Tarrlok's task force was a bust. Well, in Zhu's eyes, anyway.
What was the point of the stupid task force when all they caught were half-cooked martial artists who had never even seen Amon's shadow? It was a waste of energy and taxpayers' money.
Zhu reduced the volume of the radio as she leaned back on her chair, listening to Korra aggressively challenge Amon. The entire office was listening closely as well, some gasping in awe at the Avatar's confidence. Zhu couldn't help scoff. Korra was overconfident about her skills. This was foolishness. Where was Tenzin?
Secretly, she worried that the one-on-one challenge would do more harm than good.
As soon as Tarrlok took over the microphone again, Zhu switched off the radio, much to her colleagues' chagrin. She stood up, put on her coat and waved at Saikhan. Due to habit, her eyes searched for Liang, whom she hadn't seen since the gala that happened a few days ago.
His desk was empty.
With a sigh of relief, Zhu left the station. Hurrying out the building, she made her way home while keeping her head down and senses sharp. As she walked past the City Park, her footsteps slowed down. Peering curiously, she saw Mako with his hands in his pockets, waiting by the streetlight.
"Hey, you. Could it be that you were waiting for me?" Zhu approached him with a teasing grin as he straightened up.
He waved her a 'hello', "Well, not really. I'm waiting for Asami."
Shoving down the shrivel of disappointment that coursed through her, Zhu quirked a brow, "Date night?"
"Something like that," He replied, "She said it's a surprise. Going back from work?"
"Yeah, Chief has us on so many cases all at once," Zhu huffed tiredly, "I think she's trying to save face after Tarrlok's plan failed to find Amon. The press is after Korra about that."
Mako scoffed, "I wouldn't know. She's been skipping practise so Bolin and I have no clue about the task force or anything."
Wait till you hear how she challenged Amon to a one-on-one duel. Zhu just hummed in response.
"I…" Mako hesitantly started, "I didn't...get a chance to ask in the gala but the last time I - I mean we - Bolin and I - saw you was that night, after we rescued Bo. What happened that night?"
Zhu shrugged, "Nothing. I distracted them so that you guys could get away."
"Yes, and you didn't come back looking for us after that," He crossed his arms, "But before that. You snapped at Korra. I've never seen you that angry before."
"Are you saying I have temper issues?" Zhu asked, crossly.
Mako panicked, "No,I - "
"Just kidding." Zhu snickered and then admitted, "My family...knew the previous Avatar. While growing up, I used to hear it all the time about how Aang was wise and brave and unbeatable. I guess," She looked away, "Korra seemed so normal, so human that I was disappointed and frustrated. As a cop, I was relying on her to protect the city without really knowing who she was, because of my assumptions of her."
The boy nodded in understanding, "So, you're okay with her sticking around? You two friends now?"
Zhu scoffed, "Let's not get too ahead of ourselves. I don't mind the 'sticking around' part but the 'friends' part needs work."
"And what about you and Liang?"
"What about us?" She narrowed her eyes, glaring sharply.
The sudden change in Zhu's tone didn't bother Mako. He shifted his weight from one leg to the other, "I know something went wrong between the two of you. You're just not telling me - or Bolin or any of us about it." He frowned worriedly, "He's not...he's not hurting you, is he?"
Not the kind of hurt you're thinking about.
"No." Zhu shook her head, "No, he's not. He's good to me. We just... had a misunderstanding, which will probably get sorted by the end of this week. So...don't think too much about it." She fiddled with the bead on her braid, "Thanks for worrying, though."
"See, you keep doing that." He gestured at Zhu's hands which were hidden behind her back, "That sensing thing. Every minute." Mako narrowed his eyes in suspicion, "You're avoiding him."
She raised her hands a little, "I'm not. You're reading too much into it. I'm just making sure that I'm not being followed or if I can sense any Equalists from that day. This is...me being vigilant."
He looked unconvinced by her lies, which was strange. Almost all her lies were made to sound believable. Zhu was a good liar. Scratch that, she was great at it. Not everyone got away with lying to Lin Beifong.
Deciding to change the subject, Zhu asked him about the tournament, "I heard you guys are up against the Rabaroos. How's practise?"
"Like I said, Korra's been missing practise so that's worrying me. We're running out of time." Mako groaned, "I thought everything fell into place when I met Asami and when we got the sponsorship. We can't afford to blow this opportunity."
Zhu felt a twinge but she brushed it off, "Korra will be back, I'm sure. Tarrlok can't keep her trapped in his plans for long. Besides, I don't think she'll choose Pro-Bending and you over anything else."
He scowled, "What's that supposed to mean?"
"She likes you, idiot." The words tasted a bit bitter.
"No, she doesn't." Mako waved away her comment in incredulity, "I don't like her like that anyway. I - oh," His gaze went over her shoulder, "Hey...Liang."
Zhu felt her fingers and toes grow cold as she whirled around. Her heartbeat was erratic and she was positive that it wasn't because she was seeing him after a while. She had dropped her guard for five minutes and Liang had magically turned up. It was as if he knew. Did he really know? Was he watching her? No. Was he spying on her? Maybe to get more information about her mother? Spirits knew if Amon was able to attack Lin, the city's defense would take a major hit.
"Hi, Mako!" He sounded so chipper that it made Zhu uncomfortable. "Hey, you." Liang pressed a very affectionate kiss on her cheek, "Haven't seen you in forever."
Traitor.
"I missed you too." It was so easy to cling to his arm as if nothing had happened, "Work's been keeping us away for too long." For one desperate moment, Zhu felt as if nothing had gone wrong. The Avatar was still in the South. The Equalists were a very minor issue. And Liang was just...a darn good detective and her loving boyfriend.
Liang chuckled, looking painfully handsome under the streetlight, "I hoped it was just work because I thought you were avoiding me. Were you at the Avatar's gala? I thought I saw you."
I can't stand to be around you.
"Oh no. Galas are not for me. I was working a case alone." Her smile faltered as she remembered Mako was still there, "Mako here was telling me how he attended the party with Asami Sato as his date."
Raising his eyebrows, Liang turned to the boy, "Really? The Asami Sato? Heiress of Future Industries? You gotta tell me all about it."
Before Mako could open his mouth to reply, obviously confused as to why Zhu had lied, she dragged her boyfriend away.
"Maybe some other time." She forced a giggle that made Mako's eyebrows shoot way up, "He has a date right now and you have to walk me home."
Why did I say that?
"Well then, I better get right to it," Liang pulled her close before turning to Mako, "You owe me the story though. See you later, man."
The boy stared at Zhu with uncertainty as she forced a smile towards him. "Yeah…" He murmured, "See you around."
Zhu had undeniably missed him. From the corner of her eyes, she stared at Liang. His words, his laugh, his eyes, the way he looked at her; everything was a painful reminder that she fell in love with him. Zhu searched and searched for one visible imperfection, one lousy excuse, to instantly stop loving him. To hate him with every inch of her being.
The fifteen minute walk made things worse. Liang emitted an intoxicating warmth and Zhu clung to him, praying as she had been for the past few weeks that she was wrong. But the dreadful feeling in her gut left little hope. It seemed the Spirits and Deities weren't in her favour.
"You've been zoning out a lot," Liang's voice pulled her out of her thoughts, "Are you alright, Zhu?"
"Yeah," She inhaled, interlocking their fingers, "Yeah, it's just...work. It feels like I've been tired for days."
"Anything happened that I don't know about?"
Maybe it was her paranoia, but Zhu thought she heard an interrogative tone in his voice. She decided, for once, to be honest.
"I don't know if you heard but Bolin got caught up in some trouble with the Equalists. Korra, Mako and I helped rescue him." She looked over the bustling crowd, "Made me realize how the people I love aren't really safe. It keeps haunting me. The fact that the hate crimes are increasing with each passing day doesn't help, either. It's terrifying, Liang."
A shadow passed over his face, "We'll keep each other safe, Zhu. Us and our families. I promise you."
Liar.
Zhu's smile widened.
They talked about this and that all the way till the Beifong house. Liang, she observed, carefully avoided talking about his work and what he had been up to.
"I've mostly been keeping tabs on my sources, making sure they're safe. Protection cases are relatively difficult for non-benders like me, especially since they don't trust us these days." He sounded bitter, "But I'm working on it so…"
"I see." Zhu climbed up the stairs to the front gate of the house and turned, "Maybe you have time tomorrow for lunch?"
Liang gave her hand a small squeeze, "I'd love that." He tilted his head upwards a little and leaned closer, "I'm glad I got to see you today. I missed you."
"I missed you too." She kissed him and the churning inside her stomach became worse. Zhu couldn't help but doubt the reason he was with her at the moment. Liang's arms wrapped around her wait, pulling her closer as she whispered an 'I love you'.
Pulling back for air, Liang cupped her face, "Goodnight, Zhu. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Goodnight."
He took a step back, smiled and turned around to walk away. Zhu waited until he disappeared around the corner and crouched, placing her hand on the ground to sense where Liang was going. For a block or so, he followed the footpath but then he hurriedly slipped into one of the alleys and vanished when he climbed over the rooftops.
With a heavy heart, Zhu walked across the dark garden and opened the door to an empty house.
Soon, I'll know for sure.
Everyone in the station was still talking in low whispers about how the Avatar was ambushed a few nights ago. She was over in her head, they said, for challenging Amon. The Avatar had failed the city. What good was she anyway? The teenager clearly wanted to spend time in the Pro-Bending arena rather than actually help the citizens.
Zhu kept her head down, brushing off the little pity she felt for Korra. The detective had known something like this would happen. A darker part of her felt elated that she wasn't the only one suffering.
Across the bullpen, Liang smiled at her. For the third time this week, they were supposed to have lunch together at his place. Zhu had been trying to snoop around his apartment but hadn't made much progress. A few fliers. Case files, notes, pictures, newspaper clippings sprawled on his work desk. She didn't find anything out of the ordinary. Zhu decided to do another thorough search when Liang wouldn't be around.
And what do you know? Liang had simply handed her the golden opportunity when he made an apologetic face and told her that he'd come home a little late for lunch.
"I'm so sorry,"He brushed his hands against hers, "Something came up at the last second. I'll try to get done with work as soon as I can."
Liang could not have sounded more vague.
Zhu stood on her tiptoes and pressed a kiss on his cheek, "It's alright. It was my turn to make lunch anyway."
"You have the spare keys, right?"
"Of course."
She tried not to show her impatience to get away from him as she picked up her coat and walked out of the building. Her heart beat faster as her feet carried her towards Liang's apartment. Before entering the lobby, Zhu put all her focus into sensing Liang or any familiar heat signature nearby. There wasn't anyone in and around the flat. However...
Mako and Asami, huh. She threw a bitter look over her shoulders before hurrying up the stairs. Good thing they're a few blocks away.
The apartment wasn't a fancy one but at the same time, it wasn't very dull either. Leaving her shoes by the entrance, Zhu made a beeline to the kitchen and went to work. The sooner she started with the cooking, the more time she'd had to look around. She washed and cut the vegetables in a daze, mind preoccupied with making a list of places where she could look for proof. Once the stew had begun to bubble in a pot and the rice was being steamed, Zhu rushed to the bedroom.
Under the bed, behind the headboard, drawers and shelves, the Beifong girl looked everywhere but came up with nothing. What if there are secret compartments in the wall? She began pressing her palms over the walls, knocking and listening for a hollow sound.
Zhu felt like an idiot, shuffling from wall to wall.
And yet, she found nothing. The entire damn apartment had no weapons or Equalist equipment or secret love notes from Amon. Flopping face first on the mattress, Zhu let out a long string of curses that would've made her father and grandfather go red.
Tilting her head, she smelled something burning. "Oh, shit. The stew." She took large strides till the kitchen to save her lunch. Not much damage had been done except that the food was a bit overcooked.
Everything's a fucking disaster.
With a clenched jaw, Zhu stormed into the bathroom and aggressively washed her face with water. The only other option to let her cool down was to set everything on fire.
Screw this. Screw Liang. Fuck Amon and his band of clowns. Screw Korra and her naivety and her infatuation with Mako. Fuck everything!
Glaring into the mirror in front of her, Zhu wished desperately for either of her brothers to come back home. She had to tell someone. Letting out a frustrated yell, Zhu pulled back her fist with every intention of shattering the glass. But she froze.
I forgot to check behind the mirrors.
Wiping her face with her sleeve, the detective examined the mirror and to her relief (and horrified surprise) the slab of glass came off the wall. The screws were a little loose, it seemed. And right there, in the wall, was a nine inch hole in the shape of a rectangle. In the middle of the hole was a uniform set, meticulously folded.
Zhu's hand hovered over the material as she stared at it in defeated silence. It was an Equalist's uniform. The one she had attacked and damaged severely. The batons were pushed up to the side as well. Gulping, Zhu glanced over her shoulder again before fixing the mirror back in its place.
She couldn't take the uniform with her. No, that would alert Liang and he might escape. They'd lose the upper hand. If she left the uniform and reported him to Chief Beifong, then she'll possibly be reprimanded for baseless accusations. But Lin was her mother, right? Zhu's word should be enough to make her believe it?
Anything's possible with that woman.
After making the bathroom look the way it was before, sudden exhaustion washed over Zhu. Was there anymore shell-shocking news left to hear? Ursa had come back home? Zhu had been legitimized? Lady Chiaki had been assassinated? No, don't think about things that'll inflict pain on your father, Zhu! The detective slumped on the sofa in the living room. Slowly, she found herself laying on her side, staring at the white walls.
What if I never reveal that Liang works for Amon, she traitorously thought, What if we go on living like nothing had changed and then things go back to normal after Amon is arrested? Zhu shook her head. Things could never go back to the way they were a few weeks ago. Her conscience wouldn't let her forget anything. There had always been so much rage in her that her mind felt like it would explode soon.
She laughed hard for an entire moment, clutching her forehead. What a predicament she had gotten herself into. The firebender's eyes fluttered close as the flow of her thoughts stopped making sense. She curled up into herself, every bone in her body aching, and drifted off to sleep.
When Liang gently nudged her while apologizing for making her wake, Zhu woke up with a smile on her face. Wrapping her arms sleepily around his neck, she kissed him deeply and pulled him towards her onto the couch.
She couldn't risk him being suspicious, after all.
we're almost at 100 reviews, wooooo!
honestly, i felt this was the easiest chapter for me to write but at the same time i wasn't very satisfied with it so i kept rewriting it over and over again. zhu turned out to be such a complex character. god, i hate myself for turning her into a puzzle!
fun fact : in the previous version of this fic, i was going to kill off liang in during the end of the first book. he was supposed to be an innocent, good man that zhu was dating but died at the hands of amon. liang was my most favorite character before lol.
let me know what you think! see you all soon!