's office level. Thankfully, Lu and Gang were already gone so he could be spared from any more mocking. The offices were strangely empty, except for the light behind the Chief's office.
Cautiously he knocked on the door, unsure of what Lin was having in store for him.
"Enter." He heard Lin's voice from the other side of the door, he opened the door and stepped inside. The room was dimly lit with the table lamp as the only source of light.
"Chief?" Mako greeted Lin who was standing by her desk, only now noticing that with her was another figure in red robes, wearing glasses and sporting dark grey hair.
Fire Lord Izumi.
"F-Fire Lord Izumi?" Mako did a proper greeting to her. "A-An honour Fire Lord Izumi."
"A pleasure too Mako." Izumi greeted back. Mako turned his eyes to Lin, confused by the situation.
"I apologize for the inconvenience. Especially on such a short notice." Izumi said to them.
"It's fine." Lin stoically said. "Seems pretty important if you needed to pull strings to come all the way to Republic City and contact me to get him here to talk face to face."
"What's pretty important?" Mako asked the Fire Lord.
"I'll leave two to talk, but don't touch anything." Lin said to the two before leaving her office.
"Just what could be going on that you need the Chief to leave her office so that we can talk?" Mako thought.
Izumi said as she sat down on Lin's chair. "Please take a seat."
Mako pulled up a chair and sat, still a little nervous as to why the Fire Lord wanted to see him.
"So Mako." Izumi said. "Lin has spoken highly of you. A skilled police officer and detective, you were the personal bodyguard of the once King Wu. You were also a pro bender as well. A proficient fire bender along with lightning generation. Impressive Mako."
"Uh thank you." Mako took the compliment.
"Yes. And well, I might perhaps be the last person qualified to say this, but I what find truly admirable about you Mako, is your upbringing." Izumi said.
"Upbringing?" Mako raised an eyebrow.
"Yes. Losing precious people at such a young age. Hardened by the street and you suffered greatly. I can't imagine." Izumi said with some hint of sympathy.
Mako's eyes went down. "I…did what I had to do…to survive and protect my brother."
"I understand, and you've done well in bringing your brother up to where he is now." Izumi said.
"Thank you. But with all due respect Fire Lord Izumi, may I ask what is so important that you needed to speak with me?" Mako asked.
"Right." Izumi got straight to the point. "With your skills, your knowledge, experience and your background, the Fire Nation could use your assistance Mako."
Mako raised an eyebrow. "You need my help?"
"Yes Mako. There is an issue at hand. And I would take any issue very seriously. I'm sure you understand that I would not delve into any more information unless you are willing to involve yourself in this." Izumi explained.
"Well if there is something going on, shouldn't Korra be informed? She is the Avatar." Mako asked.
"Exactly. She is the Avatar. And as such too much attention may be brought onto the situation. We need this to be in a more discrete manner." Izumi said. "I understand that what I ask of you would require hard work, commitment and even leaving Republic City, but apart from payment I can offer this in return Mako, should you choose to assist us." Izumi said.
"And what would that be?" Mako asked.
"I can help you find out about your mother, through any records or any other forms of documentation."
Mako's eyes widened a little. "My mother?"
"Yes. Although I cannot promise you anything fruitful." Izumi told him. "Well Mako?"
Mako fell silent for a while. The thought of leaving Republic City was making him a little apprehensive, but then he wondered, why should it? He was given an opportunity to go to the Fire Nation, and to assist the Fire Lord who had come all the way to the Police Station to meet him.
However, the thought of leaving the people around him came. But thinking further, everyone else seemed to have their life back on track together, like they each had become part of something big now, like everyone had their perfect place of belonging.
Except for him in his eyes. Perhaps this could be the answer. He told Korra that he would always have her back, but perhaps not in the way she would anticipate. This could be the…escape he needed.
"You've gone through quite a lot to seek me out, I think it would be incredibly rude to reject your offer. Plus I honestly can't ignore what you're offering, nor what this um issue that you seem to be having." Mako gave his answer.
"So that's a yes then, excellent." Izumi had a small smile at the corner of her mouth.
"What do you need my help in?" Mako asked.
"I wish to recruit you to a faction in the Fire Nation." Izumi stated.
"You want me to join the Fire Nation army?" Mako asked.
"No, not the army particularly. But a faction that my father, Lord Zuko and I have created roughly three years ago." Izumi explained. "With threats such as organized crime in Republic City, and the fact that the Red Lotus and the Equalists is still at large and lurking in the shadows somewhere in the world, my father and I decided that if the Fire Nation ever faced a threat of similar nature, there would need to be a force that can strike down the enemy using the element of stealth and discretion." Izumi paused a second. "Thus we have developed this particular faction that has operated for the Fire Nation for three years as I've mentioned before, without any failures."
She explained further. "This is a unit that serves the Fire Nation and reports to the Fire Lord directly and exclusively, me and my father only. A faction that does what anyone could not do, to go where anyone normally could not. I would describe it as a counter stealth unit, infiltrating and attacking deep within enemy lines. This is a unit which comprises of recruited individuals with various skill sets, knowledge and background that fits into the nature of tasks this faction undertakes. To fight what lurks in the shadows, by lurking in the shadows."
Izumi paused for a second. "My father and I named it, 'The Blue Spirit Unit'."
Mako listened to what she had said. "The Blue Spirits?" He clarified. Izumi had a slight smirk at the side of her mouth, looking above Mako's shoulder.
Suddenly Mako felt the cold metal of a blade at the side of his neck. His eyes widened and he froze. He did not hear anyone else in the dim room, like a ghost just popped out of nowhere.
His eyes turned to see who was having a blade at his neck behind him. A male-looking figure dressed in black everywhere except for the ghostly blue mask on his face. The mask of a Blue Spirit stared at him with no emotion on the mask, it would have been quite frightening to someone upon first sight.
The figure was holding a black kunai which was pointing at Mako's neck, on his back were two swords. The figure got the knife away from Mako and the figure stood with aura exuding firmness and austerity. Mako could not believe, this masked individual had been in the room the whole time in the dark without him knowing.
"The Blue Spirit Unit." Izumi said.
The Blue Spirit operative moved silently to stand beside Izumi, still appearing firm and intimidating.
"Will you introduce yourself?" Izumi said to the man beside her. The Blue Spirit took the mask of his face, revealing a man with typical fire nation golden eyes and black hair with some dark grey too, he appeared to be in his late thirties or early forties.
"Hello Mako. My name is Jiandao. I'm the grandson of the great sword master, Piandao." He said to Mako. "I'm the one in charge of this unit. I was the first to be recruited by Fire Lord Izumi, and together with the existing team members of the Blue Spirit Unit we've protected the royal family of the Fire Nation."
He then had a smile at the corner of his mouth. "Hope I didn't scare you too much with the knife kid."
"N-no. Not really." Mako replied.
"Well, we will see what you can do kid. Once we arrive in the Fire Nation and get you sorted with the rest of the Blue Spirit Unit." Jiandao said.
"T-Then when are we leaving?" Mako asked.
"Now." Izumi said and Jiandao put the mask back on his face.
It took Mako a second to register what she said.
"What?" Mako dumbly said. "B-But I'm still working for Lin Beifong."
"You let me handle that. Go get packed now." Izumi authoritatively said. Mako nodded, he took his badge and placed it on the table. He headed for the door, but before he left the room, he turned around to ask Izumi.
"Can I let my fr-" He did not finish his sentence when he looking at Izumi, the Blue Sprit was gone, there was absolutely no sight of him in the room, the window was opened which gave an idea of where he went, but still there was no sound at all.
"I understand you wish to inform your friends on where you are going, but unfortunately with the sensitivity of the matter, I'm afraid telling your friends would be a very bad idea. The less people know the better for the mission's success so to say." Izumi said, ignoring the absence of the Blue Spirit.
It was unsettling, leaving without telling anyone where he was going, but he understood the reasons.
"Get your things ready and get the port. Jiandao will be waiting for you there." Izumi said.
He nodded, inhaled deeply and exited the room to head home.
I hope I did this introduction well for you.
Mako is being recruited into another team. The Blue Spirit Unit, or Blue Spirit Task Force or Blue Spirit Guards I don't know which sounds good.
So to picture what the Blue Spirit Unit is about, picture them like the ANBU black ops from Naruto to those who watch anime. Or like the 'Ghosts' from Call of Duty: Ghosts. Or splinter cells. But they are more like the ANBU from Naruto.
This special unit made by Zuko (because he's the original Blue Spirit) and Izumi, they are specialised in these black ops style missions, infiltrating and attacking behind enemy lines with stealth and sabotage.
They only answer to the Fire Lord and no one else, so they do not answer to the Earth Kingdom, they do not answer to the President from Republic City, and they do not answer to the Avatar.
So we saw the first OC, Jiandao, the grandson of Piandao the sword master who taught Sokka and Zuko in sword fighting. There will be other OCs that have some relation with other side characters from the first series.
Hope you've enjoyed this chapter, hope to see you in the next one.