Trigger warning ahead of time due to some references/descriptions of some graphic violence and a minor reference to sexual assault. So just a heads up. Be sure to give it a review, give kudos and bookmark!
The three Asami's gathered round, talking about the powerless Uchū crystal and drawing up a plan to possibly fix their problem back in Izumi's classroom. The rest of the crew hung around awkwardly as police officers filtered through the halls, taking a witness account from Izumi. The story she was telling would have never flown with the authorities if it wasn't for Korra's message earlier, along with this universe's Lin being there for her sister-in-law.
All the students and teachers had been evacuated out and the school grounds were mostly deserted.
"I think there's something we can use back at my company." Highschool Asami said.
The others were a little shocked that an 18 year old came to be the CEO of one of the largest companies, but she assured them she wasn't managing it on her own. Not until she finished school anyway.
"Alright, us three will head over there..." Sami said, before tearing off a piece of paper and handing it to the rest of the crew. "You guys try and find these few things around the school labs and classrooms. They shouldn't be too hard to find."
Korra took the paper and frowned as she read. "Few things?" she said, realizing there was a whole list.
The engineers didn't waste any time as they got going, and the Avatar was left to split people up into groups.
"Alright, err..." she took another look at the list. "High Schoolers, go find wires and a battery pack in physics, Lin and the Kya's can go see if the geography rooms have any quartz. Bolin, Opal and the Hattori's go find an oscillator in music, the heck is an oscillator?" She muttered the last part to herself before taking a moment to catch her breath. "And me, Mako and Thuy will go find acid in chemistry."
Everyone stared at her for a few moments.
"Well, what are we waiting for?"
With that they got into their groups and set off down the halls.
As Bolin, Opal and Hattori followed the music teacher through the school, they were all dying to ask the same thing. Judging by the way the woman had reacted in the fight before doing what she did, they were somewhat afraid to bring it up out of sensitivity, until Bolin worked up the courage.
"So, um, Hatori." he said, getting her attention. "How come you're a firebender and not an earthbender?"
She smiled. "Always asking alot of questions." After seeing Hattori himself metalbend, she had been certain this question was coming. "When Korra freed me from Sha-Garou a year ago, it seemed like my father's lineage came forth, instead of my mom's. My father Yakumo, as you know, was a firebender, and in that moment as she used energybending, I suppose my spirit got jumpstarted and received firebending as opposed to earthbending."
Hattori tilted his head. "Well, maybe that was exclusive to you as Mother told me my father was a non-bender." He noted, pointing at their other universe niece. "Even then, Opal's Hattori, along with every other one I've heard about all became some form of earthbender. Heck, my Lin became a freakin' lavabender."
Hatori stopped a bit, smiling at this reveal as she gave an amused chuckle. "Our sister, Lin Beifong as a lavabender? Oh MAN, now that is something I'd love to see, you got to introduce me to-" But she stopped as soon as she saw Hattori look away a bit, the hurt in his eyes briefly there, but she knew. "Oh... right, sorry about that."
"So, what, is it all down to chance?" Bolin choose to brings things back to topic, sensing the moment was getting awkward.
The music teacher took notice and considered the question for a moment. "No, I don't think so," she said, opening the door to the rehearsal room and letting everyone in. "I think there was something else that meant I got firebending instead."
The three of them listened intently as she explained her theory.
"Personally speaking, it's not a matter of chance. I believe the type of bending you get is like looking into a mirror." Hatori pointed at Hattori. "Earth suited you, and the Hattori's like you. You were strong and steadfast, and clung tightly to your roots." She smiled.
"Perhaps fire suited me better for the intensity of all the emotions I went through. The fire in my heart, especially considering the way I killed those bastards... is way worse than you three can imagine." A slight grimace formed on the woman's face. "Not that they didn't have it coming."
Bolin had to stop in place as the others kept walking. "Seriously, what happened to her?"
Opal noticed and pulled her fiancé along, leaning in to whisper, Bolin noticing how grim she sounded as she spoke. "I'll explain when we're alone, it's better that way."
"Worse than we can imagine, huh?" Hattori asked before, moving in front of his other self to look at Hatori's eyes. "Alright lady me, try me." He then asked, only getting a shrug from the music teacher as she kept looking.
"Alright. My second target, Chodak, the one who tried to assault my future wife with chi-blocking. I sliced his groin open with my katana, watched him grasp at what was used to be his Equalist balls and dick, squirming like the sack of shit he was."
With then, Hatori couldn't help but give a grim grin, as if what she had done disturbed yet amused her. "Then after throwing him against the wall, I stomped down onto the back of his head, kept going until Izumi practically had to drag me away, his head turned to mush." She said in a matter of fact tone, causing Bolin's jaw to drop as Opal grimaced at the thought, all as Hattori nodded in return, something coming to mind.
"Interesting, my sister did something similar, only the target was a woman named Hae-Won. Lin entered her apartment through the shadows before slicing into the tendons of her feet to prevent her from escaping and then…"
The Chief snapped his fingers, trying to remember before the crime scene he, Kya and Detective Bolin saw came back to mind.
"Right, Lin took her by the back of the head and smashed her face first into any hard surface around. The walls, various picture frames, the mantle above her fireplace, the edge of a hard oak table and a rotary phone on the wall."
Noting all of that gave the man with the mismatched eyes a slight shiver, remembering the sight of the bloodied corpse like it was yesterday. "Hae-Won's head looked like a bloody rotten pumpkin by the time authorities and Nishi arrived on the scene."
Hatori looked up at Hattori silently for what felt like a few seconds seemingly disturbed, but then gave an unnaturally amused version of the famous Beifong snort at what Lin Hanzo had done to his bemusement as she went back to rummaging through some drawers, looking for what they were here for.
"Creative type, I'll give her that."
Finally, she pulled out a large plastic box, blowing across it and letting forth a storm of dust.
"There we are, should be in here," she said. "This is our old concert equipment." She looked through the old components, before pulling out a metal box with round dials. "I know it looks old fashioned, but it should do the trick."
The three of them looked at the component. Old fashioned? It looked state of the art to them.
They met up with the rest of the crew back in Izumi's classroom. By this point, the biology teacher was also done giving her statements to the officers and her Lin, so she could sit in and watch as the three Asami's got to work with the gathered components.
They seemed to have brought back a soldering iron and what seemed to be a better looking, more sophisticated version of the electrical glove that each of the Sato women used, but it was missing a central component.
Sami gathered everything around her on the table as the other versions of herself helped her. They were going to put together an electrical circuit to charge up the Uchū crystal, but it wasn't so simple.
"The current needs to hit the right frequency on the first try," Sami explained. "Anything other than that would ruin the internal structure of the crystal lattice and we won't be able to use it anymore."
"And we'll be stuck here," Asami filled in.
"Exactly." Sami connected the quartz to the oscillator using the wires. "We're gonna use this to find the right frequency, and apply it to the current from the battery pack." She looked up at her high school self. "Watch closely younger me."
The student leaned in. She had never thought she would be learning all this from an older version of herself.
Sami brought the Uchū crystal up to the quartz.
"See, the ultrasound from the crystal will cause tiny stresses in the quartz structure, and these will produce an electrical current and..." the oscillator lit up with the given frequency at once. "The frequency of the current is the one of the crystal."
The student had a wide smile on her face, while the rest of the crew watched bewildered. Neither of the Korra's had any idea what was going on but they cheered nonetheless.
"Our girls are so cute when they're acting all brainy." The younger Avatar said to her other self, a gleam in her eye at her girlfriend.
That got Korra to chuckle, looking at her fiancé. "One of the many perks about them we love."
Sami stored the frequency in memory, before unhooking the quartz and wiring the battery pack and oscillator together. With her last crocodile clips she attached the crystal to the circuit and with a deep breath turned the power on, hoping for the best.
"How would we know if it doesn't work?" Opal asked.
"The crystal's structure won't take any other frequency so... it would just shatter."
They watched cautiously, holding their breath. Each passing minute seemed like an eternity as they watched the crystal for the tiniest cracks. Sami counted 7 minutes, before finally turning the power off.
"Is that it? Is that all it needs?" Asami asked.
The shadowbender nodded.
"That's not much for interdimensional travel," The student Asami added.
"The Uchū crystal draws power from something I haven't been able to fully understand in order to function," Sami explained, getting ready to solder it into the new glove. "Somewhat like a spirit portal, possibly. But more transdimensional."
She poured a few drops of acid onto the underside of the crystal first. "This would cause a thin porous layer to form on the side of the crystal so it can join to the glove through the solder and we can control it." Then she waited for the soldering iron to heat before she began attaching it to the compartment in the palm of the glove.
"So, this like a upgrade, a update." The student Bolin said, noticing the new glove.
"Correct, this one should be better because the electrical impulses are smaller and more localized," Student Asami explained.
"It would let us better control what universe we're going to," Sami finished, before putting the solder away and picking the glove up, admiring their work. "Seems done."
The crew got closer, looking at the finished work. The crystal gleamed in the light as the engineer slid the glove on.
"Should we try it?" Korra asked.
"That's what I was about to do," Sami said.
"Can it... can it liquify you?" Bolin asked.
Lin rolled her eyes. "Not this again."
"I'm sorry, I'm cautious!"
"Well... maybe it can." Sami chuckled. "Hopefully not."
"Oh for- I volunteer to try it first..." Hattori stepped forward, earning the surprised looks of everyone. "What? If I do get liquified, at least we don't lose our only hope out of here and you girls can tinker on it more."
The crew couldn't argue with that.
"Are you sure?" Sami asked.
He nodded, and with that she passed him the glove. He slid it on, furrowing his brows as he looked at it.
"Just think of the universe you want to go to and where, then use it to take you there," Sami told him as Hattori moved his metal fingers and thumb around, unknowingly clenching it as he tried thinking of the first universe to come to mind.
"Okay, so how in the spirit realm do I turn it on-"
In an instant, a bright purple light enveloped the male Chief, and he was gone.
"Well, I guess it worked," Mako said.
The bright purple light formed in a room not of the universe that Hattori was just in, leaving him breathing hard as he stood in this new environment.
Quickly feeling his body, he gave a small breath of relief as he smiled to himself.
"Oh THANK YOU whatever spirit for not liquifying me…" Hattori said softly to himself before looking around where he was.
To his confusion, he was in what had to be a fancy looking bedroom, noticing with what he learned as the Chief of police in Republic City all the intricate details that gave it away.
The large expensive bed with the fancy silk sheets, the just as huge red blanket, the fluffy pillows, the large portrait on the wall of some woman he didn't know, how huge the room was, what looked like a platypus bear skin rug he was standing on, some priceless looking pottery and the large chandelier hanging up above him.
Okay, so Hattori knew that much, wondering where perhaps the purple crystal must have sent him, though the sound of running water was bothering his thought process.
"Alright, what was I thinking before I teleported, think Hattori, think…" He muttered to himself.
The Chief tried thinking to himself before quickly realizing he had the glove on and took it off as fast as he could, placing it on the bedside table, didn't want accidently screw up by thinking of a universe where, say there was no breathable air and he'd choke to death like the Earth Queen.
"Okay, now you can think properly…" He said to himself before noticing the large red curtains in front of an just as large door, walking up to it and seeing it lead out to a balcony.
Outside of it, Hattori's two different looking eyes looked out in surprise, seeing all the various fire nation soldiers and guards surrounding the area around where he was, slipping back in without being noticed.
"Okay, certainly Fire Nation, that's for sure." Hattori noted to himself before peaking outside and spotting how things looked, it actually all looked very familiar, he even saw the purple energy portal that Korra helped form. "And hopefully there's more of THAT around this universe…"
Then at the corner of his good eye, he spotted a picture frame on a mantle, an old photo in it, to which he went up and grabbed it, seeing the image, realizing he had seen the picture before.
There was a teenage Izumi posing with a just as young Bumi, Tenzin, Kya, Su… and himself!
"Wait a- that's me..." Taking a closer look at the picture, Hattori saw that the Kya in the picture had only one arm.
It all clicked in Hattori's head as he put the picture back where it was, the first universe he happened to think of was his and Kya's home universe, which means from how things looked outside, he was in the Fire Nation…
"Still, where the fuck am-" Hattori muttered to himself only to be interrupted by that damn running water, looking around for it's source until something about the room got his memory jogging, remembering when he was nine years old, he was running around the room, chasing after someone, it was a girl his age…
Then he saw her face and the glasses she wore.
"Izumi…" He said, just now realizing he and her would run and play tag in the room before Fire Lord Zuko would appear to them, telling them that fun time was over and to leave his bedroom.
Hattori had to slap himself upside the head for taking that long to realize where he was. "Of course, I'm in the Fire Lord's bedroom!"
Then it immediately sank onto him as he felt like glass shattered inside his head.
"Oh shit, I'm in the Fire Lord's bedroom."
That was the moment he realized where the running water was from as he heard it turn off and a door open behind him.
"Oh, did I need that…"
The inadvertent intruder was too scared to turn around as he knew exactly whose voice said those words.
The woman his age, clad in only a towel wrapped around her body, dried her hair with another, her golden eyes closed until she opened them, catching sight of the seemingly unfamiliar figure in her room as she stopped in place.
"... you're staring right at me, aren't you?" Hattori's voice cracked out, turning around and confirming that indeed, he was in the bedroom of Fire Lord Izumi, standing right across from his ex whose otherwise wise eyes were widened in surprise at seeing him there. "... um… so, funny story-"
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN HERE?!" Izumi yelled out, clinging onto her towel as she rushed back into her bathroom to cover up modesty as Hattori jumped, covering his ears at how loud she screamed.
"AH! AHH! Sorry, it was-"
"GET OUT OF HERE, HATTORI!"
"I'm sorry, I didn't intend to-" Hattori began until he noticed the bedroom doors open and there stood Iroh II in his United Forces uniform, rushing to his mother's aid.
"Mother, what's wrong?!" He asked before taking notice of Hattori who simply waved nervously at him.
"Hey Iroh, it's been awhile awhile. Ah, how's things with you and Haku, he pop the question yet?"
"Hattori Beifong, why are you in my mother's bedroom as she's taking a shower?! And what's up with your attire?" The general demanded be answered, approaching the Chief who held his hands up, giving a quick glance at the clothes from the modern universe he wore.
"Ah, okay, first, the clothes is a long story, and second, I've been trying to answer, but-"
"Wait, is that an electric Equalist's glove?" Iroh II took notice of the glove on the bedside table, seeing the purple crystal on it, turning with a look of anger towards Hattori who realized he left it out in the open. "What were you planning to do to my mother?!"
"Nothing, I swear, I was testing it out to-" Hattori tried explaining, only for the prince to immediately raise up a hand of fire.
"Use on my mother?" The golden eyed man said in a low voice, one full of rising anger. "I know you had a relationship with her in the past, but this is low, even for you."
Just as the last syllable left Iroh's mouth, Hattori felt himself staring daggers at the general. "What the fuck did you just say to me, you little punk?" His voice lower than normal as his own anger began slowly heating up inside him.
Iroh II, being the unmoving and brave man he was, stood his ground. "You broke my mother's heart and now you think you can just take her back in your own sick twisted way?"
"I-I'm sorry, I'm getting on in years, my hearing ain't what it used to be…" The Chief said in a mocking manner, before getting close to the General's unflinching face as he held up his open hand, metalbending some of his chain around his fist before raising it up in a similar manner to the fire in Iroh II's hand.
"Do please speak a little louder and tell me WHAT YOU'RE ACCUSING ME OF, NOW."
"Of trying to sexually assault my mother, the Fire Lord-"
"If you weren't Izumi's son, I'd be FUCKING THROTLLING YOU RIGHT NOW!" Hattori interrupted with a furious yell at an now just as furious Iroh II.
"GO AHEAD OLD MAN, I DARE YOU!"
"OLD MAN?! I'M LITERALLY TWENTY ONE YEARS OLDER THAN-"
"WILL YOU TWO STOP IT!" Izumi's voice yelled out, causing both men to stop as they turned to see Izumi step out of the bathroom, clad in only a red and black silky robe, her glasses back on.
"Iroh, while I appreciate you coming to my aid, I assure you Mr. Beifong has never had, nor will have any ill intentions towards me, even with our history." The Fire Lord explained, to which Hattori had to laugh in the prince's face.
"Told you!"
Izumi sighed. "That said Hattori, why are you here inside my bedroom while I took a shower WITH that glove in your possession? Because the last time I checked, you made sure that we'd never be in the same room alone ever again." She finished, hurt and her own form of restrained anger at her old lover in her voice.
Something which Hattori had taken notice of, rolling his eyes as he walked over to the ledge, pointing outside. "I assume you all saw the giant glowing purple Korra and that portal in front of the palace awhile ago?"
"How could you not?!" A black haired woman's head popped out from behind the curtains, making Hattori jump in fright, holding his hand against his chest as he felt it pounding.
"OH, SWEET AANG!" He yelled out as the three saw the short woman they knew stroll out from behind the curtains in dark clothing, yet also that curious smile.
But what always got Hattori's attention the most was her face, Hattori swore she looked just like a younger Azula, even with those looped pigtails of hers.
"Mihoshi, what are you doing here? I thought you were helping document any big developments on what we saw and the portal?" Iroh II asked his younger sister who giggled and sat on her mother's bed, legs crossed.
"Oh, I was, until I took notice of the light of the same color coming from this room and, well, curiosity got the better of me and I began climbing."
"Up the palace again?" Izumi asked, already knowing the answer due to having been told by her guards over the years of her daughter's… peculiar ways of getting around the palace, even as a child.
"Of course mother, by the time I got up here, I heard 'Roh-Roh' arguing with Chief Beifong." The Fire Princess said with a smile, which again, really reminded Hattori of Azula. From what brief experience he had with that older version of her from that medieval universe, he was just happy all Mihoshi got was resemblance to her great aunt and not her voice
At this point Hattori was really hoping to Raava and even Vaatu that she wasn't alive in his universe as Mihoshi looked at both men. "By the way, you two were SO LOUD!"
"Crown Princess Mihoshi, it's always nice to see you, but do you mind if I…?" Hattori asked, pointing outside as she gave a nodding smile. "Thank you, anyway, like what I was saying, the giant glowing Korra, I've… been kind of part of it."
"Part of it? What do you mean?" Iroh II asked as Hattori tried to put all Korra announced into his own words.
"All the different universes, this whole Avatar Prime, Sha-Garou business, what she said, everything that came out of that large mouth of hers, it's all true." Hattori explained, already sensing there was some disbelief coming from two out of the three people in the room. "Look… I don't know if you all know this yet, I have no fucking idea how long time has passed since or if it's gone public yet, but…"
The Chief was unsure if he would even share this unsettling news, but he shook his head. "Avatar Korra, the one that we know, is dead."
He saw the looks on the faces of each member of Fire Nation royalty, each in shock and surprise in their own way at the news, which he had to turn away from seeing. "That evil Korra that was brought up, she did it, took away our Avatar's energy, BUT not of her own free will!" He said, turning back around to the three who were still processing this. "The shadow spirit in her, Sha-Garou, he took advantage of her at the worst possible time in her universe and pretty much turned the Avatar into an monster who didn't realize she was being played with until it was too late!"
The Chief knew he had to bring up some past painful memories to support his story. "You remember what happened with the Equalist Ripper over in Republic City"
"OH YEAH, I helped write down some articles in the local newspaper about her! That Lin Hanzo lady sure was a sad case!" Mihoshi brought up as Hattori looked at her, the woman noticing the sad look on her face. "... Hattori?"
"Lin Hanzo was my sister, well, half-sister, born before me or Su." He admitted to more looks of shock from the three. "My mother gave her up to another family because she wasn't ready at the time to raise a child. I didn't believe it either until my mother outright confirmed it to me, Korra, Asami and Kya."
He then looked at them with a more serious look, tears falling from his eyelids, which stung the still healing wound on his face as it made contact. "She gave her life to save mine from the shadow spirit who was in her before he was vanquished. But that same spirit was Sha-Garou, who turns out to be some kind of hive-mind whateverthefuck as his mind escaped in another universe and entered the one where he'd corrupted it's Korra."
The Chief raised his hands up, pacing all over the room as he was watched.
"Look, I saw what happened to our Korra, I saw her body. I saw Kya crying her eyes out holding her corpse, and found out some more details about her I didn't expect. But me and her decided to join Korra Prime and her allies to go through all the different universes, trying to stop this Dark Korra and Sha-Garou."
"You do realize you sound like a rambling mad man when you explain all of that, right?" Iroh II pointed out to which Hattori was about to respond in his typical explicit way, but could only shake his head.
"You're… right, I do sound crazy." He said before looking at Izumi. "But you all saw and heard what that big giant glowing Korra was saying outside your palace, all over the universes! I've seen so many I didn't expect to be real! There was this one where Republic City looked older and had horse drawn carriages, lots of chimneys and smoke, one where your dad was still Fire Lord, Korra was Fire Nation and Asami Sato was from the Water Tribe, don't know which one, ah…"
He tried to snap his fingers, remembering. "There was another universe which had a very medieval feel to it, full of monsters, barbarians, knights, priestess', Avatars being called "Avatar Knights". There's also the fire sanctuary temple, who are pretty much our Fire Blossoms Society, where it turns out the Fire Nuns get new sisters from getting the seed of male travelers, including meee…"
Hattori had to stop there, realizing he was kind of digging himself deeper judging by the rather disturbed looks from the family, aside from Mihoshi who curiously tilted her head. "I can explain that last part later, but the last universe I was in, it was like this futuristic looking one where the Avatar and her friends were still in school and you actually taught biology there!" He said, pointing at a rather unamused Izumi
"I did?" She asked in her serious tone.
"Well, after serving in your father's army as a medic who knew firebending." The Chief brought up to the Fire Lord's surprise as she wasn't a firebender. "BUT, that's not the biggest change there, at least to me…" Hattori said, knowing the subject he was going to approach was going to be tricky.
"You… remarried after Kyo's death."
He saw for a brief instant Izumi's eyes dilating, remembering her late husband as her children looked in surprise at hearing about this, Iroh looking like he had been shot with an arrow while Mihoshi curled up her chest against her knees, both remember vividly going to his funeral.
"I… I remarried, with whom?" The Fire Lord asked, now curious.
The Chief had to turn away, not wanting to see her reaction. "... Me, you married me in that universe, which by the way, I found out like most of the other universes, that I'M the Equalist Ripper…" He still felt unnerved to find that out before remembering a certain detail. "OH, and you actually married a female version of me, whose backstory I don't wanna get into…"
He was awaiting the fireworks, waiting for his ex to ask how she could marry someone like him, considering what he had done to her, let alone a female him and/or being the Equalist Ripper. But it didn't come after many seconds, Hattori turning back to see Izumi, looking down at the ground in cold silence.
"Ye-yeah, I was surprised too. And the kicker that got to me the most, Lady me actually said yes."
"To marry the other me?" Izumi asked, not knowing where Hattori was going with this until she saw him shake his head, his voice low in regret as he sighed.
He thought he was ready for this, he had just gone through three different universes in a row, each reminding him of Izumi in their own way and what he should do and say when he finally talked to her…
… but now he felt nervous, scared and ashamed of himself.
"No, that already happened… Hatori said yes to being her Izumi's Fire Lady."
Silence between the former lovers once more filled the room as both siblings watched the two.
"Wait, what does he mean by that? Mother?" Mihoshi asked her mother, moving towards the front of the bed to get closer to Izumi, who felt shaken hearing this, the calm reserved Fire Lord now feeling like she did all those years ago just before they broke up, turning away from everyone.
"I… I had… originally asked Hattori if he'd be my Fire Gentleman."
"What?! But you told us that your relationship with him was just some teenage romance that didn't last long!" Iroh II said, shocked to hear this, looking at a still silent Hattori who held his head down as he turned away too, then back to his mother. "You said you had been with our father years before Grandfather's abdication of the throne!"
"That's not true kiddo…" Hattori spoke up, his voice not reaching his regular volume as Iroh II and Mihoshi turned to him as he continued. "Me and your mom, we've known each other since we were little. When we got into our teens, I finally asked her out, she said yes and... we were a couple for so many years…"
"The perfect couple…" Izumi said, closing her eyes as she shed a tear, her own voice softer than normal. "We loved each other so much."
Hattori sniffled, trying not to break into any more tears. "Until forty one years ago when your grandfather gave up the throne and offered the title of Fire Lord to your mother." He then shook his head. "And… I screwed up and said no to becoming her Fire Gentleman."
Hearing Hattori, a member of THE BEIFONG FAMILY, whose stubbornest is infamous among the five nations, just admit he was wrong, made Izumi turn around, seeing along with her children, the Chief of Police of Republic City get on his hands and knees as he shook, beginning to pound on the floor with his fist as he breathing increased.
"I went and made the biggest, dumbest, stupidest, mistake I EVER MADE IN MY ENTIRE LIFE! I SAID NO TO THE WOMAN I LOVED! I! SAID! NO!" Hattori screamed out, pounding the floor with each word he let out.
Just then, some guards rushed into the room, but Izumi silently ushered them to leave, telling them it was okay before she and her children heard Hattori cry out in agony at what he had done.
"I BROKE YOUR HEART! I BROKE MY HEART! Oh Raava, I'm sorry... I'M SO FUCKING SORRY, IZUMI!"
Hattori's voice broke as he sobbed quietly, his hand in so much pain from the pounding, grabbing the back of his head. "... i'm so sorry…"
He then felt soft hands touch his shoulders, looking up to see the woman he realized that he still had feelings for looking down at him.
"Hattori… don't blame yourself."
Hattori had to look around, arms out with his mouth out. "Who the fuck else am I supposed to blame?! Your kids? They weren't even born at the time, no offense…" He brought up, quickly adding in that last part not to insult them, to which both Iroh II and Mihoshi nodded their heads silently.
"I was the one who thought I wasn't good enough for you, not good enough to be Fire Gentleman, your husband…" Hattori sobbed, turning around to look at those golden eyes he remembered first seeing when both were children.
"Look, I'm not asking you to take me back, I know you had a happy life with Kyo, being the mother to two great kids, one of whom I was about to murder, but that was just miscommunications. Right?" He asked in a worried tone towards Iroh II who only nodded awkwardly.
"Right."
"Right, see, we're both getting along!" Hattori said back to a still listening Izumi. "The only thing I wanted to tell you after all these years was how wrong I was to ruin what he had, because of my own self-doubt, but I just couldn't, even when I had the perfect chance. I always thought royalty wasn't for me…" He then shook his head. "But I've been lying to myself all these years, the truth is that I was a fuckin' idiot who didn't realize he had the perfect girl until it was too late."
The Chief then looked up at Izumi's unclear eyes, the pain from his tears hitting his wound stinging, but he didn't care. "Of course it took the possible end of the world for me to say this, but again, I'm sorry for what pain I caused you, I know it won't change things… I just wanted you to-"
But he was quieted when Izumi closed her eyes, leaned close and pressed her lips against Hattori's, his eyes truly feeling like they were bursting out of his head at the action as she moved her arms around his shoulders as both Iroh and Mihoshi watched in amazement.
"Ah, old love…" The daughter smiled as Iroh II still was left speechless as he watched Hattori not waste the moment and put his own arms around Izumi's back, kissing her back for what seemed like days, only for it to stop after thirty seconds as they finally moved their lips away.
"I-Ah…" Hattori tried saying, seeing the tearful, yet happy look on Izumi's face, confusion kicking in as he turned to her children. "I'm sorry, did I have a stroke, what just happened?"
"Your guess is as good as mine, Chief." Iroh II finally answered as Mihoshi giggled, lightly punching the side of her brother's stomach.
Izumi gave a knowing look to him. "Ever since Kyo died, I felt like I lost a piece of my heart, which he had filled the void after what happened between us." She said as Hattori looked at her, trying to get a feeling of what she met. "Don't get me wrong, I loved Kyo, he was the perfect husband, the perfect father, the day he died, I cried so much for him, we all did." She began explaining before looking down at Hattori's older hands, feeling them in hers, thinking back to the day he held her hands at her mother's funeral service.
"But, you never forget your first love, and hearing you pour your own heart out like that, not for a second chance, but just to make things right…" The Fire Lord said, smiling as she moved some hair off of his face. "It… just filled that void in my heart back up, Hattori… I… I…."
Hearing the Fire Lord, of all people, have trouble saying two words, made Hattori laugh unwillingly, like he had to let it out.
"I think you're missing two words there, Fire Lord."
"Look, you know this is all sudden at the moment, One-Eye." Izumi snarked, using the nickname she remembered Kya giving him when they were young before noticing the still healing scar on Hattori's face and the blood where his shoulder blade wound was. "Might I ask how recently you got these?"
"That last universe I was in, turns out that evil Avatar could also metalbend, go figure." He said back with a smile. "This whole journey helped me realize that I do still love you, so… yeah, I love you 'Zumi."
Izumi sniffled at that, kissing his forehead with her own smile following it, mostly at the use of an old nickname. "I haven't heard that nickname in years. And I love you too. Not just because you were my first-"
"Phrasing!" Mihoshi said with a laugh to which even her older brother had to laugh at, if just cause it caught him offugard.
"BUT, because I know you'd make a just as perfect husband as Kyo, a perfect fire gentleman…" Izumi resumed, trying to ignore her daughter's joke before looking down. "And a perfect father."
Hattori's gold and blind eye blinked twice awkwardly hearing that. "Ah-wha… Huh?" He then looked back up at Iroh II and Mihoshi who heard it too. "What did she say? Why did she say that?"
"Ah, you mean 'perfect stepfather', yes?" Iroh II asked for him and his sister, both siblings figuring their mother slipped up.
"Remember when we had our fight that night?" Izumi asked as she looked back at Hattori who slowly nodded in his most 'Of course…' way possible before she sighed and looked down at her stomach. "Remember the last thing I tried to tell you?"
Hattori gave it some thought "I recall you trying to tell me something, but I was too far away and it was pouring rain out-" Hattori began before he felt the realization drop onto his head like a sack of bricks, looking deep into Izumi's eyes. "... NO WAY."
The Fire Lord nodded, giving an embarrassed smile. "Six weeks." She said, having Hattori's hand feel where her womb was. "That's how far I was when I found out I was carrying your child."
"Ah, but… why did you tell me after… What happened to the baby? Please don't tell me-" The Chief began asking, or at least tried, hoping not for the worst, yet Izumi shook her head to calm him down.
"Nononononono, don't worry, our child is fine, in fact, he's standing right behind me."
"WHAT?!" Both Hattori and Iroh yelled out at the same time, both men looking at each other, then back at Izumi, then back and forth. "What, but… No!" They both said at the same time, all while Mihoshi watched, enjoying this.
"OH, this is even better than the Ember Island Players and my romantic novels combined…" She said, that mischievous smile on her face as Iroh himself was floored at this, getting on his knees and moving near the two older adults.
"B-B-But…" Iroh II, known for staying stoic and calm in the face of danger, felt himself sweating like crazy hearing what her mother claimed. "My father, Kyo, he married you afterwards and-"
"Iroh, he knew…" Izumi said with her own stoic tone back, looking at both men. "Remember, Kyo was quite the accomplished doctor, he knew a pregnant woman from a mile away." The mother then turned to her son, holding him by the cheek. "But he knew as we fell in love not long after and when he became my Fire Gentleman that even if my child wasn't his, he'd still love it as his own. You not being Kyo's biological son didn't change anything to him, he was proud to be your father Iroh, blood or not."
Mihoshi then saw Izumi look at her, followed by the others. "What?" She asked, confused.
"Mihoshi, Kyo was for certain your father…" The Fire Lord said with a smile before then looking at both her son and her past, yet newest love. "But Iroh, your real father is right here, Hattori Beifong."
Both men, who had been ready to tear each other apart earlier, looked at each other in surprise, trying to process it all, Hattori being the first to speak willingly.
"Well… he's certainly got his looks from your side of the family, at least he's not blind." He tried saying, following with a light chuckle as he tried to make a joke, but felt it fall flat as he was still amazed that he was indeed a father already. "This is alot to take."
Iroh II gave a glup and a nod. "This… may take some getting used to." He said to which Hattori returned the favor.
"Agreed."
"There is something he has that's not from my family." Izumi said with a smile at her two men. "Look at each other's eyes, well, look at Hattori's good eye Iroh."
Both father and son noticed it, they had the same exact shade of bright gold in their eyes compared to Izumi and Mihoshi's darker hued gold eyes.
"AH. So… um… What if I told you this is actually the second time during this whole journey I found out I'm a father, or found out I'm going to be one?" Hattori asked with an awkward chuckle, instantly smacking himself mentally for even thinking of bringing it up, let alone actually saying it.
"Oh, right, that Fire Blossom Society you mentioned." Mihoshi noted to which Hattori looked at her surprised as did the others. "What. It's common knowledge those Fire Nuns like to take in male travelers and take in their seed to get new lady members. Especially love those who have Fire Nation blood in 'em."
"And you know that how?" Iroh asked, about as weirded out as Hattori.
"I did a piece on them one time, lived with them for a few months, didn't get into any of their 'side activities', but really nice girls. Their Fire Mother can be a bit of a bitch…" Mihoshi answered simply, not seeming to know who may or may not be the group's leader.
"Yeah…" The Chief said before quickly looking at Izumi, who had a rather curious look on her face at hearing all of this. "I swear to Raava, that was during my conflicted phase and before I found out the truth, though like Mihoshi said, the girl was very nice afterwards. And it was in a different universe."
"Hey, you got their brooch!" Mihoshi pointed out the object on Hattori's belt buckle, making him give an embarrassed smile as Izumi just simply laughed before the chief remembered something.
"Shit! I have to get back to the others, probably thinking I got lost in some random universe and broke the glove." He said, getting up and grabbing the glove, but before he could put it on, Izumi approached him.
"Hattori… you said you were with that Avatar Prime and her group, does that mean...?"
The Chief could see the worried look on her face, he knew what she was asking. "Yeah, I will be fighting against Sha-Garou with them, I mean, Kya's still with them and…" He gave sort of a shrug. "I've kind of grown to like this little crew of theirs, even their version of Lin is part of the group, she's the Chief of Police of Republic City like me. I can't let them go alone into battle, especially after what happened to the other Avatars, and my Lin."
Knowing that this may possibly be the last time he sees the woman he loves, Hattori gave a more simple kiss to Izumi, holding her as she kissed back, him looking into her gold eyes.
"But now, I have another thing to fight for."
"Good luck future stepdad." Mihoshi said in the kindest voice she could put, giving Hattori a hug from behind, the Chief giving the younger woman a pat on the shoulder before he noticed Iroh II still kneeling there on the rugged ground, the news still affecting him.
"Hey, Iroh…" Hattori said, going over next to him, knowing how hard this must be for him to learn. "So, ah, even if we… had some differences, some words said which may be funny in hindsight and would make for great stories at parties… If we do survive this whole universe war thing… um…"
The Chief saw that this was gonna be harder for the both of them than he thought, sighing before looking into the younger man's eyes. "Look, I never knew my father, he died before I was even born, so I never got to know what it's like to have a dad. Though Uncle Sokka was kinda like a dad, never could read his relationship with your grandmother, I mean Toph..." Hattori stopped as realized he was getting off track, getting back into focus.
"Back to the point, I may have not known you were my kid up until now, even as we worked together in the past, but Kyo, I met him once or twice, ignoring how awkward things were with your mom at the time."
Iroh II then looked up at Hattori as the metalbender smiled. "Even if he wasn't your real dad, I think Kyo helped raised a great kid who became a great man."
"Even after you threatened to throttle me?" The general asked, putting on a small laugh and grin to which Hattori had to nod at, rolling his eyes.
"Even after. So… What I'm saying is, if we win this battle, which I will be damned if we lose, I do want to try being your father."
"Think you can handle it, old man?" Iroh II asked, the smile still on his face with the echo of their previous exchange in mind.
That got a snort from Hattori, the famous Beifong one. "I just found out I have a forty one year old son AND have another child coming in a universe I more than likely will never meet. I think that's the spirit's way of telling me to relax and try it out."
"Alright... Dad." Iroh II said back with all earnestly as he and Hattori hugged each other, patting each other on the back before Hattori had to let go and put on the glove, looking at the three members of Fire Nation royalty, looking around the room.
"Be seeing you three around." He said with a final wave and a bow of a kiss towards Izumi before thinking of the universe he was just at and clenching his gloved hand, vanishing in a purple energy light in front of them.
"So, who wants to bet he got lost in some evil dimension and broke the glove?" Thuy asked sitting on a stool as she, the rest of the crew and those of this universe all sat around the classroom bored, waiting for Hattori.
She then noticed the glares from the highschool Korra and Asami about how dark of a thing she said. "What? I was kidding, he's not that dumb."
Suddenly the familiar purple glow shined above the desk Izumi and Hatori sat near and out fell Hattori, who crashed onto the desk, rolling onto the ground in pain.
"FUCKING OWW!"
"Hey, you're back!" Korra said, amazed it worked as the Chief groaned out in pain as Lin helped him up.
"Hey, glad to see you're okay, Hattori! Why, thank you my close allies and friends!" He said mockingly with a fake voice before switching to his natural, if angry, tone. "DAMMIT, what is that table made out of, solid wood?!"
"Well, nothing looks to be wrong with him nor the glove." Lin smirked as Hattori mockingly shook his head like he was laughing before stopping, noticing his other female self with the teacher Izumi and gave a small smile at the two as he took off the metal glove and handed it to Sami.
"You know what, fuck it, we're good, it's all good, I'm in a good mood, I'm going to head to the bathroom, I'd be back."
"But what about the glove, how good did it work? Where did you go?" Sami asked, stopping the man with the mismatched eyes who turned to look at her with a smile.
"Works like a charm, just think of where you wanna go, grasp the gloved hand and ta-fucking-da, you're there." He said. "And I got to go back to mine and Kya's universe, where I must say, things went wonderfully."
With that, Hattori turned away as he left the classroom as the others began looking over the glove, realizing what they can do now, walking down the empty hallway.
"Hey, One-Eye…" One-Arm Kya's voice rang, making the Chief turn back to see her having followed him, a look of wonder on her face.
"Care to follow me into the bathroom, One-Arm? It's right here." He asked, pointing at the male bathroom he was about to open the door to.
"Funny, but no…" The bloodbender said in her sarcastic tone, before putting her hand onto Hattori's forehead, noticing something. "Maybe it's because of recent events, but I've been sensing aura better, and yours has most certainly changed."
"Is that a bad thing?"
"No, it's actually good, very good, the best I've felt from you in years, what happened in our universe, why were you there for so long?"
"Ahh, just had some unfinished business to deal with." Hattori said, preparing to open the door.
"Hattori." He stopped, hearing his best friend refer to him by his first name in the most honest way she could, turning back to see her smiling. "I saw how you looked at Hatori and Izumi. Anything to do with the Fire Lord of our universe?"
That got Hattori to smile before hugging his long time friend and partner.
"Yes, very much so. In fact…" He said, looking into One-Arm Kya's confused eyes. "Not only did Izumi forgive me AND loves me now." He shook his head, almost feeling happy with what he found out, like he was a changed man… almost. "I found out I've been a father this entire time."
That put a look of surprise on the bloodbender's face as she held her hand to her mouth, wanting to make a joke about what she overheard in the previous universe with that Shali Fire Nun girl, but she couldn't ruin the moment. "No way, let me guess…"
"Three guesses, the first two don't count."
"Ha!" One-Arm Kya let out a laugh, finding this both funny and sweet. "I'm not going to lie, I had a feeling, just always thought Iroh II looked like you." That got a knowing smirk from the Chief who shook his head. "Not his face, dumbass, I meant his eyes."
"There we go." Hattori said back with a laugh and a point at his friend before entering the bathroom, leaving One-Arm Kya to go back to the others, thinking of ways to embarrass Hattori in front of the others when he got back.
With the help of the newly restored crystal, the crew was able to get back to their universe, along with Hattori and One-Arm Kya, before deiciding to gather their allies from all the alternate universes. It was a slow process, but eventually Air Temple Island filled with their alter selves, all ready to fight.
"Finally!" Bolin said, dropping down and sitting on the grass as they brought the last people in on the island. Opal sat down next to him, her hand on his.
"That should be everyone," Sami said, before turning to their animal selves. "Tenzin will show you round." She looked out at the groups gathering around the air master's house, realizing he would be difficult to find in the crowds. "Err... wherever he is..."
"It's fine," Panther Asami said. "We should know our way round."
Sami nodded, secretly feeling relieved. After gathering so many people, she was as exhausted as everyone else. She looked out at the introductions taking place. As soon as the animal versions made their way through the crowd, everyone was keen to see what animal they would be in another universe. It was almost comical to watch, especially in the case of the Panda Lin and she chuckled.
"Even know we're going to need much more help, this is a very good start." She heard Khu-Shui say in her head in approval to which the shadowbender mentally agreed with.