Hello loves, I really thought I'd get this chapter finished sooner but looks like I'm staying pretty much on schedule. Anyway hope you all enjoy the chapter!

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Finale

Chapter Two

Mako

Mako couldn't sleep, his skin still crawled at the memory of Shin Ito's triumphant smile. Then the devastation on Akira's face, that was what haunted him more than anything. It was the moment that replayed over and over in his head in the past week, and he hadn't had a good night's sleep since then. Partly because of the guilt that threatened to suffocate him at any moment, but also because of the glimmer of hope that Akira might come and confide in him.

And it didn't happen…

And he tried not to let it hurt him too much, he was trying so hard not to let her know how vulnerable he felt watching her pulling away from him. But it hurt, he knew she was going through something terrible, but the pain threatened to cripple him. Because it felt like the beginning of their end, and he was trying hard not to be angry at her and be as supportive as he could, even through her absence, but it was the unfortunate truth.

He was mad.

Mako was walking the grounds of the castle, again evading sleep. He tried to tell himself that it was just to busy himself from staring at the ceiling or the large window in his room. But in truth, there was a small part of him that hoped to find her in the halls.

He hadn't even registered that his body had taken him there, but he was outside at the spot of their first kiss. And there she was, sitting against the column her eyes closed as the crescent moon left a faint glow on the earth. She tilted her face to the soft light, a soft sigh leaving her lips, her hair flowed freely from her shoulders it was longer now falling just above her elbow. The soft breeze rustled her hair sending it back and leaving her shoulders bare to the night.

Mako couldn't help himself from stepping closer, at the sound of his footsteps, her eyes snapped open and focused on him. He wasn't sure what to do then, a large part of him wanted to reach out to her, but he was afraid. He was afraid he'd lose himself in her touch and let her kiss away the secrets. He knew that if he'd face her, he'd be helpless to her gravity and submit to it, but he couldn't avoid her either.

Mako sat across from her not meeting her eyes and instead focused on the courtyard below them. After a pregnant pause she spoke, "Mako"; her voice came out in a soft gasp. He turned towards her at that, but he still wouldn't meet her eyes, he focused instead on her chin. Then her ears, her hair, and eventually, unfortunately, his eyes met hers.

He was always struck dumb by her eyes; they were the most expressive part of her. Her eyes always said so much more than she ever did, he could tell if there was an inkling of trouble when he looked into them. And when he looked into her eyes now, he could see it clearly.

She was drowning.

Mako rested his chin against his knees, tearing his eyes away from her. "What do you want me to say Akira? Because the only thing I can say is what you already know, you've been hiding things from me and lying, scheming…" Mako turned his gaze towards her, finally allowing the hurt and frustration to fuel him.

"I want to be supportive. I want to help you Akira, but how can I when you won't trust me; when you won't let me help?" Mako let out a breath the fight suddenly leaving his body as exhaustion finally took over.

"I don't know how much more of this I can take." He whispered, this time not meeting her eyes as he said it. After a moment he turned his gaze back to her, he found Akira biting her lip so hard he feared she'd break the skin. He could see the tears threatening to spill and he knew how much pain she was in, and it hurt him to see it. Because a part of him wanted to be strong enough to pull away, to have a reprieve from the hurt.

But watching her now was torture, but before he could say more, she spoke.

"I understand, I have been…Well I've been terrible to you lately and I know you want me to confide in you. But I just…" She paused taking a shaky breath before tentatively closing the distance between them as she laid her hands over his. "Do you still trust me?"

Mako answered with a beat, "Always". And it shocked him at the honesty that he felt, because as unsure as he felt his body was so sure. He trusted her implicitly and that frightened him, her pull was so intense that Mako wasn't quite sure that she wasn't a siren singing him to his death.

"I love you Akira, I will do anything for you…And I think you're taking advantage of that." Akira let out another sigh, the weight of it making it sound like she'd been punched in the gut. Her gaze fixated on the ground before she returned it to Mako.

"You're right." She nodded to herself before continuing, "I do take advantage of it and I'm sorry, it's not that I…" She trailed off her hands grasping the air for something, and mako wasn't quite sure what else would leave her mouth. But he felt a fear bubble in his chest because he didn't want to say it, he didn't think he had the capability of letting her go. He knew it was unhealthy to indulge in lies, but he couldn't let her go.

She looked broken, and she opened her mouth to say those words and he knew she was doing it as a mercy. He knew she would let him go to stop him from hurting her, but he couldn't bear it. It wasn't fair, they finally were in a good place.

"Mako, I love you, so much but…" Mako knew what was coming but he needed to hold her one last time. He surged forward his hands enveloping her face as he captured her mouth in his, she made a noise of surprise before returning the kiss her arms wrapping around his neck.

And he didn't let her go the rest of the night.

That morning Mako woke to the feeling of fingers trailing down his jaw, he opened his eyes to find Akira looking up at him a frown on her face. Mako sat up knowing full well that it was coming, and it made his gut wrench.

She reached for his hands her eyes suddenly serious, "Mako I know I have been lying to you, so I am going to be completely transparent right now."

It wasn't at all what he thought, and he felt like an entire idiot thinking she was going to break up with him. He felt silly all of a sudden and a hot flush began to line his neck at the sensitive thoughts he had the night before. But when he reached her eyes the relief left him almost immediately, he knew that look. It was the same fire in her eyes before she fought Shin, it was the same fire he had seen in Shin Ito's eyes himself.

"I am going to become someone you won't recognize in the next few weeks. I have been lying to you to protect you from the full extent of the law. It is imperative that you remain in the dark Mako because you mean more to me than all of this. And I will protect you from it."

Mako was at a loss for words, he was furious. He didn't need to be protected he needed to be aware, he wanted to take action he wanted this all to end and go back to where they were before. He wanted Shin Ito to pay for wrecking their lives, for stealing their joy and forcing them back into almost a year ago. The tentative nature of their relationship then the denia,l all of it, he would not accept this.

"No, Akira no! I don't care what it is we are doing this together! I am not letting you do this, what you are implying it's….I can't help you get out of that."

Mako met her eyes begging her to see reason, he couldn't let her do this all to get back at her father. He wasn't going to watch her throw her life away in the prospects of getting back a company. Couldn't she see that what they had was worth more, that if she went to jail at a minimum it would force them apart?

Her eyes were hard when they met a firmness to them that Mako knew he was no match for.

"I wasn't asking for your permission."

Shin

Shin Ito had never felt more alive¸ because at long last he had won. Albeit some twenty-odd years later, but he had bested Lein. He had thought the clause was useless after the "miscarriage" but now knowing that this whole time Akira was his, well it still took him by surprise.

It changed everything…and nothing.

A large part of him still loved Lein, his rage had been the forefront of their relationship when things began to go south, but once he knew she was pregnant...He remembered the awe he felt, he remembered how his heart stuttered when he thought of that beautiful woman with the shy smile that offered to teach him.

The soft touches and careful smiles, and he knew she was manipulating him he wasn't dumb. But she was so damn beautiful and clever that he didn't mind being used. He remembered that he wanted a child with her and now that he knows…

It left a bitter taste in his mouth he could have groomed her he could have been in her life. And sure, Shin wasn't the fatherly type but that was because what he did have didn't meet his expectations. Reli rose to the occasion he proved that when someone is carefully taught when they are broken and beaten into submission they can rule.

He wondered what would have come of Akira had he raised her after Raiso's death. All that potential…

Shin walked down the steps of his house his chest swelling with anticipation, Reli waited for him by the car dressed in a fine burgundy jacket his green eyes making a stark contrast to the dark colors he wore. He flashed a brief smile letting him get into the car, Shin slid into the sleek Satomobile before they took off.

Shin placed a hand on Reli's shoulder and the boy turned to him with a smile on his face. "I am proud of you Reli, without you none of this would have happened." He laughed; Shin was practically beaming he was so happy. He hadn't felt so fulfilled in a while, that gnawing hunger in his stomach was satiated at last.

Reli turned to him with that same charming smile on his face, "Thank you father, that means a lot. It truly warms my heart to see you like this." He trailed off for a moment something flashing in his eyes, "Happy." He mumbled his gaze returning to the window at the terrain rushing past them.

Shin had no time to indulge in one of Reli's moods, nor was he going to let him sour his mood. He probably had some moral conundrum brewing inside him, something he had told him to squash, that or that feisty receptionist turned him down again.

After about half an hour they arrived at the facilities of Piandao Industries, the doors opened for him swiftly, and as Shin exited Reli shadowed. He sauntered through the doors of the building and began parading himself down the hall. The few office workers looked confused by it, but most paid him no mind returning back to their work. It made him a little upset, he had worn his best suit after all.

But no matter, Shin kept going down the hall until he made his way to the large mahogany doors of the COO's office. Without a moment's hesitation, Shin burst them open to find a shocked Kili looking over paperwork. It had been years since Shin had seen Kili, and not much had changed she still had a healthy glow to her dark skin, and her hair was neatly piled at the top of her head in some fashionable bun of sorts. Although there was a sprinkling of grey among her dark hair, she was relatively unchanged.

Kili's icy eyes narrowed at the sight of him, Shin smiled and leaned against her desk his hands splayed out over her paperwork. He watched her grit her teeth before flashing him a false smile. At that moment Shin realized he needed to give Reli more credit, at least he couldn't always tell when his smiles were fake.

"What are you doing here Shin?" She asked through gritted teeth, Shin smiled now leaning his face closer to her.

"You're fired Kili." She smirked at that which only deepened the satisfaction in Shin's belly. This is the woman that had sneered down at him, with her protective arm around Lein the one that had threatened his life.

"Nice try Shin, but only Akira has that power." Shin leaned closer his face a breath away from Kili's and she didn't back down, he knew that about her, she wouldn't.

"You're right, it's a good thing I'm her father." Shin watched in satisfaction as the color dropped from Kili's face, her eyes widened as she took a step back almost knocking over the chair behind her.

"H-how…" Shin stepped around the desk, "Doesn't matter how I know, but we both know what Lein did all those years ago." Kili gritted her teeth turning her gaze away from Shin something like grief flashing over her face before looking back at him a calmness overtaking her features.

"Fine. I'll leave but at least let me stay to show you how it's done. I don't want this company to sink before Akira regains her company. Because either way, she is the heir of all of this." Kili took another step forward, "And she will get it back." Shin put a hand on her shoulder, but she shrugged it off storming out of the office.

"Oh, Kili?" She turned a violent rage in her eyes, "If she gets it back, I very well can make my son the heir." Shin watched something flash in her eyes at the mention of Reli, he couldn't quite place it.

"Just you wait." With that, she slammed the doors of the office shut, and Shin took his place at his throne.

Finally.

Shin wasn't really paying attention to what she was saying but she was lovely. Shin liked to believe he loved Jade Ito, she was beautiful when he had met her, and she had maintained that loveliness in middle age. With her black hair and pale skin, she was the furthest he could get from Lein, especially those beautiful striking green eyes. She was docile enough, and just so damn pretty to look at that he told himself he was in love.

"I'm so happy for you my love, you deserve this." She gushed laying a gentle hand over his, a warm smile on her face, and Shin put his hand over hers. He knew that they were both using one another, he for companionship and an heir, and her financial security.

She never had to worry about Reli going hungry, he had a father figure to look up to one that molded him into a man worth fearing. But as Shin stood taking the gentle woman's hand in his own and leading her to the factory floor, he realized why Reli always fell short. Because he had her, as much as he tried to beat him into submission and mold him into his heir, he wasn't his son. It was Jade's largest failure in their relationship, her inability to bear his child, but as he thought of it he wondered if that child would ever possess what he needed.

Because he had seen fire, he had seen rage within that girls' eyes. He heard from Reli the ways she undermined him how she threatened him with fire, how she clenches her hands to hold the flames at bay. Something he understood so well, Shin had molded an heir before.

He could do it again, Shin mused on the thought of seducing Akira to his side when the factory doors opened…

He was sorely mistaken; Shin tightened his grip on Jade's arm and a soft gasp left her mouth as they both stared at the deserted factory. Everything was gone, it was a miracle there were even tools in the workshop. Shin released his wife stalking around the room searching desperately for plans, engineering designs. He tore his way through the factory floor, going past the main floor plan to the room where the largest machines were stored, only to find the shell of three ships.

They were reconfiguring the ships he had destroyed, but other than that all of the designs were missing. People mulled about their faces just as shocked as Shin's. He shook them and screamed till he was foaming at the mouth but none of them could produce a proper answer.

His mind raced as he tried to place who could have done this, he burst open the office door in the factory to find it empty, the desk chair turned out as if inviting him to sit. He could see the neat script of his daughter's hand in a few folders before a letter fell out.

I suppose I understand now where I get my thirst for vengeance.

The game has begun father, are you ready to play?

Shin's hands shook until the letter turned to ash from his fingertips, he was sorely mistaken. Akira was not to be manipulated, she could not be guided and molded as he had done with Reli. She had to be squashed down, she had to lose everything, and he wasn't so sure he had that power.

Shin had always been afraid that his melancholy would swallow him whole, that nothing could ever satiate his hunger. But he was mistaken, this was what he was waiting for this was the ultimate asset to acquire.

"Let the games begin."

A week before…

Akira left the Piandao Castle early that morning, she slipped into Mako's room and kissed his forehead fighting the frustrated tears that threatened to choke her.

"I love you." She murmured, before leaving him a note claiming she needed a few days to herself.

The first lies of many.

Akira took one of the many cars and took a silent ride to the docks, opting to operate a speed boat on her own. Although it terrified her, the water looked like ink in the dark light of the early morning. Her stomach churned as she gazed into the depths, she raised a shaky hand to the controls her heart hammering as the engine roared to life. As terrified as she was she had to do it this way, the fewer people involved the better. Her voyage began in those short hours before dawn, and by the time the sun reached its apex she had reached the mainland.

She cut the engines as she reached the docks, the men waiting for her there in their nondescript car took her to her location. Akira steadied her shaking hands and bit back the trembling sensation in her body, and as she walked further from the water and closer to the men she felt herself harden she needed to be prepared.

The man she was meeting was the son of this mercenary that had tried to interest her mother in some shady business regarding her weapons. She had refused him then, but Akira did find old correspondents to threaten her a man to stay away.

Akira was sure now that that person was her father, she took in a deep breath trying to calm her nerves and opting for something her mother had taught her long ago. Sometimes when wit cannot aid us we have to use other means, a woman's charm is just as sharp as a sword Akira. Learn to wield it wisely, the consequences can be disastrous.

Akira wasn't going to make her mother's mistake and bed a monster, but she was going to flirt her way to getting what she wanted. Akira was ushered inside by the two men driving the vehicle two hulking men opened the doors of the mansion before them and guided her to a home office.

Akira flashed a smile at the young man in the room, "My name is Akira Piandao, I'm looking for Wren."

Akira stood in her factory her face twisting at the sight of men stealing her things, it made her skin crawl knowing that these weapons would be in the hands of people that wanted to do harm. She hoped to the spirits that she'd be forgiven but this was what had to be done.

"Ms. Piandao." Akira turned to see Wren standing behind her, his pipe glowed in the dim lighting as he stepped closer towards her. "I have to say I never thought a Piandao would engage in some shady business. What's the goal get more money because your assets were stolen?"

Akira looked at Wren a smile stretching across her face, one that she knew was beginning to make Wren feel unsettled. "Don't you worry about my assets handsome." He eyed her for a moment before giving a shrug and heading back out the back door.

Akira continued to watch her hands clenching the railing like a lifeline, she watched them walk away with all of her work and did nothing to stop it.

If mother could see me now, she mused.

Akira slipped into the offices unnoticed, gathering as many plans and files as she could, she had gone to the factory floor before any of the men could see the plans for the hand cannons and now she went to each engineers desk and swiped everything and anything she could. It took hours of organizing everything before she got them all in folders strictly labeled Akira knew that in two hours Yara would make her way to the office to make coffee for Kili.

She put the files in envelopes all addressed to herself in Shu Jing, with a quick nod at her handiwork Akira slipped out of the office unseen. The men had left hours ago finishing up the last of their stealing and Wren had ensured her that they wouldn't start selling the wares until a week from when they met.

Which meant she had four days left.

Akira arrived back in Shu Jing late at night, she had three days left, if she bothered to sleep. She would meet Mako's gaze in the halls and would brush past him, and while it tugged at her heart, she didn't have the pleasure to be kind.

That's when she called them all of them, she illegitimatized Shin and Reli as quickly as she could claiming that legal matters were forcing her hand and that Piandao Industries would be incapacitated for the time being. The Water Tribes and Fire Nation were quick to take action and declined all new orders until further notice, but Republic City was relying on her. Akira was left with no choice but to accept that Shin will be able to keep a hold on her business because if she were to bow out the entire restoration project would be compromised.

"Compromise Akira, focus on the important parts." She murmured to herself writing another letter to Korra's father about what this brief absence meant for his country.

The work was bitter, and Akira felt like her soul was being sucked out of her body, she was drained in more ways than she had ever been before. She watched carefully at the newest hire for the Piandao castle. The last step, she reached for the letter and left it out on the desk before making a performance of a yawn.

The woman's eye darted to the open letter her eyes shining in mischief, Akira locked away the rest of the things ensuring to keep the key close to her heart. Before brushing past the woman a small smile on her face, "Don't worry about straightening it out, it's pretty late."

The girl stammered out an objection, but Akira purposefully guided her down the hall asking her if she'd like a cup of tea. She knew full well that the woman would return to the room, but she needed to sell it, that she had nothing but complete trust for her. Akira played the diplomat smiling and indulging the woman in stories about her youth never divulging to deep.

Everything was thought and planned meticulously, and as she slipped out of bed that night, she found her looking triumphantly at the letter thinking she had just written her doom, when she was only playing right into her plans.

Shin's first official day as COO and owner of Piandao Industries and he was already swamped with crisis after crisis. The engineers were missing all of their designs, the entire inventory was gone and he had nothing to account for and as if to make matters worse he son's favorite assistant came with telegrams from the Water Tribes and the Fire Navy alike.

"Here ." He glared up at the girl his hair hanging at his face rather than the neat ponytail it was usually in, "Read it." He spit, and Shin had never seen the girl so happy until she read them.

They all were apparently met with their quotas all silently plotting against him and finding ways out of their contracts and not renewing them unless a Piandao was behind the mantle. She played him and Shin was ready this time, his daughter may be clever but so was he.

He turned to Yara and she looked down at him startled at the severity of his gaze, his daughter had planned everything so carefully, but she neglected to realize where else her intelligence may have come from.

"I want a plan of the Shu Jing property." Yara stiffened at that, looking like a startled animal, "Did I stutter?" She jumped at that and left the room her eyes downcast, he didn't need it to know the truth, but it all was making sense now.

Why Akira was so adamant about keeping the Piandao Castle, there was another factory which meant it was his assets.

Meaning he was within his rights to do what he needed to do next, he handed the radio to Yara.

"Call the police."