Book 3: Positive

Chapter 1: Republic Retrospective

Sen had insisted on being first behind the wheel. Nobody tried to argue.

It felt good for them all to be on the open road again. Their time in the Fire Nation had been very exciting, but it had all happened in once place. Suda, Ada, and Sen were glad to be travelling once again, watching the scenery sail by as they drove along in the Avatarmobile. The empty seat that Hanjo had once occupied no longer felt quite as hollow now that they knew he was alive.

The skyscrapers came into view hours before they reached the city itself. Republic City was the crown jewel of the world; its towers soared to the heavens and parted the clouds. Not even Zaofu's gleaming pillars could surpass them. As they drove closer, the roads became more crowded, and for the first time, the Avatarmobile wasn't the fanciest satomobile on the road. It actually felt rather outdated compared to some of the vehicles they drove alongside.

Entering the city was a complete change of pace. Traffic was impossible to deal with. The trio resolved to park as soon as possible and continue on foot. After an hour of slogging through Republic City traffic, they came to a halt. Sen put one foot on the ground and was nearly overwhelmed.

Cities like Gai Zhu were lively, but Republic City was truly alive. The ground thrummed with a million footsteps at once, along with the rumble of engines and the shaking of subways. He could feel it through the soil: this city had a pulse. There was a constant vibration through the ground, emanating from the spirit portal at the city's center. The spiraling beam of light shone brightly even during the daytime, marking the location of the beating heart of the city.

"So, you're the city girl," Suda said to Ada. "Feel at home yet?"

"Not even close," Ada mumbled. The sheer amount of lights and sounds was overwhelming. Zaofu had a concrete identity; most everyone who lived there shared common goals, ideals, and dreams. Republic City was a clashing maelstrom of competing ideas. Architecture varied wildly from building to building. Five story apartments sat next to seventy story skyscrapers. Every person was wearing different fashions and walking different directions.

"I could get used to this," Suda said. He'd always felt he was destined for something big, and there was nothing bigger than Republic City.

Sen grabbed them both by the shoulders and dragged them down to earth. He had been taking charge much more often since they'd left Hayao's island. He had stepped into the role of Avatar very well, but since he was still hidden from most of the world, that mostly meant bossing Suda and Ada around.

"Eyes forward," Sen joked. "We're here for a reason."

Suda and Ada nodded and headed for the coast. The Central Air Temple was the hub of all airbender activity, and it was their best shot at finding Sen an airbending master. Ada was also hoping to get some answers about the Energybender's airbender troops. The Air Nation should have been keeping better track of their airbenders.

Travelling by foot wasn't much easier than travelling by satomobile in the big city. People were walking shoulder to shoulder on the sidewalks, and none of the group was used to such crowded walkways. Ada got lost in the crowd a few times, owing to her being the shortest of them all. Luckily Sen could sense his friends using his seismic sense, and they were quickly reunited.

It got a little easier to move when they got closer to the coast. Suda spotted the old pro-bending arena, and fell oddly quiet. It was a reminder of Bolin, but also a reminder of Nura. Suda looked away from the arena and found something else to distract himself.

The statue of Avatar Aang dominated the coastline. Sen gave it a long, lingering look, and felt little. Remnants of Korra's life filled him with an odd sense of nostalgia, but looking at Aang, he felt nothing. That connection was gone, severed by Vaatu. Sen led his friends towards the island that sat in the shadow of Aang.

Getting to the island was easy enough; there was a ferry that carried tourists and other visitors back and forth. Suda tapped his feet nervously on the boat ride over. They hadn't really thought of a plan yet. They didn't know how to ask for an airbending teacher without attracting undue attention. Sen was confident that they could work something out, though.

They were guided out into a small alcove and an airbender guide began to give some sort of speech. Several people were separated from the main group immediately, and rushed into the waiting arms of loved ones who lived on the island. Some of the old airbender traditions had been cast aside, and air apprentices were allowed to remain in contact with their families. Other members of the tourist group were guided along by airbenders to various parts of the island. One such airbender guide greeted Sen and his friends with a knowing smile.

"You three must be here to see Jung," An airbender said. He winked at Sen. Sen looked at Suda smugly. He'd known this would be easy.

The winking airbender led them to a side building away from the group. He waited until they were in a long, narrow passage before he began explaining himself.

"It is truly an honor to meet you, Avatar," He began. The airbender was giddy with excitement. "We have been preparing for your arrival for quite some time."

"How did you recognize us so quickly?"

"I am afraid only Master Jung can answer that," the airbender said. "I am told very little. The Air Nation is quite concerned about its security. Your adversary has many airbenders on his side, and we worry about who we can trust."

Ada nodded. It was good that they were taking precautions. The unnamed airbender led them to the end of the passage, to a door that only an airbender could open. Their guide unlocked the door and then bid them a quick goodbye. Sen proceeded into the hidden chamber. A monk sat waiting. He bore the arrow tattoo of an airbending master. The master stood and bowed deeply to his guest.

"Avatar Sen," He said.

"Master Jung, I presume," Sen said, returning the bow. Sen sat cross-legged on a nearby cushion, and his friends followed suit.

"It is my great honor to greet you," Jung said. "The four Nomad Masters have spent many years preparing us for you, in honor of their bond with your predecessors."

The four living descendants of Aang now travelled between the old air temples, constantly journeying the world. It was how they honored the history of the long-dead Air Nomads while simultaneously involving themselves in the new Air Nation and its peacekeeping activities.

Jung stood up and retrieved a very dusty looking wooden box. He held it out to Sen.

"It was hoped that we would find you in more peaceful circumstances, so we are not fully equipped to help you with the challenge you face, but we have many resources to aid you in your training and your spiritual growth."

Sen opened the wooden box. The first thing he saw was familiar in a strange way. It was a simple cloth band, marked with a triangular blue and white design. It was the armband that Korra had worn for most of her adventures, or a very good duplicate.

"A memento of a past Avatar can help link you with your past life," Jung explained. Every one of the air temples had a similar relic.

Sen tried to place the band around his arm, pulling it past the metal bracelet on his wrist, and was a bit embarrassed at how loosely it fit. He wasn't quite as muscular as Korra, apparently. He rolled up his sleeve and managed to get the band to stay in place around his bicep. It was still a bit loose, but it felt right.

Sen examined the dusty wooden box further, and found a second panel. Pushing the compartment aside, he found an old film reel.

"What's this?"

"A message," Jung said. "Korra recorded it many years ago. It was to be viewed if you had not yet connected to her spiritually."

Jung gave Sen an expectant look. Sen shook his head. Jung nodded and rubbed his hands together.

"Then we had best get you a projector, hm," Jung said playfully. He opened up a door and called for assistance. Sen was quickly hurried away to a film viewing chamber. For some reason, Jung asked Ada and Suda to stay.

"Now, I'd appreciate it if you two could fill me in on certain things. There have been rumors of the Avatar spreading. The information I've received from Ko Rin has been-"

"You know Ko Rin?"

"Ah yes, I should have mentioned that," Jung said. "This is how we know you. Your master's efforts extend beyond Zaofu, young Ada."

"Do you have a way to contact him," Ada asked. Suda could see a gleam in her eyes as she dreamed of home. Jung nodded his head.

"I do, I do. I suppose it would be better to have you deliver the report to him, hm? Your friend here can give me the briefing."

Jung pointed over to a phone hidden behind a panel in the wall. Suda explained the events that had happened in Gai Zhu while Ada tried to call home. It took a few tries for the phone to be answered.

"Master Jung, I trust you have good news," Ko Rin's voice declared.

"You could say that," Ada said. Her heart raced just to hear Ko Rin's voice again. She'd spent too much time cut off from home.

"Ada! You've made it to the temple already," Ko Rin said. He didn't seem to believe it.

"Yes, we're in very good shape," Ada said. "Sen's learned firebending, we've found out that his friend Hanjo is alive…We even seem to have recruited a combustion bender along the way."

"I'd heard rumors," Ko Rin said slowly. "They're true, then? A combustion bender?"

Curious tales had been spreading from Gai Zhu. Fire Lord Goto had been expecting an attack on Gai Zhu in reprisal for the Avatar's escape, and had stationed a full garrison there- but the attack never came. Sometime later, travelers to Gai Zhu would tell the story of a massive battle further up the highways; an entire military convoy, filled with the Energybender's men, reduced to nothing more than wreckage and smoking craters. Rumors of a combustion bender had been spreading wildly since then.

"Her name is Miyani," Ada said. "She's not travelling with us now, but she's most certainly an ally."

Maybe a little more than an "ally" for Sen, but that was neither here nor there. Ada could almost hear Ko Rin's head shaking through the phone.

"The Avatar never ceases to surprise. Tell me as much as you can about this combustion bender. Your Spymaster commands it."

Ada rubbed her eye. She suddenly felt an itch at the back of her head, tucked away behind her eye. The feeling quickly passed.

"I'm sorry, sir," She said. "I really can't tell you more. I don't know where she's going or what she's doing."

Ko Rin sighed.

"Well, that is unfortunate, but it is good to have someone like her on our side. I think you would like to know that we have addressed the security breach in our network. We are no longer compromised."

The security breach was closed, then. That meant it would be safe for her to contact Zaofu in the future. Ada didn't exactly know how to phrase what she was going to say next, so she cleared her throat. Ko Rin gave a resigned sigh.

"Yes, you may speak to Canto," He sighed.

Ada barely contained an excited giggle. Suda and Jung were fifteen feet away, discussing the state of world politics. They didn't need to hear a teenage girl's romantic fit. She managed to keep her voice down. Ada and Canto burned through a few minutes of romantic pleasantries before they started to talk like sensible humans again.

"We had a few fights. I'm fine, but I've been through some tough times. I got stabbed."

"Stabbed?"

"Yeah. By Master Sorikami, I probably told you about her before," Ada said.

"I probably wasn't listening," Canto joked. "I never liked swords as much as you did."

"No one likes swords as much as I do," Ada said. Canto laughed.

"But you're okay, right? One-hundred percent?"

"I'm perfectly fine," Ada assured him. The wound on her arm was little more than a scar and an unpleasant memory now. "But how have things been going? It's been nearly a year since I was home…Are my parents alright?"

"They're doing great. They have me over for dinner a lot, which is actually a little annoying, but they're doing fine. They're on the other side of town right now, though. I mean, I could get them for you-"

"No, no, it's alright. I should probably just leave them be. Let them know I'm safe, though. Don't mention me getting stabbed."

"No stabbing, got it. Anything else I should mention?"

"The usual. Love you, miss you, be home as soon as I can, etcetera. You're good at this kind of thing."

Canto agreed, and they resumed idle romantic chitchat. It had been far too long since they'd had the opportunity to flirt shamelessly, and they made up for lost time.

In a separate room of the temple, Sen was struggling to work with a mover projector. The dusty film reel he'd received wasn't fitting in place right. Sen had never been one for machines, even though technology had been stagnant since long before he was born. Sen adjusted his glasses and shoved as hard as he could, and the mover finally clicked into place. Sen followed the instruction manual for the next few steps, and everything finally started rolling. Sen took a seat in the empty room. Whatever Korra's message was, it was apparently for him and him alone. He sat in silence as the film began to play.

The first few minutes of the reel were occupied by fragmented bits of dialogue and poorly filmed shots of a table. In the midst of the sudden whiteouts and full-stops, Sen could hear fragments of dialogue that mostly consisted of strange voices yelling about how to operate the camera. Apparently Korra was as bad at using machines as Sen was. That was comforting, at least.

After the failed startups finally ended, the camera stabilized, a table came into focus, and Korra herself stepped into frame.

It was clear that this had been filmed several years after her most famous adventures had ended. Korra's hair was tied back in a long, winding braid that reached nearly down to her waist. Her outfit was mostly the same, though, right down to the cloth armband that was now wrapped around Sen's bicep.

"Uh, hello," Korra began awkwardly. "If you're watching this, we probably haven't been introduced. I guess we never will be, really. I'm dead."

There was an awkward pause.

"Well, I will be, when you're watching this. Alright…"

Korra rubbed her hands together and thought for a second. The film flickered.

"I've done a lot lately, and in the past few years, I started to think about what my legacy would be. The kind of world I'd leave behind when I'm gone. I started to think about you, specifically. The Avatar who'll come after me. I think I've done a good job, that I've made the world a better place…But I've made my share of mistakes too, and I'm afraid you might have to face the consequences."

Korra looked away from the camera in shame. Her shoulders seemed to be dragged down by the weight of regret.

"When I fought Vaatu, when I lost, I broke the connection to all the past Avatars. Thinking about all that wisdom, lost forever…It isn't fair for you to lose so much because of me."

Korra seemed to perk up a little, and she returned her eyes to the camera.

"I've been lucky enough to know a lot of amazing people, who've helped me overcome so many challenges. I can't give you back the old Avatars, but I can give you some of the wisdom that's helped me through all of my battles. I'll, um, let them talk, all in the order I met them."

Korra stood up and walked out of screen, apparently taking up a position behind the camera. An elderly water tribe couple stepped onto screen, probably Tonraq and Senna. Sen had a brief moment where he thought 'they didn't get involved until Korra's second adventure' but then remembered that they were her parents and were, logically, there at her birth. Sen wasn't really used to having parents, so he forgave himself for the mistake.

"Hello, um, future Earth Avatar," Tonraq said. It was clear that he was slightly confused by this video. Talking to a person you'd never meet had to be strange. "Since Korra asked us about this…project, we've been doing a lot of thinking about what we'd say."

"It's hard for us to come up with anything," Senna said with a chuckle. "We don't know what your time is going to be like, where you'll be born, whether you'll be a boy or a girl, or even your name. It's strange to think about."

"But we did come to realize that, in a way, you're family. Almost like a grandchild. Since we apparently aren't getting any from Korra."

"Dad no," Korra pleaded from off screen. Senna slapped Tonraq on the shoulder.

"The point is," Senna continued. She had a certain bitter-sweet look in her eyes. "You're family, and we care about you, as much as we care about our own daughter. We may never get the chance to hold you in our arms, but we love you."

"No matter what you do, or how dark things get, always remember that," Tonraq concluded.

Sen leaned forward. That hit him right in the heart. He had his friends and his allies, but he didn't really have a family. No one had ever told Sen they loved him. Sen sighed and shook his head heavily. Somebody else was getting on camera anyway. He moved his attention forward, focusing on the new person. It was Tenzin. The years had turned his beard white at the point this was filmed.

"Greetings, Avatar," He said firmly. "You've been born into a position of great power and responsibility. Often it may come to feel overwhelming, especially given the legacy you'll directly inherit. It'll be easy for you to feel pressured to live up to the past generations. Don't try to compare yourself to Korra or my father. Never forget that you are your own person, and your own Avatar."

Tenzin bowed to the camera and walked off screen. Korra's attention was apparently caught by something just off screen.

"Hey, single file, no shoving."

Four children of various ages quickly moved into view. Three of them looked rather resentful, but the youngest was quite energetic.

"Hi, I'm Rohan, and these guys are Ikki, Jinora, and Meelo. I didn't get to go on any of Korra's adventures, so dad said I get to say the message."

"Which is totally unfair," Meelo whined.

"Stop whining," Jinora scolded. "I'm the airbending master, I should get to say it."

"Hey, dad says I can get my tattoo's next month, so I have just as much right to-"

"Quiet," Rohan shouted loudly. The camera shook slightly. The three siblings fell silent. Rohan smiled at the camera.

"Always remember to cooperate and be understanding to your friends and family," Rohan said.

"And crush your enemies," Meelo shouted.

Jinora and Ikki grabbed Meelo by the collar and dragged him out of frame. After an awkward pause, and the sound of an off-screen lecture from Tenzin, the video proceeded.

The children were quickly replaced by a rather grumpy looking Lin Beifong. She wasn't wearing her police uniform. Apparently this was filmed after her retirement.

"Avatar. There are going to be a lot of people who look up to you and follow your example. Invest in a nice outfit and learn how to give a speech. If you're going to be a role model, you should be a darn good one. That's that."

"Thank you for those moving words, Lin," Korra said sarcastically from behind the camera. Her attention was quickly diverted by something happening off screen. Korra started talking before the next people came into view.

"Opal, what are you doing?"

"I'm with Bolin," Said a female voice from off-screen.

"No you aren't. I didn't meet you until later."

"But she's my wife," Bolin said. His voice was slightly different in his youth, but Sen still recognized it.

"Yeah, I know that, I officiated your wedding," Korra's voice said. "But we're doing this in order. If I let her go first, then I've got to let Suyin go up because she's Lin's sister, you get the picture. Just do it in order."

"Fine," Bolin grumbled. By the time he got on screen, any frustration on his face was gone. He was an actor, after all. He gestured and posed dramatically while he spoke.

"Hey, it's Bolin, but you already knew that," Bolin said, demonstrating some very odd foresight. "So, you're the Avatar. If I know the Avatar, and I do, that means you're going to face some weird stuff. Probably some really scary things too. But if I also know the Avatar, it means you're going to do some really amazing things, and meet some amazing people. So, just keep moving forward, and always remember that things are going to get better. And this is the part where I'd kiss my beautiful wife. If she were here."

Bolin stared accusingly at someone behind the camera.

"Get over it," Korra chided. Bolin pouted and walked off camera. His brother Mako walked on screen. His left hand was scarred a deep red from exposure to spirit energy. In his right hand, he held a few small pieces of paper, which he was examining quite thoroughly.

"Notecards? Seriously, Mako?"

"This is for posterity," Mako objected, looking up from his notes.

"This kind of stuff is why you don't have a girlfriend," Bolin's voice explained. Mako glared off-screen and then sat down at the table. He emphasized the action of tucking his notecards into his pocket as he glared in Bolin's direction.

"Now, Future Earth Avatar. In life, it's easy to take things at face value. Don't do that. You get on an airship thinking it'll be a nice field trip, and then a few weeks later you cross paths with a woman who shoots explosions out of her forehead."

Sen raised his eyebrows. He'd be quite glad to get a surprise visit from Miyani.

"Always expect the unexpected," Mako warned. Then he nodded and stood up. He was quickly replaced by Asami Sato. She was beautiful, as expected, but there was something off about her appearance. The shadows on her face seemed a little darker, and her eyes looked tired. Despite that, she had a very upbeat attitude.

"Hello. It's hard for me to fit all the things I've learned from Korra into just a few sentences, but I think I can try."

Asami smiled warmly and continued.

"Always be open to new things, and to changes in the old ones. If you let yourself be blinded by what you have, or what you've lost, you shut yourself off to a lot of life's joy. Be brave, and never hesitate to try something new, or to retry something old. You can be surprised how things change."

Sen thought about that. After he'd "lost" Hanjo, Sen had shut himself off the from the world. If he hadn't learned to look past what he'd lost, he'd never have become friends with Miyani. There was a lot of wisdom in what Asami said. That train of thought was distracted, though, by the sound of a kiss from behind the camera, and the arrival of the next person on screen. The next two people, specifically.

Zhu Li walked on screen first, followed closely by Varrick. They both seemed to have the same shadow effect around their faces that Asami had. Maybe the camera was just broken. Varrick was carrying something by a long handle, and he placed it on the floor before sitting down.

"Alright, listen up, mister or misses Earth Avatar," Varrick began. He pointed accusingly at the camera. "You are going to be one lucky son or daughter of a gun. You are going to meet some absolutely amazing people. Never, ever take them for granted. If you don't wake up every morning and say to yourself, 'I will do absolutely everything in my power to earn the trust and respect these people give me', you don't deserve them!"

Zhu Li looked legitimately surprised by Varrick's passionate lecture. Her face was flushed red.

"That was beautiful, Varrick."

"I know, right? Took me two whole days to come up with it. Anywho, look what Zhu Li made!"

Sen was expecting some kind of invention, maybe an early prototype of the TeleVarrick, but what he got instead was a very confused looking baby.

"Ta-da! We named him after me. I figured you should get to know him, because unlike the rest of us, this little vomit-machine probably won't be dead by the time you're around!"

"Varrick!"

"What," Varrick pleaded. "Look at us, sweetheart, we just don't have that youthful zing anymore."

Zhu Li grabbed Varrick by the ear and dragged him off screen with their baby in tow. Suyin Beifong was the next one to sit down. She cleared her throat before speaking. Unlike the last few people, there were no odd shadows on Su's face. Apparently it wasn't a camera malfunction.

"Don't let yourself get tied down by old rules and ideals," Suyin advised. "Be a pioneer, make new rules, set new standards. Don't be chained down by societies expectations."

"Please stop making the Avatar into an anarchist," Lin's voice said.

"Lin, it's Suyin's turn," Korra said.

"No, she has a point," Suyin admitted. "Break the rules in moderation, I suppose. Decide for yourself what to follow and what to break. There's a time for chaos and a time for order."

Sen shook his head. He was not exactly eager to embrace chaos any time soon. Suyin stepped away, and was awkwardly replaced by Opal.

"Uh, hi, Avatar," She mumbled. "I suppose you already know I was supposed to be with Bolin, so I don't really have something planned…Umm, always have a backup plan?"

Opal smiled awkwardly and walked off screen.

Watching her go, Sen was struck by the sudden realization that it was over. Almost everyone he had seen on this film was dead. Opal, Tenzin, Mako, and the others- all of them were gone. This might be the last time their voices were ever heard for the first time, the last time they would contribute something new to the world. Everything after this would just be a rerun, a repetition of some old sentence or action that had already been heard or seen before. Sen felt a cold chill in his heart.

Korra returned to view and sat down. She had a somber look on her face. Maybe she had been contemplating mortality the same way Sen was now.

"These aren't all the people I've known, of course, but we only have so much film," Korra tried to joke. It fell a little flat. "That's it from us, I guess. Hopefully, I'll see you soon, but from all of us, from this era…goodbye."

The roll of film flickered, clattered, and then stopped, leaving only a blank white wall and dark room. Sen closed his eyes. He focused on the lingering memories, on the sound of familiar voices and actions, and he opened his eyes.

The screen seemed to have flickered to life again, but it wasn't playing the same film. It was a shaky, incoherent mess, a rapid fluttering image of various faces and places. He saw white masks, great red things, and battles fought with earth, air, fire, and water. Sen was watching someone else's life flash before his eyes.

"Hi, Korra," He said.

The flickering memories of a life that wasn't his own clattered to a halt, and the glowing light reshaped itself into a new image. Avatar Korra, appearing just as she had in the mover, stood before him.

"Hey, Sen," she mumbled. Korra's form was lit in pale blue, wreathed in ethereal smoke. Behind her stretched a great black void, as if there was meant to be an army behind her, but there was only darkness. Korra looked over her shoulder.

"So that's what this is like," She said to herself.

"What now," Sen asked. "Do you have something to say?"

"Only that I have nothing to say," Korra said. "The past will always be there. But what the future will be- that depends on you. I'll be here, when you call. But for now, you need to look away from the past, and shape your future."

Sen looked to the side. Korra faded from sight as quickly as she appeared, and Sen found himself sitting alone in the dark theater once again. He felt different now, though, stronger. The armband he wore was no longer quite as loose. Sen stopped mourning the past and stood. That era was over. Sen was the Avatar now, and he had a mission.

The Energybender sat in silence and darkness. Considering the sheer amount of people around him, it seemed odd that nobody was willing to speak up. Though, he supposed that after the example he'd made of the last failure in his organization, it was no surprise they were unwilling to speak.

"No need to be afraid," Howler assured them. "The failure rests entirely with the Harrier, and he, by all accounts, is out of my reach. I merely seek information."

Dei Sensheng gathered the courage to speak.

"Those accounts are accurate. Our sources confirm that Harrier and all his forces, including the Imperfects, were captured. Beyond that, we don't know."

In a normal organization, there might be the risk of an intelligence leak, but that was no concern for the Energybender. One of his assets made sure that none of the captured men would remember enough about their operation to jeopardize it. Many often wondered how he accomplished that, but they would never know. It was the literal nature of the beast.

The shadows crept silently across the floor. The Energybender continued his search for information.

"And what of this combustion bender? Sensheng, you believed it was a cover for the Avatar's presence on the island. Have you confirmed?"

"Actually, I've confirmed the opposite," Dei said nervously. "You recall Tan Lung, the veteran you've put in charge of our prison? It seems he encountered that same combustion bender many years ago. Liberated her, alongside Rahm. He considered her for recruitment, but her trail had gone cold by the time he joined up with us."

"And now she is in the Avatar's hands," The Energybender mused. It was a dangerous combination. Combustion benders had proven to be dangerous enemies even for Avatars; what they could accomplish working together was unthinkable.

"Actually, it would seem they've parted ways. The girl is very distinctive, and all sightings of her have her travelling alone."

The Energybender rubbed his chin. If she was really distinctive, it might have been better if she'd travelled with the Avatar. That way they'd be able to tail him more easily. As such, the Avatar was able to travel more stealthily, but he had abandoned a powerful asset.

"Should we pursue her?"

"No," The Energybender said. Even he, with his mastery of Energybending, was loathe to face a combustion bender. "Better to focus all our efforts on the Avatar, and capture him before they have a chance to reunite."

"Well, sir, unfortunately we have no leads on his location. We assume he's headed to one of five air temples, most likely Republic City…But it will be very easy to lose his tail once he arrives. Between Sky Bison and Spirit Portals, he is very maneuverable."

The Energybender stood up, and his associates flinched briefly. Howler tucked his hands behind his back to assuage their fears.

"Gentlemen, we are going to Kabuz Province."

Dei narrowed his eyes. Kabuz Province was one of the provinces of the United Earth Kingdom. It bordered the United Republic, but was actually quite far from Republic City itself. They had many supporters there, but there was little appeal to the province otherwise. The only notable resource they had was a telecommunications company called the Kimani Corporation.

"You are right, Sensheng. The Avatar can outmaneuver us. For the past year we have played the shadow game, and he has been winning."

Howler turned his back and proceeded to the window.

"It's time to play a new game," He declared.