Asami stepped away and turned back towards the gate. She blinked a few times, collecting herself and hoping fervently that no one had noticed how close she'd come to completely breaking down. She'd been so focused on the work as a way to avoid thinking about their situation that, when finally forced to slow down, it had caught up to her all at once. Then the way she'd felt as Iroh had pulled her close, solid and warm and right, she'd almost lost it entirely. She was usually so clear-headed, it was a testament to how much strain they'd been under that her emotions were so close to the surface.

"Okay," Asami said. She suddenly felt cold and tired, her adrenaline gone. She tried to focus. "The key is, this isn't just a gate. It's an electric fence." She turned back to her companions and held up her gloved hand, palm out, to display the electric node underneath. Iroh's eyes widened in sudden understanding. "Aluminum is highly conductive. Anything that touches the metal while I'm gripping it with this glove will get more than 500 amps right through it." She looked at Iroh and Katara's blank faces and sighed. "For those non-engineers in the room, that's a lot. It only takes about .2 amps to kill you."

Iroh shuffled a bit farther from the gate, looking uncomfortable. Of course he would remember the rather effective fence that her father had put around the airplane hangar last year. She still felt bad about that.

"About them all just flying over the walls," she continued. "Yes, there's a chance, but I don't think so. I've seen the dark spirits in action twice now, and whatever may be true in the Spirit World I think they have to follow the rules once they're here."

"Rules?" Iroh asked.

"Physics. Conservation of energy, gravity, things like that." He nodded.

"So, we know a few things," Asami said. "First, we know that we can hurt them. Both force and fire damage them, at least, and they seem to have to convert some of their existing energy into healing. I think that, if they get hurt enough, they either decide or are forced to return to the Spirit World."

"That could be," said Katara, looking thoughtful. "In all of our dealings with angry spirits before, changing their state caused them to go back to the Spirit World. As you've seen with Unalaq, some waterbending can calm an angry spirit and cause it to transition back. So can solving whatever had made it agitated in the first place, as Aang did many times. It is not at all unlikely that a third way also exists that involves dispersing their energy, rather than emotions." She looked at Asami. "Smart."

"And it tracks with what we saw in Fa Re," said Iroh. "When Asami burned the spirit too much all at once, it vanished."

"When we burned it," Asami corrected. "Second, we also know that the city is the closest and most obvious target, especially if the dark spirits are working with Unalaq in some way, and that there are only so many ways in. There are walls in all but three locations, and this is the closest entrance. Compared to the East Entrance, it's also undefended."

Iroh's eyebrows went up. "They went for the weakest target," he said. "Before. The soldiers attacked the plane, but the spirits completely ignored you, Bolin, and Mako. They went straight for Oogi."

"Exactly," said Asami. "I don't know how they knew, but they did."

"Unalaq wasn't much of a general, from what I could see," said Iroh, a note of derision in his voice. "I walked right in and out of that camp on foot, and he misidentified me with complete confidence. If the dark spirits were getting lessons in target selection, I doubt it was from him. Which means that, even with Unalaq out of the picture, they'd be likely to make the same choice again."

Asami nodded. "Finally, we do know that they can fly. But I don't think they'll just start flying over the walls."

"Why not?" Iroh asked.

"Because, like everything else, I think flying costs them something. Energy. Some may go over the walls, but I think most will try to get through the easy way, at least at first. I'm almost sure of it."

"Asami," Iroh said. "Can you remind me why you didn't join the United Forces?" Asami smiled.

"Too many arrogant firebenders," she said. Iroh grinned, taking her jibe as the joke it had been. Asami had to admit that, out loud, her plan sounded a little crazy. But it felt good to be doing something, anything, no matter how hopeless. "So, what we need is to get as many spirits as possible to touch the gate. I'll have to stand here in order to keep it electrified. That means that the two of you are going to need to do some herding."

"Got it," said Iroh. He turned to Katara. "No offense, Katara, but I'm faster." She shot him a withering look. Iroh swallowed. "Right. So. I'll go out and get as close as I can, and will do what I can to direct as many dark spirits as possible here. Katara, you—" Iroh looked at Master Katara's face again. "You… do whatever you think is best," he finished, a faint color rising to his cheeks.

"Good," Katara said. Without another word, she turned and started walking, finally taking up a position far on the opposite side of the gate and about 500 feet in front of the city wall. Iroh watched her go, then glanced at Asami.

"Are you sure about this?" he asked quietly. "It's not too late to go back. Maybe you could even fly out of here if you went the long way around."

"Would you?" she asked.

Iroh paused, then shook his head. "No." Then he stood up a little straighter, seeming to come to some decision. He took a deep breath. "Asami," he said, looking uncomfortable.

Asami had been dreading this part. For the past two hours she had been trying as hard as she could not to think about what had happened between them and what it did—or didn't—mean. But despite herself she had been thinking, and she knew the truth. They were both under a tremendous amount of stress, and were mentally and physically exhausted. That kind of pressure could make a man do almost anything.

I wanted to know what it would be like, Iroh had said. To do that. Before the end. Looking back, he'd only added "with you" in after the fact. And the way he'd been so obviously embarrassed afterwards. Perhaps he was worried that Katara would tell his family, his royal, rulers of the whole fricking Fire Nation family, that their successful general of a son was fooling around with some rich non-bender? Her jaw clenched. No matter how good it felt in the moment, she knew that the last thing she needed was to be another firebender's secret fling. Assuming Iroh even wanted that much.

But Katara was right; it was better to know where they stood than to let a misunderstanding make things worse. She wondered how things might have been different if she'd had the same conversation with Mako after she'd kissed him in her warehouse.

"About earlier," Iroh said. "In the kitchen. I was… that was..." He seemed to be searching for the right word.

Just a stress response, she thought.

"It's okay," she said quickly. "We're all a little keyed up." She forced a short laugh and nodded to the south. "End of the world, you know?"

"Right," said Iroh. He let out a long breath, as if releasing some inner tension. That was good then. That was… clear. Easy. Spirits, she was overdue for easy.

"Let's just pretend it never happened," she said. She hoped that could be true. Though things would certainly change when they got back to Republic City, the thought of losing Iroh as a friend scared her. Having lived all her life among the city's high society, she knew everyone worth knowing, but in spite of that her real friends were small in number. Iroh, given his title and position, would be a welcome face in the kinds of crowded circles that to her so often felt empty. Assuming, of course, that any of them got home at all.

"Never happened," Iroh said. He gave her a tight smile. Then to her surprise he snapped a crisp, perfect salute. "Good luck, General Sato," he said. Asami laughed. It felt good. Maybe they really could be friends after all. Iroh nodded, then turned around and started jogging to the south.

"Iroh!" she called. He slowed and looked over his shoulder, but didn't stop. "Remember our deal!"

"What deal?"

"Don't die!"

He smiled again, but even though he was moving away Asami saw it didn't reach his eyes. He cupped on hand to his mouth. "I'm sorry," he called back. "I don't make promises I can't keep." Then he turned and started running towards the spirits.