I want to thank Amateraszu, SaoirseParisa, and Wildstar93 for their reviews. The last chapter seemed to have caused a series of emotions, but most of which were directed at Korra. I know it seems like an unpopular decision for me to do that to Korra, but that's all part of my plan. I assure you that Korra will have her redemption later in this story, but that will only come after she builds her character up more. Until then, Korra will have to receive the bad news in this chapter. On that note, here we go!

Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko own the Legend of Korra.

"You realize this mistake cannot occur again," Zaheer pointed out, waving the offending object before the faces of his associates. The Red Lotus retrieved most of their artefacts from the boxes, feeling fortunate that Unalaq gave them enough space and time. Tarrlok delaying his inspection gave them one crucial night to take out all the items, which was just enough time for them to accomplish the task. "We got all the goods to our distributors, which will get us the funding we require, but we now have this additional piece to deal with," he added.

The additional piece was in a small box, similar to the one Zaheer wanted. What was originally an Air Nomad pendant now became some technology parts, none of which could go into the market. "How did you manage to make an error this big?" Zaheer demanded.

P'Li shrugged, glancing at her shorter colleagues helplessly. "I was in charge of taking the goods to the getaway vehicle. I also bothered Korra a bit by heating up the boilers in the warehouse," she stated, waving her hands at Ghazan and Ming Hua, "You guys were in charge of getting the goods. In fact, I didn't know that we missed one until afterwards."

"And don't pin this on me either, because Aiwei told me to stop getting the stuff and focus on the pipes," Ming Hua defended herself, her tendrils swishing and sloshing as her body tilted around to face the group, "He wanted me to make the pipes leak so Korra's attention was off of us. I'm not sure what happened to the boxes, so maybe Ghazan should tell us?"

All eyes turned to Ghazan, who stood in the middle of the formation with Aiwei. P'Li was directly to his left while Ming Hua was to the right of them. Aiwei had his usual nonchalant look, which only made Ghazan more annoyed. "Aiwei told me to go through all the boxes, which I did," he snapped, glaring back at the Zaofu native, "I know the artefacts were stored in these side compartments, but I didn't know what each one was until I opened them. After we took off, Aiwei texted us saying that we left something behind."

Now all eyes focused in on the truth seer, whose expressionless face made it hard for anyone to guess what he was thinking. The lighting in the room was already dim, with shadows covering parts of Aiwei's face. But this time, it was extra tense due to the showdown between the master air bender and the unflappable metal bender. "So how do you explain not picking up the Air Nomad pendant, and then later on being replaced by this?" Zaheer demanded.

Aiwei took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Indeed, he made a huge mistake when he sent Ghazan out without checking for Guru Laghima's pendant. He knew how much it meant to Zaheer, given how often Zaheer quoted the man. "I admit that I didn't check one of the boxes carefully," Aiwei explained, "I didn't realize that the pendant was in a smaller box inside the side compartment. That's why it was missed in the first place."

Zaheer pursed his lips, the silence numbing everyone around him. The bald man nonchalantly reached into the box with the technology pieces again, shuffling them around a bit. The clangs of each piece being moved only grated on everyone further. Finally, after a few more heart-pounding seconds, the air bender spoke again. "I assume you tried to fix it by smuggling it out of the warehouse, only to find it's not possible because Korra was leaving. Is that why you tried to smuggle it out in Korra's own car?" Zaheer asked incredulously.

Aiwei licked his lips nervously. Usually he was the one striking fear into people, but now the shoe was on the other foot. "It was the best option because she was approached by Mako, the police officer whose foster father owns the warehouse," Aiwei described, "Since Mako is doing night shift at the checkpoint, I thought he might give Korra an easy pass. Indeed, they didn't search her car as thoroughly, and the pendant left the inspection station undetected."

Ghazan snorted. "You had P'Li and I fake a car accident to distract Korra and Zhu Li so Ming Hua can reach inside the car to grab the box," he snarled, "Of all the stunts I had to pull with the Red Lotus, this was one of the worst! I'm surprised they managed to fall for it!"

"And did you even tell me what the box looks like? All you wrote in your text was that we should fake having a broken down car, have Ghazan and P'Li pull Korra and Zhu Li out, and then I reach in to grab the item," Ming Hua ranted, leaning her face dangerously close to Aiwei, "I was never told what the box looks like and where it's located. So how do you expect me to know which one to pull out? So when the wrong one is taken, shouldn't it be your fault?"

Zaheer slammed his hand on the table, shaking everything in the process. The slam was loud enough to paralyze everyone, sending a wave of silence through the room. "While you're still busy arguing about this, you're forgetting that Tarrlok already knows what happened. If he gets this to Unalaq, Unalaq might pull out to save himself. So who will save us then?" he roared.

Other than soft murmurs amongst the group, nothing coherent could be heard coming from their mouths. From the seat behind the desk, Zaheer closed the box containing the goods originally destined for Future Industries. "And even if Tarrlok doesn't act, Future Industries may still realize their items are missing. And what did I tell you about Korra being a threat? You all make fun of autistic people, but right now an autistic person can blow us to smithereens. You realize people like Korra have superior memory retention skills? What if she recalls every detail and brings that to her police officer friend, who then starts investigating us?" Zaheer ranted.

Silence descended upon the room's occupants again, this time the group realizing the gravity of the situation. While they were lucky that their goods made it to the black market, which gave them the funds to proceed with their operation, they were not in the clear. Korra was aware of what happened, even though she had no idea who they were. If her reputation as a human security camera held, then it was only a matter of time before they were caught. "So what's the best option for us now, Zaheer?" P'Li asked meekly.

Zaheer stood up and picked up the box. He dropped it on the ground next to the desk, acting like it was radioactive to him. "We'll have to rethink our strategy, either to lay low for longer or to start something without Unalaq's help," he suggested, "I want you all to look around the city. Find someone who is willing to cause havoc on either the government or any large corporation, like Future Industries. If we strike early and cause enough mayhem, it may distract the police away from us, which will give us the chance to attack the government."

The group nodded and slowly shuffled out of the room. Aiwei was about to follow, but Zaheer asked him to stay. The metal bender was unsure why he had to remain, but he hoped to use this chance to pacify Zaheer. "I already destroyed whatever evidence that might incriminate us in front of the Satos," he reassured Zaheer, "That's why I didn't even show up when Tarrlok inspected the goods. Nobody followed me here, and I didn't leave loose ends."

Zaheer frowned. Just then, two junior associates of the Red Lotus entered, standing to either side of Aiwei. Before the bespectacled man could react, Zaheer whipped his arms around and manipulated the air inside Aiwei's lungs. "No, you are the loose end," he pointed out, bending the air outside of Aiwei's body. The truth seer clawed at his throat, struggling to bring the air back in. "Fixing this is essential to our plans, just like air is to all of us. And when the air is all gone, there is no life, only darkness."

Before long, Aiwei's body slumped to the ground, as lifeless as the concrete below. The two junior associates then stepped forth, grabbing the body and proceeded to hauling it out. "Make sure you deposit it in the least suspicious way possible," Zaheer instructed them.

Despite his best to shake off the experience at Firewood Bay, Tarrlok could not help but feel the heat on him. Not only did he find unauthorized goods in the military goods from the Northern Water Tribe, he was dismayed to realize that Asami Sato also knew about it. A simple matter that could be quickly dealt with was now out of control when Asami gave Tarrlok her ominous warning. Who knew what damages it could do to him with Future Industries involved?

That thought only led him back to Unalaq's request, made to him just when the military goods were being relocated. Unalaq specifically requested Tarrlok to not inspect the goods until when they were removed from the warehouse. This was against protocol for not just military goods, but also civilian goods. Ever since the defective goods incident, Tarrlok insisted that all goods went through a thorough inspection. So for Unalaq to make a request to the contrary, it would not just threaten public safety, but also violate the rules that Tarrlok himself set out to enforce. How bad would Tarrlok look if he was found breaching his own rules?

Tarrlok picked up the set of notes on the side of his desk, the ones highlighting Asami's comments about the Air Nomad pendant. Asami pointed out that this was not in the military's original goods list, and then went through the warehouse's security measures. "And she even had the owners bring out security tapes to point out what that crazy girl Korra did," he muttered with a frown. Throughout the entire time, Tarrlok paid no mind to Korra due to her autism. But this time, he knew he dropped the ball, as Korra's special skill in memory retention really put his back against the wall. "So now I'm the one explaining why there's this item in here. I bet Unalaq is behind this, and he better have a good reason."

Just then, Tarrlok's phone sounded off, causing the Minister of National Defence to glare at the offending object. One check at the caller ID and the man was not impressed. Snatching the piece from its stand, he greeted the caller gruffly. "Unalaq, we need to talk," he snapped.

"Did you complete the task I asked you to do?" Unalaq asked, his calm voice showing no signs of worry, "Don't tell me you couldn't even delay the inspection of the goods."

"I didn't mess it up, but you sure did," Tarrlok retorted, his free hand now clenching into a fist, "Why is an Air Nomad pendant found inside military goods stored in your tribe? Are you smuggling ancient artefacts into the city? Do you know this can cause an international incident?"

"Yes, I was informed that a certain mistake was made. I assume it's been taken care of?" Unalaq responded, his nonchalant tone grating on Tarrlok's nerves. Tarrlok had no idea what Unalaq was up to, but given how he sounded, it was either Unalaq didn't care about this or was purposely keeping Tarrlok out of the loop, "What happened to the pendant?"

"It's currently held by the Ministry of Culture and Heritage, and they'll investigate where it came from and how it got here," Tarrlok reported, taking deep breaths to sooth his anger at Unalaq, "But Future Industries knows about it, and for sure they'll pin this on me. This will wipe out my election chances for president, and also put my personal reputation at stake. How will the Northern Water Tribe gain an upper hand in the Republic's market if that imbecile Tonraq surpasses me due to this mess?"

"Don't worry, because I doubt the Republic has jurisdiction to search my Northern Water Tribe for evidence," Unalaq pointed out. Tarrlok could hear the sound of fingers drumming on the desk on the other line, another sign that Unalaq did not see a concern with this matter. "The most you can do is search the warehouse at the Northern Water Tribe that held your goods, and even then there's nothing here. The damages to your reputation and election chances are small, just like the benefits I received from your time as minister so far."

Tarrlok stuttered at that remark. He knew Unalaq had questioned how effective Tarrlok was in achieving the goals he stated for the Northern Water Tribe. But this was the most blatant attempt by Unalaq to undermine him. Tarrlok felt his grip tighten around the phone while his heartrate fluttered uncontrollably. "What do you mean by that, Unalaq? What do you have planned for Republic City?" he demanded, his tone shaky and weak.

Unalaq chuckled darkly. "I already have something in mind for the next step, and it might even make you look good," Unalaq suggested, "All you have to do is keep an eye on things in your city and let things simmer for a bit. When the time is right, you enforce your department's mandate. As long as those around you don't interfere, you should have no problems."

"What next step are you talking about, Unalaq? Don't tell me you're going to get me in more trouble!" Tarrlok ranted, "If Future Industries gets involved, they will for sure act against me. How can I stop their interference if they are already targeting me?"

Again, Unalaq chuckled. "With what I have in mind, the plan is foolproof for you. The only way you'll mess it up is if you're too stupid to follow the logic." With that, the call was ended with an ominous click, all sound ceasing from the earpiece.

Tarrlok could only put the phone down, his entire body numb from the conversation. He was no longer in control of the situation, with both Unalaq and Future Industries having enough on him to incriminate him. It was either he disobeyed Unalaq and destroyed his election chances, or he challenged Future Industries and be subject to an investigation. Neither would put him in a good spot, and both served to prove that Tarrlok was only a pawn in the grand scheme of things.

But Tarrlok realized the problems all started with one person: Korra. Every single time he was involved with Future Industries, or the Firewood Bay warehouse, or even the cinema at the pro-bending arena, Korra was there to foil his plans. Tarrlok doubted Korra understood it, but she was the one who, intentionally or inadvertently, put him through all this humiliation. Even though he doubted he would run across Korra again, Tarrlok knew he had to strike while the iron was hot, to hit Future Industries while they were down.

Immediately, Tarrlok picked up the phone and dialled for his assistant. He recalled some notes he had from the past regarding Future Industries. There were some investigations a few years back regarding a tax audit to the corporation. Even though no wrongdoing was found, some money seemed to have gone to suspicious sources. Tarrlok also heard rumours that Hiroshi Sato had a hidden past that he did not want even his own family to know. If Tarrlok could use that to his advantage, then at least it got one of his rivals out of the picture. When the assistant picked up, Tarrlok gave the simplest instructions. "Give me every report on Future Industries. I don't want even the tiniest detail to slip through."

Asami's hands could not stop shaking as she approached the front door to Korra's home. It was a day after the board meeting where Hiroshi decided to terminate Korra's position. Asami was still in a state of shock when her father presented her with the termination letter to Korra. Given she was to deliver this to Korra personally, Asami fretted over how Korra might react.

Rubbing her forehead with her free hand, Asami rehearsed the speech inside her head several times, hoping to break it to Korra in the least damaging way. With Korra's condition and personality, telling her directly would be most effective. But also knowing what Korra went through to reach this stage, Asami also had to assure Korra that none of this was her fault. As Hiroshi said, if Tarrlok already had his eyes on Future Industries, nothing Korra did could satiate him. "What did President Raiko see in him to give him a minister's position?" Asami spat.

Staring right at the cream-coloured doors before her, Asami took several deep breaths to calm her nerves. Feeling her heart racing and her stomach fluttering, Asami raised a hand and rang the doorbell. Asami could not feel the warmth of this sunny early summer day. Seconds felt like weeks as Asami waited for the door to open, wondering where Korra or the housekeeper was. "Varrick did say Korra isn't working today, so where is she?" Asami wondered.

Finally, the locks clicked and the door edged open. The familiar tan face of a certain water bender greeted Asami. "Hey, you're not working today?" Korra asked, pulling the door wide open and letting Asami in, "You don't usually drop by in the middle of the afternoon."

"Thanks for letting me in, Korra," Asami responded. She stood in the main hall, waiting for Korra to lock up, before following her friend into the living room. Korra brought Asami to the main couch, the same one Korra sat on with Zhu Li and Senna when Varrick brought the psychologist in over twenty years ago. Asami and her parents were also there on that date, and Asami could still remember the stunned looks on everyone's faces when Korra was diagnosed with autism. It was a moment that would not be erased from Asami's memory anytime soon.

"So, what's going on, Asami? Did you get off work early and just came by for a visit?" Korra asked, plopping onto the couch and leaning back. Asami slowly eased down onto the seat next to Korra, licking her lips several times. She glanced back at Korra's face, that wide grin making this that much more difficult. In a few minutes, Korra might just be in tears.

Taking one more deep breath, Asami slowly began. "Korra, I just want you to know that you've done a lot for us. Future Industries won't be so successful in its expansion if you weren't there to help us," the engineer explained, articulating her words with crisp hand gestures, "My parents are very impressed by everything you've done, and they're more than accepting of your ideas. And of course, on top of all that, you're also my closest and best friend."

"You bet, and I'm so glad I can help you out," Korra replied, waving a hand nonchalantly at Asami, "It's so crazy that we became best friends even though I was really lashing out at you when I first met you. I didn't even remember what made me do that, but when things calmed down and Varrick and Zhu Li told me what happened, that's when I found out what I did. Then they found out I was autistic and the rest is history. I'm just glad you and your parents accepted me, and now you're letting me work with you guys on this project."

Asami tried to hide her wince behind a forced smile. Asami agreed that Hiroshi and Yasuko were very supportive of Korra. Even after Korra's initial outburst at Asami, the most they did was ask Varrick and Zhu Li why Korra did what she did. Not once did they judge Korra or prohibit Asami from spending time with Korra. And once the diagnosis was announced, Hiroshi and Yasuko remained supportive, even doing research themselves on how to interact with autistic people. Deep down, Asami could see why Hiroshi had to make the move he made today. Given the way Tarrlok treated Korra's autism, they had to protect Korra.

Asami placed her fingers around the corner of the envelope in her pocket and gently pulled it into the open. "Right now, Tarrlok is blaming us for things that we didn't even do, and he's picking on you the most," Asami pointed out, "Because of the presidential campaign and his frontrunner status, I don't think it's going to stop, unless he somehow loses the nomination."

Korra whipped her head away in disgust. "Does that guy ever give us a break? I swear, he is the most stupid and annoying person I've ever met," she commented, rubbing her upper arms in irritation, "I told him straight to his face that I won't vote for him, and I still stand by that."

Asami felt her fingers curl around the envelope tighter, creating a visible crease along the edge. "I think that's the best option for you to deal with Tarrlok right now, because he won't be going away anytime soon. He'll keep picking on you, and to protect you we took some drastic measures," Asami described. She finally lifted the envelope and offered it to Korra, who turned her head back and peered at it with curiosity. "This is the decision that my father proposed with the blessing of the entire management team, and everything is written in the letter here."

Korra creased her eyebrows, slowly taking the envelope from Asami's hands. Asami felt like the envelope was laced with poison dust, holding her hands together and rubbing them gently when Korra took the envelope away. Korra ripped the envelope open and unfolded the letter, her eyes scanning every line. Asami did not dare to look at Korra directly, but saw enough from the corner of her eye. By the time Korra placed the letter down, the water bender's face was a mix of shock, disappointment, and sadness. "So you're firing me?" she stuttered.

"Technically, yes," Asami responded, struggling to spit out the words. It was like her throat had a pythonaconda around it, and it slowly squeezed tighter and tighter. "But it was not because of your work performance. We just feel this is the best way to go, based on the current situation. We'll name a replacement at the warehouse very soon."

"Is it because of all those mistakes that Tarrlok accused me of making? We already proved to them that it wasn't me, or anyone in that warehouse," Korra pleaded, her tone a mix of desperation and helplessness. Staring at those blue eyes, Asami could not help but feel sorry for her friend. "If there's anything I can do better, just show me the ropes. I'm more than willing to learn, and your dad knows that. Can you guys just give me one more chance, please?"

Asami's mouth opened and closed, the words not forming despite having rehearsed them several times. "It's just that, Tarrlok isn't going to stop. As long as you're there, he'll keep coming after you," Asami reported, "My dad has to protect the company as well as you, and the best way to go is to part ways with you. We all felt very sad when the decision was made, and we all care too much about you to see you get hurt, so this is for the best."

Korra stayed silent, and Asami soon became lost in her thoughts. She recalled all the times she and Korra had together, all the highs and lows, and all the adversity they went through. It was true that they truly had a strong bond, and Asami did believe it could turn into something more. "I know you feel something for me that you didn't feel for anyone else. Quite frankly, I think I feel the same way about you," Asami murmured, hoping Korra didn't hear.

Unfortunately, Korra heard every word. "Wait a minute, how did you know about that?" she demanded, her back now straightening, "I wrote that in my journal, which was private. And when I showed you my journal, I only showed you the page with the new routines I developed for the warehouse. How did you know what I wrote on the other pages?"

Asami's head shot up, her green eyes widening while the colour drained from her face. At this moment, there was nowhere to hide. "When you stepped out of your room, I kind of took a peek," she confessed, her hear drooping and her body shuddering from her shame, "I don't know why I did it, and I'm really sorry to invade your privacy like that. But when I saw what you wrote, I realized I felt the same way, and maybe it's time for me to address it too."

Asami heard no response from Korra. When she looked up, Korra was trudging towards the staircase, her heavy steps resembling a slow march through a South Pole blizzard. "I'm really sorry, Korra," Asami began, edging up behind her, "I hope I can make it up to you for…"

"Asami, please!" Korra called out. The non-bender tried to peer into Korra's face, but the water bender purposely kept her eyes away. "I just got fired from my job and my best friend confessed that she looked into my old journals. Can you please give me some space right now?"

Asami stared at Korra's figure, holding the handrail of the staircase while her head was slumped over. Never had Korra seemed this helpless and afraid before, not even when she was little and was subject to bullying due to her condition. Being a feisty spitfire, brooding was just something Korra did not do. But now, Korra was no different than a dead person walking.

Realizing there was nothing she could do right now, Asami slowly moved towards the front door. "I'm sorry, Korra," she whispered once more. She wasn't sure if Korra heard her, but it was not the right time to confirm this. With a heavy heart, Asami unlocked the front door and left the house. Once the door was closed behind her, Asami allowed her tears to flow.

Before long, the news of Korra's dismissal reached the warehouse. Toza, Yung, Bolin, Kai, and Opal were beyond shocked to see the water bender return, but the usually talkative Korra was near silent and her eyes making even less contact with them than usual. She went to her office, spent most of the morning cleaning out her belongings, and was ready to leave by lunch time. "Thanks for putting up with me, I guess," Korra murmured as she placed the box into the trunk of Zhu Li's car, "It's great to meet you, and maybe we should go for lunch someday."

"Take care, Korra," Bolin murmured, weakly waving at her. Korra glanced up at the group, and there was not a single happy face among them. Korra could see how much they cared for her, supporting both her work and her personal life. While she still had her part-time job at the pro-bending arena, Korra knew that things were not the same again. Waving back, Korra slid into the passenger seat of Zhu Li's vehicle, firmly closed the door, and buckled her seatbelt.

As Zhu Li's car drove off, the group could not help but feel a sense of dread. "So who's going to replace Korra as the manager of the warehouse?" Kai asked, glancing around the group, "Korra did such a good job here, I think she'll be hard to replace."

The entire group stared at Opal, who had an apprehensive look on her face as well. "I think Future Industries will assign someone to us, right?" Yung inquired, lifting an eyebrow at the female air bender, "Did Asami give you any updates on that?"

Before Opal answered, another vehicle entered the compound. A couple honks of the horn got their attention as the green sedan pulled up to their group. Opal focused her eyes in on the driver's seat, and a smile soon spread across her face. "It's my mom," she pointed out.

The entire group looked on as the vehicle halted before them, the engine shutting off and the driver's door opening. The familiar face of Suyin Bei Fong, who shared so many physical traits with the Republic City police chief, approached them. Opal immediately bounded up to the tan-skinned woman and wrapped her in an embrace. "Is this an unannounced visit?" she asked.

Suyin released her daughter, but kept an arm around her waist. Turning to the group, her expression turned serious. "I heard about what happened, and I got here from Zaofu as quickly as I could," she reported, "Opal told me about Tarrlok, but the one I recommended, Aiwei, is gone."

Toza nodded. "When Tarrlok was here, Aiwei was nowhere to be found. Since he was at the warehouse with Korra the night before the inspection, we thought he might know what's going on," the gruff earth bender explained, "You are aware that some ancient artefacts were found in the military boxes, right? Do you think Aiwei has something to do with that? Don't tell me he's behind all that smuggling, because we sure didn't know anything about that!"

Murmurs of affirmation echoed through the group, causing Suyin to purse her lips. Seeing her mother's reaction, Opal gently wiggled out of her mother's hold and stared directly at her. "Mom, what's going on? Did something happen to Aiwei?" she queried.

Suyin inhaled and exhaled deeply, her green eyes void of the usual energy as well. "When we found out about Aiwei's situation, we notified Zaofu police, who did a search in Aiwei's place. We found some clues showing Aiwei's connections with a group called the Red Lotus," Suyin reported, "I did some extra digging when I was on the maglev, and I found that the Red Lotus is an anarchist group that the police in every nation had their eyes on. They did some stuff on and off for the past twenty years, and some of those involve terrorism of sorts."

Jaws hit the ground at the bombshell announcement. "Wait a minute, are you saying that we had a terrorist working here?" Kai stammered, putting a shaking hand on his forehead, "Did he plan his terrorist activities while he was at this warehouse?"

"He's only been here for about a week, but who knows what he had planned for the Red Lotus," Bolin added, glancing at Kai with worry, "So what do we have to do then? Do we take this to Mako and Chief Bei Fong? If Tarrlok finds out, we'll be dead twice as fast!"

"Don't worry, because I already told my sister when I was on the maglev last night," Suyin reassured the group, "But what Lin told me this morning was even more shocking. The Republic City police found Aiwei's body in a sewage pipe. It seemed like he died recently."

More shocked expressions resonated through the group. "Did Aunt Lin find out what happened?" Opal asked, her green eyes wider than dinner plates, "Did he die naturally, or did someone kill him? Do you think it might have been the Red Lotus betraying him?"

"Your aunt told me that the autopsy will take place this morning. From what she briefly described, it sounds like his lungs collapsed, and he died of suffocation," Suyin replied, "I don't think I should say more until Lin finally confirms everything."

"Do you mean he had a collapsed lung? I know about that type of injury from my pro-bending days," Toza commented, "It usually occurs when your chest cavity is hit with something hard, mostly from earth bending attacks. The lung gets damaged, and then the person has trouble breathing. Did he get hit in the chest with something hard, like a boulder?"

Suyin shook her head. "No, collapsed lung as in the air was removed from his lungs and the lungs collapsed," she clarified, "I can't say for sure how it happened, but I recall Opal telling me that an air bender is capable of killing this way. They can bend the air inside a person's lungs right out. She said it was a technique that Tenzin insisted should never be used at any time."

Kai and Opal exchanged a nervous look, wondering if one of their own was behind this egregious act. In the meantime, Suyin pulled out her cellphone and took a quick glance. "While we wait for official police reports, I spoke with Varrick this morning," she suggested, "Since Tarrlok and his team didn't do a very good job, we will work on improving the warehouse's security. That's why I asked one of Zaofu's finest to take over until we have a new manager."

"And who would that be?" Yung questioned, his eyes narrowing to darts. After what Aiwei did and Tarrlok's nonstop abuse, the warehouse team was not in a trusting mood right now. "Why would a Zaofu security team member or police officer come to our warehouse?"

"Because Aiwei is my responsibility, and I'm the one who failed you guys by letting him go to you without checking out what's going on," Suyin responded with conviction, "I've asked this new person to drop by today, and based on her latest text, I think she'll arrive very soon."

Not even a minute after Suyin's announcement, a dark SUV, similar to the ones carrying Tarrlok's entourage, screeched to a halt next to Suyin's sedan. A different woman with jet black hair tied in the back in the shape of a bun, green eyes that sharply focused on everything around her, and a small birthmark under her right eye exited the vehicle. She stood erect and tall next to Suyin, like she was a drill sergeant and the warehouse team was her recruits.

Clearing her throat once more, Suyin introduced the newcomer. "This is Kuvira, my foster child and the head of Zaofu's private security team," Suyin described, "When I found out about Aiwei, I felt Kuvira is the best option to send to you. She'll run through all the procedures and see where things can improve. She will report directly to Future Industries and me, and we'll fix this place up in no time. If there are no further questions, I think I'll hand her over to you."

Kuvira took two confident steps forward, the stern expression never once leaving her face. Taking advantage of their shared histories, Opal tried to make a friendlier introduction. "Kuvira and I have known each other since we were kids, and she and my brother Baatar are going out," she reported. Turning to her friend, she asked, "So is this almost like a reunion?"

"I spoke with Varrick and Zhu Li earlier at headquarters before I came here," Kuvira replied, not really addressing Opal's points. She turned her emotionless demeanor to the rest of the team, announcing, "I appreciate Korra's hard work and dedication to the warehouse and Future Industries. But after what happened, we have to think differently. I will review the warehouse's security and report back to headquarters. Once I have management's approval, I will personally be in charge of revising the protocols. Is that clear?"

"Why does it feel like every single time we have a date, it's always in the midst of something big?" Bolin pointed out, shifting the chair out for Opal to sit in. It was the first weekend after Korra was terminated from her position, and again Opal and Bolin had a date night. Originally they thought about calling it off due to the turmoil going on, but they decided to proceed with it. Even so, what should be a relaxing and enjoyable evening had ample tenseness involved. "It's like we have the worst timing or something," Bolin added, stepping to the other side of the table and sitting down himself.

Opal pursed her lips, only nodding to the waiter in thanks when the menu was provided to her. It was awkward to see her family friend Kuvira show up at the warehouse. While Kuvira was not the new warehouse manager, she would be in charge of setting the warehouse's security measures. "She is into security for the longest time, so maybe it's not so bad to hear her out?" the air bender eked out, glancing at Bolin hesitantly.

Bolin sighed, flipping open his own menu in return. Despite his usual appetite, Bolin did not find anything in the menu appealing to him. "Well, the good news is that I'm not blaming Mako for this. I realize that this time, it was Tarrlok putting out a hit on us," Bolin stated, feeling the chills resonating through his body, "But to lose Korra like that, it's unbelievable. I know it's not the official reason, but Toza told me that Future Industries had to fire Korra just to protect her. How can Tarrlok even affect Korra when it was clearly his fault?"

Opal tapped her menu, but her thoughts were not on the items within. The way Kuvira approached them with her ideas for revising the security measures just rubbed her the wrong way. Nonetheless, Opal tried to remain neutral, opting to give her long-time friend the benefit of the doubt. "The changes Kuvira proposed aren't unreasonable, and I think we should at least keep our minds open," she explained, feeling her fingertips grip the edges of the menu just a bit tighter, "But I do agree that Kuvira did not have Korra's friendliness, and that affects how we work around the warehouse. If she's just a bit softer and gentler, maybe things will improve."

"You think so too? I thought Kuvira was a bit crazy when it comes to her ideas. Toza told me that he felt kind of blindsided when Kuvira went straight to Hiroshi for the security measures. It's like she didn't even care that Toza and Yung owned the warehouse!" Bolin exclaimed. That got the attention of some tables around him, to which Bolin ducked his head apologetically. With a softer tone, he continued, "Seeing how Kuvira ambushed him in front of Future Industries, I can imagine why Toza is slightly against Kuvira."

Opal's eyes grew to the size of the plates on the table. "So you're saying Kuvira is helping us by conquering the warehouse? That doesn't really sound right," she responded in an astounded tone, "Maybe we should have my mom look into this. I know Mom was really upset with what happened with Aiwei. She feels personally responsible and wants to fix her mistakes. But if Kuvira takes it too far the other way, then…"

As Opal trailed off, Bolin thought back to what happened in the past few days. Kuvira had Toza and Yung disclose all their policies on security, including what steps were taken even before Tarrlok's department got involved. Bolin had to admit that the work performed was not complete, as they had never operated a warehouse at the pier before. Even when they had their previous location in the inner city, they never had to worry about public safety issues. But now that they were at a pier, where goods from all over the world would enter, it was only natural that stricter security measures were required. While the team always followed what the Department of Public Safety recommended, they knew more work could be done.

But at the same time, Bolin truly believed that there should be more collaboration instead of confrontation. Bolin agreed that Kuvira had her heart in the right place to make a difference to the way they did things. However, Toza's comments made him believe Kuvira would be hard to deal with, no matter how passionate she was about what she was doing. And with Kuvira and Opal growing up together, Bolin did not want his personal views on Kuvira to tear apart his relationship with Opal. Somehow, terminating Korra only made things worse, despite the intentions of Future Industries to ward off Tarrlok.

Shaking his head a few times, Bolin focused back on the menu in his hands. Discussing with Opal, they finally picked a few items and relayed that to the waiter. As they waited for their food, Bolin asked, "So how do you think we can work this out with Kuvira?"

Opal was about to respond, but a familiar voice interjected. "Well, if it isn't my favourite couple," the voice stated with a tinge of sarcasm. Opal and Bolin glanced up to see a familiar redhead standing before them, casting them both a downward gaze. "How are you holding up now that Korra's no longer in your warehouse?" Ginger smugly queried.

Bolin sucked in his breath while Opal bit her lower lip to prevent an angry outburst. Ever since Korra told them about Ginger's history, they were very weary of trusting her. However, Korra was gone and Ginger still had a role with Varrick. "You realize Varrick and Zhu Li were both there when Korra was fired, right? When all of Future Industries senior management agreed to do it, I can't see how your friend can influence your little warehouse," Ginger pointed out.

"Ginger, please," Opal replied, clenching her cheeks to minimize her angry expression, "Now is not the right time to say that. Bolin and the rest of the team are going through some tough times right now. Saying that is just throwing salt on the wound. Don't you think you should do more to help us, given your role in marketing with Varrick?"

Ginger lifted an eyebrow at Opal, before turning her eyes on Bolin. The earth bender was successful in avoiding conversation with Ginger so far, but right now he knew he was in her crosshairs. "It'll depend on what your boyfriend over here wants. I already tried to give him a good offer before, but being dumber than the rocks he bends, he didn't catch on. Now that his place is in trouble, maybe he should reconsider?" Ginger suggested.

Before Opal could say a word to defend Bolin, Ginger sauntered away from their table. "I have dinner with some old friends, so I'd like to be excused for now," she declared, whipping her body around. Without even looking back, she called, "But Bolin, really give it some thought. If you do what I propose, you can't possibly go wrong, and your family will be rewarded for it."

As Ginger disappeared into the crowd, Opal turned her worried eyes at Bolin. The earth bender now squeezed his napkin so hard that his fingertips had gone white. "Bolin, what does Ginger mean by that? Is she blackmailing you or something?" the air bender inquired.

The back alley was hardly an appropriate place for a meeting involving so many parties, but here was the Red Lotus facing off against arguably the strongest gang in Republic City. Zaheer was front and centre, his usually expressionless face not changing at all as he faced off against a tall man wearing a bowler hat and a lavender trench coat. "So you're the punks who think you can mess with the Triple Threats," the man in the hat snarled, "Do you really think you can push us around and tell us what to do?"

Zaheer stayed emotionless, even when his group took defensive postures. He certainly did not want this potential collaboration to fall apart, which meant minimizing unnecessary moves or threats. "Let's just say we have a proposal for you that you can't possibly refuse," the bald man began, "Our plans involve pushing back against some groups holding immense power in this city. If you're smart, you'll tag along and see what benefits you can draw out of this."

The tall man in the hat howled in laughter, which caused some of his associates to chuckle along as well. "When my man Two-Toed Ping here told me that the Red Lotus wanted our help, we thought it was something big," the leader stated, gesturing to his left. Indeed, a pale skinned man with a thin moustache and a scar on the left side of his face sneered back at Zaheer. "Let me remind you, Zaheer, that we don't tag along with anyone or anything. We Triple Threats pretty much own this city as our turf, so don't think you can push us around."

"Oh, but who said we were pushing you around? The only reason you're underground is because you are being oppressed," Zaheer responded, "Why do you think the underprivileged have to rely on you? It's because they're being pushed aside in favour of the rich and powerful. If you help us with our mission, you no longer have to force them to rely on you. In turn, you can do what you want without oppressing others. Don't tell me that you or your colleagues, like Shady Shin over there, didn't think about that."

The tall man turned to the associate on his right. Shady Shin tried to feign innocent with a confused look, to which Zaheer exposed the truth. "Your friend over there has associated himself with a police officer, a fire bender named Mako. I understand he's been trying to recruit that boy for a long time, but each time he failed. Now Mako is playing for the other side, helping our very oppressive government take advantage of the poor. What guarantee do you have that Shady Shin won't turn you in so he could get protection from Mako?" Zaheer challenged.

"Hey, don't look at me, Viper! I didn't talk to that Mako kid for a long time. It was his family who got involved and blew the whole thing up!" Shady Shin assured his boss, waving his hands nervously, "You told us to keep our eyes on Future Industries, and hopefully use that attempt to extort them somehow. But then they found a backup plan and we got ignored!"

"And there's exactly where the problem is, Viper," Zaheer added, turning the tall man's attention back to him. Even though Viper towered over Zaheer by about half a head, it was the air bender who had the upper hand. "We both want big organizations like Future Industries to give in to our demands, but alone we can't do anything. If we join forces, even in the interim, we can achieve both our goals. With how well your last plan went, I can't possibly see how you can refuse us. So are you willing to cooperate or are you willing to suffer some consequences?"

Viper stared at Zaheer incredulously. After failing to disrupt the Future Industries event, Viper replaced Lightning Bolt Zolt as the Tripe Threats leader. His first goal was to regain control over the city, and that meant eliminating potential rivals. Who did this baldy think he was, making threats against the largest and most ruthless gang in the city? Waving his hands nonchalantly, Viper shook his head and retorted, "I'm a busy man and money is the only thing I worry about. Since I don't see you providing me any money here, I think we're done. Ping, take care of these guys for me," he instructed the fire bender to his left.

Two-Toed Ping chuckled as he took a position in front of Viper. "You're going to regret ever messing with the Triple Threats, wise guy," he sneered sarcastically. Rearing back, he let his arms feel the fire build up, waiting for the right time to launch the flames at Zaheer.

However, Ping never got that opportunity at all. From right behind Zaheer, P'Li took a deep breath and launched her own fire bending attack. The tattooed third eye on her forehead sparked and unleashed a fire bomb, slamming into the ground right before Ping. The fire bender howled in shock, but before he could react, P'Li launched again. The next shot sizzled through the air, aiming straight for the target. Zaheer saw it all in slow motion as it slammed into Ping's body, exploding on contact and sending him straight into the back of the crowd. By the time the smoke cleared, Ping was unconscious and at least five other Triple Threats sprawled on the ground nursing various injuries. "Still think you can do this on your own?" Zaheer challenged.

Growling in anger, Shady Shin went on the attack next. Reaching into his arsenal, he launched a steady stream of water at Zaheer. The fluid raced towards the air bender, threatening to wash him deep into the alley. But in an effortless move, Zaheer stepped to the side and let Ming Hua take the hit. The water slammed into the armless Red Lotus member, enough to send her back a couple of steps. But soon enough, Ming Hua stood back up and absorbed the hit with no consequence. "Now it's over," she declared, shifting her body around.

Instead of the usual two arms, Ming Hua created six tendrils and increased her range. She wrapped two left tendrils around Shady Shin and launched him down the alley, the triad member not stopping until he almost hit the street. She swung two right tendrils over Viper's head and slammed into more Triple Threats, sending them hard into the walls. The bottom two tendrils became ice picks, aiming straight at Viper's body. "Ready to change your mind?" she asked.

Viper chuckled. "Did you happen to forget that I'm a water bender as well?" he replied. With that, he manipulated Ming Hua's tendrils, breaking the ice and pushing them back at the Red Lotus. Viper could not see what was going on around him, but he knew he was pretty much on his own. He tried not to show it, but somehow he realized he underestimated Zaheer's group.

Suddenly, the ground beneath Viper's feet rumbled. The Triple Threats leader glanced down and saw magma circling his feet, the heat strong enough to nearly light his shoes on fire. "What in the world?" he demanded, releasing his water bending on Ming Hua. Before long, he realized that the entire alley was in lava form. His Triple Threats either hugged the walls to avoid being burned, or fled the scene.

Viper stared up again, this time seeing Ghazan stand front and centre. The moustachioed lava bender sneered at Viper, making the circle of lava close in on him. There was no escape for the Triple Threat leader, who pretty much had to surrender. "Now that I have your undivided attention, Viper," Zaheer stated, marching up right next to Ghazan, "I think we should exchange some ideas on how to attack our first target. And since you and I both have a beef with Future Industries, I think they should be first on the list. Do you agree with that?"

And speaking of lists, here is my usual list of inspirations for this chapter:

1.) Wildstar93 gets a lot of credit for helping me with the scene where Asami has to break the bad news to Korra. We discussed how an autistic person would take something like this, and if Korra will see this as a personal failure. I have to say that in this story, Korra is very fortunate in that she has a very good support system around her, and they will not let her down. This does not always happen in real life, which makes many autistics believe that any failure is a personal failure because of their difference. On that note, many thanks to Wildstar93 for his hard work in that scene.

2.) Suyin's description of Aiwei's death is based on actual medical research, and for medical and nursing info I always turn to one person. My good friend Kelev once again gave her input into this scene, pointing out what a person dying under those circumstances was like. Basically, the lungs lose all the air, making it implode in on itself. The person dies of a combination of suffocation, blood loss, and general shock. I'm not sure if I'll go into detail with an actual autopsy report, but many thanks to Kelev for clarifying those details for me.

3.) Bringing back the Triple Threats from the beginning of the chapter and making them go head to head against the Red Lotus is something I've always wanted to try. With no disrespect to Bryke, who did a fabulous job with the series, one thing I didn't like was that each book existed in a vacuum. Loose ends from earlier books were not referred to in later books, which leaves us hanging a bit. I always felt Book 1's triads could be brought back for later books, and there's no need for Korra to gallivant around the world like she did. That's why I'm tying these together, and making the Triple Threats realize that their bending is no match for the specialized benders of the Red Lotus.

4.) Aiwei's death itself is based on Book 3 where Zaheer banished him in the Spirit World, while the method of killing is based on the death of the Earth Queen also in Book 3. Kuvira getting Varrick, Zhu Li, and Bolin (somewhat) to work with her is from the beginning of Book 4. Ginger telling Bolin that he is dumber than the rocks he bends is the debut of the Nuktuk mover from Book 2. And Viper, the leader of the Triple Threats, being upstaged and losing control of the Triple Threats, is from Turf Wars, Part 1, the first Korra comic released where the same thing happened to him (only it's not the Red Lotus overthrowing him).

And what does everyone think about that? Korra loses her job, Kuvira takes over security at the pier, Tarrlok is investigating Future Industries, and the Red Lotus just took command of the Triple Threats. How will everything work itself out? Will Republic City be safe in the future? Read on next time to find out!