I want to thank Wildstar93, Theblackbird123, and SaoirseParisa for the reviews of the first chapter. I understand that things are progressing slowly, with Korra not making her appearance and potentially having cliffhangers. However, I did that for a reason, which is, as I mentioned before, I want time to set everything up. There are a lot of themes and characters I want to get to, and I want to make sure there are no plot holes or missing elements. I expect things to move faster in the next chapter or so.
Before I start the chapter, Kelev deserves another big shout-out in this chapter. She gave birth to her second child, a beautiful girl named Eva. Both mother and daughter are doing well, and I wish Kelev and her husband nothing but the best. Kelev already have a daughter named Hannah, and here's hoping Hannah can be a good big sister to Eva. Thanks for all the inspiration you gave me, and here's hoping you can drop by soon, despite your busy schedule as a mother to 2 wonderful children!
Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko own the Legend of Korra.
Bolin, Kai, Toza, and Yung looked on from behind a building, sticking only their heads out from behind the bricks as they keyed their eyes in on Mako. The fire bending police officer was on his radio the entire time, creeping closer and closer to the red vehicle in the other alley. Inside the vehicle, the figure in blue known as Shady Shin was on his cellphone, speaking in a dramatic fashion while gesturing his free arm left and right. "I have a bad feeling about this," Bolin murmured, glancing back at his three companions.
Just then, Mako slipped past the police railings and trotted across the road. From the back, Bolin and the others slipped out but stayed on the sidewalk. Mako approached the other sidewalk, nodding at the officer there who lifted the railing for Mako to slide in. While Mako reported to and plotted with the officers in his vicinity on what to do, Bolin could see various people lining the streets. He had a feeling that they were not fans or mere spectators to the Future Industries entourage. "Let's get closer," he suggested.
But before Bolin and friends could cross, a series of vehicles drove past them. They were all large vehicles, either limousines or expensive cars. While the dimming evening skies made it a bit difficulty to peer inside the darkened windows of the limousines, Bolin figured that there were dignitaries inside. "You think Shady Shin will target them?" Kai asked from the back.
"I don't think, Kai. I know," Bolin stated, pointing across the street. The foursome lifted their heads just in time to see Shady Shin's vehicle swerve out of the alley and into the line of cars. Police officers on both sides of the streets, including Mako, were ready to intercept. "I think they're attacking, so we've got to act now!" Bolin exclaimed.
Before long, elements flew through the scene. Triple Threat members appeared from various alleyways, lifting asphalt and concrete from the roads and sidewalks and hurling them at the vehicles. Police officers and other security personnel blocked those by lifting concrete and forming a tent around the vehicles. Water benders duelled with sewage water, throwing the blurry and smelly liquids all through the road. Bolin could barely see what was happening, but from the corner of his eye he could spot Mako blasting fire bomb after fire bomb at the assailants. "We've got to help him!" Bolin shouted.
The vehicles carrying the Future Industries staff tried to edge past the blockade put up by the Triple Threats. While Bolin and Toza rushed in to take on the Triple Threats, Yung and Kai hurried to the sidewalks to get bystanders out of the way. The two air benders dodged and weaved their way through the terrified crowd, many of whom were non-benders completely at the mercy of the bending triad. "Everyone, just run indoors," Yung yelled, sending twin air blasts at nearby Triple Threat members, "It's not safe here!"
Against the stream of screaming bystanders, Kai blasted himself into the air and thrust himself into the fray. The young air bender spun his body around in midair, sending air shots out of his feet and at the Triple Threats. While he was still young and inexperienced compared to the older triad members, Kai had the strength and ferocity to make up for that. Soon, the people he targeted were blown back, giving the Future Industries vehicles a free lane to move through. "Just go, get out of here while you can!" Kai shouted, waving his hands around.
Just as he said this, a large pillar of concrete shot out from the ground, catching Kai at his feet and sending the boy into the air. "Kai, no!" Yung shouted, turning just in time to see his foster child tumbling down. Using an air blast of his own, Yung created an air net for Kai to land on, preventing serious injuries from occurring. "You leave my boy alone!" Yung exclaimed, whipping a wide air arc at the Triple Threat members nearby.
While the two air benders and the police near them handled the triad members at the back, Bolin and Toza now joined Mako at the front. The two earth benders matched the Triple Threat members they faced, with Toza providing the defence by bending up earthen walls to block the attacks. Bolin, on the other hand, went offensive with Mako, mixing earth and fire in a double-barrel assault against the triads. Some of the vehicles at the front already had a route out, courtesy of police officers clearing the blockade out. "Boys, get behind me," Toza instructed, creating another pair of tall earthen pillars, "I have an idea."
The brothers trotted behind Toza, all the while fending off attacks. Surrounding police officers and national security personnel already cleared the crowd, all the while trying to guide the remaining Future Industries vehicles off on a detour. "This is one of the tricks I did when I was younger and still learning my earth bending," Toza explained, pointing at the pillar on the right, "Bolin, you and I will send chips of the pillar at those guys. Mako, you aim your fire from between the pillars at the triads. That way, we keep defence and have short-range offence with our rocks, while long-range offence can be done with sniper fire. Can we do this?"
Mako and Bolin nodded. Getting into position, they waited for Toza to count it down. The Triple Threats now threw all three elements with them, their pillars shaking from the rocks thrown against them while hot steam smothered their sides courtesy of fire and water. Taking one more glance around, Toza gave the word. "Fire away!"
With that, twin blasts of rocks were sent at the Triple Threats. The pillars got shorter and thinner with each shot Bolin and Toza fired, but it kept the triads at bay. In between them, Mako launched short but quick fire bursts, completely protected by the earth benders but still had room to aim and maneuver. Before long, police officers around them caught on and launched their own attacks. The bending officers used their elements, while non-benders reached for their batons or firearms. Soon, a mixture of earth, fire, water, and gunshots echoed through the streets, putting the Triple Threats on the defensive and freeing the remaining Future Industries vehicles.
Sensing the tide changing, Yung and Kai changed strategies at the back of the formation. Dodging a wave of sewage water, Yung now aimed his attacks with the intention of pushing the triad members away from the vehicles. Tilting his body sideways, he aimed his air blasts at a curve. Any Triple Threat members getting hit by the blasts were sent backwards, away from the vehicles and down the street. With police and national security members behind them, the Triple Threats would fall right into the officers who were ready to make the arrests. "Don't let up now, Kai," he called to his ward, who jumped through the air and landed beside him, "The police are doing their work right now, and all we have to do is make it easy for them."
"I got another idea, Yung," Kai suggested. He took to the skies again, this time spinning himself into a ball of air. Kai tried to focus amidst all the moving bodies nearby, but he had done this enough times to know how to make it count. Just before his feet touched the ground, he relaxed all the muscles in his body and let the air loose, knocking back all the triad members surrounding them. "How do you like that now?" he taunted the Triple Threats.
By now, most remaining members were nursing their wounds, all the while the police made their approach to arrest them. "You're a marked man, kid," a nearby water bender pointed out to Kai, "You'll regret the day you messed with us."
"And I think you should chill out," Kai retorted with a smirk. Taking a deep breath, he aimed his body right at the triad member and unleashed his breath. From his mouth, Kai let out a cold air blast, sending the Triple Threat water bender tumbling straight into the police officers at the back. A couple clicks of the handcuffs later, the threat had been subdued.
Finally, the Future Industries vehicles could move down the street and onto their convention. Mako, Bolin, and Toza returned to Kai and Yung, all the while surveying the road. Other than having rubble and scorch marks, there was also the stench of raw sewage residue. It resembled a war zone more than a busy midtown avenue. "I think the city repair crews will have to work overtime," Mako mused. Turning to Bolin and Toza, he stated with a grin, "Think you two are willing to submit resumes to the construction department for repairing roads?"
"Good evening Sir, great to see you tonight," Hiroshi greeted another VIP, shaking the hand of the man and his wife. Future Industries was at full force today, with all sorts of VIP's attending the event. The front hall at the convention centre was already packed with hundreds of guests, with hundreds more already entered the main auditorium for drinks and refreshments. Most of these people were senior staff members of other companies, including various leaders of industry that Future Industries either inspired or cooperated with. Adjusting his glasses slightly, Hiroshi could not help but feel proud about this event.
"Looks like we're doing okay so far, both in terms of keeping the guests entertained and keeping Minister Yakone off our tail," Yasuko leaned over and murmured into her husband's ear. While Hiroshi had on a black tuxedo with a dark blue tie, Yasuko had on a burgundy ball gown with a gold choker around her neck. Both Satos looked stunning and luxurious, easily making them the centre of attention. "I still haven't seen Asami and Opal drop by yet, although Asami told me they're already here," Yasuko reported, "Maybe they're meeting with some other guests? Did you receive any calls or texts from Asami in the past hour or so?"
"Actually, there's no need to call her, because there they are," Hiroshi pointed out. Yasuko's eyes followed Hiroshi's finger to the direction of the entrance, where a young woman in a burgundy gown similar to Yasuko's marched towards them. Beside Asami was Opal, who had a similar dress, except it was green. She wore a rather interesting metallic decoration on her collar, which was distinctive to her hometown of Zaofu. But perhaps more interesting was who followed the two young ladies: a tall bald man with a beard and a blue arrow on his head.
"Dad, I found Vice President Anil," Asami announced, leading the master air bender to Hiroshi. Tenzin Anil was an imposing man, standing well over six feet and often had a stern or serious expression on his face. It didn't help that there were security members dressed in black surrounding him, given his status at Republic City. While Asami knew the real Tenzin to be a caring family man, by virtue of the fact that she grew up with Tenzin's children, she also realized how serious he could be when it came to getting things done.
"How are you, Hiroshi and Yasuko?" Tenzin greeted the Satos in his deep baritone voice, extending his arm for a handshake. Even though she never took any courses on Air Nomad history or philosophy, Asami heard from people who did that Tenzin was a strict professor. And as vice president, Tenzin had the fate of the nation in his hands, so Asami could only imagine how strict Tenzin would be if anything crazy happened tonight.
"Thank you so much for coming, Vice President Anil," Yasuko stated, shaking the master air bender's hand, "Are Pema and the kids coming with you tonight?"
"Pema and the kids are just talking with some other guests. Opal and Asami already greeted them, so they should be on their way over here. Bumi and Kya are running a little late, but they'll be here as well," Tenzin reported. Turning to Hiroshi, he shook the industrialist's hand before getting to some business-related chat. "I spoke with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, and we're thinking about shuffling around some franchises related to the city's piers. Are you still interested in getting some operation licenses for another pier?"
While Hiroshi and Tenzin chatted, Yasuko, Asami, and Opal turned to the entrance, where a shorter woman with three children trotted up to them. "Pema, great to see you," Yasuko greeted the vice president's wife. For a married couple, Pema and Tenzin were night and day. Not only was Pema sixteen years younger than Tenzin, she had a small stature and was as cheerful as he was serious. It did not hurt that she had a social work background and aided many children throughout her career, making her a perfect mother to her four children. "I see Ikki, Meelo, and Rohan are here," Yasuko observed, "Jinora isn't back in town yet?"
Pema smiled and shook her head. "It's just Ikki and the two boys today. My oldest is still touring various universities she wants to get into," she explained. Jinora was the oldest of Tenzin's children at seventeen, and the only one who mastered air bending. "She's always an overachiever, and you can't believe how proud Tenzin and I are that she takes her future so seriously. Sometimes I wonder if she's an adult stuck in a kid's body, given how mature she is."
"Hey, I can be mature! I told Uncle Bumi that I want to be a commanding officer in the army, just like he was," Meelo, the third oldest child and the older of the two boys, declared. That elicited chuckles from everyone, who were well aware of Meelo's mannerisms. Thirteen-year-old Meelo had an obsession with all things military, which everyone found odd due to the pacifistic nature of Air Nomads. Add that to Meelo's usual buzzcut and thick eyebrows, and the group thought he would make a great drill sergeant. "I bet Jinora can't lead an army like I can!"
"Yeah, and I bet Jinora can't fart-bend like you can as well," Ikki, the second oldest child and the other girl in the family, retorted. Like Meelo, fifteen-year-old Ikki was also a big ball of energy. During her air bending training, Opal grew close to Ikki because she had similar interests with Opal's brother Huan. They could discuss arts and crafts until their faces turned blue, which made them an odd but appropriate pair of friends. "With how disgusting that is, I'll never understand how you can even think about describing yourself with the word 'mature'."
"Are you two ever going to put aside your rivalry?" Opal commented with a chuckle. Ikki and Meelo had a unique love-hate relationship that was well-known to all those around them. It was a "can't live with them, can't live without them" situation where they could not stand each other, but still needed each other. "I know deep down you guys care about each other a lot, so why don't you guys just give each other some credit?"
"With him/her? Over my dead body!" Ikki and Meelo shouted in unison. In dramatic fashion, the two young air benders whipped their bodies around and refused to face each other. Their arms were crossed over their chests and their lips were pressed into hard fumes. With their pouting faces, it got the entire group cracking up in laughter.
Just then, a Future Industries aide rushed into the group. "Miss Sato, there's been some bad news," he announced, "Our vehicles were hit by the Triple Threats on their way here. The video clip we're showing tonight was on one of those vehicles, and the laptop carrying that presentation was damaged. The only backup copy is back at headquarters in the vault, but our main storage manager is on vacation and nobody seems to know where it's put."
A sudden silence descended upon the group. Asami's face drained of its colour, her heart racing and her breathing rate shooting up. "Does anyone from the senior management know where it is?" she asked frantically, "Varrick and Zhu Li aren't here yet, so maybe they can help."
The aide shook his head. "Mr. Varrick is at the office, but will arrive later on with Ms. Moon. But right now, we require someone who knows that vault inside out in order to find the backup copy. Our presentation can't proceed without it," the aide responded.
Asami rubbed her head, all the while feeling the eyes of Opal, Yasuko, and Pema zoom in on her. Even the feuding Ikki and Meelo, as well as the shy Rohan, the youngest child in the Anil family at eight years old, paused to stare at the engineering prodigy. She knew Varrick and Zhu Li might know of the backup copy's whereabouts, but could they locate it in a hurry?
Just then, a flash of inspiration hit Asami. She recalled Varrick telling her that one other person was with him when he last checked the vault. And knowing this person, it was their last best shot. Turning to the aide, she gave him a clear instruction. "Call up Korra Arnook."
Zhu Li and Opal rushed to the vault at the basement of Future Industries, watching intently as the security guard typed in the passcode to let them enter. Standing behind them was a young woman with a unique hairstyle, a high ponytail at the back of her head while two strands dangled near her face. Her exceptionally tan skin and midnight blue dress highlighted her heritage from the Southern Water Tribe, and her clear blue eyes flashed in excitement like a child at a toy store. "Korra, the success of the company's convention is with you," Zhu Li stated.
Korra's lips spread into a wide grin. When the vault doors opened with a hiss, the water bender bounded into the shelves. It left Zhu Li and Opal with the security guard, who brought them to the nearby computer station. "Thanks for picking me up, Zhu Li," Opal stated, "I didn't know you were home while Varrick was here, and Asami wanted me to help, so…"
"Think nothing of it, Opal," Zhu Li replied, her eyes trained on the guard who logged into the system, "Varrick had a late client, and he's just about finished. I originally wanted to get home early to get changed, and then drive back to Future Industries to pick him up. But when Asami called to tell me about the emergency, I picked up Korra and then went to the convention centre to get you. It doesn't matter if it's out of the way, because finding the backup is crucial."
The security guard typed as quickly as he could, his eyes scanning the system line by line. "Our storage manager inputs each item before taking it to the shelves, so if the backup copy is put in recently, it shouldn't be that hard to find," he described, "It's just a matter of locating the shelf itself, find out which slot it's in, and going through that slot to get it."
Opal craned her neck at the shelves. Each one stood over ten feet tall, with hundreds of slots lining it up and down. With at least two rows before her that reached through the vast expanse of the vault, Opal figured there were at least hundreds of shelves. "We have literally thousands of possibilities, and the show is already starting," she muttered, checking her cellphone for the time, "We also have to drive back to the convention centre. I don't know about you guys, but we don't have much time left."
The security guard clacked his tongue, his fingers dancing across the keyboard once more. Zhu Li now positioned herself behind the computer chair, her bespectacled eyes scanning the lines with the guard. Each data point entry was based on what the storage manager described the item as. If the description was something they did not recognize, then it would only take more time. "Because only senior management is aware of the film, and regular staff members like us aren't privy to it, it'll make things more challenging," the guard continued, "Do you recall when senior management ordered the backup copy to be placed into the vault?"
"It shouldn't be more than a week ago," Zhu Li recalled, "I know Opal had joined us not long before, and Asami mentioned about completing it. We even alluded to it in front of the board, so I'm sure if we limit it to a week, then we can narrow the search down."
The security guard nodded, following the instructions by inputting the parameters into the computer. Opal's heart raced while her eyes darted back and forth. She craned her neck back to the shelves, where she could see Korra prance in and out of each aisle. Zhu Li told Korra to start looking while they searched the computer, but Opal had no idea if Korra had better luck than they did. With the vault being so large, what were the chances that she could find it before them?
"Okay, I think we can narrow it down," the security guard announced. Opal immediately leaned closer to the computer, while Zhu Li grabbed a scrap piece of paper from the desk and pulled out a pen. "This is the exact location where the backup copy should be located. Do you remember what box or storage container you placed it into?"
"Is it a silver box with a mover carving on the top?" a rambunctious voice called from the front. Before Zhu Li could scrawl another number onto her page, Korra marched up to them with a small metallic container in her hands. "It was located in Section Fifty, between Subsection A and Subsection B. It was on the middle shelf, the third slot in from the aisle."
Then, to the security guard's amazement, Korra opened the box and pulled out a small USB stick. The black item was attached to a string that could be worn around someone's neck. "Why don't you stick it in the computer and play it? I'm sure Zhu Li, who worked on it, can tell you if this is it," she proudly stated, dangling the item before everyone.
Opal took the USB stick from Korra and handed it to the security guard. Zhu Li stepped away from the computer, giving the guard some room to insert the USB into the hard drive. The data slowly loaded from the USB onto the computer, but every second it took grated on their nerves even further. While Zhu Li's eyebrows creased and Opal rubbed her hands nervously, Korra stood there with a slight smile on her face. The air bender tilted her head slightly at the water bender, who only responded with a slight nod.
The video player finally materialized on the screen, with both the security guard and Zhu Li leaning their heads closer. Given the dim lighting in this vast vault, the images flashing on the monitor were the only source of light in their corner. With each sight and sound that came by, Opal could see the usually emotionless Zhu Li become more and more chipper. "I have to say, Korra," she complimented, placing down the scrap paper and putting away the pen, "I think your special talent came through again. We got exactly what we wanted!"
Opal let out a cheer, but Korra completely overshadowed that. Pumping her fists into the air, the water bender cheered like she just won the lottery. "I'm the Queen of Memory and you got to deal with it!" she called out, still swirling around the room like a dancer, "Now Future Industries is saved and we can get right to the convention centre. When are we going?"
Zhu Li whipped out her phone. "We're going right now, just after I check if Varrick is ready. We can meet him at the front lobby," she suggested, quickly typing out a text message to her eccentric husband, "You did well, Korra. I'm sure Asami and her parents are happy too."
Opal mimicked Zhu Li by pulling out her own phone and quickly texting Asami. "Were you actually here when Varrick put the backup copy into the vault?" she asked Korra.
Korra nodded. "I just got off work and came to Future Industries to see them. Varrick was in his office and said he had to go to the vault, and I followed him in. He had that box in his hands and gave it to the storage manager, who gave him the details of where it'll be placed," she regurgitated each detail like it happened yesterday, "I just remembered all the details, so when you told me what you were looking for, I already have a pretty good idea where to go."
As the group slowly marched out, Korra continued her explanation. "Don't forget that I work with Shiro Shinobi at the pro-bending arena. When there aren't any matches on, that place doubles as a cinema. I'm used to looking for movers and film rolls in the vaults for shows, so doing this is easy for me. Either way, I'm just glad I can help Asami out."
Opal nodded, impressed at what Korra did. When she lived in Republic City to learn air bending with Tenzin, she had limited interaction with Korra. They did befriend each other, but did not stay in contact too often. Opal did recall from her limited interactions that Korra had some unique attributes, but it was only today that she saw them in action. Making a mental note to herself, Opal hoped to speak with her mother or aunt about this in the near future. Given Korra and Asami were close, and Asami was Opal's new superior, Opal was sure she would get more chances to see Korra and interact with her in a more personal basis.
"I can report with much certainty that had it not been for the involvement of the police and the national security team, the convention for the anniversary of Future Industries would not have proceeded," Tarrlok stated, his tone between stern and smug. It was a week after the attacks on the Future Industries vehicles by the Triple Threats, and naturally Tenzin wanted a report on how security failed. Tarrlok, being the minister in charge, was asked to provide an update, but the tone and attitude he took was anything but what Tenzin expected.
Rubbing the bridge of his nose, Tenzin glanced back up at the water bender with an exasperated look. "Tarrlok, do you realize how this created a bigger mess than before?" he pointed out, waving at the pages on his desk, "Had you taken my advice and just reached out to Chief Bei Fong and local police, there would be more collaboration between departments. The threats would be better identified, and we wouldn't have to rip up entire city blocks!"
Tarrlok remained unfazed, his unimpressed glance trained solely on the bald man before him. Despite Tenzin being Tarrlok's superior, their positions indicated anything but, with the Minister of Defence and Public Safety standing straight and tall while the vice president sat bent over his desk and holding his head. "While I admit that Chief Bei Fong was dutiful for years, we note that when national officials hold events, national security forces take priority over local police. She has no choice but to submit her staff under my command," he explained, "Her job is to hand over information on the Triple Threats to us, and then take a step back. I will give local police instructions on security, nothing more."
"Are you saying this because you want to help the city, or are you saying this because you want to call the shots?" Tenzin retorted, trying to hide his scowl with limited success. Even when he was first elected, Tenzin knew Tarrlok was an ambitious and sneaky individual. Many times he would make cabinet meetings about his agenda more than any other department. He knew Tarrlok had his eyes on next year's presidential election, when President Raiko was barred from running due to term limits. "Working collaboratively with Chief Bei Fong and her staff can let us better understand the situation, so that fewer confrontations will occur," he added.
Tarrlok crossed his arms and slightly tilted his head. The way his blue eyes narrowed made Tenzin twice as concerned. "I'm surprised to hear that from you, since your heritage indicates you shouldn't be a passive leader. Your father Aang Anil is a great air bender who served the world as a hands-on diplomat, while your mother Katara Kuruk-Anil is a water bender and physician who developed most of the city's medical facilities," he described, a smirk now appearing on his face, "But then again, you're not even running for president next year, so I guess keeping your family's legacy isn't as important to you, now is it?" he sneered.
"That's a low blow, Tarrlok! Don't you dare bring my parents into this!" Tenzin roared, shooting out of his seat. His face was flushed red, the brightness only accentuated by his bald head. "It's so like you to start using personal insults against those who you disagree with. Hiroshi Sato told me what you said to Yasuko about her need to walk with a cane. If you want her to help you keep your 'tough on crime' image, then fine. But don't go insulting her situation when she did absolutely nothing to deserve the horrendous pain that attack caused her!"
Tarrlok chuckled and shook his dipping head. The motion made it so that Tenzin could not see Tarrlok's eyes, which only infuriated the air bender even more. "Don't you go believing that the Satos are completely innocent, Vice President Anil," Tarrlok smugly pointed out, "I think you're letting your personal relations cloud your judgment, given your children grew up with the Satos' daughter Asami. If you do your due diligence, you will realize that Hiroshi Sato and his Future Industries have taken actions that threatened our safety countless times."
Then, before Tenzin could respond, Tarrlok picked up his file from Tenzin's desk and tucked it under his arm. "I will be seeing you in a few minutes in the main conference room," Tarrlok stated, amidst the clenching fists of the vice president, "I understand some members of the cabinet may want President Raiko to make some major administrative decisions. Despite your obvious disapproval of my report, I will be handing this to the president and the rest of the cabinet for their consideration. Even though you are vice president, please note that President Raiko still calls all the shots. I'm sure he won't let you overrule him on this, right?"
Tarrlok swiftly marched out of Tenzin's office, letting the door close with a slam. It made the air bender want to blast the arrogant man with an air blast, given the personal attacks that were launched his way. Throughout his life, Tenzin was taught the most fundamental aspects of Air Nomad philosophy by his father, including self-discipline and integrity. Even if external challenges grated on him, Tenzin was taught to meditate and rebalance oneself, rather than get into confrontations head-on. Tenzin was proud of the traits his father passed down onto him, and he did his best to pass them onto his own children.
Yet at the same time, Tarrlok Yakone did everything in his power to push the envelope with Tenzin. Even when Tenzin and Raiko first developed their cabinet of ministers, Tenzin had some reservation about Tarrlok. He found Tarrlok too ambitious and rude, often stepping over people just to get to the top. From the day he was appointed as Minister of Defence and Public Safety, Tarrlok had his eyes on when Raiko's second term was up, which would give him a chance to run for the presidency. Tenzin found himself at odds with Tarrlok many times, the latter seeing Tenzin as a rival rather than a colleague, which made cooperation difficult.
Rubbing his cheeks a few times, Tenzin picked up his folders and marched out of his office. He turned into the main corridor and straight through a set of double doors, which contained the conference room. As he entered, he could see various men and women all seated around the large table. Tenzin's own superior, President Raiko, was seated at the head of the table, with the first seat to Raiko's right left open for Tenzin. Glancing around, he could see Tarrlok was at the first seat on the president's left, meaning him and Tenzin were face-to-face.
"Good morning, everyone," Raiko greeted his cabinet. The bespectacled non-bender with greying hair had always been a practical politician, his flexibility a perfect foil to Tenzin's more "by-the-book" approach. Despite being seen by Tenzin as more willing to sacrifice his principles for the sake of political expediency, Tenzin knew that Raiko did have the nation's best interests at heart, and was willing to work with his ministers to get the best results. "I am aware that we have some issues to discuss, especially about security. I understand Minister Yakone raised some public safety concerns that we should address, and I assure everyone we will get to that."
Tenzin shot Tarrlok a dark look, only to have Tarrlok smirk back at him in return. As it was a cabinet meeting, Tenzin took a deep breath and bit his tongue for now. "That being said, I want to chat about the issues of with city's piers and ports first," Raiko continued, flipping the pages of his binder to the appropriate section, "Various companies, including Future Industries, have asked me about franchising the piers. There are at least a couple lesser-used piers that have received proposals for renewals and expansion. I was wondering what everyone feels about that issue, based on the advice of our Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade. Why don't we start with the minister first, and then we'll hear everyone else's opinions?" he suggested.
"Thank you for taking us out to dinner, Asami. Kwong's Cuisine is the best," Korra marvelled, her eyes still darting around the expensive restaurant. Seeing it was a week after the anniversary convention for Future Industries, Asami figured to properly thank Korra for what she did. That was why the two of them, along with Opal, were having dinner at the most luxurious restaurant in town. "Are you sure we can order whatever we want?" Korra asked.
Asami smiled. Gesturing at the waiter standing nearby with his notepad, the engineer told Korra and Opal to order away. "Without you two, the Future Industries party would not have worked out," Asami stated, "So pick your favourite dishes and the tab's all on me."
Opal and Korra browsed through the menu, pecking their fingers excitedly on each item and whispering between themselves on what they wanted. Asami could not help but feel a sense of déjà vu, reminding her of when they were younger. Opal was just an air bending student under then Master Tenzin, and Korra and Asami were still in high school. Back then, Asami had to beg her parents to allow her out and spend some money here. Even though she was from a rich home, Hiroshi and Yasuko drilled it into Asami that money saving was crucial, and she shouldn't spend just because she could afford to. It was a lesson that Asami was not about to forget anytime soon.
Once the two benders finished their orders, the waiter took their menus and trotted off. It gave Asami a chance to really speak to Korra. "Did you enjoy yourself at the party last week? I know being around so many people all at once is a bit intimidating for you, but at least you got to see the video of our future developments," Asami pointed out, taking a sip of water from her glass, "I'll be requiring a lot of help in the future, especially with shipping and such."
"Yeah, I guess," Korra responded, her tone a bit milder than before. Her eyes tilted away from Asami, who sat directly across from her. They gravitated towards the table, all the while her hands wrapped around her napkin. "I mean, I work as Shiro Shinobi's assistant at the pro-bending arena, so I see big crowds and hear loud noises all the time. But it's different when they're up close, where the people are all around you and you can only hear jumbled words. That's why I only watch matches from the announcer's box, where I can be away from all that."
Opal observed quietly from her side, sandwiched between Asami to her left and Korra to her right. She met Korra when they were both teenagers, but her interaction with the water bender was limited. Korra and Asami were both from Republic City, and grew up next to each other. Opal lived in Zaofu all her life, and her contact with Korra was limited to the odd visit here and there. "I recall when we first met, it kind of took a while before we warmed up to each other. But after a while, it was like we've known each other since forever," Opal added.
"Yeah, it does take a while for Korra to interact with people. I still remember Varrick and Zhu Li trying so hard to get Korra to speak up to new people," Asami recalled with a chuckle, making Korra's face flush red, "But once Korra gets used to you, there's no stopping her."
Opal nodded. "What I was most impressed with was when you remembered the exact section, slot, and container that USB stick was placed in. The fact that you didn't miss a single detail, even when you weren't the one who put it into the vault, really amazed me," she recalled, "I know even from when I first met you, you had a photographic memory. I'm so glad that it came into good use when we needed it the most."
"You have to realize something, Opal. Korra is autistic, and all the traits you mentioned are traits found in most autistic people," Asami explained. As Asami spoke, Korra's eyes tilted back and forth between the non-bender and the air bender, not really meeting their faces directly but still glancing up enough to see their interaction. "Korra told me that sometimes it's easier when she writes things out rather than speaking. She also interacts differently with people, and it does take a while for her to get used to you. But most importantly, autistic people have really good attention to small details and followed routines. So when Korra memorized the exact place where the USB stick was, it's because she's thinking along the lines of her routine."
Korra shifted a couple of times in her seat, catching the eyes of Opal and Asami. Licking her lips, Korra took a breath before speaking. "It took me a while before I accepted it. I know when I was younger, I had a pretty volcanic temper, and many times I got impatient with my water bending teacher," Korra described, her body swaying slightly but her eyes oddly still, "It was only after Varrick and Zhu Li took me to a child psychologist who diagnosed me with autism that things started changing for the better. I first thought that being autistic meant I was being weird or something like that, but then I realized it's just my brain doesn't operate like most other people's brains. I came to terms with it and I'm now doing my best to live with it."
"And did you forget the countless times you came to me, telling me how worried you were that something was seriously wrong with you? Even when we were kids, I had to calm you down so many times, that I pretty much lost count," Asami added. That got Korra to flinch, but more in a joking way. "Remember that I'll always be here for you, even if all you want is to just talk. You're amazing the way you are, autism or not."
Korra smiled shyly, her eyes still somewhere between the tablecloth and Asami's face. "I'm glad to hear that," she murmured. Shaking her head a couple of times, Korra changed the topic. "How are those permits coming for the shipping projects?"
Asami snapped her fingers. "Yes, that's exactly what I wanted to talk to you guys about." With that, Asami explained that regulatory approval was about to be granted to applications her company submitted for the use of several piers. Because of Republic City's location near the ocean, it made the city a prime target for shipping companies. Just a perfunctory glance at Yue Bay and everyone would know how many tons of cargo went through the city every day. "But due to the way the current piers work, there are piers with too many shipments, and others that are underused," Asami clarified, "What Future Industries is doing is targeting the underused ones so we can cut costs while avoiding competition with other companies for shipping space."
"But won't that create more problems when it comes to bringing the goods to our company warehouses?" Opal pointed out, "I mean, if you use the lesser used piers, they tend to be farther away from the business district. Won't you have problems with land shipping costs?"
"True, but you're forgetting that there's nothing stopping us from using some of the warehouses located on the piers themselves," Asami responded. Taking another sip of water, she turned to Opal and scratched a slender finger on the tablecloth like she was drawing a map. "At the pier we're targeting, there are warehouses lined up against it. I've scouted them out and found that the largest one is owned by a company with owners that are retiring soon. If we can find out who the new owners are, or if we buy it and become owners ourselves, then we can store our goods there. We only take it out when there's a need, and we can always discuss with both border security and the pier's own security team about guarding the area better."
Korra winced again. "I'm more worried about that Minister Yakone guy, since he's in charge of Public Safety. If you're asking for border security help, doesn't it mean you'll have to go through him?" the water bender asked, "Varrick told me some of the things he said about you and your mom. I don't know if he'll help you if he's not willing to play nice."
Asami pursed her lips. While she heard Hiroshi discuss that with Tenzin, she wasn't sure if anything might come out of that. Given Tarrlok's ambitiousness, it might even encourage him to pick on this topic as a way to look good by fighting triads. "We'll try to deal with him the best we can, but for now let's focus on getting regulatory approval first. Besides, I might ask you to help me out if I get the chance. With your great memory, maybe you can give the new warehouse staff some training in how to use the storage system properly!" Asami suggested.
That got chuckles emitting from all three ladies. As their appetizers arrived, they dove into their food and enjoyed each other's company for the rest of the night. While there were some challenges ahead for them all, they all believed it could be a brand new start for them to make their marks in their society.
"Come on, can you give us a few more minutes? Toza isn't back yet, so there's still a chance we can make the rent," Bolin pleaded with the landlord, who held the eviction notice in front of the earth bender's face like an arrest warrant. Unfortunately, Toza's fears came true, as the outstanding amounts from their jobs were not paid in time. It put the business in a bind, where even simple rent could not be paid. Given the warnings the landlord already served, there was no choice but to apply for an eviction notice.
"We should really stop playing games, son. I'm afraid this is no joke," the landlord, a smug man with a full beard and menacing eyes declared, "You guys are the tenants, and rent was supposed to be paid. There was no rent, and I served the eviction notice. Now you have limited time to collect all your belongings and go away, or I'll have the police here escort you."
Standing behind the landlord was a familiar fire bender who had an irritated look on his face. Mako really did not want to evict his own brother and foster father. However, being a junior member of the force, he was assigned to assist issues like these, making this an awkward situation. "Come on, Bolin," Mako eked out, trying hard not to look at his pleading brother, "Don't make this harder than it has to."
"You won't evict us, right Mako?" Kai asked, adding another set of sad green eyes into the mix, "If we can't keep our jobs, then how will we feed ourselves? Just give Toza more time, because he should be back any second now."
"I highly doubt it, given he hasn't paid anything in the last two weeks," the landlord retorted with a sneer. He got right up in Kai's face, almost letting the young air bender smell his aftershave. "Better learn to pay your dues on time, son. That will be a very important lesson to learn when you grow up in this world."
"Hey, he'll grow up in this world learning the value of hard work, integrity, and lending a hand to those in need. We don't need you teaching him arrogance and delusional entitlement," Yung snapped back standing behind Kai and putting a hand on his foster son's shoulder. Despite putting on a strong face, Yung's heart fluttered nonstop. Where was Toza, and could he return with enough money to satisfy the landlord's rent demands?
Just then, the grizzled earth bender turned the corner and headed straight for them. The older man had his hands in his pockets, his head slightly dipped, and his expression unreadable. Bolin, Kai, and Yung all held their breaths, hoping Toza could give them some good news. Even Mako, who was supposed to supervise the move-out, perked his head up. Could Toza offer them anything that could change the tide?
Unfortunately, Toza did not give them the news they wanted to hear. "I've tried and tried, but I can't collect the outstanding amounts. As such, I don't have enough money to pay all the outstanding rent for our business," he announced dejectedly. Giving his head a shake, he glanced at the landlord with a mournful face. "If you want to repossess, that's fine by me. But I just ask that you give us a chance to take out all our belongings."
The landlord could only snicker. "Tell you what, Toza," he suggested, folding the eviction notice and putting it into his jacket's inside pocket, "Since you're an old tenant who leased this place for many years, I'll be extra nice to you. You have one hour to take whatever you want to take. Anything that remains will belong to me, no exceptions."
At this point, all the tenants howled in protest. One hour was simply not enough time to grab everything they left in there. Despite being assigned to help the landlord repossess the property, Mako spoke up for his foster family as well. "How about giving them two hours?" he offered, "It's not fair that we're being thrown out and not given a chance to get everything we want. Even though I'm a police officer, I still worry about my family's livelihood!"
The landlord shot a dark look at Mako, before alternating his glance between the police officer and his friends. The last thing he wanted was a riot on his hands, especially when he was a non-bender. "Fine, I'll extend it to an hour and a half, but no more than that!" he declared. With that, he stepped away from the group and back to his vehicle. "I will be back in ninety minutes, and none of you better be here."
As the landlord drove away in his vehicle, Mako turned to the group and waved them into their former business. "I've done all I can to prolong the inevitable, so let's just get moving and not worry about him coming back," he stated, "I've already stretched the law a bit just to let you get what you want, so don't make it more awkward for me."
The group quickly gathered their belongings, fitting as much of that into their vehicles as possible. Whether it was files, computer hard drives, or even older sentimental items like framed photos, they took as much as they could. Figuring that they would require at least a few rounds of driving back and forth, Toza suggested that Kai and Yung took their own vehicle to ship some things out first, before they came back to pack more. "That way, we will ship some out in our larger van, while they come back to pack whatever is left," Toza described.
While Kai and Yung shuffled off to their vehicle, their arms filled with boxes and other items, Bolin turned to Toza and asked, "Are we really out of luck here? Is there no other place for us to set up our business? We still have some clients left, so we can't shut down completely."
Toza tilted his head back and forth like a metronome. "You're right in that sense, but with no permanent location, we will be in a bind. However, I may have found something for us to work with in the meantime," he explained, pulling out a file from his bag. He laid out the papers on the desk and waved the two brothers closer. "Remember I used to be a pro-bender, being the earth bender on my team? Well, after my team retired, my water bender and fire bender teammates got together and opened a business that does importation and exportation. They own a warehouse in one of the piers in Republic City, but right now they are slowing down."
Toza gestured to another page, this one showing the map of the city. "This is Firewood Bay, which is on the very east end of the city. It's not as accessible as some of the piers in the business district, but there are still some ships that dock there," he added, "My buddies are slowing down their business and plan to sell their warehouse. They already got government approval for this, so I told them I can take it over. They know about our delivery business's struggles, so they're willing to give us a hand."
Mako and Bolin glanced at each other in intrigue. If they were located at a pier, maybe there was something to be made here. "Since we're into deliveries, do you think any of the cargo ships that dock there will want to hire us?" Mako queried.
Toza shrugged. "Firewood Bay isn't the most convenient, so I don't expect great business from cargo ships," he stated, "But with our struggles right now, we've got to at least try."
There are a few things I want to say with respect to this chapter:
1.) Korra is autistic, but she is on the light end of the spectrum (Asperger's). She still has below average social interaction skills and has a tendency of letting her emotions go out of control, but the symptoms are pretty minimal compared to those farther up the spectrum. Many real life people are autistic, such as Albert Einstein, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, and Thomas Jefferson. They all have certain traits in common, such as problems with social interaction, obsession over certain details, and even not being able to sit still. I will incorporate some of these traits into Korra in this story.
2.) Korra's autism is inspired by Ash Ketchum from Wildstar93's "Journey of an Autistic Trainer" and Julia Parisa from SaoirseParisa's "Pokémon: a Marvelous Journey." Both these writers did a wonderful job in setting the message that autism doesn't make who you are, and autistic people can succeed just like those without autism. I want to thank them for their time in discussing with me about how to develop my version of Korra, and here's hoping we can bounce more ideas off of each other.
3.) Korra's last name, Arnook, is from the original series, where the Northern Water Tribe's chief (Yue's father) is named Arnook. As Korra's father in canon is next-in-line for the chieftain of the tribe, I have this headcanon where Korra and Yue may be related. As such, I gave Korra the last name Arnook, after Yue's father.
4.) Firewood Bay is a modified version of a real-life area in Hong Kong called Chai Wan (which is Firewood Bay in Chinese). It is, just like the place in my story, on the east side of Hong Kong island. There used to be a pier there, but that has been shut down and filled in via land reclamation. Now it is home to a large, but relatively lower-income neighbourhood. My great-aunt still lives there in one of the older apartments, so here's my connection to that area!
That's all I have for this chapter. Thank you for reading and I hope to see you next time. If you have any comments or suggestions, please feel free to put them in your reviews!