Tenzin

Blood.

There was a woman with gloves on, a bucket and a sponge. With a casual, practised ease she squeezed out the sponge into the water before returning to the desk, rubbing it down. Blood, washing away the blood of my little girl.

"Where?" I asked, no one in particular. Looking at the waiting room, the wet floor leading up to the desk, freshly cleaned. The water in the bucket was red. Why was there so much? It must have been water, mostly water, just my mind playing tricks.

"Where is she?" I stepped forward away from the wet. Where they were cleaning up like it was normal. Like this was just something that happened.

"Tenzin!" Korra darted forward as I leant against the wall, it was far too hot and bright. I had to think, had to see her.

"Korra, we have to ask someone…" What? What did he ask? Where is she? Is she okay? Who did this? Why? Why would they do this?

Was she still alive?

"Ah, you are her father I presume. It's a pleasure to meet you, councillor." I looked around before I found the man speaking.

Blood.

His clothes, sleeves were covered in... He was covered in blood.

"Where is she?" I was shaking, I had to stop, control myself, and think rationally.

She was okay. She was okay.

"She should be just getting out of the second round of surgery, was looking a bit hairy for a moment but Kurru is just as good at closing them up as she is at opening them!"

I was going to throw up.

"S-she… is, okay?"

"Stable at least, watched Kurru close the incisions up myself, was just going to get some fresh air and rest my legs. we will still have to wait and see about her arm."

"What happened to her arm?!" Korra demanded, her eyes wide and face pale.

"Oh, um, sev..." He glanced between me and Korra before standing up a bit straighter despite the bags under his eyes. "Well anyway we had to get imaginative with reattaching everything with how shaken around things were but it is looking positive at the moment. We will just have to see how she is when she wakes up."

"I want to see her." I said calmly as the doctor took a step back.

"That might not be the best idea." He countered, lifting his hands up defensively.

"Take me to her." He winced at my perfectly reasonable request before nodding.

"Okay, alright just follow me but don't try to touch her." I nodded, Korra touched my arm and offered me a comforting smile. She was difficult at the best of times but this is what I saw in the child since I first beheld her. The kindness and compassion in her bright eyes had only grown. I stood taller, following the doctor though the twisting halls of the hospital and into an elevator.

"Now she should have been moved out of the operating theatre and into her own room but she might still not be ready for visitors."

The doors opened on a quiet floor. We walked, hurried, down the halls until we came to a room where an armoured figure stood waiting. Never before had I felt such relief at beholding one of Lin's officers. I waited a moment to confirm the occupant of the room before I entered.

The room was clean, a window ajar allowing the soft curtains to sway in the wind as they served to diffuse a soft orange light that touched the still form of my daughter. Her chest moved as she softly breathed under her own power and I gasped for air I did not know I needed.

She was alive. It was like a terrible weight had been lifted and with it I felt unsteady, slight, weak. Korra wrapped her arms around me as the world lost focus. I turned away from my little girl and to the young avatar. It occurred to me that I was crying.

Ah I was a terrible master for making her worry.

"I'm taking her home." I said, wiping away the tears and turning to the doctor who was looking at a clipboard. "When will she wake up?" The answer was delayed, the man glancing over at Tenya and back to me a few times before he spoke.

"We don't know."

Asami Sato

The world had gone insane.

If only I had been more insistent on brunch.

I was not blind, I knew full well that things were not well in Republic City. I understood the pain caused when bending was abused and in turn, I knew the indignation of the innocent judged guilty by spurious association. Things had to change, problems had to be addressed, voiced and the people had to know that people with power, wealth and influence understood and would take steps into a brighter future.

A world where what happened to mum could never happen again…

I leaned into the shifting balance of the bike as the world slid past. A police van caught my eye as it took up the majority of the street. People being loaded onto it by stone-faced officers in indomitable metal armour.

Reprisals, looking for someone to blame, someone to hurt, someone to punish for an unthinkable transgression. It was not hard to imagine that the would-be assassins had the exact same eyes.

The scene was gone in an instant, speed carrying me through the city more of a comfort then a necessity as a part of me raged against an oppressive machine and another cheered at the evil it would crush underfoot. I was a hypocrite, I knew that.

The tight knot inside of me that coiled and twisted for someone in truth I had just barely begun to know radiated throughout my body, turning muscle taught and mind racing. It was terrible and addictive to be driven to such a hight of emotion. The terrible selfish rage, more than empathy or concern. As if I had a rational reason to consider myself wronged for the atrocity inflicted upon another.

I did not care. Curiosity might have drawn me to her but…

I had pursued her, she had accepted and thus she was mine until she decided otherwise.

Rationality eased the throttle and my bike slowed. The hospital's street was host to a small army. Robed and armoured figures mingled and spoke in hushed furious tones. Her approach was met with tension, dozens of eyes startled and gleeful at the unknown approaching, hoping perhaps that tribal rage might be soothed if I was to be identified as an enemy.

"Can I help you, miss?" A strong, tall man approached. His form wound tight with the tension of an experienced fighter. Someone who knew that just because someone was smaller and weaker than you were did not make them any less deadly. I set down the kickstand on my bike and took off my helmet.

"I am here to see Tenya. If she is okay." I kept my voice even, I had to be calm.

"I need to know your name, miss." His eyes betrayed his suspicion, or perhaps he simply did not care to hide it.

"I am Asami Sato. I was with Tenya before it happened, we-. She's my girlfriend." I felt a welling frustration that the admission did not send a giddy beat in my heart, the circumstances stripping away the magic inherent in a young romance. He looked genuinely dumbfounded for a moment before steadying himself.

"In that case, I am going to have to detain you for questioning."

"Fine, but please. Just tell her Asami is here." His eyes softened for a moment and he nodded.

"I will pass it on to Miss Sato, please come with me." I suppressed a sigh and followed the man to a cluster of cars. There was an extended conversation between the officer I had spoken to and a few of his comrades before one of them walked in the direction of the hospital and the other walked towards me.

"Don't worry miss, we will get things sorted out, if you do get into the hospital be sure to come back here so you can talk to a detective. Anything you know could help the case."

"I will tell you everything I know."

Tarrlok

There was the faintest hint of blood spilt in the air, calling to the Waterbender instincts within me as it withered and calmed.

The entire street was cordoned off, in a less well to do area of the city that might have been a problem but here the properties and apartments had more than enough entrances to accommodate one roadway being restricted. I approached the checkpoint and the tired metal-bending police moved aside for me. Perhaps if Lin were here, it would have been more awkward, more difficult to gain access.

But she was looking for scalps to take. Rampaging across the city, dragging suspects out of boltholes, pulling every known Equalist into questioning. There was little chance that the trio of would-be assassins would escape Beifong's wrath.

But little was what I was betting on. Broken glass, a tire mark burned into the ground on the escape from the scene, splattering of blood. Evidence that was effectively useless to the police. They had already looked and found nothing they could use. Now it was simply an uncomfortable reminder of how the wretched masses would dare to attack their betters.

I glanced at the far distance between myself and the checkpoint. Even the predatory 'journalists' had left when the police had shown little interest in the site of the attack. Every rag had a picture from before the police closed off the street anyway.

Still, this was a risk.

I settled my beating heart and felt the thrum of power, the electrifying thrill pulse in my veins. The dried blood on the street glistening now at the slightest ethereal touch of my mastery. What was familiar was useless for my purpose and it was what was familiar that led all the way down the street. No, I wanted what I had never tasted on the air before.

Anyone else and this would be a waste of time, to cut, to rip, to rend apart are things they looked down upon. But Tenya… well I had no real way of knowing, it was a hunch, an idle thought, an assumption.

I smiled as the unfamiliar lifted from the dusty earth, from the ground and scattered glass, from the cracks. I gathered, with a glance to my left and right of course, the crimson orb in a handkerchief, watching as it settled across the brilliant white in an unhealthy stain.

Equalist blood, as rancid as expected.

I got to my feet and winced as my knees clicked.

Ah, the things I do for friends.

I turned on my heel and made my way to the checkpoint, the three figures were armoured and one had stripes on his breast, perfect.

"Did you notice anything sir?"

"Sadly not, I don't know what I expected honestly."

"More eyes are better in my book. Crazy to think the Equalists went after Tenya like that."

"Unthinkable." I offered an agreement. "Well, for us but not for her."

"Sir?" The sergeant invited me to continue and with a little dramatic flair I glanced around.

"It's just. Tenya did more than anyone to challenge the equalists, working hard every day, just not publicly." He nodded, an indication he had taken note of her presence, if he felt close enough to be on first name terms with her then he must have encountered her at the station once or twice.

"Yeah, she was worried about them, gave us a ton more work to do." He glanced over at the scattered glass and blood that just barely caught the glare of the waning sun. "Seems like we barely did anything now.

"But to target her specifically, how did the Equalists know she was…" My eyes went wide and I quickly stepped away. "I think I have said too much." I gave him a smile. "Good afternoon sergeant, officers."

"Sir." He responded, his face taking on a pale tone. The Metal-bender police were not merely Metal-benders, the bulk of the forces were but detectives, clerks, cleaners. An organisation hired many people to keep functioning smoothly. That the grease on the Metal-bending police machine might include non-benders had likely never occurred to the fine gentlemen before me. They were, after all, on the same side.

Surely.

I failed to suppress a smile as I made my way to my car, hopping over the door and into place in a single smooth motion.

Amon

The radio between us crackled, even with the hard line reaching through a mountain of stone there was a great deal of interference. Muffled footfalls, hurried voices and activity could be heard through the door that served to give the two most important leaders of the Equalist movement some privacy.

The man before me looked remarkably resolved, almost too calm given the situation. He reached out and took a sip of some freshly brewed tea and an overly helpful agent of the cause had made during the chaos.

I reached out and turned the dial letting the soft music play, echoing around the metal walls giving it an unearthly quality.

Late. The seconds dragged by with the pair of us sitting in silence, the man long used to my mask. Even my heart skipped a beat in anticipation as the voice finally rang out from the ornate box.

"Equalist attack on young Air Nomad SHOCKS and HORRIFIES the people of Republic City!"

"Yesterday, our junior council women representative Tenya Beifong was attacked by three unidentified Equalists in an automobile. After being struck by the car moving at high-speed Tenya proceeded to fight desperately for her life as the attackers dismounted from the vehicle and attempted to murder her with knives. Tenya, one of the last Airbenders alive fled from her attackers to a nearby hospital where she is currently being treated for life threatening injuries."

"Damn!" Hiroshi's chair clattered to the floor and delicate porcelain shattered against the ground. "DAMN!" Foot met chair and the sound bouncing around the enclosed space. "One job! How did she get away!"

"Witnesses to the attack claim they heard Tenya challenge the attackers, claiming that she had faced more deadly attackers in the past and they would not be enough to kill her. This attack occurred after Tenya was spotted meeting with Asami Sato, heiress to Sato Industries, several times at different locations. Allegations have risen that the Equalists committed the attack in order to punish the young bender for establishing a close relationship with a non-bender."

Hiroshi seethed, hands shaking as he turned his back on the radio. It would be damming if I was not fully aware of the tryst between Asami Sato and Tenya Beifong. His conduct was pathetic and spoke to a decline in his resolve that had to be carefully controlled, he was not an asset to be disposed of lightly.

He was also annoyingly popular with the comrades.

"The attack has been met with global condemnation with the Earth Queen offering to deploy a peacekeeping task force to Republic City to defend the city from Equalist insurgents. The Earth Kingdoms Prime Minister had this to say:"

"This attack is shocking and horrifying, more must be done to combat this senseless ideology. Our Kingdom has always and will remain a haven for Air Nomads who have been targeted in this way should the United Republics prove itself incapable of protecting the diminished peoples of that proud nation."

An opportunity there, if far flung. The people of Republic city were fiercely independent and there was a not insubstantial anti-monarchist sentiment. There was the problem of that sentiment serving to weaken the revolutionary spirit of non-benders by his comrades finding common cause with benders who likewise despised the Earth Monarchy.

Best to take actions to avoid premature intervention.

"When reached out for comment councillor Tarrlok had this to say:"

"This brazen and horrific act of terrorism directed at the heart and soul of Republic City will be met with unity and determination the likes of which the world has hardly seen. In this act the Equalists have shown themselves to be, and I do not say this lightly, nothing short of evil."

And the most delicate roadblock for the revolution. One that had to be addressed with the utmost care. Tarrlok needed to be captured without much fuss and by my most loyal soldiers in order to ensure that the revolution was successful, without him the council's responses to the Equalists would be unfocused.

"This is a developing situation, Lin Beifong has requested that all radio broadcasters remind the people of republic city not to interfere with the special police operation currently underway. Now, back to some music." The music played as Hiroshi looked at me, waiting for what was to come.

Honestly, I was furious, while I doubted that the common man would truly feel sympathy for the rich and prestigious Airbender there was little doubt that this action would solidify resistance to the Equalist movement for the elite of the United Republic. It served to justify foreign intervention and would cripple international Equalist cells. Rallies would become almost impossible, fear of police reprisals would hamper recruitment far more than resentment at the authoritarian state's oppression would help.

Dozens of Chi blocking dojo's raided, there was not a student who was not being treated to the tender mercies of a police force furious that 'one of their own' had been attacked. The universities and colleges that had been the cornerstone of moderate Equalist support would no doubt suffer for that.

"You are aware of how severely this has impacted my operations in the city. Dozens of cells have been compromised by the police's aggressive sweep. A great deal of our operatives will be unable to be recovered considering the permanent injuries inflicted by bloodthirsty police in alleyways and vans." He stuffed his hands into his pockets and pursed his lips.

"It was only a matter of time before the council made its move, they played their hand and failed to find a single workshop. This is hardly the deathblow they are hoping for." Hoping for? This was the wild snapping of a rabid polar bear-dog! And it was just beginning, suffering wounds now would weaken the Equalist cause just when our funding, support and manpower was required the most. There was even the possibility of Equalist influence being so crippled in the savage reprisal attacks from a demented metalbending police that the plans ahead would have to be postponed.

"The cells being attacked were the bulk of our combatants."

"Well, this seems like a failure of operational security. Everything I am responsible for remains in place and hidden and the projects are on time and under budget." It was a rare thing, a unique thing, to be so angry to have been rendered speechless. How dare this worm imply that the attrition we are suffering was in any way caused by my actions! It took a great deal of self-discipline not to break the man who refused to accept his failures. He would pay in time, for now…

"You have ordered the assassination of a women, against my orders in a fit of rage that she would dare sleep with your daughter. This calls into question your reliability and competence Mr Sato." His cheeks burned red and his entire body tensed.

"She was using her to get to me!"

"Evidently not!" I countered as I stood my voice louder than I intended as it echoed around the tin room. In an instant his posture dropped, he took a step back as I approached his eyes flickering from my mask to my hands. "As you have said, your operational security remains effective, your personal and company accounts are untouched and your assets remain unmolested."

"I-."

"You." I said stepping closer and looking down upon the pitiful man. "Were wrong, your paranoia of a child has nearly brought us to ruin. I am disappointed in you, truly, deeply, disappointed." I set my hand on his shoulder to punctuate my point as sweat trickled down his face.

"When will your weapons be finished?" I asked.

"Everything is on schedule, the airships and planes are rea-."

"Make sure there are no delays." I let my hand drop from his shoulder as he nodded, turned and walked past me to the door.

"Mr Sato." I called out, feeling some sense of satisfaction as even from the other side of the room I could feel his heart skipping a beat. "You are not to act, in any way, without my express permission. Am I understood?"

"Yes Amon."

"Good."

Korra

She looked almost like a Ba Sing Se porcelain doll. Something my mother had on a high self. Something so beautiful, so lifelike but utterly still. I always wanted to play with it, something so pretty and colourful and so different from the more rugged and battered dolls that filled my toybox.

I was never even allowed to touch it. Because I would break it.

Tenzin was sat next to me, his face buried in his hands. He had always seemed so large, so wise and…

Now he looked small. If he looked like that, what did I look like?

I crossed my legs, resting my shin on my knee to stop my legs from shaking with frustrated energy. Waiting, waiting felt terrible. Stupid, like I was wilfully wasting my time but if I did anything I would be showing how I hated Tenya. I was a healer, one of the best, like a dozen other people in the hospital that had gone over her again and again. I was useless here so why did I have to be here? Why did I have to sit here and do nothing when she almost died, when the people who did it were out there.

As if I knew where to even start looking for them.

"Tenya?" I jolted at the voice, more at it being a disturbance than anything else. Turning to the door I felt my stomach churn. Her eyes were locked onto Tenya, at her sleeping form. Her face was perfectly anguished, soft manicured fingers with immaculately painted nails. Her lips were plump and full and her hair bounced with energy.

"She's sleeping." I said, or attempted too, my throat ragged somehow. Not a word spoken and my voice felt long gone. "You must be Asami." She was here. Any imagined qualities gone. Now there was nothing but terrible reality. The person Tenya liked in the flesh.

"That's me." She offered a charming if weak smile that left her face as she stepped forward, the metalbender police officer behind Asami taking a step forward only for Tenzin to wave him off. The airbending master got to his feet and schooling his face as best he could.

"You were there before…" He stepped closer, his hands reaching out to enclose his daughters.

"She left." She took a breath, steadying herself from genuine shock and sadness as she beheld Tenya. "She had just left my home when the attack happened. I had no idea something like this would ever happen in Republic city." Tenzin swallowed, seeming to draw strength from the contact with his daughter, his voice growing steadier.

"Can you tell me what happened, everything you can remember?" Asami blushed.

I got to my feet and balled my hands into fists that I kept pinned to my hips.

"Tenya… spent the night in my house but we never di-." Tenzin held up a hand.

"Please, I am not here to judge, it was a bit of a shock to learn that my daughter had someone she… well someone she even though-eh, liked… but that is not important right now. Asami, I need to know if anyone you encountered, or anyone in your estate could have been involved with this." Asami quickly nodded and began to describe the date she and Tenya had enjoyed. The place they met, Bolin, some fancy restaurant with fancy guests. The metalbender behind Asami produced a notebook and pen as Asami described everything she could about the time she had spent with Tenya.

Page after page, names, descriptions, places, times. Asami articulated in detail everything she could with an annoying ease. Tenzin was lapping it up, nodding along and interjecting only to get her to expand on someone else that could have tipped the assassins off.

"Hey you're not a Bender." I pointed out, three sets of eyes flicking to me as if shocked that I existed at all. "How do we know you weren't involved?" She looked hurt, genuinely hurt. Her wide expressive eyes flaring wide and her hand reaching up to her mouth. She looked perfect, more innocent than innocent. Mortified at the implication.

I hated it.

"I-uh, well I was not involved I." She nodded next, hurt shifting to sympathy, empathy. "I understand how this looks." I wanted to scream. "If there is anything I can do to help, I am happy to do it."

"Korra is right, you are a suspect, but please don't tak-."

"No, no of course, I will cooperate with any investigation. Anything to see the people responsible arrested and facing trial." Tenzin smiled at her and put a hand on my shoulder. I was not dumb, he was telling me to back down.

I felt my stomach lurch from the redoubled sense of uselessness. I felt all my strength leave me at once but every muscle remained tense as iron.

"Thank you Asami, I wish we met under better circumstances."

"Likewise, sir." The pair of them looked to Tenya as the officer slipped outside.

"I am going to take her home." Tenzin said to Asami. "Where she will be safe." He turned to look at me, his eyes were red and bloodshot, cheeks rubbed raw and wet, yet more resolved than ever.

"I am just glad she is okay." Asami added.

"Well, I… need to prepare everything to move her." Tenzin said, rubbing the back of his neck. "You are always welcome to visit her on the island, uh, alone unfortunately for security." Asami blushed.

"Oh yes, thank you so much." She turned to look at Tenya as the sleeping woman's breast lifted and fell ever so slightly as the last rays of the sun played over her soft skin. Without a hint of shame, she rounded the corner, stepped closer to Tenya and lent down to kiss her.

It was over in a moment. The scene burned into my mind at the audacity of her to think she had a right to do that in front of Tenzin. I swallowed once and then again finding it hard to simply stand silently. She bowed and thanked Tenzin again and he watched her go as if nothing had happened.

"Korra." I looked up at him, eyes pulled away from Asami's departing form. "Korra, look after Tenya for me, I need to speak to the doctors so we can get her home." I nodded, not trusting my voice and felt his hands on my shoulders. "Thank you, Korra."

Then he was gone. I was alone.

Not entirely.

I sat down, looking at Tenya as she slept.

My legs started to shake.

I got to my feet and marched over to a sink at the far end of the room. Pulled open the mirror cabinet and let out an annoyed huff. It was entirely empty. I slapped my thighs and looked around before my eyes settled on a fresh, unused hand towel. I yanked it towards me and began running the tap, watching the clear water stream out into the spotless bowl. A little Waterbending later and I had just enough water to dampen the towel without soaking it and I turned away from the sink.

I was at the other end of the room in a few steps, towel in my hand looking down at Tenya.

I swallowed.

It seemed like I was trespassing.

I reached down and ran the soft towel over her lips. A moment later lifting the towel to confirm that the blemish, the mark that she left was gone.

I threw the towel into a wastebasket and sat down with a satisfied nod. A moment passed, then another. I swallowed, took a breath to calm my nerves. I glanced down at my hands on my knees, at my nails, chipped where they were not chewed. I rubbed my face feeling the pain of raw skin, a bitter laugh filling the room as the only cloth I had to wipe my face was in the bin.

I took a breath and scrunched up my face and balled my fists and hunched over and tried so hard.

"Korra, it's okay." Tenzin's arms were around me and I could not hold it in anymore.

Tenya

My eyes adjusted to the darkness around me. I was in an unfamiliar bed. I was also ravenously hungry and in a great deal of pain.

"Ah good, I'm still here." I said to no one in particular before I began a process that had become familiar a lifetime ago, when I had found myself rotated in and out of hospitals at an alarming frequency. As far as I remember they even stopped giving me medals for it.

Curl each finger, toe, clench each fist, lift my knees.

Ah my back hurts, a lot.

Turn my head, lift my arms. The blanket was very heavy. Lean my head forward.

Ah, everything was still there, well, besides the obvious. I found a smile on my face despite it all, one of my arms was compromised, it felt like it was ready to shatter at any moment and the less said about my back the better.

Well, an arm is not a leg and the other one felt fine. I licked my lips as I wiggled out from under the blanket without stressing my left arm and then kicked my feet out into the cold. I was in nightclothes thankfully so I did not have to struggle into anything. I ignored my body's protests as I made my way to the room door in the faint light that seeped in through a set of paper shutters.

One sliding door moved out of my way via herculean effort and I was out into a far more familiar hallway. I was on Air temple island, in the guest hallway in the main building. Putting aside everything else for the moment I turned in the direction of the building's kitchen and made my way through the quiet halls of the place. Faint breathing and snores indicated that I was hardly alone, that was rather comforting considering my most recent encounter.

Ah, a little electric lamp and crunching. My normal bootless gait was silent even before I learned anything about airbending. I never understood the reason to stomp around as a satisfying click to one's step could be accomplished with simply the right floor and shoes making stomping around simply a disruptive waste of energy.

But Pema was easy to startle so I made a little extra noise as I entered the kitchen.

"Korra, is that you?" I had the right to find that somewhat amusing.

"Good morning Pema." I said, not realising how utterly awful my voice sounded. I suppose I had Korra to thank for me not waking up dehydrated but now that I spoke, I desperately needed a drink!

"Tenya?!" the bowl Pema was currently eating out of to satisfy her fourth child clattered to the ground and scattered whatever it was into the shadows as the woman stared in utter shock. It was understandable, I normally had a very good sleeping schedule and would rarely be up at night looking for food.

"You're awake." She said as if to convince herself before she stalked over to me and gently clasped a hand to my cheek.

"A bit hungry too." I offered.

Then she started crying, pulling my head into her bosom and thanking whatever spirits were looking out for me.

I was suddenly reminded of my frailty and the question of how long I had been out of commission reared its ugly head as explaining why Pema was so upset seemed to be suddenly a lot more important than the gnawing hunger in my gut.

"I'm okay." I promised, more than once as I was held in Pema's warm embrace, even with the care she took to not disturb healing wounds I felt like I would never escape Pema's grip. A part of me never wanted to.

Editors: Hav0k