"Oh, thank you. This has done such wonders for this old back."

Kuro grinned at the elder, who emphasized his back problems by arching his back slightly and letting out exaggerated groans of pain. Kuro already knew that the pain wasn't that serious. The old carpenter often liked to joke about his old age, while also finding a lot of good things to enjoy and explaining them. Kuro reckoned it would take another century before Mr. Tien ever really felt the adverse effects of old age.

Kuro stretched his arms upward. "Not stopping you from finishing that chair, I bet."

"Far from it, kiddo," Tien answered. "I promise ya, there ain't no better butt-resters in this city than I ones I craft.

Kuro laughed. "Butt-resters? Really?"

"What else do ya use a chair for?" he retorted with a smile. He reached into his pockets and pulled out some Yuans. "And here's the payment. Just a little extra as thanks. You make this easier for all of us."

"Glad to help," Kuro said. "Good luck with the chair." He added before sprinting off.

"Ain't no luck needed, only skill!"

Kuro ran along the footpath, counting his blessings that there was no one in his way for the time being. He had been hoping to finish all the deliveries for today a bit more quickly than before. He wanted to make sure that he was on time for the next watch with the Fire Ferrets. The thought made him fill up with more energy, unintentionally helping him move more quickly.

Last night had been amazing. His eyes were glued to the sight of Mako taking on that team by himself. It didn't look like they were going to win, especially after what looked to be shocked from losing their Waterbender and the loss of Bolin, but Firebender drove them back, showing them why they were a force to be reckoned with. Or at least, why he was.

Kuro slowed to a stop. His mind continued to think about the rest of the night. Yuna had to leave before he could introduce her to Bolin and Korra, having remembered to prepare today's deliveries she had forgotten. She ended up having to work all night just o get it all done since these were all scheduled for today. She always preferred to have jobs done at least on time, but never late, believing it would be bad for the shop's reputation.

While disappointed, it wasn't what concerned Kuro. What worried him was when he went back to the Locker room.

….

Kuro entered the locker room, looking rather glum. He had hoped to bring Yuna here and introduce her to everyone, but she had to work. Such was the work of a business owner, particularly one who had to keep making her products.

He decided it wasn't worth brooding over for long. He could always introduce her another time they weren't busy.

"YES! They did it!"

The courier jumped at the voice. He calmed down, although feeling a bit exhausted already when he saw that it was the young Avatar. From the looks of things, she enjoyed the Pro-Bending match immensely. Korra jumped up and down, giddier than a child on too much sugar. She had to grab a hold of the railing as some form of support. She eventually managed to calm down and just stared at the arena. Her eyes then saw the bridges reaching out for the players to return to their respective areas.

"That was so cool."

Korra was wholly focused on the arena. A cunning smile appeared on Kuro's lips, silently moving towards the Avatar. Seeing that she still didn't notice him, he leaned forward slightly.

"What a hell of a game! Aren't I right?"

Korra yelped at the courier's outburst, stumbling back and almost falling onto the ground. She quickly regained her footing, looking to see Kuro standing in front of her. The courier tried his best to hold back his laughter, his lips quivering while trying to hide a smile. Korra instantly glared daggers at the boy.

"Oh, you found that funny, huh?" she asked him.

"That I did, ponytail." He said to her.

"…" Korra kept the glare for a moment longer, but the corners of her lips soon brought it to an end, her laughter filling the area. "Alright, it was good at least."

She walked up to him, lightly tapping his arm, watching as the players were walking back. She briefly looked at Kuro.

"It was pretty awesome to see it in real life, wasn't it." She said.

Kuro nodded. "That is was. Can't wait to see the next one."

Bolin was the first to return. He looked just as ecstatic over their victory as Korra and Kuro had. He practically leaped towards them both.

"This is incredible, can you believe it? One more win and we're in the tournament!" he said, clicking his fingers for emphasis.

"Congrats," Kuro said. "Be careful though. I heard a lot of the other victors tonight were tough going too."

"Don't worry, nothing we can't handle my man." He said to Kuro. He then turned his attention to Korra. "So… how did you find that, little lady."

Kuro chuckled lightly and put his face in his palm, finding humor in Bolin's less than stellar flirtation. Korra was completely oblivious to it, on the other hand, as she pulled Bolin in by the collar of his suit.

"What did I think? What did I think? I think that was amazing!" she said before pushing him away.

As Bolin recovered, while also smiling from being so close to Korra apparently, Mako and the Waterbender walked back in. They seemed to be in quite a heated argument.

"What was that? Were you trying to make us lose out there? You were terrible!" Mako yelled.

"Hey, we won, didn't we?" the Waterbender said back.

"Yeah, just barely! If we're going to win, you need to step up your game. Otherwise, you're out!"

"Just get off my case, pal!"

The Waterbender threw his helmet to the ground, storming out of the locker room without regarding anyone else in the room. When he was gone, all eyes were briefly on Mako, who simply ignored the onlookers. Korra tried speaking to him.

"Hey, I loved your match! You were pretty amazing… out.. there…" she said, noticing that she was being completely ignored. Her face scrunched up into an annoyed look. "Wow. What's his problem?"

Kuro was slightly curious about the Firebender. When he was in the arena, he noticed that he was… less than happy about the win. The audience's applause, which Bolin practically soaked in, bounced off Mako like he cared nothing of it. From the looks of things, it's like he didn't want to be a part of the match. But then why would he be so serious about wanting to win then?

"Say, any chance can you teach me how to fight as you do?"

Kuro was brought out of his thoughts by Korra's words. He thought that she was talking to him, the idea of someone wanting to learn fighting from him had him smiling like a child in a sweets shop. His hopes were dashed as he saw that she was facing Bolin, his expression lit up at her words.

Kuro felt slightly dejected that she wasn't interested in learning about fighting from him.

"Yeah… sounds like it would be cool for you…" Kuro said, trying and failing to hide his disappointment.

Bolin looked eager to accept. "Really? Of course, I'd love to."

"Seriously, Bolin?" Mako chimed in.

"Just ignore him." Bolin quickly said, clearly not wanting his chances to be dashed. "Anyway, yeah, I'd love to show you what I know. I'm just not sure how my Earthbending can translate to your Waterbending."

Korra smiled. "Nothing to worry about. I'm an Earthbender."

It was at that moment he looked like he had got caught with a cookie taken straight out of the jar, with the child-like worry across his face. "… Oh… sorry. I just thought that... you know, with your… Water Tribe get-up… that you were…"

"Relax, Bolin," Kuro patted him on the shoulder. "You weren't wrong. She's also a Waterbender."

"And a Firebender." Korra added.

"…Hmm…" Bolin took a moment to think about what the two had just said, seemingly having trouble trying to understand it. "… Okay, I'm confused."

As it turned out, the elder brother had caught on much more quickly.

"You're the Avatar," Mako stated.

Korra folded her arms and grinned at Mako. "Got it in one, Mr. Grouch."

Bolin's confused look vanished, replaced with pure shock as he looked back and forth between his brother and Korra. He pointed towards her and whispered towards his bother.

"She's the Avatar…"

Kuro found the sight rather amusing. He wished to speak more about the training they were going to do, but something caught his eye instead. He looked back at Mako. His eyes were focused on Korra for a brief moment. They didn't have the look of amazement and stupor that Bolin had.

Mako had calm anger in his eyes, all aimed at the Avatar.

…

Kuro knew that Korra wouldn't receive the greatest welcome from many of the people in this city, especially with the trouble between Benders and Non-Benders. He was still amazed to see that kind of angry look coming from another Bender though. It was certainly a novelty, but also quite worrisome. He could stay for the training session since he knew he would need to get back to work.

That said, he would need to finish up his work quickly and head over to Air Temple Island as soon as he could. He felt that he needed to tell Korra of his suspicion, just in case. Anyone with a grudge in this city, for one reason or another, wouldn't be afraid to lash out at the source of his anger. He knew that all too well at this point.

…..

Yuna laughed gleefully to herself as she walked through the park.

She was glad to see so many people out and about. There were many families, couples, and even some friend groups all hanging out and socializing with one another. Meanwhile, some wished to enjoy some alone time, reading a book or helping themselves to some food that had been bought someplace else. Seeing other people healthy puts a spring in her step.

Yuna was on her way back to the shop after having picked up ingredients for her remedies. The delivery people were too busy with other orders to bring them, and Kuro was busy with his work to get them for her. As such, she had taken the opportunity to go and get the necessary items herself. It felt great, to be able to go outside and get some fresh air rather than staying indoors all the time.

She spotted a free bench. She sat down, deciding to rest her feet for a bit. She was lucky to find a bench that had such a good view of the park's lake. It looked so clear and clean. Part of her wanted to dive right in and swim to her heart's content, acquainting herself with the underwater population. Sadly, no one was allowed to swim in it. While disappointing, she wouldn't dwell on it too much.

"That's a fine view, isn't it?"

Yuna's blood ran cold. The glee and happiness she had been feeling vanished without a trace upon hearing the voice behind her. She did not turn to face the person, not wanting to interact with them at all. The person behind her had other ideas apparently, the sound of footsteps circling her hitting her ears, much like a hammer on nails.

"Oh come on. Is that how you treat your old friend after so long?"

Yuna looked up to see who it was. She glared at the man in white and blue, and that horrid hat to boot. She clenched her fists, holding back her wish to rip out his tongue.

"What do you want, Viper?"

"Ah, Yuna. At least over me a seat." Viper said, keeping an unpleasant smile on his face. "I only want to talk. It's been too long since we've met one on one like this."

Yuna said nothing and instead stared at Viper silently. The Triple Threat was about to speak but became silent when his eyes met hers. There was no angry outburst being held back. No fear either. Instead, her eyes reflected a coldness. She was angry, but she had full control. There was something in that look that made him refrain from saying anything more that would provoke her.

"Alright then." Viper said. "I'm here because there's a turf war comin' up. The Triple Threats need all the help we can get. And that's why we need you."

"I'm not a Bender," Yuna stated. "Or have you already forgotten?"

"No, no… I remember that pretty clearly. There ain't no regular Non-Bender that can do this."

He pulled up one of his sleeves, showing a long scar along with several burn marks across his skin. None of them had been caused by Bending. He pulled down his sleeve. Yuna briefly turned away from the old wound, seemingly troubled by it.

Viper took his hat off and held it over his chest. "Still, it shows that you've got brawns and brains. We've been lacking in both recently. With you helpin' us, maybe your father wo-"

"Get. Lost."

Viper realized his mistake too late, as Yuna stood up, grabbing the left side of where his neck and torso met. Her nails dug into his skin. They were not long, but they were still doing a good job of burying themselves beneath Viper's skin. Yuna refused to look him in the eye, letting her hair cover what it could of her face.

"O-Okay, Oka-ow! Forget it, I'll leave you alone!"

Yuna quickly, but carefully removed her nails. She slowly sat back down on the bench, still refusing to look him in the eye. Viper used his bending to lift the water from his waterskin, placing it against his new wound and working on healing it.

"Look. You can avoid it all you want. But sooner or later it's going to bite you and tear you apart. Either fight us or join us… but if you keep running it'll all just crash down on you." He said before he started walking away. "And I'm sure that brat I hear you hired would end up crashin' down with you."

Yuna stayed silent, ignoring Viper as he finally disappeared. She looked down at the bloodied fingernails. She used her clean hand to comb her hair out of her face. Her eyes regained their shine but were only filled with worry. While she doesn't want to admit it, Viper had a point. Her past would catch up to her. When it did, she would need to be ready for what comes next.

Otherwise, everything she cared about would be lost again.

….

"Damn! That took longer than I thought!"

Kuro hopped off the boat and dashed towards the spinning gates area. Making the last delivery took up more time than expected. The last person he had to deliver to was a butcher who had been away from his business for some personal matter. Since there was no one else to take it for him, he had to wait for him to return. It didn't help that he wasn't exactly pleasant when he arrived either.

He wasn't the worst customer he had to deal with, but damn he was way too into emphasizing how sharp his cleaver was when he was trying to get Kuro to give him a discount. He was beginning to wonder why they didn't pay in advance at the shop. It would be much more secure. Furthermore, he wouldn't have had to bolt back to the shop and leave the receipts and earnings back in the safe himself.

Anyway, he managed to make it over. He was glad that he left a note for Yuna saying he'd be late since this was the last boat going to the Island for the day. If need be, he'd swim back, but he'd hoped that he might get a place to stay. They had said that he was always welcome.

"Korra, focus!"

His ears picked up the sound of Tenzin's voice. Deciding to take a shortcut, Kuro bound across the aesthetically pleasing terrain until he reached the spinning gates. Compared to the terrain of the city, this was something he found more difficult to manage, as he didn't want to step on anything important. There he found Korra standing in the middle of the training tool. He was about to call out and cheer her on, but stopped himself, looking greatly concerned.

Unlike last night, Korra was far from positive and relaxed. She looked greatly angered, breathing heavily. Her fists clenched tighter, sparks of flame appearing between her fingers. That was when Kuro panicked.

"Korra! Stop!" he yelled, nearly shrieking.

Thankfully, his words reached her. Her anger subsided and looked in surprise to see Kuro. She raised her hand, but it got caught in one of the gates. She was once again sent on a continuous, and near-brutal, path back outside the gates. She fell to the ground, groaning in pain.

Tenzin sighed. "Again, Korra."

Kuro rushed over to them. He gave Tenzin a quick bow.

"Um, I'm sorry for the interruption. It's just… well…"

"I know, Kuro," Tenzin said. "I saw it too."

Tenzin looked down at Korra and offered her a hand up. He waited briefly, but was soon met with a look of scorn and looked away from him. Tenzin looked saddened by this but decided to do nothing more.

"I believe we can take a rest," Tenzin said. "I'll go make some tea. Let's go, kids."

Tenzin took his leave. The Airbending children all looked at Korra with concern. They looked like they wanted to talk to her, but looked unsure of what to do. Kuro waved at them, telling them to go. Jinora got the message and lead them away. Korra looked up at Kuro.

"I'll be back in a bit." She said as she got back on her feet. "I'm going to change out of these clothes."

With that, she took her to leave. Kuro was a bit uncertain about what to do now. He looked over at the gates. Chances were if he hadn't intervened, she would have burned them all down. It shocked him. Not because of the possible damage, but because of Korra. He thought that she had blown off enough steam when she went to the Pro-bending Arena. It wasn't enough.

He sat back down on the ground, resting his head on his palm. He kept his eyes on the gate. This time, he was tempted to go through them himself. However, he needed the boards to spin to use them properly. He didn't want to go and interrupt the family either.

He started to ponder. What other exercises did the Airbenders do to get better? He could see the value in the gates, but there had to have been other things to work the necessary traits. His book on the elements, unsurprisingly, didn't go into much detail on them.

"Hey, I'm back."

Kuro looked behind him to see Korra dressed in her usual attire. She still looked sour though.

"That was fast."

"No point wasting time on a fashion show if I know what I'm wearing." She said, her tone a bit harsh. He recognized it though, giving Kuro a sideways, apologetic glance. "Sorry."

"It's fine."

The Avatar plopped down beside him. Korra stayed silent as she gazed at the gates also. Kuro, on the other hand, tried to think of something to get her out of her funk.

"So…" he rubbed the back of his head. "… Tough day?"

Korra didn't respond. She kept her head down, refusing to speak. The courier looked in different directions, trying to think of something to say.

"Those gates, huh? Getting pretty boring about now, am I right?" he said, scrambling for any idea to talk about. "I guess it can be pretty dull. As a survivor of listening to people talk about their grandkids over and over, I know."

"It's not that."

Kuro jumped when Korra finally spoke. She stood up and walked back and forth, her anger reflected on her face.

"Water, earth, and fire. I got the hang of them when I was a kid!" Korra exclaimed. "With a little training, I could master them without any problem. But with air, it's… it's not happening like it was supposed to. No matter how much I try to make a puff of air, no matter how many of Tenzin's drills I do, it's just not happening!"

She collapsed back onto the ground, slamming the surface with her fist.

"What am I doing wrong?"

Korra went silent after this. Kuro took his chance to speak, albeit with a slight feeling of dread over what her reaction might be.

"Do you think, maybe… you just need to stop thinking about it?"

Korra turned her eyes towards the courier, keeping her head in place. She then looked away, sighing at Kuro's suggestion.

"Look, I know it's pretty much the opposite of why you came here, but… from what I can make out, all this work and stressing yourself out might be just knocking it all down further. I'd feel the same way if I had to run around the city twenty-four seven. Maybe just give yourself a break, do something fun. Refresh yourself like last time."

Korra, gain, looked over at him, this time turning her whole form towards him, a smile slowly forming.

"You know… you might be right," Korra said to him.

Kuro gleefully cheered on the inside.

"And I think I know just the place to relax." She said, pointing back towards the Pro-Bending arena. "The guys' match in on tonight. May as well go and cheer them on."

"… Ah…" Kuro then remembered why it was that he came to the Island in the first place. "Korra… speaking of the guys… did Mako seem a little weird to you?"

"Broody and dull. That's all I saw." Korra answered. "Anyway, they're good guys. Geez, what's with the suspicion all of a sudden?"

"It's not suspicion," Kuro said back. "I just think there's more to that broodiness than it seems."

That wasn't true. It had nothing to do with his time in the city. He always had a hunch, often correct, that a person had a dark side to them that was a bit stronger than most. It would usually happen when making contact with new clients for the first time. Not just the people who would throw a tantrum over him being a second later than they expected with their deliveries, but those who you would find in the paper had been stacking money or bodies in secret hiding places. One wouldn't expect it from them at first given how nice they acted.

"Isn't that technically suspicion?" Korra asked him.

"…. Um…" Kuro hung his head in defeat. "Yeah, you're right."

"Then you're coming with me."

"Say what?"

Korra dashed over to him and grabbed his arm. She had a smile on her face that sent chills down his spine. Whatever she was thinking, Kuro already didn't want part of it.

"You didn't get to talk to him properly, same as me. I'd say a little more verbal bonding's all we need."

"Normally I'd agree with you, but how are we going to get to the stadium? The boats aren't any more boats going to the Island at this hour and Tenzin's will know if we ask the acolytes for help."

Korra's grin widened. "You forget. I'm a Waterbending Master."

"…" The gears slowly turned in Kuro's head before he realized what Korra was implying. "… Oh no."

"Yep. Don't worry, I'll dry you off later."

With impressive strength, she pulled him towards the edge of the Island, a look of dread appearing on his face. Knowing what was to come, he simply smiled in defeat.

"Thank whatever deity I dropped the work stuff off home first."

…

"Well, I'll be. Things are escalating more quickly than I thought."

Argent sat on a bench opposite one of the apartment blocks in the city. In front of him, a group of benders had been messing around with their abilities. From the looks of things, they had a bit too much to drink. In their stupor, an Earthbender accidentally shot a rock through the front outer wall. Many apartments had, as a result, received unsolicited construction in the form of very large open windows.

It didn't take long for the Metalbender blimp above them to send out the officers on board. The drunkards had been let off with a warning, while the Non-Benders had to wait for more benders and construction workers to come over and repair the damage. The result was far from satisfactory in their eyes. The unfairness of the police allowing the Benders to go free without repercussions was far from adequate, even in his own eyes. In any case, it helped to nurture the rage they were all feeling inside, a factor that brought warmth to his face.

He was more than happy to see that everything was going as planned.

"Enjoying the show?"

Argent turned to see who spoke. A grin formed on his face.

"My, my. I didn't expect to see you here." Agrent exclaimed.

Darios walked out of the shadows, his eyes fixed on the scene at the building opposite. He shook his head, clearly not in any way amused by the scene, the complete reverse of Argent's feelings.

"I can't understand why this sort of behavior is allowed, even in cases of favoritism," Darios stated.

"Well, that's just how one-sided things are here." Argent pointed out. "Not to mention one of the culprits looked pretty tight-knit with one of the Metalbenders. Nothing like a little Nepotism to flavor this recipe of mayhem, am I right?"

"…" Darios sighed, placing his hand over his face. Argent grinned at the sight, knowing full well of how much Darios favors logical behavior over reality. "At least it helps to further the plan.

Argent nodded. He then leaned his body closer towards the man in glasses, his curiosity now peaked. "So, where've you been? Faust's been hounding me over you needing to keep some promise, or… something. You could've at least handled him before flying off on us."

Darios grinned. "An important task appeared."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a glowing gem. All mischief and humor fled from Argen't mind when he saw it. HE stood up from the bench, looking back and forth between his ally and the gem.

"… How…"

"It seems we weren't the only ones to arrive here," Darios answered. "It seems that we now have the added duty of guiding another down our righteous path."

Argent's smile slowly returned. "… Quite right, my friend, that it does…" he started. "So, how are you going to play this? From scratch? Or…?"

Darios shook his head. "No." he raised the gem closer to his eyes. A soft light emitted through it, shining through his glasses, a pair of blood-red eyes revealed.

"No, I've someone in mind, already."

….

"What are you complaining about? You're dry now."

"That is not why I'm angry!" Kuro yelled, briskly rubbing his hands to regain his lost warmth. "I'm angry because you dragged me through the water by the hem of my jackets, went crazy on corners avoiding those boats, and then shot me through that window when we got there!"

"We made it in one piece, didn't we?" Korra pointed out, shrugging her shoulders.

The courier glared at Korra, followed by a small sneeze. "This isn't over, I'll have my… my… achoo!" Kuro sneezed again.

Korra chuckled at the sight before wrapping her arm around his shoulder and patting his head. "Come on. Let's meet up with the guys."

The two made their way to the locker room. They found Bolin and Mako seated on the bench. Korra was about to give them a friendly greeting but quickly noticed that they were looking… down. Immediately concerned, Korra approached them.

"Are you guys okay? What's wrong?" Korra asked, freeing Kuro from her grip.

Bolin looked at the two. "Oh… hey guys." He said to them. "Our… Waterbender hasn't shown up yet."

Kuro's irritation vanished, replaced with surprise. "Say what? But the match is going to start soon?"

"We know," Mako said, his gaze kept down to the ground.

Bolin scratched his head. "I figured that he was just running late, but…" his expression fell. "I guess he just gave up."

"And now we're going to lose this chance," Mako said, tightening his grip on his leg.

A head burst into the locker room briefly, looking at the Fire Ferrets. "You got two minutes to decide if you're in or out, be quick." He said before leaving and slamming the door.

"… Rude," Kuro said loudly. He looked back at the team. "There's got to be something we can do."

Mako shook his head. "No. We're done for." He said in defeat.

As weary as Kuro was of Mako, he couldn't help but feel bad for his and Bolin's situation. The latter especially, as seemed like a good guy just wanting to do well in something he liked.

"What if I filled in for your Waterbender?"

At that, all the males' heads turned to Korra, all shocked by the statement.

"Say what now?" Mako asked.

Kuro scratched his head. "Would that even be allowed?"

"Kuro's right," Bolin added. "You're the Avatar. Wouldn't that be like, I don't know, cheating?"

"Should be alright if I only use Waterbending, right?" she pointed out to them.

Kuro sighed quickly. "That's not the only concern. Do you even know the rules?"

"Meh. I can figure them out."

"Okay, We'll give you a quick li-"

The door slammed open again, cutting Kuro off. The same man as before stood in the doorway.

"Time's up, are you in or out?" he asked.

Korra answered, "We're in."

"We are?" Mako asked.

"Yes!" Bolin yelled. "Come on, we'll get you set up.

"Hold on, we need to let Korra know about the rules. You can't afford mistakes here." Kuro said to them quickly.

"Thanks, man," Korra said before looking at Mako. "Well, looks like you're still in. You can thank me later."

Out of all of them, Mako was the least happy about this.

"You guys are all crazy."

…..

Darios walked into the meeting room, ignoring the heads of the chi-blockers turned in his direction. He couldn't tell what expressions they were making with their masks on. More than likely, it was not a pleasant one. Especially given how the man gave off a less than pleasant air.

He ignored the gaze, looking around for their leader. Last he checked, he would be here, planning out all of his actions to come. He didn't want to have to wait for the masked revolutionist. He had been hoping to make this a quick stop and be on his way. He had heard the Earth Nation cultural center was holding an exhibition and wanted to be there.

His concerns swiftly vanished when a chill went down his spine. He was truly impressed that there was one who could pull off such a feat.

"Why are you here?"

Darios turned to see Amon standing behind him. His eyes clearly showed how unhappy he was that Darios made his way into the room without his consent. Not that he cared, especially since no one could stop him. Still, he gave Amon a regal bow and smirked at the ground.

"Please forgive me. I just wished to see how preparations were. Are you in need of any assistance yet?" he asked.

Amon walked around him, now focusing his gaze on the map. "The preparations for the revelation are already complete. I do not need you yet. Not until I say so."

"Your words do hurt me so," Darios said, putting on a mock tone. "I believed that you are not in a position to order me around. I am not one of your masked lackies with a poor sob story."

"Quite right." The revolutionary started. "However, your part must come only on the night they try to commence the turf war. The targets will be easier to capture then."

Darios laughed. "Oh, and here I thought that you were just being a nuisance yourself."

This earned him another angry look from Amon, but he couldn't care less. He then looked at him curiously. Another question bubbled inside of him, and he couldn't keep it in.

"I understand that you wish to keep your surprise for the revelation, but I must admit I can't help but enjoy a spoiler or two. What do you plan to show at this revelation? Why do you need us to capture these targets?"

"You will learn on the day. No sooner." Amon pointed towards the exit. "Leave."

"Of course. I'll be on my way."

Sticking to his rules and does not budge for anyone. The man in glasses was pleased by this, as it showed that the man had at least some pride and backbone. However, he was also disappointed. He wanted to learn what it was that they had been working towards. In the grand scheme of things, it wouldn't have mattered, but there was always that small part of him that wanted to know.

Of course, that wasn't the only reason for his disappointment.

As he left, he pulled out the dark gem. There was no light coming out of it. It appears that he was wrong. He placed the gem back in his pocket.

"Worry not. We'll find something that meets your needs."

…..

Kuro watched the match with extreme scrutiny. He could not take his eyes off it for a single second. He kept his focus on the Fire Ferrets, concerned for one of the team members. If there was any way he could describe Korra's performance so far, it could only be described in two simple words.

She sucked.

Despite his and Bolin's best efforts to drill the rules of the game into her head, she kept making mistakes that kept getting the team in trouble. He was close to pulling his hair out when Korra used Earthbending to block an attack, despite needing to be restricted to Waterbending. He was glad that Tenzin didn't pay any attention to Pro-Bending, as the commentator blurted out that she was the Avatar. Kuro took some solace from the fact that she was still allowed to play, fearing she would be kicked out.

Still, things were not looking well for the Fire Ferrets.

Korra ended up getting knocked off the arena. Concerned, Kuro rushed over to the elevator area, knowing a shortcut that would get him there more quickly thanks to his last visit. He moved surprisingly quickly, dodging many in the halls while ignoring their angry yells at him. He couldn't care less. He wondered if he would have enough time to emphasize his concerns with Mako. Perhaps not.

He managed to make it to the area but saw that he had already been beaten to it. He cringed and stepped to the side of the entryway as he waited for what was about to happen.

"Oh… hey, Tenzin." Korra said.

Kuro peaked from the entryway, the curiosity to see what was happening becoming too great to resist.

"Just what do you think you're playing at?" Tenzin yelled

"Uh… Pro-Bending? I think it's kind of obvious." Korra said back.

"I have already told you that I did not want you to be a part of this mockery!" the Airbending master looked like he was at his limit. "Come with me, we're going back to Air Temple Island."

Korra shook her head. "I can't. In case you didn't notice, I'm in the middle of a match here."

"I have tried time and time again to be patient with you, but see now that being gentle and calm is ineffective, and the only thing you respond to is force! So I am ordering you you return to the Island!"

"Why? So I can just sit around all day and think about not being able to Airbend?" her glare intensified "Maybe there's a reason why I haven't been able to Airbending. Maybe it's because I'm not meant to!"

"What? That is absurd! The Avatar is meant to learn all four elements!"

Korra turned away from Tenzin, showing no concern for the Airbending Master's words. "Whatever. I have a match to get back to."

With that, she went onto the elevator. As she went up, Tenzin looked even more frustrated than before. He took his leave. He was five steps through the door when he stopped. He turned around, facing the courier.

"How much of that did you see?" Tenzin asked.

"Only all of it," Kuro answered. "Teaching's a lot tougher than you'd think, huh?"

Tenzin laughed lightly at that. "I've found that out a little too late. No matter how hard I try to show her the way, it's just not getting through."

Kuro pondered on his words for a moment. He then shrugged his shoulders. "Well, can't help you here. I guess Korra will need to find another way to sink it in."

"Pardon?" Tenzin said to him.

"Well, you pretty much gave her the theory, but Korra just might need a different way to put it into practice. Not sneezing at your way of doing things, but sometimes people need to learn different ways."

Tenzin looked worried, continuing to walk on. Kuro followed him out. As they walked, Tenzin spoke again.

"I certainly hope that Korra will be able to get the hang of it."

"Don't worry, sir. She will."

The two managed to reach the audience seats. From there, Kuro was able o get a great view of the match. He was less than thrilled to see that they were on the last round, and Mako and Bolin had been knocked out. HE looked at the match with great concern.

"Come on, Korra. Don't let them down! Show them what you can do!"

Korra continued to dodge and block the volley of attacks as best she could, but she struggled. The opposing team then readied another volley of attacks. This time, they fired at Korra with more speed and ferocity, making the courier fear the worst. He was about to cry out at the sight.

Before he did, something caught both his and Tenzin's attention. The audience gasped, all looking at Korra who was alone in the arena. The fire, earth, and water projectiles all shot at her, but the Avatar was able to evade them all. Not only that, but she was mimicking the same movements that Tenzin was trying to teach her with the spinning gates.

Tenzin was astonished. "Well, how about that."

Kuro was in a similar state. "She cracked it." He grew a wide-open smile. "She finally figured it out!"

His eyes caught sight of Bolin and Mako on the sidelines. He looked at Mako. All the negativity that he sensed from before was no longer there. Instead, Mako looked at Korra with amazement. Bolin was cheering Korra on meanwhile.

With her new skills, Korra fought against the team on her own. She knocked them all off the arena. The crowd cheered, both at the victory and Korra herself. Kuro contributed with a loud clap.

Tenzin, on the other hand, pointed at the scene and cheered. "Woo-hoo!" he then composed himself when he remembered that there were others around, wanting to appear respectable. That said, Kuro was amused by the brief scene.

He looked back at the scene, viewing Korra and the two guys now in the arena, happy with their victory. All in all, it looked like things worked out in the end.

And just about makes up for being dragged through the water to get here.

…..

Korra ran out of the arena, stopping only for a second to look back at the arena. She smiled happily, glad about what she has managed to achieve. She was about to continue running when someone called out to her.

"You going to leave me behind after dragging me through the water?"

Korra looked back again to see Kuro with a mock look of anger on his face. She walked up to him and slapped his shoulder. She couldn't hide how overjoyed she felt after what happened.

"I figured you'd prefer your way back. Though I figured I'd get some credit for drying you off." She said. "Never mind that, what did you think of the match?"

Kuro's face gave a more cheerful expression. "You were still really clumsy at the start, but it was a great finish. You could nearly go pro."

"I think I might. I told the guys I'd join the team permanently." Korra answered.

Kuro whisted. "Wow, you are going up in the world. First, you show off those moves, now this."

"… Right… those moves." Korra suddenly felt a pang of guilt. She recalled her last talk with Tenzin. "Well, I do owe that to Tenzin. I…"

Kuro nodded. "Yeah. Chances are he feels the same way."

"What?" Korra asked.

"Never mind. If it bothers you, just go talk to him. I'm sure things will be alright."

"… You think so?" she asked.

"I know so. It'll be fine." He said. "Well, gotta go. Later, superstar."

With that, Kuro took his leave. Korra soon after made her way back to the Island. She hoped that he was right and could patch things up with Tenzin. She wished he stayed and saw how his lessons finally kicked in. Even still, she would do her part and make things right. After all, he was her master.

She still had a lot more to learn. But now she looked forward to it more than ever.