The soft drizzle that had been steadily falling on her drive from Police HQ became a downpour the moment Chief Lin Beifong slipped through the ornate chrome and glass doors of the Future Industries' principal office building. A chilly wind and an overcast sky had dappled the entire day until the clouds couldn't hold any longer their load and burst into heavy showers. The weather forecaster had been babbling on some jargon about nimbostratus when Lin turned off her satomobile's radio, but she only needed to look up past the rising skyscrapers to know a heavy storm was afoot. It was the type of talk that probably the person she expected to meet would understand and enjoy.
The doors closed behind her with a soft hiss just as a clap of thunder roared outside and the veteran officer jolted in response. Lin felt a chill run down her spine, possibly a reflex stored in her body's memory from experiencing the literal shock of the Equalists' electric weapons firsthand. In her long and storied career in the police force, Lin Beifong had faced many attacks from benders and non-benders alike, her skin and bones bearing the marks of countless campaigns fighting crime but electrical shocks had proved to be a nasty thing she'd rather avoid for the rest of her service term.
As she approached the front desk, she snuck a hand inside her chest plate and sighed in relief. The pack of envelopes held by a rubber band was still dry, even if her armor was dripping enough water to leave a small puddle where she stood.
"Good evening Chief Beifong. How can I help you?" a sing-song voice with an amiable face to match greeted Lin.
"I'm here to see Asami. Personal business. I've already spoken with her personal assistant Shizuru on the matter."
At the mention of her employer's stern assistant, the receptionist bristled in her chair and straightened up immediately. Minutes later, Lin's firm steps clacked in a steady rhythm down the corridor where the company's top offices were located. Aside from the receptionist and the assistant, the building was empty for the day and the flashes of light than raced across the darkened sky emphasized this emptiness in an almost eerily manner.
Lin couldn't remember exactly when was the last time she'd been in this building yet her kinetic memory led her to her destination effortlessly. Without hesitation, she reached the doorknob of a nondescript door with a small sign that read "CEO". After her first attempt at opening the door proved unsuccessful, she metalbended the lock with a soft click. Asami's assistant had confirmed her boss was still at her office, the same place she had locked herself in for the past 2 or 3 hours after requesting a light refreshment and delivery of writing supplies. The engineer had commented early on that she expected another long day of work to meet the deadlines of the new line of off-road satomobiles the board expected to unveil before autumn. It didn't surprise the woman in the least. Asami Sato had kept the same relentless routine for the past couple of months, and Shizuru was sure it would not be altered for the time being. Not after Master Tenzin's last visit with the news that they should not expect the Avatar to return soon, since her recovery was taking longer than previously believed. From that day on, Asami Sato had lived and breathed solely for her company and her work, her Team Avatar days just a memory of the past now.
Lin Beifong found the girl (for her, the long-limbed, strong-willed woman in charge of running Republic City's premiere company was still a girl) sprawled over her desk. The engineer nuzzled her head over her arms, under her an assortment of blueprints and dossiers scattered haphazardly. Coal-black hair spilled over her shoulders in an uncharacteristically disheveled fashion, long tresses blanketed her face like a half-drawn curtain. The office with its impeccable avant-garde decor was brightly lit. The incandescent lights from long-necked brass lamps flickered with each thunderclap, but the light snoring sounds that escaped the industrialists' ruby lips evidenced total unawareness to this or to the Chief's imposing presence. Nothing seemed to break through her deep slumber. Lin noticed that Asami's complexion appeared paler than usual. She caught the telltale shadows under her eyes that spoke of sleepless nights and exhausting days. She was all too familiar with these signs because Kya had scolded her about the importance of self-care more times than she could remember. And now here she was, not exactly a paragon of healthy habits herself, witnessing the vestiges of overwork in another person, and she couldn't help feel a tug inside her chest at the sight.
"So this is how Kya feels," Lin muttered to herself as her fingers traced once more the envelopes pressed underneath her armor. Ever the keen-eyed detective, she understood well what drove the magnate's work zeal, and it brought a lump to her throat. She too missed Korra dearly and even if she wouldn't admit it, she wished for her to be back, to be both nuisance and savior to her city again.
As she closed in on the desk and the snoozing CEO, repressing the impulse of pushing back a long lock of hair falling just over her nose, Lin noticed a large frame with a picture. Something felt amiss. Upon closer inspection, the detective matched the image in front of her with one from memory. Although it had been expertly cropped out, one could still feel something or in this case, someone had been left out of the photograph. A tall woman with raven-black hair and a gentle smile stood beside a small girl. But in his absence, Hiroshi Sato's presence was even more conspicuous. Sometimes Lin wondered what had become of the man who stood there, the dignified figure of success personified. The man who was forced to trade life in the lap of luxury to a prison cell was but a mere shadow of the successful entrepreneur, loving husband, and caring father that Asami once reverently held in high regard. Now she could only speak of him with terms like "diabolical genius." Attempting to kill your own child in a fit of rage over ideological disagreements can do that.
With her eyes still fixed over the photograph, the metalbender's mind traveled back to the fateful night that changed the Sato family's lives forever. It had been an uneventful evening and Chief Lin Beifong then known as Sergeant Lin Beifong was sipping on a cup of lukewarm coffee as she counted down the minutes until her shift's end when she heard an urgent call requesting for all available units to mobilize to the Sato Manor for a 10-31 in progress. As a frantic chase took place through the narrow alleyways of Agni-Kai triad territory, Lin reported directly to famed industrialist and inventor Hiroshi Sato's house. When she arrived, firefighters were putting down the last embers of a fire that blazed during the retaliating attack of the firebender delinquents as they attempted to cover their escape. Paramedics were taking care of the injured staff and among them, she saw Tenzin's older sister as she watched with an almost blank stare at an ambulance speeding away. A troubled expression clouded her beautiful features usually brightened by an impish smile. She seemed tired -no- she seemed drained, emotionally, and physically. Lin approached her carefully. She sensed she had stepped right into a tragedy when she noticed the bloodstains over her blue tunic.
"I did all I could but I don't think she'll make it," Kya had told her, her voice cracking as incipient tears slipped down her eyes, her hand shakily reaching out for Lin's. The gesture surprised the officer, but she held onto it in silence, unable to let go until another officer tapped her on the shoulder signaling that she was required somewhere else. Kya's grim words took context the moment Lin saw an anguished man cradling a sleepy green-eyed girl in his arms, desperately interrogating Kya's fellow medics on his wife's whereabouts. Hours later, Kya's worst fears were confirmed and Hiroshi's wife Yasuko was pronounced dead due to injuries sustained during the bender attack. Lin had been on duty at the hospital the day Hiroshi received the news and she could still remember little Asami in her cute red dress as she stood outside her mother's room holding a fresh bouquet, waiting expectantly with her sitter for the chance to see her mom.
"Those are pretty flowers," Lin had told the girl after the sitter nodded her approval to her presence. No one would have considered stern, hard-charging sergeant Beifong a kid-friendly person, especially herself, but something in the child's bright eyes and dignified demeanor under the circumstances compelled her to reach out to her. Her bravery touched Lin, a trait that would remain a constant in her life.
"They're for my mom," Asami had replied with a tremulous voice.
"I bet you chose them yourself. Say, have you been in a satomobile's driver's seat before?"
Asami scoffed loudly. "Of course! My dad builds them and he lets me help him when he's fixing them at my home," Asami replied with a proud pout, no trace of timidity on her voice now.
Lin chuckled. "You're right! Silly of me to ask. What do you think of police satomobiles?"
Asami stood pensive for an instant. "I like the lights but the sirens are too loud" she answered hesitantly. Suddenly, her eyes opened up as she found something unusual in officer Beifong's uniform.
"What are those?" the girl pointed at the canisters at the police sergeant's hip.
"You mean this?" Lin took a hand to her waist. "This is where us metalbenders carry our metal wires."
Asami opened her eyes, visibly impressed. The lady with the intimidating scars and rough voice was a metalbender! She had seen some of them working with her dad in his workshops. They did a lot of cool stuff with metal, and she found that ability fascinating. One of the workers had even gifted her a finely crafted metal butterfly that her mom hung from her room's ceiling. At the thought of Yasuko, Asami's eyes narrowed, and she seemed on the brink of tears when a sharp whooshing sound caught her attention. When Asami looked around, she noticed a cable retracting from the police officer's wrist, so fast that sparks flew. The officer had pulled a chair towards her with her bending and now she was offering her a seat.
"If you will be here waiting, maybe you ought to sit down for a while, don't you think?"
But before she could reply, the door to Yasuko's room opened and a pale and harried Hiroshi beckoned the sitter and her daughter to come inside. Lin crossed glances with the industrialist for a brief instant, but it was enough to notice the painful rictus contorting his face. The last thing Lin saw before the door shut down behind her was Asami briefly turning around to wave goodbye as she held the bouquet tightly to her chest. The eldest daughter of Toph Beifong did her best to muster a semblance of a smile to mask the slightly uncomfortable quiver on her lips. As the tough as nails officer got on her way back to the Precinct, outrage burst out like molten lava from deep inside her chest over the senseless loss of life. It wasn't the first time she had to witness the sight of a child orphaned by violence, and Lin was sure it wouldn't be the last time. She kept repeating this thought in her mind like a mantra, concentrating on the road ahead as she attempted to push down the lump that lodged in her throat and to hold stubborn tears that fought their way out. She knew she had failed miserably on both counts when she slammed the door to her office before any of her fellow officers could witness the dampened cheeks and swollen eyes. No one would get to see Beifong break.
Life appeared to have a perverse fixation in throwing hardship upon hardship to Asami's path, each predicament a new blight to her soul. One senseless act of selfishness and fanaticism took a father away from his daughter. With a foolish split-second decision, Hiroshi almost destroyed his single best creation, but he only succeeded in wounding his own flesh and blood for life. Once again, Asami was an orphan, the father she had once known and loved dead to her. But it wasn't too long before another tragedy struck Asami Sato's life. Korra's ordeal with the Red Lotus rendered the Avatar weaker than anyone had realized. Her condition warranted she would remain under Katara's vigilant care for an undetermined period. Almost three years had passed and there was still no Korra and no sign of her return.
With her beloved friends gone and the Earth Kingdom facing impending collapse after the death of the queen, both Mako and Bolin had heeded different calls as they sought a new purpose in their lives. Adulthood had inexorably settled in. Asami Sato, industrialist extraordinaire and sole heir to the Sato legacy, was determined to lead her company through an uncertain future of a world with spirits intermingling with the physical world closer than ever in millennia and without the Avatar's reassuring presence. The Future Industries logo became an ubiquitous sight across the city, with many of the reconstruction works spearheaded by her company. Asami's pleasant face became a usual fixture on the business section of the city's newspapers, but Lin's finely tuned detective's instincts could perceive the melancholy that lurked underneath the picture-perfect smile.
The veteran officer eyed the executive again in her profound sleep and with a dry chuckle, decided to wait out until she woke up, sensing this was the first real sleep the woman had in days, perhaps weeks. After giving a quick glance around her, she settled for a comfortable worn-out leather armchair that stood out from the rest of the impeccable furniture with its homey appearance. Just as she was about to sit down, a loud clap of thunder boomed with such intensity that the glass window vibrated. A startled gasp was followed by Asami's head snapping up. Disoriented eyes were met by an inquisitive gaze. The magnate rubbed her face with one hand as she stared at the police chief in confusion.
"Good evening, Asami. I hope my presence hasn't disturbed you."
"Lin?" Asami's voice cracked as she pushed the strand of hair that almost snuck inside her mouth.
"Last time I checked, that was my given name."
"I uh...what?" the industrialist stammered, flummoxed by the unexpected bit of dry humor from the chief of police. She stifled a long yawn as she straightened up. "For how long have you been waiting here?"
"Not much, but I suspect you must've been knocked out for at least an hour when your assistant allowed me in."
Asami flipped her head and her abundant hair bounced slightly, falling fashionably disheveled over her shoulders and back.
"So, what brings you here this evening Chief? I know President Raiko was looking forward to a summary of my plans to deal with the spirit vine situation, but I thought we had already scheduled an appointment for that."
"I'm not here because of Raiko. This is my own business. Say, a building this big must have a cafeteria around here. My clothes underneath my armor are still a bit damp, so I could really use a hot drink to stave off the cold."
"In fact we do but unfortunately it must be closed now, but I think we should be able to operate the espresso machine. We should have some instant ramen too. I can also order some take out from Kwan's."
"Don't worry, instant noodles are fine with me but I wouldn't have taken you as the instant ramen type."
"Why? They're very convenient when you're in the middle of a project and need a quick bite." Asami seemed genuinely surprised by the police chief's assessment. Lin arched an eyebrow, amused. Underneath the glamour and the trappings of power, Asami was still an inventor at heart, and the reminder made her smile inwardly.
"Lead the way then Ms. Sato."
The deluge had finally become a pleasant, steady pattering when the scent of coffee filled a corner of the Future Industries' cafeteria. Chief Beifong and Future Industries' own CEO faced each other across a rectangular table with a cup of steaming noodles as they ate in companionable silence, comforted by each other's company. Lin wondered when it had been the last time she ate in the company of friends. The last time she had dropped by Air Temple Island, Tenzin had not so casually commented that Asami had been missing again for dinner as they had agreed and this had been about a month ago. Apparently, Lin hadn't been the only one to notice something was off with Asami and the package that had been delivered to her office two days ago gave her just the perfect justification to check on her.
"Well Lin, I don't think you braved a storm and took time from your busy schedule just to share instant noodles with me." Asami lifted her gaze from her cup. The sleepiness in her voice vanished and her amiable yet firm voice took its place. Inquisitive green eyes studied Lin. The veteran cop let out a sigh as she crossed her arms over her chest.
"No. As a matter of fact, I've come to check on you."
"To check on me? I don't understand. You've seen me plenty of times, and that's just during the past couple of months. Lately, I've been visiting City Hall so much with the city's projects that I've been seriously considering leasing an office there!" Asami let out a light chuckle as she stood up and headed towards the espresso machine.
"That is true. I've seen you but we've barely spoken and the few times we've done so, it has been all about work. To be honest, we've all been a little concerned about you."
"We?"
"Me, Tenzin, the kids...we've all missed you. Opal was looking forward to seeing you before heading back to the Earth Kingdom."
"I know...I was looking forward to that too, but I've been very busy lately."
"I know you are. The press has done a good job reminding me of all the good your company has been doing for the city, but after all we've all been through, we just want to make sure you're doing fine."
Asami placed two cups of coffee at the table, looking at Lin quizzically before sitting down.
"Is there a reason why I shouldn't?"
Lin lifted the cup to her lips and sipped, her taste buds welcomed the taste of the bitter brew.
"There are plenty but you of all people should know that."
Asami offered Lin a small, sad smile as she stirred her cup. Her gaze had momentarily left the confines of the cafeteria and seemed to focus inwards instead, her mind and heart suddenly heavy with the thoughts she pretended to drown with work and exhaustion. In her momentary distraction, she missed Lin's right hand retrieving something from under her chest plate.
The sound of papers sliding over a flat surface stirred the heiress' attention. A batch of white envelopes neatly stacked tied with a ribbon was placed in front of her.
"What's this?"
"I was handed these in my office after the Postmaster informed us that the mail carriers had been collecting them. They said your staff was instructed to refuse any correspondence that came from this location addressed to you."
Asami's countenance suddenly turned stiff, her lips straightening into a thin line.
"My apologies, Chief. I would have never imagined that this would have ended inconveniencing you. It wasn't certainly our intention."
Lin took a deep breath. "Listen, I know that this is none of my business but if there's someone who's qualified from personal experience to talk about dealing with painful family memories, it's me. I'm in no position to tell you what you should and shouldn't do. Your pain and grief are your own, and no one can tell what to do with it or how to deal with it. I can only remind you of this: life is short, too short. For some weird reason, I've been around to witness the hardships that life has inflicted upon you, and that's why I understand how hard this must be for you."
Asami stared coldly at the bundle that had been placed in front of her. Pinching the bridge of her nose, she let out a frustrated sigh.
"Lin, I appreciate the gesture but for me, the person who wrote these no longer has a place in my life. He forfeited that right the moment he tried to kill me."
"I know and what he did was despicable and deserves your anger but with Mako and Bolin and Korra gone, don't you feel…"
"Lonely? Yes, I do. We might not be lifelong friends, but the times we've spent together are precious to me and I miss them. I miss the adventures and the camaraderie, and I wish with all my heart I could be with Korra to help her get better. It pains me to know she's suffering and that there's little I can do from here. I might feel lonely but Korra, she has gone through so much and I…."
Asami was unable to continue, choked sobs that erupted from her chest swallowing her words. Lin immediately stood up and moved beside the heiress, placing a hand over Asami's shoulder. Hesitantly, the heiress rose up, hiding her face in Lin's shoulder as she felt surrounded by a solid, comforting embrace. In her mind, Lin saw the little girl in the black dress staring in confusion at her mom's picture at a lacquered wood shrine along with portraits of the grandparents and great grandparents who had passed away years ago, the air heavy with the scents of incense and candle wax. Hiroshi Sato's face no longer reflected grief and loss but rage, a rage that would consume his soul and eventually drive him to destroy his career and to lose his biggest treasure.
In the present, the same eyes that had once stared at her with wide-eyed innocence were again focused on her. Asami stared at the brave woman who'd been there in the lowest moments of her life, as a sense of gratitude overwhelmed her. Even without realizing it, Lin Beifong had been a constant in Asami's life when she had needed her the most, and true to form, here she was again ready to support her at her low point. Her sobs unexpectedly became laughs, and it was the police chief's turn to look at her in utter confusion.
"I'm okay," interjected the heiress as she pulled back. "it's just that it's funny how long it has taken me to notice some things. I'm sorry if I was rude, but I really appreciate that you stopped by to see me. Please let Tenzin know I'll make it to brunch next Sunday. I'll love to see you there too."
"I can't give you guarantees, but I'll do my best to be there. Thank you for the coffee and ramen."
Asami chuckled. "Next time let me know when you'll drop by beforehand so I can treat you with a better menu."
Lin let out a soft smile. "A meal among friends doesn't need anything fancy, just the right company. Anyway, it's late so I should be on my way."
Asami nodded. "Me too. My neck now aches from sleeping over the desk. I should heed the message of my own body and get a good night's rest."
"To be honest, you're not the only one who falls asleep like that but don't tell Kya I told you. She's made it her life goal that I acquire healthy habits." When Lin realized what she had said out loud, her cheeks began to subtly redden which made Asami snort under her breath. Chief Beifong blushing. Now that was something one would ever believe!
"Don't worry Chief, your secret is safe with me," the heiress affirmed playfully.
Lin's scrutinizing glance caught the moment when Asami scooped up the bundle of letters from the table. Whether the young executive ended up reading its content was up to her to decide, but for all intents and purposes, her mission had been a resounding success. As she boarded her satomobile, she couldn't help a smile from forming at the hopeful gleam in Asami's eyes. There was something the veteran cop had learned from her over the years. Grief had wounded Asami, but it had not knocked her down. Life had tempered her mettle to overcome adversity and hardship. Lin had the certitude that it would soon be indispensable sooner than they expected
That night, when Asami made it home, she was given another envelope, but this one made her heart almost leap out of her chest. A single tear escaped the corner of her eye. It had been the one letter she had waited for the longest time.
The End