A/N: I'm back bitches… I wanted to put more in this chapter but it was too long so it will appear in chapter 20. Also, I reworked most the chapters in this story… but there are no major changes just some new added stuff. I think the chapter I really redid was chapter 16. Tell me what you think! Please Enjoy and Review.

A Terrible Synergy

Chapter 19

The darkness under the surface was all encompassing. They had been tunneling for a few minutes now. He had directed her towards the basement of the next building over. She listened but did not speak for her thoughts were too much a mess to sort through. She tried to focus on the feeling of the sediment she was scraping away instead of her sinking mental state. Too much had happened, and it was too much to process. The empty blackness was comforting.

Suddenly her hand was pressed up against a hard plane. She inspected the obstruction by running her fingertips along its rough surface, "I think we made it," she stated. The Avatar sensed the wall's weaknesses and adjusted her kick accordingly. She could've just smashed the structure into pieces but she didn't. The Avatar was very careful with her actions because he had warned her. They didn't want to make a mess or attract unwanted attention. Who knew what was waiting on the other side. They would be public enemy number one once Tarrlok woke up, and there were swarms of cops outside on the surface looking for the culprits of the attack and fire.

In one fluid motion of her leg, the cement cracked between the targeted blocks and loosened to the ground. Placing her hands on either side she pushed the cinderblocks forward to create an opening large enough to allow passage through. She eased her body through the crack. He followed.

The room they entered was filled with dusty boxes and old furniture. A water heater was positioned in the corner along with an electrical box. Natural light cascaded down from the half-windows that lined the level of the street above. Through the ice-coated glass, she could see the panic outside. People were running every which way. While she was taking in the scene, she could hear Noatak moving the cinderblocks back into place.

He didn't pay any notice to the havoc. He moved past her and set the shirt portion on his uniform down on a dusty box. She exhaled watching him sternly. Noatak removed his mask that was wedged between his back and edge of his pants and placed it on top of his shirt. She could tell he was freezing from the goosebumps that tightened against the bare flesh of his torso, but he made no effort to dress himself. He was thinking.

"We only have a couple of minutes. They will search the surrounding area," he droned as he stated a string of givens, "We will have to walk from here to get to one of the entrances to my compou-"

"Why the hell did you have to do that?" She wasn't at all concerned with what he was saying.

"I don't want to talk about it now," he didn't know specifically what she was referring to, whether it was almost bloodbending his brother to death or setting the entire building ablaze.

"I want to talk about it now."

He turned to face her and crossed his arms, "Fine. Go ahead."

"Why'd the hell did you set the building on fire? All you had to do was knock Saikhan out."

"I have valuable documents located in the apartment. Even though they're hidden I couldn't risk them finding them."

"You didn't tell me this." She still didn't believe it was a good enough excuse to burn the building down. Korra was too mentally shaken to voice her concerns clearly. She didn't know if all that had been worth it. Would've it been better to surrender to Tarrlok? A dozen people almost lost their lives and at least a hundred people were homeless now.

"I didn't think it was important, nor did I think the police would show up at our doorstep at seven in the morning."

"You could've hurt a lot of people… who knows the extent of the damage we just caused."

He acknowledged the truth in her statement, but held no sympathy for it. She of all people should've have known the depths of the consequences. People would get hurt. People would die. What had made her so sensitive all of sudden? She choose this, they both did. However, neither of them had anticipated the encounter. He was still feeling numb from it, and did not desire at moment to sort out exactly how he felt about it. He hadn't even settled on a clear outlook about his brother or the quickly intensifying situation. All he could discern at the moment was their need to get somewhere safer than where they were standing. He could keep her safe at the compound, but nothing was for certain; they would be away from the cops, but the events of this morning would have his followers itching for orders and his second in command eager to get the ball rolling. Would they inquired where he had been? Now he regretted what he had done two days ago in his show of power against the police force. It only gave more wind to the already ignited fire. He supposed that this was a form of his punishment, and not of the effect of Tarrlok's actions to reel Korra back in. It was new to him to be concerned about these things. Never was he before. He wouldn't admit that it was terrifying; his whole world could come crushing down in a moment's notice because he hadn't made the right judgement. He couldn't live with himself if anything happened to her. He was the one that deserved to endure a million torments, not her.

His eyes were unflinching. She couldn't tell if he was more enraged than irradiated, "You have something else you want to ask." It wasn't a question. He knew what was really bothering her, but she found herself afraid to ask.

"Just say it," he whispered lowly.

She didn't speak.

"Just say it!" he snarled. He lowered his head, his fists firmly at his sides.

"Say what?"

He sighed, "That I'm a monster," he glanced to the side toward the small window. Shadows of moving forms flashed across his rugged visage, "I don't believe I'm a good person… I never believe I was a good person."

"Spirits, you're hopeless," she reached hand out to him and captured his wrist, "Just shut up," she breathed. The words were harsh but her tone was not. The hand around his wrist skated to his neck. She pulled him into her body and hugged him tightly, "I was just scared, ok? That's all." It always shocked him when Korra hugged him. He didn't know why it always did. Air escaped his lips. It ruffled her loose hairs from her ponytail as her head fit perfectly under the crook of his neck. Maybe it reminded him the first time she hugged him. She really only did when he desperately needed it. Anyone would be mistaken to pin the Avatar down as coldhearted from to her brutish and stubborn exterior because that was only one layer to her complex construction. Dig a little deeper there'd be one saturated in sarcasm, one smothered in unwavering sense of duty, another basking in the adrenaline of champion fighter, and many more, but the true essence of who Korra was is her capacity to love and to love deeply.

From her hold, she could still feel the pressure in the tendons of his body. They seemed that they were both battling waves of inner turmoil. They certainly made a good pair. He averted his face from view. He didn't want her to see his weakness, "We have to go," he mumbled.

She nodded and withdrew from his arms both fully aware that the conversation they had started would be brought up again. He dressed himself and collected his things. Searching for the exit, he stumbled upon a box of old coats. He fished out two old, dark fabric pea coats and handed one to Korra.

"Put this on, it's cold outside."

Korra would've laughed at his gesture given that he knew that she was from one of the poles, but he wasn't concerned about her catching a cold but rather their equalist uniforms catching unwelcome interest in the light of the daytime. From a different, smaller container, he trawled out a wool cap and a woven scarf with an intricate design on it. He pulled the cap over his head and handed Korra the scarf.

"Keep your face out of sight. Let's go."

-0-

His eyes were very sensitive to the light. Slowly they dwindled open. The air was cold as it entered his mouth. He attempted to roll over but the movement was too much for his heavy head to handle. He raised his hand in effort to shield his eyes form the irritating glare that the electric blubs were generating above him, but his eyes still screamed out in pain. He felt as if he was thoroughly hungover. He couldn't even recall how he had gotten there. After a few more minutes of rest, he felt that he built enough strength to sit his body up. Immediately, a hand was pushing him down. His chest felt as if a fifty pound weight had been dropped on it.

"Please stay on your back. It is best to rest."

He blinked his eyes confused to when the person had gotten there. He licked his lips. They were excruciatingly dry, "Where am I? What happened?"

"There was a fire. You were found unconscious in one of the units along with a handful of officers," the woman explained. She was wearing an all blue uniform. She was a nurse, "I'm sorry, sir, but that's all I know."

He finally took in his surroundings. There were people in white lab coats rushing every which way and gurneys lined up in an orderly fashion across the room. Some had people resting on them and each were divided by a large draping, pale green, sheet that hung from the ceiling. The unfamiliar place he had woken in was the Emergency Room of Republic City Memorial Hospital. He tilted his head down and examined his arms. The sleeve of his blazer and shirt had been cut away so the IV drip could be administered in his right arm. He took his left hand and ripped the needle out.

"Sir! What are you doing?" the nurse shrieked.

He didn't want the IV. Blood puttered down his right forearm. The red liquid wash away the layer of dark soot that clung to his skin; he hadn't realized how filthy he was. He was covered from head to toe in a coding of soot and ash. He forced his body to stand erect despite the bullets of pain he felt shooting through his entire body.

"Sir, sit down! It's not good to stand! You're body has gone an extended period of time without a proper oxygen supply."

He saw the woman's lips moving but couldn't hear her words. He coughed wildly. The surging pain was back again. He clutched his heart. It felt as if it were going to pound out of his chest, "I have… have to go find Chief Saikhan…" he croaked, "Do you know where he is?"

"He was just discharged from the adjacent emergency bay. You can see him shortly if you cooperate."

The tall framed man blinked. The edges of his vision had gone blurrily. He was fading fast and despite his large size, the nurse succeeded in pushing him back down on the bed. She worked quickly. The nurse bent water from a jar stationed to a table to his right. She closed the wound that he created from removing the intravenous needle and wrapped it in gauze for good measure. The medicine in Republic City was cutting edge because new forms of rehabilitation that go with the use of bending, such as the IV drip and innovative facets in surgeries, have been introduced and incorporated into the old system, which was solely based on ancient medical treatments and healers. These breakthroughs resulted in a total change on the perspective on medical care because the processes and tools that could be utilized without bending made care more accessible to everyone. The only reason these techniques were discovered was due to the ingenuity of people who were without access to bending. Unfortunately, the times have given this medical revolution a bad name because it placed the jobs of the benders in jeopardy. The bending elites labeled it another ploy for the nonbenders to seize power and many who were against the equalist plot have expressed their oppression by refusing to use the revolutionizing techniques, which the nurse thought was absurd.

Tarrlok wasn't in the right state to rip the needle out for precisely that reason. He only did for the fact that a tube attached to him would impede him in finding Chief Saikhan. The nurse suspected this much, but didn't count the first reason out. She had far too many crazy patients ripping out tubes she worked so hard to set. She herself was a bender but didn't care much for politics. The only thing that she believed in was medicine and if something could help someone heal faster and live longer than she was a proponent for it. She felt that medicinal bending had very useful features and if paired with nonbending techniques could come close to curing almost all ailments, but the ego and status of benders got in the way. She absolutely loathed prideful people because their personal vendettas thwarted progress.

"Is your chest where you're feeling the majority of your pain?"

He didn't catch her question at first. Everything sounded as if he was underwater. He nodded slowly. His hand was still gripping his heart. She would have to go old-school with him instead issuing x-rays of his chest. She didn't feel like dealing with angry outbursts on choice of care.

"OK, I'm going to unbutton your shirt now. Are you OK with this?"

He nodded and her hands worked his shirt undone happy that he was being more compliant. She bent the water from the sterilized jar again so that every inch of her palms were covered in the liquid. With great care, she pressed her glowing hands to his chest. He instantly sighed. The sensation was soothing; it brought back memories of mother, who was a healer. For many minutes, the nurse worked up and down his torso inspecting it for damage.

She removed her hands, "It seems that your lungs have incurred minor damage from the smoke you inhaled. I suggest that we run a blood test for further examination so we know the true extent of the damage."

"No, no that would be unnecessary," he groused. Everything was coming back to him in short waves. He needed to get back out and find that bastard police officer. Precious time was ticking away.

"I wasn't finished speaking," she snapped back. The nurse was beginning to lose her patience with this man. She poked her finger at his left pectoral that was discolored a dark purple. Under the tissue was where his heart lay, "Your heart is what I'm very concerned about. It has undergone a tremendous amount of trauma."

"What do you mean?"

"I couldn't tell you. You weren't in a car accidence so wasn't caused by blunt trauma and it's not penetrating trauma either because you weren't impaled by any foreign object. It sounds crazy but it's almost as if something moved your heart around without touching you."

"That wasn't my question," nothing she said ever satisfied him, "What's this mean for my heart?"

Her patient's rudeness and ingratitude brushed off her. Too many of her patients these days were like this anyway and she was no stranger to it. She had grown up on the streets of Republic City, "You're heart has been seriously weakened. You have been maintaining a steady heartbeat but who knows how long that will last. You could be experiencing internal bleeding around your cardiac tissues, which could result in permanent damage if not treated properly."

"Why can't you give me a definitive answer: do I have internal bleeding or not?"

"The bleeding is too acute for my waterbending to pick up, but that still doesn't mean it's not a potential threat to your wellbeing. The blood lost can result in misplaced pressure on your internal organs in addition to your heart which could result in permanent damage of those tissues and possible death. Blood loss alone is dangerous."

"So what are you going to do?"

"Treatment depends. Internal bleeding has the ability to heal on its own, but depending on the severity of the damages sometimes surgery is needed. For now, I'm going to put you on watch so that we can observe your symptoms and see if they improve or worsen over the next twenty-four hours to determine the future course of your treatment."

"I don't have twenty-four hours."

"Sir, please don't do this again."

"Do you know who I am?"

"No, and I could care less. Quite frankly, sir, it doesn't matter who you are. You have been seriously injured and your body needs rest." This woman was the epitome of logic but he would not heed her well-intentioned advice.

It infuriated him that she didn't know who he was, and that she wasn't treating him with suitable respect. He made a note to have her fired once this was all over. He pushed past her standing tall despite the trembling weakness in his legs, "I'm councilman Tarrlok, Northern Watertribe representative on Republic City's high council," he declared pompously, "I don't have time for this bullshit. The city is under attack. Heal me as best you can now, hell, give me pain killers if you have to. Just get me the chief of the police now!" He shouted.

The nurse reacted with the same caliber of force, "I will do no such thing! Sit down and don't make me ask twice," a vein was visibly protruding from the woman's temple. She was never a violent person but she couldn't deny that she had considered cracking the clay jar of water over the man's head. She deduced that his mental state was affected or altered by the lack oxygen.

The man went against her orders and as she was about to continue her rant the main emergency doctor, Dr. Wei, and a tall, bald-headed, tattooed man entered the enclosure tapered off by the hanging sheets. She had never seen an Airbender before.

"Here you are, Councilman Tenzin."

"Thank you, Dr. Wei," the monk bowed respectively.

"Not a problem," he smiled warmly and the corners of his eyes wrinkled from his mirth. The male doctor was very petite and looked almost like a midget standing beside the towering Air Nation Representative. She admired Dr. Wei immensely. He was the one that gave her the confidence to pursue a career in the medical field and given her the chance to work in his emergency room team, which she took stride. The two defining characteristics of her boss was his short, cropped gray hair and his small, immaculately clean bifocals that rested on the tip of his nose. She always wondered how they never fell off. Dr. Wei smiled again and motioned over toward her, "Winona is one of our best nurses on staff. You are in very good hands," he stated simply and left to return to his lot of duties.

Her patient, the man who introduced himself as councilman Tarrlok, immediately stiffened. She noted his reaction, "What are you doing here, Tenzin?"

"I heard about the fire," the airbender looked over the injured man's body. He looked an absolute mess, "It must've been pretty serious." Tenzin never liked to see anyone, even Tarrlok, in a battered state like that.

The weary man bobbed his head up and down, "I told you something was going on," he sat on the edge of the cot. Winona turned to organize the medical instruments that where on the table next Tarrlok in order to give the two man some form of privacy.

"It doesn't sound like it was an accident." Tarrlok was confused by his colleague. He couldn't read him. He looked broken down yet held together. The older man's pale blue eyes shone of exhaustion.

"Why are you actually here?" He saw someone familiar pace back from the sheet that obstructed his vision. It was the Avatar's friend, the firebender. He was waiting with his brother just outside the taped off area that was his room.

"Tell me what really happened, Tarrlok. It's obvious to me that situation is serious and that you no longer can do this on your own. Let me help you. I made sure the people that you confiscated from their homes were cared for."

He could've cared less what Tenzin did for him. "I'm prefect shape, Tenzin, and I don't need your help," she was moving medical supplies around in the open drawer when she heard this. Her shoulders pinched upward from the man's evident lie, but she stayed silent. If airbender wanted to know the true degree of her patient's injures, he had to be the one to disclose them to him. It was only her place to share private medical proceedings with immediate family.

Tarrlok clutched his fists. He couldn't fathom why Tenzin wanted to help him now, even after the disrespect he had shown him a few hours before on his island. Perhaps the fire and the assault had convinced him that his course of action to enact martial law was correct.

"It's pretty clear that that's not truth. I could hear your nurse shouting at you from down the hall. From the police report, it says that the fire was started by gasoline spill. Please tell me that you didn't contrive this whole situation to just throw more fuel on your cause."

"Don't be ridiculous. I don't need to burn down a building to get attention."

"I can't trust you until you tell me who did it."

Tarrlok considered if he should let the man in on the secret. Maybe he would pledge alliance to him if he actually knew what his airbending pupil was up to. He smirked at the thought of having Tenzin locked down under his wing. He found no reason to hold the information from him, "It was the man that owned the apartment building. It was the South Bend Apartment Complex on the corner of South Bend Avenue and Fifth Street. On the property reports he went by the name Arata, but I doubt that name was true." The waterbender procured the information after he retrieved the note from Korra's room. It was a risk to assume that he had even given the Avatar a note, but he needed something, anything, to pin her down. It took him longer than he expected to find the clue. He even had to rip the Avatar's dwelling apart to see where she had expertly hid it; a corner of a crumbled piece of parchment poked out from her polar dog's collar; she had tucked the note beneath it. The moment he pulled the photo out, all his suspicions were confirmed. He glanced the old photograph over. There was a crisscross fold that marred the surface of it were the color was pulled off into whiteness. The edges were frayed as if they had always been rubbing and moving against the walls of pockets. Had his brother always carried it with him? Winona shifted uneasily; she felt that she was eavesdropping on things she shouldn't hear.

"What did he look like?"

"Tall, dark hair, blue eyes, deep voice."

The bald man shook his head, "That description matches the features of the man that visited Korra last night, but his name wasn't Arata it was Noatak." Tarrlok was aware of his brother's visit to the Island the night before. That's where he intercepted his note after all. "Was Korra there?" his question was asked with such desperation.

"She was. She was in the first unit with the man I just described," he winced slightly as the pain in his chest flared up again along with the dizziness in his head.

Tarrlok hadn't detected the firebender's subtle advancements into the room. He inched closer toward the airbender once the information about his friend was revealed. The almost imperceptible clinking of metal instruments stopped as Winona finished cleaning up. She was growing more and more uncomfortable as the exchange unfolded; all she wanted to do was treat her patient.

"Did she start the fire? Was she that one who attacked you?"

"No," the answer brought some relief to the two man that now stood over the injured waterbender, "I assure you it was all that man's doing." By the looks of his colleague, the man was very dangerous.

"Then what was she doing in the apartment?" Mako suddenly interrupted.

"Oh come on, boy," Tarrlok closed his eyes and snickered tiredly, "I'm sure you're aware of her relationship with him."

Despite the boy's efforts to mask his anger, the councilman could clearly see it burning in the amber of his eyes. His brother stirred from the hallway to place a supporting hand on his shoulder, which acted more like a cautionary restraint. The three couldn't been in that much denial that they were unable to put the pieces together, and Tenzin on his own was so adamant on revealing information. He suspected that he truly wanted his student back alive and well.

"Look, I don't intend to ever be friends with you. All I want is Korra back. Tell me who this Arata is and how he's connected to Noatak and Korra."

"If that's what you want," he concurred, and the monk was surprised from his colleague's quick promise. Tenzin had spoken to soon, "but you two along with that Sato girl will have to do something for me in return."

The Airbender observed the two boys. It wasn't his choice to make and waited for their decision. The brothers didn't say anything to one another. They nodded in agreement.

"Good," Tarrlok breathed and rolled his shoulders back, "I'll tell you everything that I've found out, but for now, can you find where Chief Saikhan when off to while Winona patches me up?"

The three left with their assignment leaving the nurse and her patient alone. The councilman laid back down on the cot with an expressionless face. He had the three exactly where he wanted them and he could expose as much or as little as he wanted to. He smiled as Winona attended to the burns that marred his skin.