Happy Year of the Rooster, everyone! This past weekend was the Lunar New Year, and those who are of the Rooster will be celebrating their year this year. And to congratulate you for being in your year, I bring you this new chapter of my story! I want to thank SaoirseParisa, Wildstar93, and Theblackbird123 for reviewing the last chapter, and for bringing up such interesting points for this story. I have taken some of these to heart and have tried to include them in this chapter. Please let me know how you feel I did in addressing your concerns, and let's get this thing started!

Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko own the Legend of Korra.

Once again, the Varrick family and the Sato family gathered at the living room of the Sato mansion. The Satos still recalled the extremely dramatic encounter between Korra and Lin Bei Fong, where the water bender got into a shouting match with Republic City's unflappable chief of police. It took Asami every ounce of energy to keep them apart, and after that she made sure to call Lin to thank her for keeping her cool in the face of Korra's onslaught.

However, it was after Asami dragged Korra away that her plan sprang into action. During yesterday's argument, Lin commented that Korra should provide some evidence to prove that Future Industries and Boar-Q-Pine Logistics were not smuggling counterfeit goods. The serial codes on the confiscated goods were not found in the distribution records, something that did not sit right with Asami. If Korra recorded all Future Industries' goods in the warehouse, then surely she would have noticed something amiss. As all defective goods were away from the distribution line, why would they show up again in a warehouse storing Future Industries' goods?

"And the answers are in these two objects in front of you, as well as in this set of notes," Asami announced. Indeed, sitting on the coffee table before everyone were two identical parts for Future Industries vehicles. Appearance-wise, they were identical in every way, shape, or form. "One of these is from the batch to be released to the distribution line, while the other is from the warehouse. Can anyone tell me the difference between these two?"

Hiroshi, Varrick, and Zhu Li all got off the couches and leaned in for a closer look. Even Yasuko, who had mobility issues, craned her neck from her seated position. "Is there anything in particular that you want us to look for?" Varrick asked, poking around the machinery.

"Actually, I think I see it," Hiroshi responded, opening the top of the pieces. The insides of both pieces were now exposed, and some obvious differences definitely showed. "The piece on our left looks like it's fresh off the production line. All the parts making up the piece are brand new, with no visible damages and most likely no malfunctions. This looks like something that will pass quality control and can go into the market."

Hiroshi then turned to the item beside it, and one glance caused his forehead to wrinkle. "This one clearly has some issues, particularly with the way it was put together. I see some parts that don't seem like they are quality parts, and that can affect the way this piece operates," the heavyset entrepreneur explained, "And I'm not sure if it's the assembly line folks making a mistake, or if there's some shoddy workmanship, but there's definitely some cause for concern in the way this is put together. I can imagine this one being defective and malfunctioning easily."

Asami nodded authoritatively. She turned to Korra, who opened up the notebook that she carried around religiously. "The first piece mentioned got off the production line exactly three weeks ago. It was the two hundredth individual piece produced from this production, and the one hundred twentieth to be released into the distribution line. According to the records, the serial number was recorded as having passed all quality control tests," Korra recited, noting each detail without fail, "In other words, this can hit the market and no one will complain about it."

Turning to the piece deemed defective by Hiroshi, Korra read out the details from her notebook once more. "This piece is from the warehouse, which Asami and I retrieved before the police did another raid. It was the four hundred fortieth individual piece produced from this production, and the one hundred twelfth piece to be rejected by quality control. In fact, it did not pass several tests, and records indicated it was to be sent back for some fine-tuning. If it still fails, then it is to be destroyed and any usable parts be incorporated into other pieces," Korra described, "In other words, this piece should have never made it into distribution."

"Thank you, Korra. You did very well," Asami complimented the water bender, placing a hand on her shoulder before taking over the centre stage once more. Turning to her own parents and Korra's foster parents, she put the revelation before them. "It's clear that the counterfeit importation charge against us has absolutely no leg to stand on, meaning Chief Bei Fong has to let Toza go. We will go to her first thing tomorrow morning with our findings."

"Great, all's well that ends well," Varrick exclaimed, clapping his hands in excitement. Taking a seat on the couch once more, he leaned back in a relaxed pose and flashed his famous grin. "The counterfeit goods are just defective goods, Future Industries is in the clear, Korra gets her friends back, we do a massive recall on the defective parts, and everything will be fine. Why don't we end this chat and prepare a public announcement then, Zhu Li?"

Zhu Li, however, realized things were not that simple. Shaking her head at her husband, the bespectacled woman tilted her head back at Asami, who had something else to add. "The main question of the day is this," the heiress pointed out, "Why in the world did defective goods that should have been sent back end up appearing in Toza's warehouse?"

That left Varrick completely silenced, and immediately every set of eyes descended onto the eccentric man. As the head of Future Industries' main subsidiary, Varrick had significant sway in the company. One department completely under his watch was shipping and transport, including sending defective or inactive goods back to manufacturing. "You have to send all goods not on the active distribution list back to the factory, yet these were found in Toza's warehouse, which stores our goods," Asami stated, waving at the goods on the coffee table, "How exactly did you send them out, and how did these get returned to us unrectified?"

Varrick glanced at Zhu Li, but his wife had a stone-cold expression on her face. His long-time partner Hiroshi did not seem impressed either, and even the usually friendly Yasuko had a frown on her face. "Varrick, if you don't come clean, this will be on you," Yasuko added.

After the intense glares of every party, Varrick threw up his hands and surrendered. "Look, I am in charge of booking the ships and loading companies to each of our manufacturing towns. I made sure everything goes through in a cheap and efficient manner. Whichever group gives me the best deal to deliver those, I'll sign a contract with them! It's not that hard to see, is it?" Varrick declared, waving his arms at the group, "I either personally sign off on the deliveries or I supervise the logistics managers to sign off, so this can't be a mistake on my end."

"But what happened to the goods when they reach the manufacturing sites? Did you have any supervisory role over them?" Yasuko demanded, leaning harder on her cane in Varrick's direction, "Shouldn't you be keeping an eye on what goods go out of the factories and back into our piers? If not, then this will explain why these goods came back to us without being fixed."

Varrick sighed again. "Look, the manufacturing guys said they will fix them, and I will get notice when they have them done. The factory leads told me they have a cheaper way to deal with the goods, and I trusted them to either fix them or scrap them. If it saves us some money and can get the goods back out to the market, then we're good to go," Varrick explained, "The consumers get our products back and we make more money from that. We help out the little guys, and in turn we become even bigger guys. Isn't that a good thing?"

"Don't tell me you didn't even keep an eye on the factories when they release the goods," Hiroshi snapped, waving his finger in Varrick's face, "When they told you there was a cheaper way of addressing those, did you even bother to find out what that was? Did it occur to you that it would mean they could have sent it off to the black market, who in turn may pose these as quality Future Industries goods? Do you have any idea how much legal trouble this will get us into, and what this can do to our reputation? What did you do with those goods, Varrick?"

The cat deer in the headlights look on Varrick's face said it all. Every single person in the room was flabbergasted, but Korra took it exceptionally hard. "I can't believe this. How can my own foster father do this to my friends?" Korra sputtered, her body shaking in anger, "Until you get Toza out of jail and apologize to Bolin, I don't want to see you again!" With that, Korra spun around and raced out of the Sato mansion, ignoring all calls to her name.

"Korra, do you want to come out and talk?" Asami asked, knocking on the closed door of Korra's bedroom. It was the next day, and Future Industries provided the evidence to the police. Lin, while she did not show it, was more than relieved that this operation could finally end. Toza was once again a free man with no criminal charges against him. And most importantly, Future Industries would no longer be subject to an investigation.

However, it did not mean Korra was any better. She was very upset that Varrick's wilful blindness got Toza in trouble. She locked herself in her room since she barged out of the Sato mansion. Other than Zhu Li bringing her meals to her, Korra had not left her room. It left Varrick and Zhu Li at a loss, especially when Varrick had to hold a press conference with Hiroshi to ask for a massive recall of all the defective parts that were leaked out. "Hiroshi wasn't too happy with me, and neither were the board members," Varrick grumbled.

Asami shot Varrick a dark look. "The only reason Korra is upset is because you dropped the ball. Had you supervised the factory shipments properly, these defective goods would never be on the black market," she snapped. Turning back to the door, the heiress knocked hard again. "Come on, Korra. Toza has already been freed, we're already doing the recall, and the police will not press charges. Can you at least come out so we can talk?"

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the doorknob slowly clicked. It was complete silence when the door slowly pulled open, the creaking of the wood echoing through the hall being the only sound heard. It finally became wide enough to reveal the tan face of a very upset water bender, who avoided eye contact with Varrick and barely addressed Asami. "If you want to talk, then let's talk," she muttered, "I'm really not in the mood for this."

Asami put a hand on Korra's shoulder and slowly led her to the living room. Normally Korra was uncomfortable with people touching her, but she was willing to allow it if it was someone she bonded well with. Asami was one of the few who had that luxury, given they practically grew up together. But right now, seeing Korra's downcast eyes and trudging steps, Asami was unsure if Korra would continue extending that luxury to her.

Bringing her to the destination, Asami and Korra sat down on the main couch, with the water bender to Asami's left and Zhu Li to her right. Varrick took the individual sofa, the flamboyant man now completely stoic at the sight of his broken ward. "Well, I guess I should start," Varrick eked out, moistening his lips several times, "I held a press conference with Hiroshi today to address the matter. I made a public apology and ordered the full recall, and in the process got royally chewed out by the board. If there were any damages, I offered to personally compensate Hiroshi. It's a mistake I made, and I'm prepared to own up to it."

Korra refused to say anything, opting to rub her hands and glare darts at the carpet on the floor instead. It left Varrick in a vulnerable position, given he truly cared for Korra ever since he took custody of her. "You realize that everything I did, it's for you, right?" he stated, "When I was younger, I didn't really think about others too much. It's like that old story I always tell you when my family first moved away from the Southern Water Tribe. I had to see goodbye to my old ostrich horse, Mrs. Beaks. I took her for granted when I was a kid, and boy, did I ever regret that. Now, looking back, I would have treated her way better than that."

"What Varrick means to say is that he's taken his fair share of lumps throughout his time. It's only through events like these that he learns to back off a bit," Zhu Li clarified, her eyes tilting between her husband and her ward, "I recall when I first met Varrick, I was hired to be his assistant. And was he ever a slave driver, always asking me to do this and that. I barely got a chance to breathe before he got me to help on the next task, and several times I was ready to quit the job. But something in Varrick changed, and he became a much more considerate man. It's also the reason why I agreed to marry him. Do you know how that change came about?"

Korra lifted her head slightly, barely looking Zhu Li in the eyes. "Is it from when you guys took me in?" she queried, her voice barely above a murmur, "It's been so long since I left the Southern Water Tribe that I don't remember much about that anymore."

Zhu Li nodded. "The two Water Tribes have been in an on-and-off civil war for almost thirty years now. As a favour to your parents, Varrick decided to take you in," she explained, "We were still in an on-again, off-again relationship, and Varrick still had those bad attitudes I told you about. But when he was put in charge of you, I could tell something about him became different. He became more responsible and mature, letting his conscience speak to him more than the numbers on a spreadsheet. And when he wanted me to help him raise you, I knew he was very sincere. We married not long after, and you've been living with us since."

"I know I made some mistakes throughout my life, but no matter what happens, you know I always want the best for you," Varrick assured Korra, "What happened in this incident is truly my attempt to help the company save costs, and I admit I was too focused on that and did not supervise properly. It's another lump that I took in my life, another reminder that I can't go back and be that money-grubbing person from twenty years back."

Korra took in a few breaths, trying hard to calm her mind. While she wanted to just let this go, something truly did not sit right with her. "You really hurt Bolin and Kai, you know that? Seeing Mako arrest his foster father isn't something that they'll forget," she pointed out, "And it also made me feel like I made a mistake. When Asami asked me to help her, I thought I can do a good job. You guys encouraged it too, so I knew I had to do my best. But when this happened, I felt like I failed everyone. If I checked more carefully and realized there were serial numbers not on the active list, maybe this wouldn't have happened. The fact that I didn't know or couldn't figure out about the inactive or defective list just made me feel so stupid," she concluded, her two shaking hands clenching into fists while her body slightly trembled.

"But Korra, isn't that just another way of seeing what happened to Varrick?" Asami suggested. Korra's eyes shot to the engineer, who had a sincere smile on her face. "Varrick did make a mistake, and believe me, I'm very upset at him for doing that. But at the end of the day, isn't that the best way for us to learn? I know you probably feel bad about signing on with that Skoochy kid, but it just means you'll have to be twice as careful in the future. And now that you learned how to spot that mistake, you won't be making it again, right?"

Korra pursed her lips. She always felt better when Asami explained things to her, as hearing her confident voice always made Korra feel better. She inadvertently felt her hand move closer to Asami's, grabbing it into hers while squeezing her eyes shut. "If it's alright with you, maybe I'll take a few days off," Korra proposed, "I just have to clear my head a bit, and maybe find a way to apologize to Bolin and the gang. Part of this is my fault, and I have to make it up to them. If Varrick will make it up to us all, then that's the least I can do for Bolin."

Asami, Zhu Li, and Varrick all gave each other an understanding look. Allowing Korra to take some time to herself, they turned their focus to fixing the mess that was created. For all of them, not just Korra, this was a time for redemption. If they could all make some changes here and there, maybe things would truly be on the right track for them all.

"You've really got to try their kale wraps here, Bolin. For an appetizer, it doesn't get any better than that," Opal pointed out, handing the menu back to the waiter. As expected, Bolin and Opal were having their first dinner together, after much teasing from their friends. It was obvious to everyone nearby that there was a mutual crush between each other, and the sooner they acted on that the better it would be for them all.

Unfortunately, this first date had to take place in the backdrop of the latest incidents. Instead of his trademark grin and chipper outlook, Bolin was hunched over with downcast eyes and pursed lips. "Hey, everything will be fine now," Opal stated, placing a hand on Bolin's elbow, "Toza got released and Future Industries is in the clear, so cheer up, will you?"

Bolin took a deep breath before staring up at Opal. His usually bright green eyes were lifeless and dull, while his muscles still slightly clenched through his shirt. "I'm glad Toza is out, but I just wish I can get over that whole thing with Mako," he stated, "You realize since Mako made the arrest, I haven't spoken to him at all?"

Opal gaped at Bolin in shock. Given how close Bolin seemed to be with Mako, how could it be that they were not even talking? "You can't possibly believe Mako wanted to hurt you or Toza, right?" Opal asked, "I know he can be a bit off-putting with his stick-in-the-mud attitude, but I'm sure he means well. A police officer isn't an easy job, and this comes from a person whose aunt is the police chief! Can't you give him a break?"

"I know, I know," Bolin responded, his hands clenching hard onto the napkin on his lap, "But right now, I don't really know how to approach Mako. I mean, he's always been strong as a rock, even though I'm the earth bender and he's the fire bender. Before we were taken in, Mako always protected me from bullies. And after Toza took us in and sent us to school, Mako was ahead of me and always taught me the ropes of the schoolwork. I owe him so much that I feel I probably won't be where I am today without Mako."

"So you're saying you really look up to Mako, and he's a sort of role model for you, mainly because of the way you grew up," Opal observed. She took a quick sip of water before continuing, "I can see where that comes in handy, since I have two older brothers of my own. I look up to Baatar because he's a great engineer and Huan because he's a great artist. Baatar is helping my dad out while carving out his own role in the construction industry, while Huan is starting his own art studio and school. They're achieving so much that I sometimes wonder if I can have their conviction and carve out my own niche in my own way."

Bolin relaxed his hands a bit, unclenching his fists and slowly moving his open palms back onto the table. It was true that Mako did have the conviction and determination to reach far, and everything he did was for Bolin. Even though Mako knew that he would take most of the risks, which in turn would allow Bolin to avoid the pitfalls Mako stepped into, not even once did Mako complain about it. It almost felt like Mako took pride in being Bolin's security blanket, shielding him from the big issues and letting Bolin grow up with as little stress as possible.

However, there was still the issue of Toza's arrest, which left a sour taste in Bolin's mouth. "Toza took us in when nobody else did, and Mako and I really bonded with him," he explained, "Toza and Yung are in business together with the logistics company, and when Yung took Kai in, it was like I'm the new big brother. Kai and I both look up to Mako, but at least Kai and I can get along more like siblings. So when Mako arrested Toza, it felt like he was ripping our whole group apart. Doesn't Mako see how many people he hurt when he did that?"

"I know how you feel, but doesn't Mako also have to fulfill his duty as a police officer?" Opal responded. She leaned her head slightly to the side, trying to gauge the downcast look Bolin had on the tablecloth. "His job is to investigate anything that may seem suspicious. Based on what Asami told me about the imports, there's definitely something suspicious there. How in the world did a bunch of defective goods appear in our warehouse?"

Bolin nodded with great difficulty. "Maybe Varrick shouldn't have trusted those people he works with, and maybe we trusted Varrick too easily. But there's no reason to not trust him, since he's Korra's foster father," Bolin described, "But still, it sounds like Varrick only got us into this mess because he's too focused on his work rather than the people around him. And if you don't mind me saying this, I'm starting to think Mako is the exact same way."

Opal gasped at that remark, covering her mouth in shock. "Bolin, you're not suggesting that Mako will throw you under the bus all because he wants to save a few dollars, are you? Even though Varrick made that mistake, I can't say he's intentionally trying to hurt Korra. So why would you think that way about Mako?" she exclaimed.

Bolin winced. "Well, not to that extent, but Mako definitely thinks more about work than he should, especially recently when he was told he has a chance to be promoted to detective," Bolin pointed out. He then explained that Mako was a rising star in the force, even when he was first put under the supervision of two senior detectives Lu and Gang. Mako hated those two with every fibre of his being, claiming all they did was bully and belittle him. "But then Mako started solving cases on his own, and your aunt really valued his help. She even asked him to do the tough assignments over those senior detectives, and claimed that when there's a new detective opening, Mako will be first in line," Bolin concluded.

The waiter then brought in the kale wraps, interrupting the conversation. Adjusting her own napkin on her lap, Opal gently picked up a wrap and placed it on her own plate. "But it sounds like you're not happy about that," she observed, "Are you afraid that Mako may forget about you if he gets promoted? Based on what I've seen from Mako so far, he doesn't seem like the type of person to do that."

Bolin winced, taking a kale wrap and dropping it on his plate rougher than he should. He wanted to stay positive, given Mako's sacrifice to him and everyone around. However, there was a part where Bolin wanted everything to stay exactly the way it was. "I guess Mako's actions made me really worried," Bolin stated, "I'm scared about what will happen if he does end up forgetting about us. Maybe I'm a bit selfish in not wanting him to go places, but I also don't know what I'll do if he's not around anymore. It's both frustrating and embarrassing, but that's just how I feel about Mako. Know what I mean?"

Opal took a quick bite of the kale wrap, chewing it thoughtfully before swallowing it. "I think I know what you mean," she replied, "When I first came to Republic City to learn air bending from Master Tenzin, it was only after a huge argument between my mom and Aunt Lin. I didn't want to leave Zaofu because I didn't want to disappoint my parents. They wanted me to stay in Zaofu and finish my schooling. But Aunt Lin convinced them that I should decide based on what I want and not to impress other people. In the end, we reached a compromise. My mom agreed to let me go as long as I still finished my schooling, which I ultimately did. It doesn't mean I don't get nervous every now and then, but I just try to deal with it the best I can."

Bolin nodded thoughtfully. Tilting his eyes at the kale wrap on his plate, he finally cracked a smile. "Look at us, talking about our feelings over a kale wrap," Bolin commented. It did not hurt that it was Opal's favourite food, as Opal could eat that for breakfast, lunch, and dinner if she wanted to. "It's like you say, until things are sorted out, we'll always have kale."

In this dark and narrow alleyway, all people could hear were the sounds of duelling elements. Slabs of concrete and earth were slung around, while blasts of air came hurtling back the other way. People passing by outside stared into the alley with concern, but none, not even benders, were brave enough to stop the battle. Whatever the two young combatants were doing, it was fiercer than what the abilities of even the most experienced benders could handle.

"Look, Kai, I already said I was sorry. What more do you want?" the earth bender, identified as Skoochy, called out. He bent up another slab of concrete, which barely blocked the sharp wind blade heading his way. His clothes were already rumpled and riddled with cuts as a result of the assault, but with the ferocity of the attacks, the battle was far from finished.

"How about not stabbing us in the back again?" Kai snapped, swinging his fist and sending another air blast Skoochy's way. Without missing a beat, Kai launched himself into the air and did a triple kick, resulting in three smaller but identical air slices. Those managed to break through Skoochy's earth shield, causing the earth bender to tumble back. "How about not getting us arrested for false charges? Or better yet, how about turning yourself in to the police?"

"I didn't know anything about that, and I definitely didn't bring them in, so can you at least give me a break?" Skoochy shouted, diving for cover as another blast of air threatened to shave off his unruly hair. Even though they were the same age and had similar bending skills, Skoochy knew better than to face off against an angry Kai. The air bender, despite his element's pacifist nature, had a fiery temper. Nobody wanted to be nearby when that short fuse burned out. "I had nothing to do with that, so stop making it sound like it's my fault," Skoochy added.

"Yeah, and I'm the next reincarnation of Aang Anil, the greatest air bender ever to walk this planet," Kai retorted, slipping past another couple of slabs of concrete before launching into another volley of air blasts. The more reasons Skoochy gave, the angrier Kai became, and it was not long before Skoochy was completely cornered and exhausted. "You think your excuses can stop what happened to Toza, or prevent Mako and Bolin from being at each other's throats?" Kai challenged. He raised his fist, ready to send one last air bomb at Skoochy. Part of him took pleasure in seeing the look of fear on Skoochy's face, similar to what he went through when Mako arrested Toza. Maybe Skoochy could feel exactly what Kai felt on that day.

Just then, a blast of air from the opening of the alley knocked Kai off balance. The air bender tilted his head just in time to see a female air bender with an arrow on her forehead march towards him. "What is going on here?" the girl demanded, a frown etched onto her face.

Kai rebalanced himself and took a gander at the newcomer. He recognized her as Jinora, who he helped rescue from a runaway forklift at the warehouse. She was the oldest daughter of the vice president and current record holder as the youngest air bending master. Kai only spoke to her that one day when she visited Korra at the warehouse, but already he got a sense of honour and pride from Jinora. Her self-confidence, high level of achievement, and overall knowledge of Air Nomad history made Kai feel like he was not good enough as an air bender.

Indeed, Jinora wasted no time launching into a lecture at Kai. "You know, as an air bender, you should at least be aware of the oath of non-aggression. Air benders do not attack defenseless opponents, initiate anything with force, and use more force than necessary to stop an attack," Jinora listed off, glaring darts at the two former combatants, "I was passing by when I saw that huge crowd outside. They don't want to intervene, but as an Air Nomad and an air bending master, I have a duty to do that. Just what were you thinking, Kai?"

Kai's face softened at Jinora's remark. He still despised Skoochy for what he did, and it did not ease the dark look he shot at the earth bender. Skoochy barely got back on his feet, picking up his now tattered hat off the ground. "I'm out of here, Kai," Skoochy declared, "Have fun chatting with your girlfriend, and let's hope you're not as crazy on her as you were on me."

"Hey, you're lucky Jinora got involved. You mouth off at me one more time, I'll beat you senseless," Kai threatened, waving his finger in Skoochy's direction. Jinora immediately got between the two, letting Skoochy exit the alley while getting into a position to restrain Kai, if necessary. The crowd outside the alley dissipated, leaving Skoochy to go home alone. Kai and Jinora remained in the alley, the former now turning to the latter. "You didn't have to do that, you know. He had it coming for what he did to Toza and the rest of my friends," Kai stated.

Jinora shook her head at Kai. "You can't think that way as an air bender. We're supposed to care for and cherish all life. Hurting someone due to a previous wrong will destroy the entire spirit of Air Nomad culture," she admonished Kai, "I heard what happened from Korra and Opal, and I'm glad everyone in your group had their names cleared. But if you knocked that guy's lights out, and the police find out about it, you just put yourself back in trouble."

Kai sighed. He leaned his back against the wall and ran his hand through his hair. "It's just so hard to let that idiot go," Kai complained, tilting an exasperated side-glance at Jinora, "I thought my life was getting better, but that moron has to show up and ruin it all."

Jinora stayed silent, hearing Kai air out some of his grievances. From the only time she interacted with Kai, she knew that Yung was his foster father, and Yung was Toza's partner in the logistics business. Kai was in the same grade as her, but helped his family at the business. "Bolin had to drop out of college, and I may not have a chance to go if there isn't enough money. Basically they're keeping the street kid on the streets," Kai concluded, his helpless green eyes close to tears, "So how do you think I feel when Skoochy pulls a stunt like that?"

"But to almost send him through a wall, isn't that a bit much?" Jinora responded. She kept her tone gentle but still slightly firm, letting Kai know that she was not impressed with his actions. She dealt with her younger siblings and countless air bending students, some of whom were older than she was. She knew how she had to speak in order to get her message across. "I would like to know where you learned your air bending. You clearly have potential, even though you lacked restraint. Have you taken any air bending classes before?"

Kai let out an odd chuckle that was borderline derisive. "You're talking to someone who lost his parents for as long as he could remember, spent time at orphanages and foster homes that no kid would want to be at, lived on the streets for months at a time, and having less than a single yuan in his pocket for more than half his life. What do you think?" Kai retorted. That got Jinora to lean her head back involuntarily, although Kai barely missed a beat with his comments. "No offence, Jinora, but you have rich people problems. You have a roof over your head, clothes on your back, and food in your belly. There's no way you can see it from my point of view."

Jinora wasn't sure if she should be shocked at Kai's rudeness, or be ashamed that she did not think about these issues. She liked to think of herself as a generous person, involving herself in various clubs and groups at school addressing community service and social justice. In Air Nomad philosophy, valuing all life meant helping those less fortunate than oneself so they had the same opportunities in life. Perhaps she dropped the ball on fulfilling her culture?

Shaking her head a few times, she turned back to Kai with a solemn look. "I'm sorry if what I said was insensitive. I really want to help you out, so please give me a chance," Jinora pleaded with Kai, "If you want, you can have my number. Next time you see Korra, just ask her for it. If you want my help, or if you just want to chat, I'll be available." With that, she stepped out of the alleyway, feeling that maybe she should recalibrate her views on her own culture.

"Tough day, Mako?" a gruff female voice called to the fire bender nearly slumping over his desk. It was not an easy few days for Mako, who weathered quite a storm with the most recent events. Not only did he have to arrest his own foster father, he was also limited in his investigation with the warehouse. Given his connections there, Chief Bei Fong insisted that the senior detectives, Lu and Gang, led the investigation, as to avoid a conflict of interest. It left Mako on the sidelines fuming in anger while fretting over what would happen to his family.

Mako lifted his head to see Lin peering at him through the mountain of papers on his desk. Shaking his head a few times, Mako sat up straight before addressing his superior. "I've had a tough few days, but I guess it could be worse," he murmured. Not only had Bolin refused to speak to him since the arrest, Mako had also gotten some dark looks from the police. Some senior members, but especially his nemeses Lu and Gang, began spreading rumours about his involvement in the illegal activities. While Mako tried to avoid that at all costs, the fact that there were so many whispers about him at the office really grated on his nerves.

"Well, there's nobody at the office right now," Lin observed, taking a gander around with Mako. Given it was late into the night, the office was empty and void of any activity, with most staff having already gone home. The night shift people were located in another part of the unit, which was a separate room. "If you want, you can come into my office and talk about this," Lin offered, "You know I'm never going to judge you."

Mako sighed. Rubbing his face a few times, he climbed out of his seat and entered the chief's office. Lin pushed the door close after he got in, but still left it ajar. Mako often knew of officers who got called into this office like a naughty student about to be disciplined by the principal. Even though he had always been in Lin's good books, getting praise and strong recommendations from Lin each time, Mako still felt intimidated whenever he was seated across from her. Now, with Lin easing into her own chair and giving him her trademark stern look, the butterflies in his stomach returned. "So, what's on your mind?" Lin queried.

Mako took a few deep breaths, moistening his lips before he began. "Well, you saw what happened with this counterfeit goods thing," Mako stated, "Toza was arrested and they all think I'm involved in this whole thing. Then when Toza was released, the whole unit acts like it's my fault that they got embarrassed. Can't they see the investigation was flawed to begin with?"

Lin pursed her lips. She knew this was a question that she herself raised when the order was given from the Department of Public Safety. "You realize that this is way beyond our rank," she responded, both with sympathy and helplessness, "Korra had a huge spat with me about that, but if Minister Yakone used the emergency powers, the order is near impossible to ignore."

"Chief, you and I both know that this is bogus. There's nothing going on in my family's warehouse and Toza wasn't criminally charged. Those senior officers have no clue what they're talking about, and I doubt they will in the future," Mako exclaimed, uncharacteristically gesturing his arm wildly at the door. To an extent, Lin was happy her door was mostly closed and no one was outside. She shuddered to think what would happen if they heard Mako scold them like this. "When I asked how Toza was treated in custody, I was seen as helping a criminal. But when Toza was freed, I got frowns from the team about bringing them into a baseless investigation. Can someone just give me a break here, and not see me as some type of pariah?"

"It's office politics, Mako. I'm always happy that you're able to rise above it, but the fact is that it'll always be there," Lin responded with a nonchalant shrug, "You think I was happy when people kept claiming that the only reason I got appointed as chief is because my mother was the police chief once upon a time? It's the same thing here because out of all the junior officers, I trust you the most. Some senior people, like the two detectives you work with, don't like some young hotshot becoming their superior one day, so they try to shoot you down however they can. It doesn't change your work performance, which is always top notch."

Mako fumed and pursed his lips. While he understood Lin's point of view, it still did not make him feel any better. "I can rise above it, but it doesn't mean I have to like it," he retorted, crossing his arms and turning his head in defiance, "Another thing that hurt me a lot was when Bolin won't talk to me at all. My hands are completely tied on this, and I had no choice but to bring Toza in. Can't he at least see what I'm dealing with right now?"

"You really care about your brother, don't you? Even when I first interviewed you for a position with the force, I know you have a special bond with Bolin, given the way you talked about him," Lin recalled. She stood up from her chair and strolled around her desk, stepping in front of it and leaning against it instead. It put her right in front of Mako, and her less formal and stiff pose relaxed the fire bender somewhat. "You realize I had an eerily similar situation with my sister Suyin when we were younger, to the point where it created a rift within my family?"

Mako glanced up with a surprised look on his face. Given how well Lin and Suyin got along, he would have never expected Lin to have arrested Suyin. "What exactly happened back then? Did you catch Suyin committing a crime or something?" he asked.

Lin grimly nodded. "My mother raised us by herself, and that left us with very little guidance. Mom always believed in a hands-off parenting approach, so she let us do whatever we wanted. Somehow she believed that we would figure things out on our own, which ended up being a bad choice," Lin explained. Her eyes now focused on the ground instead of Mako, and her pose suddenly seemed frail and weak. "I followed Mom's footsteps in hopes of pleasing her, and Suyin chose a different path. In my first year as a cop, I came home to find Suyin with some less than savoury people. You can imagine how shocked I was at that."

Mako straightened up once more with interest. Never had he seen Lin this vulnerable before, nor had he heard this story from either her or Opal. "I told Mom about it, but she paid little attention to that. Then, on a regular patrol, I caught Suyin driving a getaway vehicle with stolen goods. I tried to arrest her on the spot, she fought back, and in the process I was slashed across the face," Lin pointed out. She leaned forward and slightly tilted her head, giving Mako a good look at the scars on her cheek. "Mom begged the prosecutor not to charge Suyin. I was furious Suyin got away with that, and Suyin was mad that I called her out. Mom sent her to live with our grandparents and resigned as chief a year later in disgrace. It caused the three of us to not talk to each other for almost twenty years."

Mako remained solemn, hoping Bolin would not refuse to talk to him for twenty years over this incident. "It took some serious inner reflection before we chatted again. Tenzin and I broke up, and Opal was discovered to be an air bender. Suyin reached out by meeting me with Mom present. I refused at first, but I realized my life was in shambles. I had to do something before I die a bitter and lonely woman, so I took her up on the offer," Lin concluded. She lifted her head again, this time cracking a rare smile. "So nothing is ever lost when you at least give reconciling a chance. If you and Bolin really care about each other, you can work it out."

Mako remained silent, nodding his head but not commenting much. He realized maybe he did focus too much on his work, to the point where his brother felt alienated. He had always provided for the family, and he knew how far this promotion would go to meet that goal. But he also knew that it caused him to focus less on family, which caused the strain present today. The explosion with Toza's arrest was only the result of everything that happened up until now. If the seeds of the disaster were sewn way before the arrest, then he had to make it right with Bolin.

"And how do you explain the mess you created this time, Tarrlok?" Tenzin demanded, glaring at the Minister of Public Safety currently seated across from him. After the debacle with the counterfeit goods charges, it was evident that there would be complaints made. Hiroshi and Yasuko made good on their threat to seek retribution for this investigation, and before long a complaint was lodged against Tarrlok's department. "What makes it worse is that even Lin herself complained that this was a fruitless investigation, and it'll be hard to find any wrongdoing on the Satos," Tenzin added, "So why in the names of all the spirits did you authorize this?"

Tarrlok again shook his dipping head and chuckled. "Why am I not surprised that your personal relationships are present again?" he retorted derisively, "You have the Satos, whose daughter grew up with your daughter, and Lin Bei Fong, an old friend of yours who I believe you courted for the longest time. Why are you always so blinded by personal connections?"

"You trumped up fake charges of importing counterfeit goods and ruined Lin's reputation as police chief!" Tenzin roared at Tarrlok, who was really pushing his buttons right now. "I'm starting to think maybe you have the hidden agenda here, not me!"

"Can you two gentlemen please calm down for a second so I can analyze this?" Raiko requested from the head of the table. They were in the same boardroom used for cabinet meetings, but this time it was just Raiko present with Tenzin and Tarrlok. Tarrlok was seated to Raiko's left, nonchalantly glancing at his fingernails, while Tenzin was to Raiko's right and ready to shoot out of his seat. "Each department is in charge of its own mandate, and I'm sure they will only authorize operations if there are good reasons. But if there are complaints from the public, then we will investigate internally, which is why we're here," he stated.

"Then you might want to tell Vice President Anil that my department is in charge of national defence and public safety, including border security," Tarrlok explained with a sneer at Tenzin, "We receive reports on counterfeit items all the time, and when we believe we have grounds to act, we will not hesitate to do so. Public Safety does have emergency powers that can allow us to conduct random searches at various sites, which is what I ordered Chief Bei Fong to do. I don't see how that's outside my usual jurisdiction."

"It's not outside your jurisdiction, but it sure is outside your mandate. You only exercise this power when you have grounds to act, which you clearly don't when the investigation gave us no results of wrongdoing," Tenzin responded, waving at the reports before him, "The Satos complained about the raid and harassment of the warehouse staff. The warehouse owner was detained unnecessarily, with no explanation of what charges he might face. Lin herself took responsibility for the detainee's mistreatment, but she also pointed out that she never believed these charges were likely, let alone sending an entire team to visit the pier. Did you override her authority by approaching Captain Saikhan? Who overstepped boundaries now?"

"And yet there are goods in that warehouse that could not be explained by their own records," Tarrlok countered, finally sitting up and reaching for one of his reports. Flipping through the pages, he pointed to all areas of suspicion. "It's either the Satos are getting sloppy with their company, or they intended to put inferior goods back onto the market. If that doesn't ring a bell for you, then I don't know what does."

"And Hiroshi Sato, along with Iknik Blackstone Varrick, explained the mistake. They had a situation with a foreign jurisdiction, which your department has no authority over, and they will fix the problem," Tenzin pointed out, jabbing his finger at yet another report, "This is an emergency power that you're using, over charges that would never stick. Maybe you should think about if you're abusing your powers, instead of raising conspiracy theories about me."

Raiko whipped off his glasses in frustration and raised his hands, stopping the argument on the spot. "This is an emergency meeting, not a schoolyard brawl. Can we both just stop for a second here?" the president insisted, his face completely creased and strained. Turning to Tenzin, Raiko reminded the air bender that the powers granted were allowed under some circumstances. "Maybe Tarrlok reached too far this time, but at least things are now under control. As long as this isn't escalating, I'm not prepared to push down the public's confidence in us."

Raiko then turned on Tarrlok, clearly unimpressed with his Minister of Public Safety's attitude. "And when it states that this is for emergencies only, it means for emergencies only. You don't just call up an entire team of Republic City's finest, raid a pier, harass its staff, arrest people arbitrarily, only to have no charges and several complaints in return," he scolded Tarrlok, "And like it or not, Lin Bei Fong served Republic City dutifully for many years. She has the respect of both police officers and the general public. Embarrassing her in public and making her a scapegoat won't do anyone of us an ounce of good, do you understand?"

Tarrlok stared back defiantly, his blue eyes narrowing to darts. However, with Raiko having made his decision, he was forced to accept the unsatisfactory outcome. "Moreover, Future Industries did make some applications to increase goods for trade. That means we have to be on good terms with some of our pier operators," Raiko continued, flipping a page in his own book, "That's why I've summoned our Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade. We have to better understand how this can work." Stepping away from the table, Raiko strolled to the front doors of the meeting room and opened it. "Minister Arnook, please come on in."

Raiko re-entered the room, this time followed by a giant of a man. Like Tarrlok, he had on a blue suit jacket and similarly coloured tie. But while the Minister of National Defence had the look of a scholar, this man resembled a wrestler or bodybuilder more. "Tonraq, I'm glad you can join us," Raiko greeted the newly-arrived individual, "I had to get the issue of that botched counterfeit goods investigation out of the way, I think this is the best time to move to the topic of our new trade routes. Can you please explain to us what your plan is?"

"With pleasure," Tonraq responded with a deep, baritone voice. The Southern Water Tribe native took a seat nest to Tenzin. He opened his own folder, laying a set of notes before him before he continued. "I have read all the applications by various importers in the city. I've also discussed with our Minister of Transport and Infrastructure about the current capacity of our piers. We can still bring in and ship out more goods without further expansion. As such, we should grant more licenses for importation and exportation to boost the economy."

Tarrlok could only fume in anger as Tonraq completely stole the show from him. Given he was from the other Water Tribe, Tarrlok always felt a sense of rivalry with Tonraq. When it was announced that Tenzin might not run for the presidency, Tonraq became interested. Tarrlok knew if Tenzin supported Tonraq, then he would have a strong rival. Moreover, with the on-and-off civil war between the Water Tribes, Tarrlok knew this might be a matter of personal pride on the line. Any successful attempt by Tonraq to show Tarrlok up would be humiliating.

"And to reassure our colleague here, there will be an increase of goods coming in from both Water Tribes," Tonraq concluded, giving Tarrlok a side glance. Tarrlok tried not to make eye contact with Tonraq, but right now his plan was up in smoke. There was no way he could report back to Unalaq with success in increasing the Northern Water Tribe's exports now.

"In that case, I'm prepared to make that a presidential order," Raiko declared. Clasping his hands together, he asked Tonraq to draft him the documents for his review. "Let's get this signed and pronounced by the end of the week, so our trade can get moving again!"

Again, just want to give you some of my approaches, inspirations, and themes for this chapter:

1.) I slightly altered the way Korra speaks in this chapter. Some autistic people, particularly those with Asperger's, tend to speak in exact details and will not stop until their thoughts are completely aired out. The character I based Korra off of with this trait is Carl Gould, a character from the long-running cartoon "Arthur" who has Asperger's himself. That's why when Korra has her notebook, she gives exact details and will not stop until her whole point is read. I'm not sure if this makes her autism more realistic of real-life autistics, so anyone with experience on this should please comment.

2.) While I am keeping to canonical relationships, I'm putting them in different lights. For example, Lin took forever to come to terms with forgiving Toph or Suyin, but in this story, she already took that step and is much more open about it. Likewise, Kai and Jinora had a crush on each other at first sight, but I wanted to explore their drastically different backgrounds a bit more. That's why there is some tension between them here, but overcoming that will be a big part of how they grow as people.

3.) Varrick's comment about helping the little guy in order to become a bigger guy is from "The Sting" in Book 2. Varrick and Zhu Li talking about their relationship falling apart before Varrick found his conscience is from "Enemy at the Gates" in Book 4. Opal's obsession with kale, and Bolin's comment about having kale until they could solve their problems, is from Opal's farewell party at Book 3. Kai's ferocity in fighting Skoochy, to the point where he almost killed him, is from his fight against the Sky Bison hunters in Book 3. Jinora's comments about an oath of non-aggression is the same one she gave to Opal in Book 4, while the contents of not fighting a defenseless opponent is from Tenzin's comment to Kai in Book 3. The big fight between Lin and Suyin over Lin arresting Suyin, and their subsequent reconciliation, is from "Old Wounds" in Book 3.

So, what does everyone think about this? Does Tarrlok really intend to ruin the reputations of all those who oppose him just to gain power? Can Korra and Mako make it up to Bolin, Kai, and Toza for what happened? What was the story of the civil wars between Water Tribes, and how did Korra end up in Varrick's care as a result? If you want to find out more, then I suggest you read on in the next chapter!