"Things are not always what they seem; the first appearance deceives many; the intelligence of a few perceives what has been carefully hidden."

― Phaedrus

Chapter 3 - The Shadows

"And we could install retractable claws to it too. Spirits! Do you know how great this will be!" the excited businessman proclaimed, throwing his hands in the air like he discovered a new bendable element.

"Varrick, calm down! It's one thing to talk and draft about this hybrid vehicle, but it's another story constructing and testing it." Asami sat behind her desk, trying to conduct a professional meeting. But this was Varrick, there was nothing professional about him despite his intelligence.

"Oh, come on, Sato! You and I know between the two of us, we can make it a reality! You have expertise in land vehicles, I have expertise in water vehicles. It's perfect! The two smartest business people and engineers in Republic City, it would be a crime to not make this vision a reality!" In Varrick fashion, he came around the desk and shoved his face in hers, making her cringe back in her chair. There was no reason Asami needed to see up his nostrils at any point in her life.

"I'm just trying to be realistic." Asami pushed him away and out of her personal space. The rough drafts on her desk had definitely piqued her interest. She liked the idea. She really liked it, but there was a reason why nobody tried to attempt this yet. "Can you at least put this in standard measures and not Varricks and Zhu Lis or give me a conversion scale?"

Varrick left after a very lengthy explanation about the conception of Varricks and Zhu Lis, leaving her alone at last, sighing. The scribbles Asami made about the conversion scale made no sense, but given it was Varrick who explained them, not too surprising. Most of the talking was done by Varrick, but Asami felt drained and slumped back in her chair.

After a quick check in with her assistant and reviewing some documents, she returned to Varrick's designs. He was going to have to deal with her best estimation of measurements for Varricks and Zhu Lis in standard measures. Why did that man have to make a whole new system of measurements? It created confusion and increased the chances of errors in the world, hence the reasoning for a standard, worldwide system of measurements.

"Damn it, Korra," Asami muttered and leaned back, tapping the end of her pencil against the lines. The engineer's mind had wandered off from Varrick's designs to the designs that Asami pulled out from her desk drawer. Varrick consumed too much of her time for the day, and it was time for Asami to do something else that didn't center around the eccentric businessman.

Ever since she and Korra had that conversation about her electric glove, it got the wheels in her head turning again. She loved the

glove she had now, but was drawing up a prototype that was similar in design besides the fact of an added flamethrower and retractable blade. Like she said before, talk and drawing were nothing compared to the concrete development phase. She was certain it was possible, but it was shrinking the dimensions and intertwining the needed elements into what the glove already possessed that was the issue.

Asami worked diligently, lost in her blueprints. The soft hum of the radio filled the otherwise silent office as her pencil scratched against the plans.

Another adult and two children have vanished. The count is now six missing adults and thirteen missing children. These numbers are becoming increasingly concerning. Families and parents are pleading with police to get to the bottom of this case. Stay tuned for more updates.

Despite everything thrown her way the past several years, Asami loved what she did. She loved working with her hands, finding the correct configuration and dimensions for products then taking all of that and creating goods for the greater good of society. Future Industries' top priority was finishing the housing projects and expanding the city. After that, she expected Future Industries to continue improving the city, but wanted to devote full time to developing new products and updating its current product lines.

Many of the products Future Industries currently manufactured for the general public were conceived by her father. She was determined to market the newest product of Future Industries for the common individual to put her own stamp on Future Industries. She hoped her collaboration with Varrick was a step in the right direction even if he had his quirks.

Hours passed as she switched between the diagrams and her daily duties and lost track of time.

"Are you so sick of me invading your house already that you're hiding in the safety of your work office?"

At the sound of her girlfriend's teasing voice, she looked up from her plans to find Korra leaning in the doorframe with her arms across her chest and a playful smirk. Those strong arms were a nice treat for Asami's eyes after staring at piles of paper all day.

"The only indication of you actually moving in full-time is there's a polar bear dog running around the estate every day. You need some more clothes."

Korra rolled her eyes and pushed off the frame, claiming a seat on Asami's lap and throwing her arms around her neck. After a quick kiss, she studied the plans that had occupied Asami. "Hey, that flamethrower was my idea!"

Asami giggled at her childish whining. "It's just a draft."

"You're adding a blade too?" She continued studying the plans she had laid out already though Asami was sure she understood none of the technical aspects.

"I thought it might be a good idea if I need cut something or pick a lock and you're not around with your metalbending," she clarified, rubbing Korra's back.

Korra hummed her acknowledgement. "So, I actually dropped by to see if you wanted to get a bite to eat then catch the pro-bending match tonight?"

"Sure." She hesitated before sighing and retrieved an already opened letter from her desk drawer. "Except I want to read this letter first. Here, in my office." The last several days, she read a couple of his other letters, but those were mostly about what he was doing in prison and how he was doing. They weren't as personal or as of significant magnitude, but he still put forth effort in asking how she was doing, obviously still worried about her.

"Why here?"

Asami slouched back and ran a hand through her long hair. "I opened it this morning while you were still sleeping, but I couldn't finish. I saw 'Equalists' and clammed up."

Clear as day, Hiroshi and the Lieutenant stalked her friends and prepared to strike. It was only her desperate cry for her dad that stopped them. The evidence of his ties to the Equalists was right in front of her – right under her nose for who knows how long. The young woman's heart broke the moment she had to severe the tie to her last living family member with that striking shock to the chest. Escaping with her friends, she couldn't help but glance back at her father's prone form on the floor right where she left him. She barely held back the tears, breaking down on the inside and remaining strong on the outside until they got to the airship. But even then, she held back.

Korra placed a hand against her cheek and kissed the corner of her mouth. Asami may have forgiven him, but forgiveness could never erase the memories engrained in her mind forever. Perhaps it was a blessing in disguise that his letters were still here and not destroyed.

Opening the letter and a nod towards Korra, Asami once again began reading the letter centering around how the divide surfaced in the Sato family.

Asami,

I joined the Equalists because I thought we would then be equal with all the benders out there. In the beginning, it was to avenge your mother's death, but it quickly spiraled out of control and my motivation for joining the Equalists became distorted. You were right.

I remember that dreadful night clear as day. She was home alone, I was in the office late, and you were sleeping over at a classmate's house. I was returning home, but the moment I stepped out of my vehicle, something in the pit of my stomach wasn't sitting right. The ajar front door was enough to frighten me beyond belief and sent a violent shudder through my body as my veins ran ice cold.

I ran through the foyer to find it destroyed. Burn marks and the smell of smoke lingered in the house, welcoming me instead of my lovely wife. I called out for your mother, anyone, but nobody replied. The endless number of rooms in the estate was a nightmare at that moment as I tried to find her. The fact that most of the rooms were destroyed and robbed didn't cross my mind. All I needed was Yasuko.

Our window had been broken. She was in our bedroom laying on the floor, face down, arms outstretched awkwardly. I dropped to my knees and rolled her over, only to discover her skin burnt to a crisp. It was nothing like I'd ever seen before. I shouted, I checked for a pulse, but nothing. She was gone.

As I held and cradled your mother's limp body in my arms, I cried for my wife, cried for you. I lost the love of my life that night, and my young daughter lost her mother. You also lost the father I should have been all these years.

At first, I blamed myself for not protecting her better. Sato has such prestige; I should've known at some point one of those gangs would invade our property for monetary gain sparing no lives. Then I moved on to hating the Agni Kai Triad. But the closer I examined the world around us, I observed how benders used their abilities to their advantage to gain the upper hand against one another. It got worse when I witnessed exchanges between benders and non-benders. That's when I began despising all benders just because of their abilities.

I thought joining the Equalists would assuage this need to exterminate all the benders from this world. In doing so, we along with all the other non-benders in the world would be safe. No one else would have to feel the excruciating pain of losing a spouse, a parent, a loved one at the hands of a bender. Losing you opened my eyes to what a heinous man I had become.

I am filled with remorse for every spiteful thing I spit at you in the warehouse. My daughter. I am a horrible, appalling father. Some days I wish you would have done more to me because I deserve it. Every day I sit in my cell, I think of every single time I have deceived you, and hope one day I can make an attempt to rectify all the wrongs I have done to you, Asami.

Love,

Dad

"What did he say to you?" Korra asks, finishing up the letter and looking up at her.

She looked away as that day flashed through her mind. She wasn't sure if Bolin had heard what her father spewed at her in the heat of the moment, but she'd never admitted to anyone the words she was about to say. "He looked me straight in the eye and shouted 'there is no chance in saving me' as he was about to strike me with a mecha tank arm. Those words, the look on his face, he wasn't my father anymore." Things and opinions changed since then, but it was still one of the worse days of her life.

"That's terrible. I knew you confronted him, but I didn't realize how bad it actually was." Korra cupped her face, gazing into her eyes. She kissed the engineer, letting them escape into their own little bubble temporarily. Before things got too heavy, Asami broke up their makeup session, reminding her girlfriend that she wanted to see the pro-bending match.

The letter was slipped back into Asami's bag, ready to return back to its rightful collection at home. The Avatar slipped her hand into hers, leading them out of the CEO's office, the position bestowed upon her at such a young age because of Hiroshi's actions.


After a quick bite a Narook's, it was still early so they decided to walk the streets hand in hand until it was time for the match. Asami was a little somber thinking about her father like that, hearing his point of view in detail and how he felt finding her mother deceased. Every time she went a little too far, Korra would bump her shoulder or make an offhand comment about someone they'd pass, cheering her up a bit and earning a little smile.

The sun was beginning to set, casting a beautiful glow over the whole city. Asami was laughing at Korra's impression of Varrick, staring at her scarily accurate facial expressions and one-handed mannerisms when she suddenly tumbled to the ground and unintentionally pulled Korra down with her in the middle of the street.

"Are you okay? What did you trip on?" Korra asked concerned next to her then noticed it. Asami's feet had been cemented by earth, making her fall face first into the ground. She quickly bent it back into the ground and helped her sit upright.

"Yeah," she groaned, stretching her feet and pushing her hair out of her face. "What was that about?"

Korra surveyed the area, noticing several others around them met a similar fate to Asami. Down the street and through the throngs of people, a girl was giggling and eyeing the scene curiously. She casually walked away from the scene like she had nothing to do with their predicament. Korra's eyes narrowed. Nobody messed with the Avatar's girl without retribution. Even if that person was a child.

The little girl was fast and agile and obviously knew her way around and how to use her surroundings to her advantage, but not quite as fast as Korra who caught up to her easily. The Avatar had no problem clutching the back of the girl's collar, yanking her up into the air and coming face to face with her. In the process of being captured by the Avatar, a few yuans dropped to the ground in between them.

"What's your problem? You think it's funny tripping my girlfriend!" She was giggling and covering her mouth with her hands even though she was dangling in the air. She appeared to be about eight. The ragged clothing and the yuans under them suggested she was a street kid. Her complexion was a light tan, a long dark brown braid hung over her shoulder, and striking, youthful green eyes that reminded Korra of a cat deer's eyes. "Do you know who you're messing with?"

Asami finally caught up to them, only lagging behind since Korra had gotten a head start. She placed a hand on Korra's left shoulder, half-way pleading to release the child from her clutches. Taking in the little girl at the mercy of her upset girlfriend, she appeared almost too unruffled in this situation, eyeing the two curiously with her green eyes.

The trio was so caught up in one another that a water tendril snuck up behind the adults. Korra lost the grip she had on the girl, falling to the ground with her girlfriend. The girl gathered the yuans quickly that weren't trapped beneath the women and scurried away to join a little boy at the other end of the alley who had a dark complexion, messy shoulder length brown hair blowing in the breeze, and deep-sea blue eyes.

"Stay away from my sister! She's off limits!" he warned at the couple before pulling her away.

"She started it!" Korra yelled in response, waving her fist at their backs.

"Calm down, sweetie. You know I can handle my own battles," she teased, rubbing her hand up and down her arm. "I'm sure you were much worse at that age than the old trip and run."

"Oh, the stories Katara and my parents could tell you." She rose and offered a hand to Asami, helping get to her feet. "She didn't steal anything from you, did she? I'll go get her right now if she took any of that fancy stuff you keep in there."

"Wow, those are some big words, Avatar," Asami joked, brushing herself off. "But no, all my 'fancy stuff' is accounted for. She didn't even get any yuans. Don't worry, I have plenty of money for you to burn on junk food at the arena."

Korra laughed and led them back out onto the main street. "How about we just go the arena now before I chase down another kid then?"


Having a private box was a nice benefit to dating one of the wealthiest individuals in Republic City. Great views. Great, comfy seats. There was no hassling for space with strangers or getting a stiff ass. The best part was the private waiter who would bring whatever snack one desired.

"Do you want any seal jerky?" The scrunched up look she received was all the answer she needed. "One large order of blubbered seal jerky, please." The butler bowed and retreated while Korra turned back to her girlfriend, leaning back in her seat with a grin. "You'd like it if you gave it another chance."

She vehemently waved her hands off. "I tried it at least three times. You know I love most of your native cuisine, but not that. Never that."

Halfway through the match, Korra tried goading her into trying it again by tapping a piece against her ruby lips, but she kept her lips sealed shut and leaned as far away from it as she could in her seat. The Avatar didn't back down from a challenge though. She threw her girlfriend her best polar bear puppy eyes and pout, breaking Asami down enough to reluctantly open her mouth enough for her to pop it in her mouth.

"Love you, 'Sami," Korra said cheerfully like she won a pivotal battle, giving her a big kiss on the cheek.

An exciting series of events unfolded causing Korra to jump up and lean against the railing to get a better look. Asami would've joined her, but she was still chewing the jerky, thinking to herself how dry yet chewy it was. The things she did for her girlfriend. Put her in front of her board and executives, she dominated the room and demanded respected from the men. Put her in front of her girlfriend, one look and she surrendered.

The jerky finally went down all the way when Korra began cheering wildly. Asami's smiled and admired the view of Korra's backside. As lovely as the view of those rippling muscles was, wrapping her up in her arms and tickling her neck with kisses would be much better. She moved to go do that, but froze halfway out of her seat. A bone chilling shiver ran up Asami's spine as if someone opened a door on the coldest day of the year. Except it was neither cold on this beautiful summer evening nor was there a gust of wind.

She tried to remain calm. She scanned behind her and the arena, but the feeling remained. This must've been what Korra felt the other night. Was this feeling was only applying to them or was the whole arena in danger of getting blown up again?

"Korra?" Asami asked, a slight falter in her voice that caused Korra to turn away from the action.

"Yeah?"

"Do you feel something?"

Korra's heart skipped a beat and she took a step closer to Asami. "Like what?"

Asami paused then said the same thing she had said the other night. "Like something's about to happen."

The moment that left Asami's lips, the match was long forgotten by the Avatar. This time, Korra didn't feel anything, but now that Asami had mentioned feeling off, she was now on edge again, paranoia creeping in. The two left the box and searched the halls and other areas of the arena, but found nothing suspicious.

The feeling persisted at the end of the match. People began funneling out, some walking back to their homes and others walking towards their cars. They both remained on high alert as flocks of people walked by and cars began leaving. They waited several minutes to let the traffic decongest, but if anything, the perturbed feeling intensified. To be safe, Asami slipped on her glove and warmed it up, sparks of electricity surrounding her hand and temporarily lighting up the dark surrounding her.

Once they began driving, the feeling began to dissipate, but not completely. They were about to leave the density of the city when huge column of earth protruded in mere feet in front of them.

"Shit!" Asami jerked the wheel to the right, narrowly dodging the column.

Korra rose from her seat, ready to fight. "Who's there?"

Another column of earth shot up, but this time right under the front of the bumper, throwing them and the vehicle spiraling in the air. Korra grabbed Asami out of her seat and held onto her as she airbent them safely to the ground. They watched the car collided with the side of a shop with enough force that parts of Satomobile began raining from the sky.

Korra waved Asami in the direction she thought the earthbending came from and the perpetrator was hiding. However, the alleyways in the immediate area were vacant of people. They ran back to the area where the earth column stood loud and proud in the middle of the road, making a statement to other civilians who gathered to see the commotion. In the background laid Asami's damaged, distinct personal vehicle. Both of them took the scene in like it held all their answers, hearing the police coming.

"It's that girl. It has to be," Korra growled, kicking the large column. She would've bent it back into the road, but figured the police would want to see it. "Come out, little girl! What's your game?"

"Do you really think that girl can do this much damage? She was just being funny and pickpocketing people."

"Don't doubt appearances, Asami. Think about what we could do at her age!"

They had exerted very little energy the past several minutes, but both their hearts were racing, waiting in anticipation of whoever was out there and targeting them. However, it appeared the attacker wasn't going to show their face and instead remain protected and hidden in shadows.


Posted: December 16, 2020

A little later than intended, but it's here! Somehow I ended up with 3 extra chapters (2 of the remaining 4 ended up too long) and an outtake so I still have 2 chapters to write for this.

But I'm done with school for the next 4 weeks so I'm finishing these last 2 chapters! No worries though, I'll likely post the next chapter before the new year and that's when things really begin picking up. I'm thinking some of the future events will surprise you or I hope they do. It'll be a bumpy ride, but I'll be sure to warn when things get graphic or touchy. I'd love to hear your theories in the comments!

Also, would anyone be interested if I set up a Discord server? If you are, I've gotta learn how it works lol.