I want to thank SaoirseParisa, Bolinlover123, and Wildstar93 for their reviews. It seems like I got everyone talking when we found out Korra's bad news. If that's not bad enough for you guys, there will be more bad news for everyone in this chapter. Things are going to take a strange turn, and Team Avatar will have to face even more challenges. On that note, let's begin!

Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko own the Legend of Korra.

The sea breezes rolling over his skin and the surf gently lapping over his sneakers did nothing to calm Kai's mind. From Tarrlok making accusations, to Korra being fired, to now Kuvira taking over the warehouse security, the young air bender still had trouble keeping track of what was going on. All these only created more confusion for Kai, who just wanted some peace and stability in his life. Could he not just get a chance to proceed with his life without one obstacle after another being tossed his way?

Kai stopped strolling parallel to the surf and glanced out at the ocean, facing the waves splashing at the rocks surrounding the bay. The famous Rocky Bay beach was at the south end of the peninsula his warehouse was on, but Kai never had the chance to visit so far. There weren't a lot of visitors here right now, with the beach less than half full. Mako and Bolin commented that the waves here were very strong, to the point where surfing was preferred over swimming. Being an air bender, Kai figured he probably had the skills to surf here, but just did not have the resources to enjoy it. At this rate, he was lucky he could even spare the time to come visit at all.

"Kai, is that you?" a voice from behind the air bender called. Kai turned his body around and, to his surprise, a familiar face stood before him. "I didn't know you would be here today. Had I known, I would have invited you to join me," Jinora exclaimed.

Kai stared back at his friend and his face stretched to a smile. Unlike the other times when Kai saw her, Jinora was now wearing beach attire, sporting a dark blue strapless bikini. The top was a tube top wrapping around her chest, with nothing covering her midsection. This meant showing the blue tattoos snaking down her back and her limbs. These were the markings that Kai was most attracted to, as they accentuated both Jinora's body and signified her status as an air bending master. Despite his rudeness to Jinora regarding air bending lessons, Kai truly hoped that one day, he would sport the same tattoos that Jinora had right now.

Shaking his head a few times, he focused back on Jinora's conversation. "No, I don't come here a lot. I'm just here to clear my head a bit," Kai replied. He turned back to the waters and took a deep breath. He spread his arms wide and felt the wind on his body. "So much happened in the past few days, and I just want to figure out what I can do."

Jinora stepped up next to him, pressing her bare feet deeper into the sand. The waves now lapped at their feet, and seeing Kai's sneakers being smothered made Jinora wonder if Kai was even aware that his socks would become soggy. "Do you want to talk about it?" she asked Kai, "I did say I'll help you when you want help, so you can tell me about it."

Kai exhaled and dropped his arms, his diaphragm sounding like the waves before him. Prior to him entering foster case, he had no water bending connections, and Korra was the first one. He knew that water benders were accepting of change, something he had to do right now. Turning to Jinora, he realized he was more than half a head taller than her, but Kai felt the exact opposite regarding their current situations. "How much do you know about using water bending techniques in air bending, especially about adapting to change?" he queried.

Jinora lifted her head slightly, staring into the green orbs that no longer exhibited any life or energy. Seeing how hard Kai fought to be here, Jinora truly felt bad for him. However, she also knew that these were out of Kai's control, and all Jinora could do was be there for her good friend. "I heard what happened from Korra. She told me that she still has her position at the pro-bending arena, and she's still worried about what's going on at the warehouse," Jinora explained, "I'm guessing you're feeling overwhelmed by everything, right?"

"It's like I told you before. They want to keep the street kid on the streets, which is why Korra was fired and Kuvira replaced her. We went from an easygoing but reliable hard worker to a dictatorial whip-carrying taskmaster," Kai responded, shrugging his shoulders helplessly, "And again, all because Minister Yakone over there wants to put a target on one of our own. If this is life's way of making me more water bender-like, then it's a real funny way to show it."

Jinora bit her lower lip. She knew how hard this was for Kai, given his background. She wanted so badly to help him do well, to convince him not to give up on himself. She had little to no experience in handling this type of adversity, given she had always been a high achiever and her parents always supported her. If she said anything about herself, it would be very insensitive to Kai. What could she provide from her air bending experience to assist Kai?

Reaching back into her mind, Jinora could remember one story about her ancestry that her father told her about. She was unsure if this could be applied here, but she had to at least try to support Kai. "Remember how I told you that my grandfather is Aang Anil?" she told Kai, who nodded stiffly in return, "When Grandpa Aang was a teenager, he had a similar case where he felt overwhelmed by the changes around him. It was about how he was relating to my Gran Gran Katara, and that he didn't want to lose her in the middle of all these changes."

Kai slipped his hands into his pockets, trying to soak in Jinora's following words. "Like you, Grandpa Aang lost his parents when he was young. It was his parents' long-time friend, Gyatso, who became his foster parent," Jinora described, crossing her arms over her chest, "He asked Gyatso for advice, and Gyatso used the wind to give him some pointers. Grandpa Aang was asked what he would do if a hurricane blew through his room and wrecked his closet."

Kai's eyes widened a bit, not sure what to make of that question. "I guess he would have to reorganize his closet, look for all the items that were blown away, and if he can't find them he might have to buy them again," Kai responded, rubbing his forehead slightly, "But what does that have to do with incorporating change into his Air Nomad philosophy?"

Jinora scratched her head. "I don't remember the exact way Gyatso put it, since even my father doesn't remember the exact words. What it basically means is that no matter how rare or unusual an event is, we still have to face it," she articulated, her hands gesturing in circles as the words came out with great difficulty, "Air Nomads avoid conflicts, but if conflict arrives then we still have to face them. If we are strong, then we can do what Grandpa Aang said. We just pick up the items from the closet and start fresh. Do you sort of see what I mean here?"

Before Kai could say a word, a hyperactive voice broke into his train of thought. "Jinora, our food is ready. Are you coming over or not?" Kai and Jinora both turned to see a younger girl wearing a bright pink regular bikini trot over, her grey eyes keying in straight on them. "And who's this? You didn't tell me you were bringing a friend," the girl demanded.

Jinora forced a smile. "Ikki, this is Kai, the air bender I met at Korra's old warehouse," the air bending master stated. Turning to Kai, she introduced him to her sister. "Kai, this is Ikki, my little sister. We're here with a bunch of female Air Acolytes that we used to study with. It's like a reunion lunch, just us catching up with each other after we all finished our studies."

"Oh, so this is the air bending boy that you keep talking about!" Ikki exclaimed. She leaned her head closer to Kai, who leaned his head back in return. "So what were you guys talking about? You're not going out with my sister, are you?"

Kai stuttered, not sure how to react. He glanced over at Jinora, who giggled in return. "No, Ikki," she replied, "I just ran into Kai and he wanted some help. Since we're friends, I told him a story about Grandpa Aang. I'll join you in a minute, but maybe Kai can join too?"

Ikki beamed at that remark. Turning to Kai, she expressed in rapid-fire fashion, "Did you know that Jinora looks exactly like Grandpa Aang when Grandpa Aang was a teenager? I have a picture of Grandpa Aang and Gran Gran Katara at the beach, and he looks a lot like Jinora if Jinora was bald! They even both have an outie belly button, isn't that cool?" she declared.

Kai turned to Jinora, who now had a slight red tinge on her face. Indeed, Jinora did have an outie belly button, but that was neither here nor there. Kai wondered what inspired Ikki to raise that point to him. What gossip did he open himself into if he joined them for lunch?

Once again, Hiroshi and the management team of Future Industries found themselves facing off against various government investigators. It was already an odd morning when Varrick called Hiroshi from his department, telling the industrialist that there was an investigator visiting his unit. But now, Varrick and Zhu Li brought that individual over, making Hiroshi annoyed to the point of no return. "And for what purpose is the government paying me a visit this time, gentlemen?" he inquired, trying hard not to show his temper.

The individual standing before Hiroshi's desk, wearing the standard government suit, stammered before glancing at his notes. "Mr. Sato, my name is Hong Li, and I'm with the Revenue Department. We were asked to investigate some issues regarding your tax filings," he stuttered, trying to organize his thoughts, "We already got the documents from Mr. Varrick's office with his subsidiary, and now we're hoping to get the same from you for your company."

Hiroshi raised an eyebrow, both at the comment and at the young man standing before him. The investigator looked incredibly young, maybe in his mid-twenties. What was someone who was not even Asami's age doing leading an investigation? Surely there must be some mistake! Clearing his throat, Hiroshi stated, "Hong Li, I think you should be careful what you're saying. Telling me that I made a mistake on my taxes, when my company is so huge, is a very serious charge. Why don't you sit down and tell me a bit more about your investigation."

Hong Li eased himself into the chair before Hiroshi, whereby the bearded man clasped his hands on his desk and gave him a warm look. Hiroshi recalled the days when he was young and inexperienced, barely knowing what he was doing and so afraid of making a mistake. He could see potential in this young man, and he hoped that Hong Li could see the errors of this investigation. "You know, when I was your age, I was helping my father run this company," Hiroshi described, "My father gave me a budget of no more than ten thousand yuans and asked me to expand the company. You can imagine the pressure I was under to not let him down!"

"Oh, I'm sure Hong Li here knows about that," Varrick exclaimed, leaning his hand on the back of Hong Li's chair, "He told me he's from Zaofu and got hired by the United Republic's tax investigators three years ago. I reminded him of Suyin's attitude towards high achievers, so he's well aware of all the good he can do for our world. But even then, he wanted to see the books. Given his background from Zaofu, who am I to not cooperate with him?"

Hiroshi lifted an eyebrow at Varrick, surprised to hear that Hong Li was from the same hometown as one of their longest supporters, Suyin Bei Fong. "In that case, I think we should be even more hospitable and cooperative," Hiroshi responded, leaning back on his chair, "What can we do to make your investigation smoother and have you clear us sooner? Why don't you start by telling us what exactly went wrong and where we can clarify the issues?"

Hong Li shuffled his notes once more, taking a deep breath and closing his eyes. Hiroshi could see the young man relax his body before snapping his eyes open to return to the task. "Sir, the Department of Public Safety asked my department to look into some money flow of large corporations. It's to ensure that no funds have been misused for purposes that threaten the Republic's safety," Hong Li explained, his voice sounding a bit more confident than before, "As you know, there are some groups like gangs or potential terrorists that are still out there. We have to make sure they are not being funded, even inadvertently."

Hiroshi furrowed his eyebrows, knowing that this was likely the work of his nemesis Tarrlok again. "Well, your boss isn't really doing a good job when Tarrlok Yakone is the one giving the leads," he spat, trying to keep his tone low and even, "You realize that the guy has it out against my family for years. Why would you believe his conspiracy theories?"

"Exactly, and I told Hong Li the same thing," Varrick chimed in with a wave of his arms. He turned to Zhu Li, who stayed expressionless the entire time. "Zhu Li and I were going over the past year's events. Tthe only thing that had anything to do with triads or terrorists was at the company anniversary party. The road to the convention was blocked by the Triple Threats, and they were attacking us! Why would we be siding with them when they're attacking us?"

"Mr. Varrick, as you know, things are never that straightforward," Hong Li added. He flipped through his notes again, this time showing a page with a spreadsheet. "Future Industries in the past few years did all the taxes properly. Our random audits for the past decade all showed a clean record for you. But something from fifteen to twenty years ago became a cause for concern. We believe some funds back then went astray, and we would like to trace those to make sure they didn't fall into the hands of public safety threats."

"But what does that have anything to do with us?" Zhu Li queried, stepping forward to stand next to her husband, "We already told you back in our offices that none of our funds went to any purpose that involved violence, including the Water Tribes and their civil war. Yes, we had some equipment that went back and forth between here and the Southern Water Tribe, which is also hometown for Varrick and me, but we were never trafficking weapons of war!"

Everyone stared back at Hiroshi, who was strangely silent here. Unlike his confident and outgoing self, Hiroshi kept his eyes on his desk, his hands now clasping and unclasping at a rapid pace. Even Zhu Li, who was so proficient in controlling her emotions, could not help but show shock at Hiroshi's change of demeanor. "Hiroshi, did something happen with your company at this time that caused this problem?" Zhu Li asked meekly.

It was Hong Li who provided the context. "During the years the investigation looked at, we found that Future Industries claimed expenses that were not well explained," he pointed out, pecking a finger at each questionable row and column of the spreadsheet, "You would know that as a corporation, you can claim some deductibles for your taxes. You also report your yearly revenue and profit, and you pay taxes according to those numbers. But for Future Industries, we found at least three years where the numbers didn't add up. There were a couple additional years that did add up, but some of the numbers from those previous years also showed in those subsequent years. Our job is to figure out what's going on."

Hiroshi licked his lips a few times, now feeling a complete reversal of the roles. He thought he could talk Hong Li, who was a nervous wreck when seeing him, into easing off. But now Hong Li had gained the confidence, leaving Hiroshi in a compromising position. "If you're so sure something went wrong, then why was this not brought up during the audit?" Hiroshi retorted, his eyes barely lifting to meet Hong Li's, "Your department should have contacted me before. And even if there was a mistake, you can't prove that I had anything to do with terrorist or gang activities. It's a bit of a stretch by a minister who's had it out for me, don't you think?"

Hong Li winced at Hiroshi's remark. Even though he internally agreed that it was a stretch, Hong Li had to follow the very special orders that he received. "Minister Yakone did instruct me to use the special powers granted to him for this investigation," he explained, spitting out each word like it was a pin inside his mouth, "As such, all your books have to be turned over to us for a re-audit. If even one document is amiss, the minister will ask the courts to grant an injunction. It will freeze all your company's funds so we can investigate more thoroughly."

"How are you guys holding up at the warehouse?" Mako asked, slipping into the office that used to belong to Korra. Ever since Korra was terminated, there was no one in charge of the warehouse's operations. While Yung and Toza had taken over on an ad hoc basis, it was not an ideal way to proceed. Plus, with Kuvira giving all sorts of instructions about security, things were not easing up anytime soon. "Are you still proceeding with business as usual?"

Toza glanced up from what was Korra's former desk, the wrinkles on his forehead enough to keep Mako quiet. "Things aren't going well, Mako," Toza responded, rubbing his face with both hands, "Bolin is pretty much stuck with Kuvira, since she insisted that he served as her personal assistant in implementing the security changes. Yung and Kai are pretty much relegated to backup duty, storing things when need be and Yung doing some deliveries. I'm still going over what Korra left us, and believe me, unless you have her line of thinking, these notes can be a handful to go through," he stated, waving at the notebook before him.

Mako took a quick glance at the pile of papers before Toza. He knew that Korra tended to think along a certain routine, and only she understood what the routine was. Sometimes the warehouse team had trouble figuring out Korra's routine with Korra. Now with Korra no longer around, things were not well at all. "Maybe we can work this out together," Mako suggested to his foster father, "May I take a look at some of those? I think two heads are faster than one."

Toza waved Mako over to the desk, to which Mako took a seat across from Toza. While Toza leaned back against his chair, rubbing his balding head in the process, Mako dove right into Korra's notes. In the police force, he was used to dealing with messy files, as that was what Lu and Gang assigned him whenever they wanted to torment him. If he could figure out Korra's routine, then things would be very smooth. While he combed through the documents, Toza asked, "How did that case with Aiwei go? Did you figure out how he died and who killed him?"

Mako glanced up just enough to shake his head, before lowering it down. "All we know is that his lungs were completely flat, with all the air sucked out of them. There was some blood coming out from the nostrils and mouth, but all of the bleeding is internal. There's no external bleeding and no bruising whatsoever," Mako reported, "We looked through the files and we believe that this may be the killing method of Zaheer, the leader of the Red Lotus."

Toza's mouth opened and closed rapidly several times, resembling a fish out of water. "Are you telling me the Red Lotus turned on one of their own?" he asked incredulously, "Do you think Zaheer did this to eliminate any witness to his operations?"

Mako nodded gravely. "We don't rule out the possibility, but knowing how the Red Lotus had avoided police in all jurisdictions, this may be something beyond our control," the fire bender answered, "I'm going to suggest to the chief that we get the Interpol involved."

Toza rubbed his chin. He was aware of the Interpol, which was a combined police force of all the nations. They worked loosely with the United Republic Forces, as they represented all bending elements and non-benders. Toza also knew that the Red Lotus had specialized bending skills that regular benders like him were no match for. And with all bending types included, along with some non-bending fighters, this would be a handful for sure.

Just then, Bolin and Yung marched in, the former sounded more exhausted than anything else. "Finally Kuvira is allowing me to take a break," Bolin whined, leaning his body against the office doorframe. His body slouched over while his forehead was pressed against his forearm, which was placed against the doorframe. "I swear, she does not take a break, always asking me to do this and that. I really hope all this works and our security measures will improve."

Mako turned his head and cracked a rare smirk at his brother. "It sounds like you have some doubts about Kuvira," he stated, leaning against the back of his chair nonchalantly, "Even though I don't know much about what she's doing, I wonder how she can overhaul the system. It sounds like she wants to call the shots more than anything else."

"Oh no, I believe in what Kuvira's doing," Bolin replied, straightening out his body. Suddenly, it felt like Bolin became a lot more serious than his goofy self, speaking with full confidence rather than in a jesting manner. "She may be tough, but she's kind of like Korra in a sense. They both have a certain routine and they'll do anything to see it through to the end."

Both Mako and Toza lifted an eyebrow at Bolin, flabbergasted at the comparison. While Korra and Kuvira both stuck to routines, their reasons for doing so differed greatly. Korra did so due to her autism, and at no point did she force her routine onto others. And because she had always been friendly and polite about it, the group always tried to accommodate her. "Kuvira is a pretty pushy person, and I don't think working for her will be easy," Mako commented.

Toza nodded his head, but was more circumspect about it. "I won't criticize Kuvira yet, because I do think her ideas can lead to good results," Toza pointed out, "But she should learn to be more accommodating and understanding of us. Sometimes, even the best intentions can lead to bad results if things don't go right."

That got Bolin to stutter, thinking back to a conversation he had with Opal at his prior date. While they were waiting for their food to arrive, Ginger rudely interrupted them and asked for Bolin explicitly. The way she spoke to Bolin made Opal feel uncomfortable, and the air bender inquired if Ginger was blackmailing Bolin. While there was no threat, Bolin knew that Ginger was offering them a way out, and with the way things were right now, Bolin had to take that chance. Somehow, Toza's comment only hit that much closer to home for Bolin.

Luckily, Mako and Toza chose not to pursue any further. They turned to Yung, who just checked off a list on his clipboard. "How were the deliveries, Yung?" Toza asked his business partner, "Did everything make it there on time? And did Kai join you on the deliveries?"

Yung glanced back at them with an exasperated look. Waving his notes at the group, Yung described how Kuvira basically made him go through everything and reported on each item's contents. "It basically doubled the workload for me, and halved the deliveries," Yung stated, "I'm doing twice the work for half the pay, so how do you think I feel? When Kai told me he wanted to go for a walk to clear his head, I'm more than happy to send him off. After all, he shouldn't be here to face Kuvira's nastiness."

Just then, a clearing of the throat caught everyone off guard. The whole group turned to see Kuvira marching into the room, her back straight while her hands held behind her back. Her piercing green eyes lowered the room temperature significantly, the group feeling awkward at all the negative comments they aired her way. Did she happen to overhear anything they said?

If Kuvira was offended by the group's remarks, she did not show that one bit. "I know the rumours about how I run my security forces can be harsh, but I'm just trying to give you guys a better chance for facing your futures," she pointed out, her deep voice steady and confident, "I have Bolin helping me lay the groundwork, and I'm sure by the time I'm done here, you'll have what it takes to achieve greatness, per the ideals of Zaofu."

Every set of eyes descended onto Bolin, who resembled a feeble turtle duck trying to hide inside its shell. For the earth bender, it felt like whatever move he made, he was about to offend somebody. Was he ever getting a break from being pulled from all sides?

A figure dressed in blue stood before the main factory of Future Industries. Surrounding him were several individuals in light green or red, and they had several pieces of machinery on the ground before them. A small crowd gathered behind them, all of whom curious to see what the big announcement was. The men all held cards or signs related to Future Industries, none of them with a positive message. "Gather around, everyone," the man in blue called, "It's time we tell the world what exactly is going on with Future Industries."

The crowd murmured amongst themselves, not sure what to expect. The man in blue sneered, signalling to his colleague who placed the pieces of machinery into the open. "You all know that Future Industries builds car parts, right?" he exclaimed, to which the audience nodded hesitantly, "But did you know that their car parts aren't just unreliable, but also dangerous? Just look at these parts in front of you and you'll see what I mean!"

Indeed, the parts had very visible scorch marks in the form of dark lines running down the sides. Not only that, some wiring and other connective parts sprayed out from the inside, almost like an explosion occurred. "Did this blow up or something?" a man in dark red asked.

"You bet it did!" the original man in blue declared, pumping a fist in the air, "Future Industries wants to keep making profits, so that's why they sell us these inferior goods! I was just working on my vehicle at home when this thing just blew up in my face! I almost got my hands blown off, and now I can't even work because I have no car! And what did Future Industries do when I tried to complain? They blew me off and told me to be patient!"

"And I had the same problem," a man in green chimed in, waving at his own scorched engine, "My car just broke down one day and I opened the hood to see what's going on. When I did, the engine blew out and gave me a motor oil shower! And when I reported this to Future Industries, they said I was the one who made a mistake and didn't take any responsibility!"

The crowd chatter immediately grew louder, with some people criticizing Future Industries and pointing at the factory in disappointment. "Right now, I'm demanding a meeting with the upper management of Future Industries," the original blue-clad man ordered, "I want to see that crook of a man, Hiroshi Sato, and his entire family out here!"

While that protest occurred at the factory, Future Industries' main repair shop was also surrounded by angry complainants. Two men dressed in blue had a broken-down vehicle before the front doors, while another crowd gathered before them. "Everyone, I want you to remember this repair shop owned by Future Industries," one of the men stated, jabbing an accusing finger at the Future Industries logo on the front door, "Their motor oil is so bad, I was lucky I survived my last ride here. I got an oil change here not more than two weeks ago, and when I was driving with my friend today, my engine blew out! I almost crashed and both of us would be dead!"

"That's right, and when we finally brought our car to the repair shop, what did we find? Future Industries was using old motor oil! They were scooping oil from the disposables to use as new motor oil! I have the proof on my cellphone right here!" the second man described, waving his cellphone to the crowd. Indeed, there was a photo of an individual dressed in overalls leaning over a sewer-like ditch, dipping a container into the liquids. "And we wonder why Hiroshi Sato and his cronies are so rich? It's because they keep shortchanging us and ripping us off!"

Following on his friend's lead, the first man marched up to the front door of the repair shop. The staff from inside now peered out, curious to know what was going on but intimidated by the crowd. "You tell your bosses, the Satos, to get out here and give us an explanation!" he roared, shaking a fist at the staff, "We won't stand for their unconscionable behaviour!"

Again, the crowd behind them called out, demanding an explanation. The staff inside immediately went to their manager, insisting they reported it to headquarters. The crowd outside was already agitated, with some chanting anti-Future Industries slogans. At this rate, there might be a riot outside the Future Industries repair shop!

Yet a few more blocks down the street, another group of unsatisfied people marched to another business owned by Future Industries. This time, it was a dealership that sold exclusively Future Industries vehicles, particularly hybrid and electric vehicles. It was a newer invention by the company, whereby vehicles with fewer emissions were sold at a cheaper rate. Up until this point, hybrid vehicles were often more expensive than regular ones, mainly due to the more expensive technology involved. But thanks to Hiroshi and Varrick, cheaper technology was used to design these vehicles, making them more affordable for the average purchaser.

But those pieces of technology formed the very reason for this complaint. "Future Industries claim they're being environmentally friendly by selling hybrids? I say they're more interested in blowing people up!" a man in yellow shouted, "My brother bought one of their hybrids last month, and he tried to plug it in for charging. Instead of charging the engine like they claimed, the whole thing exploded and now he's sitting in the hospital!"

Just then, a management team member of the dealership stepped into the open. "Sir, none of our hybrids exploded since they were put on sale. We have a perfect safety record and any problems are minor," the manager assured the complainant.

"And this comes from an incompetent dealership like yours?" a man in green followed up with the yellow-clad man's accusations. He stepped up to the manager and sized him up, pushing out his chest while glaring right back. "Even if you return all money used to buy the car, maybe you want to look at the driver's medical expenses? I'm sure you or your manufacturer will voluntarily pay for his medication once he's out of the hospital, right?"

With that, the man in green shoved the manager, sending him tumbling to the ground. That caught the crowd's attention, as they marched right up to the dealership yelling slogans. The manager barely got up to his feet, nearly crawling back into the office. Demanding that his staff locked the doors, he hobbled into his own office and called Future Industries. "This can't be happening," he muttered, dialling the numbers with great difficulty.

Meanwhile, at Future Industries, Hiroshi, Yasuko, Varrick, and Zhu Li raced back and forth. They frantically gave instructions to their assistants while fielded more information from the receptionists. "Why are there so many demonstrations against us?" Varrick demanded to a nearby secretary, "What's going on out there, you guys?"

"Is it getting worse out there?" Hiroshi inquired, pecking a large finger at the set of notes another assistant handed him, "Are they already damaging our property? If they are, then we have to call the police. Right now, we have to minimize the damage."

"Call an emergency meeting with all the branch managers. We've got to keep the calm right now," Yasuko called out from behind another cubicle, "Where are the emergency plans?"

But Zhu Li was most worried right now. She managed to catch Asami as she raced into the head office. "Asami, thank goodness you're safe," she declared, grabbing onto the engineer, "I'm really worried about Korra. She's working at the pro-bending arena today and I think she might be caught in the danger. Also, Opal hasn't returned from the pier yet. Can you call them to see if they're okay? We have to keep the peace here and I just can't free myself up!"

The maddening crowd did nothing to slow down, even as they reached areas not under the ownership or control of Future Industries. A huge crowd now gathered outside the pro-bending arena, where they chanted slogans and waved banners. "Down with oppression, down with rising prices," they called, demanding a response to their grievances.

Meanwhile, the arena and cinema staff barricaded themselves inside, bolting the doors shut while some desperately called the police. It was very strange that no police officers were on the streets yet, but given what they heard about riots happening all over the city, this was not a total surprise. What they were more concerned about was how to get the patrons who were now inside the arena out. How could they evacuate without being harmed by the mob outside?

"Guys, what's going on out there?" a female voice asked. The reception and ticketing staff glanced over to see Korra and Shiro trot towards them. They nervously tilted their heads to the front door, where the chanting crowd now marched dangerously forward. "Are they still going at it? Where are the police?" Korra demanded.

One receptionist shook her head. "We're worried about the safety of people already here. They can't get out through the front doors, because the crowd might storm us," she described, all the while holding the phone close to her ear, "I'm still trying to get through to the police."

Korra bit her lower lip while her hands wrung in frustration. She hated crowds and the loud noise made her head pound. However, she also knew that the people inside the arena were brought into this protest against their will. In fact, she had no idea why the crowd was protesting against Future Industries. Even if they were justified, the protest had nothing to do with the arena. Asami's family did not own this place, so why would the crowd rope them into it?

Shaking her head a few times, Korra decided to do something drastic. "Shiro and I can go outside and see what the crowd wants," she proposed, "While we do that, you guys sneak the guests out the back door. I don't think those guys will go away anytime soon."

The entire staff froze in shock at Korra's suggestion. Was Korra trying to take on the crowd all by herself? If the crowd turned violent, what could Korra do to pacify them? Given Shiro was not a bender, it would leave Korra all by herself. Despite her skills, they doubted Korra's water bending was strong enough to stop the crowd. "Korra, are you sure about this?" Shiro asked, placing a hand on her shoulder, "They could really hurt you out there."

But Korra shook her head resolutely. "There's no way we can protect the people who have nothing to do with this," she declared, waving her arm at the customers stranded in the lobby, "They weren't part of the complaints, so why should they be stuck here? Besides, even though I'm not happy about what happened to me with Future Industries, I can't agree with what the protestors are saying. So we should at least find out what they want from us."

Shiro took a deep breath, realizing he had to support Korra in this. Moreover, with Korra being such a loyal staff member to him, Shiro felt guilty if anything occurred to Korra out there. "Everyone, let's do what Korra said," he stated, clenching his fist in determination, "Get the customers out the back door. Korra and I will go find out what the crowd wants."

As the reception staff ushered the customers to the back, Shiro and Korra firmly nodded to each other. They marched to the front doors and slowly opened them. Korra was immediately greeted with sneers and shouts, but did her best not to flinch or recoil. Now was the time to solve a problem, not to run and hide. Feeling like her arms turned into lead, Korra lifted them with great difficulty and waved at the crowd. "Why are you guys protesting at the arena?" she called.

A man in red stepped up to Korra. With a flick of his wrist, his whole hand was engulfed in flames. "All you guys do is oppressing the poor. You're lucky I'm not burning down your arena right now," the fire bender retorted, "Just like the Satos and the Varricks, all you guys do is jack up the prices. You think we're your money trees or something?"

The crowd roared in approval, but that only got confused looks out of Korra and Shiro. "Are you sure about that? I've been working here for exactly three years this month. During this time, I've never seen ticket prices being increased," Korra countered. While she did not keep direct eye contact with the protestor, it was not due to her autism. Instead, Korra tried to find a water source nearby, in case the man did unleash his flames onto the arena.

"Even if you didn't increase ticket prices, they're still high to begin with," a man in green joined the fire bender. Seeing his stance, Korra could tell he was earth bender, and most likely could launch slabs of concrete at them. "So we can't watch movers just because we're poor?"

Again, another confused look came from Korra. "But it's not like we purposely keep them high," Korra exclaimed, her frustration level increasing, "Every second Tuesday, we have a special price set. You can see a mover for only three yuans, two if you're under the age of twelve. That policy has been in place even before I joined, and it doesn't even include all the special deals you get with pro-bending matches! I'm sure at least some of you used those, right?"

More murmurs emitted from the crowd, but this time they were in agreement with Korra. Some people did indeed use these benefits, and others even praised the way the arena handled their complaints. "You have complaints, you can raise them to me," Shiro stated, "But don't get Korra in trouble. She's my best employee and I rely heavily on her."

"Cut your nonsense. We're tired of you supporting these oppressors!" the earth bender shouted. In one smooth action, he stomped the ground and raised a slab of concrete. Then before Korra could react, he launched it at Shiro, slamming him right in the chest.

"Shiro, no!" Korra yelled as Shiro flopped to the ground. Seeing her supervisor on his back gripping his sternum in pain, something inside Korra just snapped. Glancing around, she saw the closest water source. "You'll pay for what you did!" she growled. With that, she waved her arms around and pulled out a huge blob of water from the sewer.

Glaring at the two attackers, Korra threw the water at the earth bender, soaking his entire body in the smelly liquid before freezing it. The earth bender slammed into the ground, the smelly liquid covering his torso while paralyzing him due to it being frozen. Korra then turned to the fire bender and, in the same motion, swung the liquid at him the other way. He was sent flying onto the steps, crashing hard on his side. "Who else wants a go?" she snarled.

But the fire bender was defiant, despite being drenched in the dirty liquid. "See that? More proof that the privileged are oppressing us," he snapped, pointing an accusing finger at Korra, "She's with the Satos, and there's nothing we can do to stop them!"

Ironically, the crowd turned against the fire bender and his earth bending colleague. Whether it was pointing out that Korra had been fired by the Satos, to Korra not being related to the Satos, or simply that Korra was wonderful greeting the customers during her tenure at the pro-bending arena, there was nothing but praise for the water bender. It left the two original attackers sputtering in shock, while Korra almost teared up at the support. Even though she had trouble achieving success her whole life, it was good to know that her efforts were recognized.

Shaking her head, she immediately lifted Shiro back to his feet. "Let's get you inside," she suggested to the groaning announcer, "I'll get some water and heal up your chest." She trudged up the steps of the arena, all the while seeing the crowd slowly disperse away.

As she stepped back inside, waving at some reception staff to assist, Korra felt a buzz from her pants pocket. Once she handed Shiro over, she reached down and pulled out her phone. One glance at the message and Korra immediately frowned. It was from Asami, who texted to see if Korra was okay from all the riots. While Korra appreciated Asami's message, she still had mixed feelings about her former friend. Even so, Korra made a note to go downtown later. Her foster parents were still at the office, and Korra was determined not to see harm done to them.

Mako sat in the briefing room nervously as the representatives from the Department of Public Safety lectured his team. He was just at his desk, minding his own business when Lin asked for an emergency meeting. Confused by the situation, Mako strolled into the briefing room with his colleagues, only to find Tarrlok's assistants before them. Before long, the assistants launched into the most shocking news of the day, which was riots were abound in Republic City.

"We do not know who is leading or inciting the riots. We also don't know how this started and from when or where," one of the assistants, a shorter man with dark hair and tan skin stated. His eyes tilted back and forth from his notes, almost like he was reading a script rather than briefing the team. "All we know is that it has reached epic proportions. Police now must be dispatched in a largescale riot suppression operation. Minister Yakone has made it clear that all orders are given from his department, and your colleagues are to adhere to those."

One officer in the front row raised her hand. "How widespread is the rioting right now, and how do you feel the police can help?" she queried. While Republic City police was trained to handle riots, this was the first time in recent memory that something this big occurred. And with Tarrlok exercising emergency powers again, the coordination would have to change once more.

"The rioting has now reached most of the downtown business area, and is mainly focused on buildings and properties owned or operated by Future Industries," the other assistant, a taller man with a balding hairstyle answered, "Properties were raided by the crowd, and there have been reports of property damage. Since our job is to protect the people's lives and property, the police should assist us in stopping the damages as quickly as possible."

"Are you suggesting that we just make arrests? Do we quell any riots with police equipment, like water hoses or something like that?" Song, a man with pale skin and a thin moustache, inquired from Mako's left. Song was a veteran officer that Mako sometimes worked with. Compared to Lu and Gang, Mako liked Song better, even if he did find Song a bit hotheaded. Either way, Mako knew that they had to be extra careful if the crowd was still angry.

"Minister Yakone's orders are to stop the riots at any cost," the first assistant explained, "Arrest all who continue the protests, and use anti-riot equipment if necessary. If the crowd does not disperse, then take whatever measures necessary, including force."

Mako winced. While he knew that force was sometimes necessary, he was unsure if they really had to resort to that. Shouldn't they find out the reason for the riots and investigate this properly? Besides, while Mako considered Asami and her family friends, given Toza and Bolin worked with Future Industries so much, maybe some of the people's grievances were worth looking into. But in any event, orders were orders, and Mako wasn't prepared to disobey.

"We will move out as soon as everyone is ready," Lin announced from the front of the room, "We will require riot gear for all officers. These include batons, shields, tear gas, and, as the minister's assistant pointed out, water hoses. We meet down at the bus bay in fifteen minutes where we will board the buses and take us to the riot scenes. We will give further instructions on how to suppress the riots at each location. Is that clear?"

When the team declared back in the affirmative, the members slowly shuffled out of the room. Mako followed suit, heading back to his desk to grab his firearm. However, before he took hold of his service weapon, Mako grabbed his cellphone and immediately dialled for his brother. He didn't know where Bolin was at the moment, but due to Future Industries working closely with the warehouse, Mako was concerned that the rioting would spread to Bolin. Even though he knew Bolin could hold his own, Mako still had concerns. "Come on, pick up," he murmured.

After a couple more rings, the cheerful voice of Mako's brother greeted the fire bender. "Mako, what's going on?" Bolin asked from the other line. Hearing Bolin doing okay with no sounds of rioting in the back, Mako could feel some tension release from his body.

Shaking his head a few times, Mako focused back on the issue at hand. "Bolin, you and Toza have to be careful. There are riots all over the city, and they're targeting anything related to Future Industries," he reported, trying to speak softly as to avoid eavesdropping from those near him, "Chief Bei Fong is deploying us to stop the riots, but from what I hear it's mainly close to downtown. If there aren't any riots at the warehouse, then maybe stay there for now."

"We're pretty much stuck here right now. Kuvira is putting a lid on everything and we have to do things completely by her book," Bolin responded, his enthusiasm dampening at the mention of Korra's successor, "I know Opal said she had to go back to the office, and she left not long ago. I'm not sure if she's downtown yet, so I think I should call her to find out. Can you keep an eye on her if you're on the beat?"

Mako winced. He had gotten in trouble with his senior colleagues before whenever he brought his family up as a conversation topic. Whether it was Toza's arrest or random searches at the warehouse, Mako always felt like the police did not see eye to eye with him, even though he was on the same team as them. Just because he cared about his family did not mean he would willingly give up his duties as a police officer. And even though he found Tarrlok to be rude and arrogant, Mako was bound by his police oath to follow orders, including those from Tarrlok.

"Hey, May-ko," an obnoxious voice called to him. Mako turned to his right and saw Lu and Gang standing at his desk, both of them with wide smirks on their faces. "Are you going to get moving or are you going to lollygag all day?" Gang mocked the fire bender.

Taking a huge breath to calm himself down, Mako finished his call with Bolin. "I'll try to find Opal, Bolin," he assured his brother, "But if you want, you can keep calling on your end." He then ended the call and slipped his cellphone into his pocket. "I'm coming, okay? I just want to call my family to make sure they're okay," he snapped back, putting on his gun belt.

Lu and Gang could only snicker at Mako. "Why am I not surprised that you're calling those hooligans that are your family members?" Lu retorted, "Given their background, I won't be shocked if they're part of the riots. Just make sure you remember what team you're on, okay?"

Mako felt his blood boil hotter than the flames he could bend. "Lighten up, alright? Just because I'm not from a privileged background doesn't give you the right to accuse my family of criminal activities," he growled, "I know exactly what team I'm on, but I don't think you do."

Mako stayed in the stare-down with Lu and Gang for a few more seconds before he marched off. He could hear the two moustachioed officers snicker behind his back, but he paid it no mind. Somehow, Mako felt this mission was about to test him in more ways than one.

And as usual, we have to put on our usual list of inspirations and references found in this chapter:

1.) Kai and Jinora at the beach is a reference to "Avatar: the Journey of Life" with the cast of the original series in a modern, AU setting. Aang was worried about losing Katara in the midst of all the change, and Gyatso challenged him to think differently with the "hurricane through a closet" analogy. You will notice that the roles have been changed but also similar, with the orphan (Aang and Kai) being told the analogy by the air bending master (Gyatso and Jinora). And since a bald Jinora looks identical to Aang, I figure to do another shout-out with the outie joke. But either way, the point is the same here, and I felt it's useful to repeat that for this story.

2.) What Hiroshi said about taxes is true in Canada. If you are a self-employed individual or a small business owner, you can get certain expenses deducted. These include anything related to your business development, such as fuel, parking, advertising, business trips, etc. You have to make sure there is a running total until the end of the year, when you report your taxes. Those amounts will be deducted as necessary expenses, and your taxes will be decreased. There are certain moves to change some of that by our current (incompetent) government, but hopefully they won't affect small business owners, as they are ultimately the creators of jobs in this country.

3.) Mako's mention of the Interpol is also a real life reference. The Interpol is an international police organization headquartered in France in charge of providing liaison among police forces across the world and maintaining databases for certain shared information. Police forces across the world can rely on the Interpol to fight international crime, and Interpol would provide whatever administrative support necessary. I figure that something like this would come in handy in the Korra series, especially with the way the Red Lotus operated. So when I included the Red Lotus in my story, I figure that an Interpol should at least be considered.

4.) Hiroshi and Varrick launching hybrid cars and electric cars is a reference to Elon Musk, whose Tesla is now the new generation of environmentally friendly vehicles. We always hear that Hiroshi is an Avatar version of Henry Ford, but that's in reference to a past age. In a modern day setting, the best way to compare Hiroshi is with someone involved in these new vehicles, and Elon Musk was the first person that came to my mind.

5.) Hiroshi's story about getting a limited budget to grow his company is from "The Voice in the Night" when he explained to Mako how a small loan was all it took to start his company. Toza and Mako showing scepticism to Kuvira while Bolin becoming Kuvira's assistant and supporting her is from "The Coronation" when Mako and Bolin argued over Kuvira's actions and motives. Kuvira defending herself and referencing Bolin as her helper is from "After All These Years" when she and Bolin gave the same explanation to Opal and Kai. Korra confronting the crowd outside the pro-bending arena despite working there and being friends with Asami is from various Book 2 episodes, when she was a Southerner but still tried to calm the crowds protesting against the invasion by the Northern Water Tribe.

I will be taking a short hiatus again, and hopefully I will be back in a couple of months with a new chapter. Things in my life are getting busier and I just don't have time for a monthly update. So I thank you for the patience, thank you for your support of this chapter, and I hope to see you again soon.