After another short hiatus, I'm back with another update. I want to thank SaoirseParisa, Wildstar93, and Bolinlover123 for reviewing last time. So we saw the riots on the streets of Republic City and everyone just trying to avoid the carnage. Well, this chapter is about to put a slight wrinkle in that plan. The riots are more than what meets the eye, and things are about to get much worse for our favourite characters. Enjoy this wild ride!

Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko own the Legend of Korra.

To say that it was a mess on the streets was an understatement for Opal, who just stepped out of the subway station. The crowd before her chanted slogans, waved signs, and otherwise was very unpleasant. Opal had no idea what this was all about, as she only heard on the subway that there were protests on the streets. But given the ferocity of the protests and the anti-Future Industries slogan, Opal had her doubts about how this could end up for her.

Opal took a glance at her cellphone and saw a text from Bolin. Her boyfriend informed her that Mako was dispatched with the rest of the police to contain the protest, which started as some former clients of Future Industries airing their grievances. Before long, it ballooned into this situation, and the Future Industries headquarters was in lockdown mode. It did not help that Opal still had no car of her own, using transit to get from the pier to headquarters. "Now I know why Korra always said she preferred a ride getting here," the air bender murmured to herself.

Tugging on her jacket, she slipped into the crowd and tried to shuffle past the marchers. Future Industries headquarters was about ten minutes by foot from the subway station. One option she had to avoid this group was to take some shortcuts through alleys and between buildings, areas that she would not go into even in the middle of the day. It might be because she was from Zaofu, where crime rates were the lowest in the United Earth States for decades, but Opal just did not feel safe with alleys. So to have to go through one just to get to the office, it chilled her to the core. "Well, here goes nothing," she stuttered.

Opal ducked and weaved her way around the marchers, their voices nothing but slurs. Opal felt it resembled the time she took a turn through the spinning gates that Tenzin used when she first trained with him. She had so much trouble the first time, turning on a dime and being light on her feet. Even without tattoos, Opal felt that she had the skills and could use them if need be. "I wonder when I'll have time to take my test for the tattoos," she stated aloud.

Opal quickly strolled through the damp, narrow passage. The Future Industries building was before her, but there were still some turns before she got there. Her phone buzzed again, and Opal saw Bolin's new text. It stated that Bolin was on his way here, and that Mako was aware of Opal. She chuckled at Bolin's caring nature, realizing how fortunate she was to have met him.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" an aggressive voice called. Opal tilted her head up and immediately shivers ran up her spine. Three men stalked towards her and stared her down, blocking the exit to the alley completely. "Didn't you realize you're in Triple Threats territory, little girl? What makes you think you can just waltz in unannounced?" the one in blue snarled, "I can let you go in exchange for some yuans, but if not then I can't guarantee your safety."

Opal's eyebrows creased immediately. She heard about the Triple Threats from her aunt, and she certainly tried to avoid them during her time here. But she never expected that taking a shortcut to the office would get her facing them upfront. Glancing around, she gauged how much room she had to pull off some air bending techniques in case she was attacked. "I don't want any trouble," she announced, her entire body tightening, "Just let me out of the alley and I'll go."

The man in blue chuckled, leaning dangerously close to Opal. "Maybe you're new to the city and don't know the rules, so let me explain carefully," he sneered, "My name's Viper, and my two associates and I are from the Triple Threats. We pretty much run this place, so if you're not going to cooperate with us, we'll put you in the hospital. Are you clear with that?"

Opal took a deep breath. Given the Triple Threats were all benders of considerable skill, this was not the time to get into a fight. "Again, I'm not looking for trouble," Opal insisted, "I just want to get out of here without getting hurt."

Then, without warning, Opal jumped into the air and shot air from her feet. She soared above the three Triple Threats before landing on the other side, whipping her leg at the gangsters. A wide air whip shot out and sent them sprawling to the ground, giving her that extra second to sprint towards the daylight. The sooner she got herself out of this alley, the better!

But she barely took a few steps before the ground shook beneath her feet, throwing Opal off balance and making her collapse into a heap. Opal lifted her eyes just in time to see a blast of flames slam into the wall just above her head. "Did you not hear what I said earlier?" Viper called, now back on his feet and edging closer to Opal, "I'll let you out in exchange for some yuans, but I don't see any bills. So maybe, we'll take something else from you instead!"

Opal sent an air blast in the direction of the Triple Threats, but that was met with an earth shackle covering both feet. Short fire bursts peppered Opal from both sides, while Viper pulled some water out from the sewer. "Let's see how smelly we can make you," he suggested, "Or better yet, let's see how see-through we can make your clothes!"

Opal grunted in frustration, trying to break free of the earthen prison. The earth bender squeezed his fist to lock the concrete on Opal's legs further. With her lower body was now stuck, Viper reeled his arm back to throw the polluted water right at Opal's face. Just as the liquid flew in, Opal shot her arms out, hoping an air shield could block the incoming attack.

The sewer water was shot into the air, with some sprinkling onto Opal, but the majority of it showered on the Triple Threats. Opal used that distraction to flex her legs, concentrating the energy before shooting out an air blast. The rocks came crumbling off, giving her room to manoeuvre. "Desperate times call for desperate measures," she muttered to herself. With that, she whipped her arms around and created a mini tornado around her body.

Unfortunately, the fire bender of the Triple Threats caught on and launched flames right in the direction of the spinning air. That trapped Opal in a flaming inferno and, with the flames tightening, Opal could feel her clothes being zinged. "Oh, so instead of soaking you, we'll just light all your clothes on fire!" Viper chuckled, now back onto his feet and approaching Opal.

Suddenly, the extreme heat Opal faced dissipated. A huge blast of air spun the fire tornado right at the Triple Threats, causing all three to duck for cover. Opal turned around to see Kai step out of his fighter stance and trot in. Bolin soon followed suit, stomping on the ground and cracking the concrete right up to the assailants. "Are you okay, Opal?" Kai asked.

Opal nodded. Sensing the danger, Bolin instructed Kai to take Opal out first. "Yung and Toza should be just around. I think they're trying to find a place to drop off the van," he called to the younger air bender. Turning back to the Triple Threats struggling to stay on their feet, Bolin snarled, "You keep your dirty hands off my girlfriend, got it?"

"Then you tell your girlfriend to stop messing with Triple Threat plans," Viper retorted, pointing a long finger at Opal, "Messing with this city is just the beginning. Once things really start rolling, the entire world won't know what hit it!"

Bolin's eyes grew wide. Was Viper insinuating that Republic City's riots were all caused by the Triple Threats? Yet before Bolin could say another word, a rock hurtled his way. Bolin raised his arms just in time to absorb the blow, but he knew his forearms would be bruised by nightfall. Kicking up a slab, he shielded his body from neck down while punching piece after piece at the Triple Threats. And behind them, Kai and Opal lined up a simultaneous air blast at the gangsters. "I'm not leaving without you, Bolin," Opal called.

Bolin nodded back at Opal, sending the entire slab of concrete at the Triple Threats at the same time Kai and Opal unleashed their double blast. Despite the Triple Threats' attempt to hold that off, they were soon overwhelmed and were sent tumbling into the alley. With his heartrate still racing, Bolin turned to Kai and Opal. "I'm glad you're okay, Opal," he whispered, wrapping an arm around her shoulder, "Now let's find the others and tell Mako about this."

Mako slowly stepped off the police vehicle, feeling the warm air smother his police uniform. Despite the sun peeking out from the skyscrapers and having a relatively cloudless sky, Mako felt anything but serene. The humidity and the tension in the city rolled over him like a huge wave. Even as Lin stepped to the front to give instructions, he could barely register her words. Deep down, he was more concerned at the echoes of the protests just a few blocks away.

"I want small groups to go down each block to check if there are still protestors," Lin ordered, waving her finger at each respective block, "No more than a team of three per group, and unless there are protestors damaging property or hurting people, don't spend more than a few minutes per block. The main problem is closer to Future Industries, where the majority of the protestors are headed towards. That's where we should focus our main efforts right now."

Mako glanced around and saw a stern expression on each officer's face. While Mako figured that they were doing their job, he could not help but feel nervous about this. When he called Bolin earlier, he told Bolin about having to contain the riot. Bolin told him that Opal was heading back to Future Industries headquarters. Mako offered to keep his eyes open for her. But with the way things were right now, he could not focus on anything except his current task.

"Each respective captain or lieutenant will take a few blocks each, and they will report directly to me," Lin continued. Mako craned his neck to see Saikhan being one of the captains being called forth. "All the officers and other detectives will report to the captain or lieutenant in charge of their blocks, and we'll go from there. I'll be planning for the riot response team to go to Future Industries. We don't have much time, so I'll assign everyone right now."

Just then, Mako's cellphone buzzed once more. The fire bender reached into his pants pocket and pulled out the offending object, clicking the text icon to see the latest update. It was a text from Bolin, indicating that Opal was now with them. They were meeting Toza and Yung, who hoped to get Opal to Future Industries headquarters. While Mako let out a sigh of relief in realizing that Opal was safe, part of him still fretted over the group's destination. If they were headed towards Future Industries, then what if they got caught in the riots?

However, it was the second part of the text that got Mako really worried. Bolin referred to Opal being attacked by the Triple Threats on her way here. While Mako was not surprised that the Triple Threats might take advantage of the situation, he was shocked to learn that they might be behind some of the rioting. Mako tilted his head to the side again, trying to locate the Future Industries building. Were the Triple Threats trying to invade the headquarters as he stood here?

"Hey, May-ko," an obnoxious voice snapped Mako back to attention. To no one's surprise, Lu and Gang were in his face again, their annoying smirks out in full force. "You still worried about your brother?" Lu challenged, his eyes keying in on the fire bender's cellphone, "We won't be too harsh on him when we arrest him. We'll make sure there's a nice little sofa in the cell we'll throw him in, and all his friends will be right there with him, okay?"

Mako scowled at the hurtful remarks. Stuffing his phone back into his pocket, he glared at his two nemeses. "I hope you don't mean that," he growled, "I already told you back at the station that I know what team I play on. So to bring up my brother like that is just a low blow. Besides, Bolin told me some info that you might want to consider. With the way the riots are going, how do you know the Triple Threats won't be in play?"

Again, more patronizing chuckles came from the senior detectives, who wasted no time launching another round of attacks on Mako's family. "So suddenly Bolin's in with the triads? So that gives us more reason to arrest him," Gang added, rubbing his hands together, "Does that mean we can make Bolin bunk with the Triple Threats as their cellmate?"

Mako growled again. "Knock it off, will you? I'm very serious about this!" he yelled, "I got a text from Bolin saying that he saw Triple Threats all over the place. They attacked one of our friends and he had to go out to save her. How can Bolin be with the Triple Threats when he defended one of our friends from those guys?"

A sharp clearing of the throat stopped the argument dead on its tracks. Mako turned around to see Lin and Saikhan standing before them. "I'll be supervising you guys for the block searches," Saikhan declared, "Do I have to separate you like children and put you in detention?"

Mako fumed as Lu and Gang sweet-talked to their superior, flashing lopsided grins before trotting off. That left Mako with Saikhan and Lin frowning at him. "Chief, Captain, Bolin told me something that you should know, and Opal is also involved," Mako stated.

"Mako, you and I can have a family reunion with your brother and my niece later on. Right now we have something important to deal with," Lin insisted, "Go scour through the block and then meet back here. We'll go to Future Industries afterwards with riot gear ready."

Mako sighed, realizing he would have to wait until later on before he reported back to Lin. Trudging in the direction of Lu and Gang, Mako focused his attention back onto the streets. It frustrated him to no end that the two senior detectives always got the last word in, leaving him with nothing to contribute even though his points had merit. Sometimes, he felt so weak even though he was a high achiever in his family. All he ever wanted was some way to provide for Bolin while keeping things together, so why did life keep throwing him so many obstacles?

Mako took a peek at every nook and cranny for the blocks he was assigned. In front of him, Lu and Gang just nonchalantly strolled through while telling odd jokes to each other. Despite claims that the protests were widespread, it did not look that way for these blocks. The protestors were gathered in areas nowhere near here, making Mako believe that they were being guided. So could this confirm Bolin's belief that the Triple Threats were behind all this?

Just then, Mako noticed a few people shuffling out an alley that he passed earlier. With squinting eyes, Mako could make out the familiar figures of Shady Shin and Two-Toed Ping rushing across the road. Sensing something suspicious, Mako tried to flag down Lu and Gang, but to no avail. Biting his lower lip, Mako could only keep his eyes on the two gangsters for a limited period of time. Those two disappeared into another alley, but guessing the direction, Mako was sure they were headed for Future Industries. "Bolin was right on," he muttered.

"Mako, are we almost done here?" Saikhan's voice once against interrupted Mako's train of thought. The police captain stood before Mako, hands on his hips and looking unimpressed. "I should remind you that we still have to meet with the chief on riot control, so let's pick it up."

Mako tried to tell Saikhan that he was done, but that they should pay attention to the Triple Threats. However, he did not get a word out before Saikhan marched right past him. Palming his face in frustration, Mako stomped his way back to Lin. Hopefully he could get a word in with the chief before they confronted the rioters. But for now, he had to make sure his own brother was safe. Pulling out his cellphone again, he immediately dialled Bolin's number.

Korra hustled her way down the street, not stopping or slowing down her pace ever since she left the subway station. Working at the pro-bending arena meant she was only two subway stations away from Future Industries headquarters. She already had a taste of the protestors when they sent a boulder at Shiro Shinobi. Had Korra not been there to pull Shiro inside and healed him up with water bending, Shiro would most likely be heading to the hospital right now.

But now, Korra had to navigate through the crowd of people chanting and marching closer to Future Industries. Asami's text stated that there were protests against Future Industries, but never did Korra imagine it to be this severe. With the piercing shouts, the nonstop stream of people, and the unfriendly atmosphere, Korra wanted to run back to the subway station, take the subway to the station closest to her home, and lock herself in her room for the rest of the day.

Before Korra could take another step, she saw a set of familiar faces. "Bolin, Opal!" she called, trotting across the crowded street at her two friends dressed in green. Bolin held Opal extra close, while Opal's eyes seemed locked onto the ground. "Is everything okay?" Korra asked, "You guys didn't get hurt or anything, did you?"

Before Bolin could answer, his cellphone sounded off. Korra was surprised that Bolin could hear his phone above all the protest noise. Slipping a hand into his pants pocket, the earth bender pulled out his phone and answered it. "Hello, Mako?" Bolin greeted the caller. Korra could not hear what Mako was saying, but one look at Bolin's response said it all. "So you're sure that the Triple Threats are behind this?"

Korra turned to the others, who pulled her aside. "Bolin and I were trying to find Opal," Kai explained, tilting his head in the direction they just came from, "Opal was on her way to Future Industries when she ran into the Triple Threats. She tried to fight them, but it was three against one and they nearly lit her clothes on fire. Bolin and I managed to get to her, but then we heard the Triple Threats say that messing with the city was just the start."

Korra gasped, covering her mouth in shock. She immediately turned to Opal, who wanted to avoid any further discussion. "Can we just get to Future Industries right now?" she murmured, "The sooner we get off the streets and away from those Triple Threats, the better."

Before Korra could inquire further, a comment from Toza caught her attention. "I hope my age isn't doing a number on my vision, but is that the riot police in front of us?" the older earth bender observed, pointed a finger at the intersection before them. Indeed, uninformed individuals got into a line formation, each member with light armour and face shields. Some carried batons, while others prepared pepper spray. "Bolin, what did Mako say is happening with the police?" Toza asked, tapping his foster child on the shoulder.

Bolin took a gander and his face paled. He turned back to his cellphone, frantically trying to get a clarification. Unfortunately, that would not be possible. "This is Republic City Police," one of the lead officers declared with a megaphone, "All people assembled here must disperse immediately and return to your homes or your lawful businesses. If you fail to do so, then by the laws of this government, you are guilty of a criminal offence and will be sent to prison."

A couple of members in the crowd yelled back, inflaming the people further and getting them angrier. While the majority of the people continued their march, the same people who provoked them slinked away. Korra craned her neck in time to see them enter an alley, which was peculiar given how persistent they were in challenging the police. "Hey, did you guys see that?" she pointed out, "Those guys asked the crowd to riot, but then they ran off."

Luckily, Korra's group caught on. "I think they might be the Triple Threats that Kai and Bolin saw earlier," Yung added, his eyes tilting between the alley and the police at the front, "I don't know about you, but I think the crowd is being led into a death trap."

Within seconds, a panic spread through Korra's group. They immediately attempted to push to the side, avoiding the crowd's continuous march and hoping to get to Future Industries with an alternate route. At this rate, they would all be arrested if the police got involved. "Mako, can you tell Chief Bei Fong to just hold off for a few minutes longer?" Bolin pleaded with his brother over the phone, all the while being bumped and jostled as the rioters pushed forward, "We're trying to get out of the way, but we're being pushed closer to the police line."

Just then, the police pulled out two giant water cannons. Korra's eyes widened as the police officers aimed them right at the crowd. "Get to the side, quickly!" she shouted, pulling and throwing members of her group onto the sidewalk.

It was like a tsunami had hit the shores of Republic City when the police turned on the water cannons. The crowd was slammed by two large jets of liquid, the forces knocking down several people at the front. Amidst cries of pain and pleas for help, the police did not let up. By now, the rioters had trouble standing up, with some tumbling Korra's way. Korra could not tell from the chaotic scene, but she would not be surprised if some folks suffered injuries.

Despite pressing close to the sidewalks, Korra was not immune from the water. The power of the cannons was enough to send a steady stream her way, soaking her body and pressing her to the side of the building. Trying to drown out the sounds of people screaming, Korra tried to locate the rest of her group. Yung and Toza were in front of her, barely on their feet, and yelling for Kai and Bolin. Turning behind her, Korra could see Bolin, Kai, and Opal struggling to stand as well. The water's force was so great that it felt like it could pierce skin.

Seeing more people collapse to the ground, Korra had to do something. They could either drown in this flood or be trampled by the crowd. "Hey, stop the water! People could get hurt out here!" she shouted, waving an arm at the police while raising the other to shield herself.

But the police did not cease at all. In fact, they now tilted their cannons left and right, clearing the middle of the street while pushing more people to the side. Korra could hear the groans and grunts of her group, struggling to stay on their feet while avoiding more people staggering at them. Gritting her teeth, Korra stood up tall and faced the water head-on. She had no idea who authorized the police to do this, and despite her respect for Mako and his job, she could not let this pass. Clenching her fists, Korra took a stance and waved her arms around.

Amazingly, the power of the water cannons was no match for Korra. The water soon halted its advance, despite the police increasing its power. "For the last time, turn the water off!" Korra exclaimed, holding the water above her like a collapsing building, "You're only hurting more people by doing this. Just let them go home and everything will be stopped!"

The police team leader did not heed Korra's warning. Ordering the other cannon to turn, there were now two streams of water coming straight at Korra. "Surrender immediately or face the consequences!" the leader retorted through the megaphone.

With the strength of ten master water benders, Korra held off both water blasts from the cannons. Swishing the liquid around, she hoisted it into the air, forming a gigantic tsunami above the police. While Korra could not see what the police were doing behind the wave, she could hear their panicked voices. She heard officers shouting in confusion and fretting how close the wave was to crashing over them. "Turn off the water, we have to retreat!" the lead officer called.

Finally, after the water was turned off, Korra could hear the cannons being trucked away. The police also dispersed, backing into the next block. Korra then slowly lowered the tsunami, letting the water flow back to the ground. Taking a deep breath, Korra sank to her knees and took a peek around her. The crowd's anger and intensity subsided, but there were clearly injuries. Seeing how there was still water on the ground, Korra knew what her next task would be.

Turning to the group, she made sure they were alright. Other than some minor cuts and scrapes, none of them suffered any serious injury. "Why don't you guys get to Future Industries first? I think I'll try to heal up anyone who got injured," she proposed.

At Future Industries headquarters, things were anything but calm. Senior management just held an emergency meeting on addressing the riots, and now members of the management team raced to implement the recommendations. In the midst of all this, Hiroshi, Yasuko, Varrick, and Zhu Li all oversaw the damage control. "Can someone keep an eye on the reports from the police? How are they handling the riots out there?" Hiroshi demanded.

"And what about our staff members," Yasuko pointed out, hobbling on her cane towards Hiroshi. She paused behind her husband's back, glancing over his shoulder at the notes the clerk held, "Did any of them get attacked by the riots? I think a few of our associate offices suffered some damages, but I haven't heard anything about injuries. How are we doing with calling each office up to make sure everything is fine?"

"Actually, everything is not fine," Zhu Li chimed in. Everyone in that corner glanced over at the unassuming bespectacled woman, who led a group of people into the main office. "One of our own did get caught in the crossfire, and she had to be rescued out."

Indeed, following Zhu Li were a series of people that Asami knew well. Bolin led the way in, a protective arm around the shoulder of Opal, who was too stunned to make eye contact with anyone. Toza and Yung followed with Kai bringing up the rear. They glanced around the large office, trying to find a place to sit. But surprisingly, all of their clothes were wet. "Can someone please bring us some towels?" Bolin requested, "We could get dried up over here."

Asami immediately came over and helped Opal into a nearby office. She and Bolin eased Opal into a chair, all the while Toza, Yung, and Kai joined them. "Are you okay, Opal?" Asami asked, "What happened out there? How did you get attacked?"

Opal opened her mouth, but the words did not come out. "It was just…they were…ugh," she stuttered, clenching and unclenching her fists several times. By now, a staff member came in with several towels, and Bolin immediately took one to wrap around Opal's shoulders. "I was just coming here, and I was trying to avoid the mob, and then…"

"She tried to take a shortcut through an alley and got intercepted by the Triple Threats," Toza stated, drying his drenched clothes with the towel, "She tried to defend herself, but she was outnumbered and overwhelmed. They even tried to set her clothes on fire."

"Bolin and Kai got there in time to hold those guys off, or else Opal would be sitting in the hospital right now," Yung added, taking a towel from Kai after the younger air bender finished using it, "We then had to dodge more danger, including riot police, just to get here."

Asami looked around at the group, her heart finally calming after the past harrowing few hours. "Thank you so much, you guys," she responded, dipping her head slightly at the group. While they only got together whenever she visited the pier, Asami did treat this group as her friends, especially when Korra still worked there. To see this group stand up for each other like that, it was very touching. "But why are you all wet? Who drenched you on the way here?"

"We had to go through riot police shooting water cannons at the crowd," Kai described, trying to peel the wet clothes sticking to his skin, "They blasted those things at us and we almost got hurt. Had Korra not used water bending on those cannons, we'd be even more injured."

Asami's green eyes grew larger than saucers. Korra was in the group as well, and she actually took on the water cannons from the police? Would she not get in trouble with the law for doing that? "Where's Korra right now?" she asked, frantically searching through the texts on her phone, "Did someone manage to contact Korra? And can one of you contact Mako to see if Korra has been taken into custody for resisting the police?"

"If Korra is resisting the police, then I doubt calling the police will help," a low-pitched voice called from outside the office. The entire group looked up to see Kuvira approach the door with Varrick in tow. "Don't forget that I'm a member of Zaofu's security team, and I deal with protocols like these all the time. If your friend Korra did retaliate against the police's efforts to disperse the protestors, she can very well be arrested and criminally charged."

"Hold on a second here," Asami interjected, standing up to the metal bender, "I didn't see what happened out there, but if the police used water cannons right at the crowd, then people could get hurt. I'm sure Korra just has everyone's best interests at heart when she tried to stop the water cannons with her water bending. Maybe she's trying to slow the flow so people can get to safety. And since Korra knows water-based healing techniques, she can help even more…"

"Just because Korra has that ability doesn't mean she should use it, Asami," Kuvira retorted, placing one hand on her hip while slightly tilting her face. The diagonal angle at which she used to stare at Asami highlighted the borderline arrogance in her tone. "If we let anyone, let alone someone as powerful as Korra, take on the police just because they can, then what will happen to the city's stability? Let's not forget that good acts have unintended consequences."

Sensing the tension, Varrick sought to smooth things over. "Look, I know Kuvira from my days working with Suyin, and Korra is my foster child. If there's one person who knows both Korra and Kuvira well, it's me," he pointed out, "I'm sure Kuvira just wants the police to do their job, and by no means is she discounting Korra's good intentions."

"Did someone call my name?" another voice sounded off. The entire group turned to the newcomer, and smiles crept onto most of their faces. "Is everybody alright?" Korra asked.

Asami trotted up to Korra with a relieved smile. "I'm so glad you're okay, Korra. Did they attack the pro-bending arena as well?" she queried, placing a hand on Korra's elbow.

Surprisingly, Korra flinched away and tilted her head to the side. Asami could not help but lift an eyebrow, as Korra had not done that to her since they first met. If anything, Asami was one of the few people who could get up close and personal with Korra, and Korra had no qualms with physical contact with Asami as well. Did what happened with the journal still resonate in Korra's mind, to the point where Korra treated Asami as a stranger again?

But the one person who was not thrilled at Korra's appearance instantly confronted the water bender. "So you're the Korra everyone talks about?" Kuvira stated, staring at Korra with the tilted head and emotionless face, "You realize that you almost got yourself in big trouble by challenging the police. Did you consider the consequences of that? And it doesn't even cover the messy way you ran the warehouse, to which I'm still trying to fix right now."

Korra's eyes went straight for her shoes, hoping to avoid Kuvira altogether. She heard that this was the person who replaced her at the warehouse, and that she was quite the strict disciplinarian. Korra had not met Kuvira in person, but this was not the greeting she wanted from her successor. Why was Kuvira acting like everything was Korra's fault?

"Hey, look at me when I'm talking to you," Kuvira barked, leaning her head closer to Korra. Everyone around them was stunned into silence, watching Kuvira the drill sergeant go at it with Korra the nervous cadet. "Do you realize the work I had to do just to keep things level?"

Just then, Korra had had enough of the verbal barrage. "What did I ever do to you? Why are you going off on me like that?" Korra snapped, lifting her head and leaning her face closer to Kuvira. While her blue eyes tried focusing on something other than Kuvira's green eyes, Korra made sure her message was heard. "Is it wrong to protect people when they're being hurt? Is it wrong to treat my warehouse staff like friends? What's wrong with being nice to others?"

Immediately, the group tried to separate the combative twosome before things got worse. "Korra, Kuvira, maybe we're all getting a little too excited here. Why don't we just take a break for now and we'll worry about this later," Varrick suggested, "Kuvira, why don't you work with the rest of the staff in securing our associate offices? And Korra, why don't you head home first? I'll tell the housekeeper to make dinner for you, and then Zhu Li and I will join you later on?"

Mako wasted no time throwing his police gear into his locket, shedding that faster than a biohazardous suit. To say he was disappointed with what he observed in today's performance was an understatement, given how much they were in disarray. Not only did his partners, Lu and Gang, not notice the issues on the street, their own superior, Saikhan, either did not care or was just as clueless as they were. Did anyone in the police know what to do in an investigation?

Mako slammed the locker shut so hard that the ripples resonated through the entire line of lockers. He stomped back into the main office and plopped down onto the chair in his cubicle. Closing his eyes, he leaned back on his chair and let out an exasperated sigh. Mako could still recall Bolin calling to tell him the Triple Threats were involved in inciting the riots. Mako saw the Triple Threats lurking, but the police paid them no mind. Instead, they asked everyone to be on the frontlines with the water cannons. "So they spray innocent people with high-powered hoses, but the triads run free? That's the biggest joke of the decade!" Mako muttered.

"Mako, stop moping around," a sharp female voice called to the fire bender. Mako sat up straight and glanced to his right, where Lin stood outside the main boardroom, "I want all staff in here for debriefing. We have some concerns raised by the public on what happened."

Mako sighed again, dreading to hear the senior officers congratulate themselves on being masters of the universe. He had concerns on not just on how the officers used the water cannons, but also on how they were clueless about the real cause of the riot. Here was his chance to really stick it to the rest of these has-beens. "Well, here we go," he murmured, lifting out of the chair.

Mako trudged into the boardroom, where all the senior officers sat exhausted and, dare he say, disgusted. Some were rubbing themselves like they just exited the boxing ring. Others still wore soggy clothing, most likely from the soaking that Korra gave them. In the midst of it all, Lu and Gang giggled to each other, sitting at the far side and not paying attention to Lin. With the chief parked at the front with a stern look on her face, Mako could tell this would not go well.

"Take a seat, everyone!" Lin called, leaning on the front table. Mako took a seat to the side, on the same side as Lu and Gang but just a couple of chairs in front of them. "There are some concerns about how that riot was handled, given the reports from both injured officers and the public. We had the water cannons turned right back against us, and we just gave up!"

"Chief, if I may, there was that Korra girl who stood up to us," a senior officer that Mako recognized as a ten-year veteran pointed out, "When we increased the water cannon power, she just turned it right back on us. We were pretty much shot with our own weapon."

"She should have never done that! If she and the rest of those protestors just complied with police requests to stand down, everything would be avoided!" Song declared in a harsh tone, "Should we get a warrant out for her arrest?"

Just hearing that made Mako's blood boil. "She just saved an entire street filled with people, so why are you villainizing her?" he snapped back, "You realize after you left with the water cannons, Korra stuck around and used the remaining water to heal anyone who was hurt? Why didn't you stick around and watch how caring she was?"

"And why are we not surprised that you'd stick up for your vigilante friend, May-ko?" Lu sneered from behind him. Mako need not turn around to hear Gang snickering along, which only aggravated him more. "She dared to challenge the police when we were busy stopping a riot? Maybe she's the one starting all that nonsense to begin with!"

"Are you even hearing yourself talk right now?" Mako retorted, whipping his body around and glaring at the two obnoxious officers, "The entire crowd dissipated after the water cannons were used, and by then most of the protests were stopped! It's clear that someone was driving up the frenzy, and I doubt it very much that it was Korra. Are you stupid or what?"

"Or maybe your buddy is doing that just to cover herself!" Gang added, trying to contain another snort of laughter, "We know she's out at the warehouse all the time, and she's linked up with the Satos. Maybe she started this whole thing just to bring some press to Future Industries, so they can then drive up the business! I wouldn't trust that crazy girl at all!"

"For the last time, Korra is autistic, not crazy! Autistic people can be quite intelligent, and I certainly believe Korra is more intelligent than you both combined!" Mako roared, "Did you even look around when you were patrolling the streets? Didn't you see Triple Threats all over the place? How do you know they weren't part of this mess?"

"We're not here to argue with each other!" Lin yelled, slamming her palm on the front table. Turning to Mako, she chided him for speaking out of turn. "Mako, I know Korra for a long time. But when things are this dire, now's not the time to worry about your friendship with her!"

Mako pinched his nose and inhaled deeply. He expected this type of negligence from Lu and Gang, but to hear Lin speak like this was shocking. "Chief, with all due respect, I got a tip from my own brother. Your niece Opal was attacked by the Triple Threats, and he barely got her out alive," Mako explained, "They found out that the Triple Threats were involved, and I saw them when I was patrolling, just before we were at the frontlines. Don't tell me no one else did!"

"Mako, that's going too far," Saikhan scolded the fire bender, "I was with you when you patrolled, and I didn't see any suspicious activities or people. If you feel we should look deeper into these things, then why don't you give us the details so we know what we're getting into?"

"Am I the only person here who is competent?" Mako shouted, whipping around to stare down his own captain, "How did you all get on the force when you're this bad?"

"Enough!" Lin roared, slamming her hand on the table again, "Mako, it's one thing to be constructive, but insulting others is unacceptable. I'm suspending you for your misconduct. Give me your badge and get yourself home. I don't want to see you near here for the next two weeks!"

The room grew completely silent, with even Lu and Gang too stunned to say anything to their younger rival. All eyes were on Mako as he stood up from his chair, his eyes narrowing to darts against the woman he deemed his mentor. He took step after step up to Lin, his eyes never leaving her face. In one smooth motion, he pulled his badge out from his belt. But instead of putting it in Lin's open hand, he reeled back and threw the badge right in Lin's face.

Before Lin could even respond, Mako spat out his every word like they were venom. "If you want to raise my suspension up to a month for doing that, then go ahead. I've just lost all my respect for someone who I look up to," he growled. Turning to the rest of the team, he stated bluntly, "As for the rest of you, you just lost the confidence of the public. Watch your backs when you patrol next time." With that, he briskly exited the room, closing the door with a slam.

Hiroshi Sato plopped down onto the seat behind his desk, finally getting a chance to relax in his office after the harrowing afternoon. It was bad enough that they had damages to various associated stores, but to have Kuvira and Korra go at it at headquarters was appalling. Hiroshi had no idea why Kuvira decided to berate Korra about the warehouse on the spot, and naturally Korra did not take it well. Had Varrick not stepped in to split them apart, there might have been a brawl right then and there.

"Hiroshi, are you okay to chat?" Yasuko asked, tapping the door with her cane. Hiroshi glanced up in time to see his wife enter. Despite her physical disability and her easily fatigued body, Yasuko always did what she could to support her husband, no matter what the challenge was. "I thought we can find a way to deal with all this negativity around us."

Hiroshi waved to a chair before him, to which Yasuko hobbled over and took a seat. He rubbed his face and exhaled deeply, all the while Yasuko glanced at him sympathetically. "The police reported that the protests started spontaneously," Yasuko reported, "Some people just expressed their discontent, and the rest of the crowd just joined in."

Hiroshi pulled off his glasses and rubbed his temples, finding it hard to digest what his wife reported to him. He did not follow up with the police, and only now did he finally hear more than just the bits and pieces from earlier. "Did they specifically say what about Future Industries that the protestors are dissatisfied with?" he queried.

Yasuko shook her head. "All I heard was that there were some inferior goods linked to us, and it's like guilty by association," she replied, pressing her hands on the top of her cane, "I wonder if it's the same things we got with the whole warehouse fiasco, where Varrick had those defective goods mixed in with our actual goods. But we never got the chance to check the actual serial numbers of those goods, and that's a big disfavour."

Hiroshi cursed under his breath. That was the last thing he wanted, with the lack of any details that he could use to trace the issues. This only added to his concerns from last time, when Hong Li visited his office. "You are aware that the government is investigating some taxes we filed from many years back, right?" he informed Yasuko, "It's like everything is snowballing all at once, with one thing after another. I'm starting to wonder where we're going from here."

Just then, a knocking on the door behind the Satos diverted their attention. Beckoning the visitor, the door creaked open to reveal the face of one of the assistants from earlier. "Mr. Sato, we have a government investigator here with a team of staff," she reported, "He said he was here a while back and now he wants to investigate further."

Hiroshi frowned. Was this Hong Li being sent back after Tarrlok did a number on him? Future Industries already offered every document requested, so why was he coming back? Giving his wife an exasperated look, he granted permission for Hong Li to enter. "And if it's okay with him, I'd like my wife to sit here and listen to this," he requested.

The assistant stepped out of the office, and replacing her was Hong Li. The young man greeted Hiroshi more confidently than the first time. Despite the heavyset entrepreneur's immense stress, he still found Hong Li's energy refreshing. "What can I help you with this time, Hong Li?" Hiroshi asked, beckoning Hong Li to the empty chair next to Yasuko, "I already gave you all the books more than a week ago, and you guys are supposed to audit me. Is the audit complete so quickly because you found we did nothing wrong?"

Hong Li winced again. "Unfortunately, the opposite is true," he explained, pulling out a notebook. He flipped several pages before landing on one with a series of transactions listed. "I saw various bank transactions that the Department of Public Safety has been tracking for years. They belong to various people that were, and still may be, associated with a terrorist group called the Equalists. I assume you remember these people in Republic City?"

Hiroshi and Yasuko nodded, although Yasuko's usually pale face now became even paler. Why would her husband be involved with people associated with a terrorist group? "I know they were active around the same time I was burned," Yasuko recalled, "But I was so busy recovering physically and mentally at the time, I don't recall running across anyone who was aligned with the Equalists. Are you sure there isn't some mistake?"

"I'm afraid it's no joke, Mrs. Sato," Hong Li replied, pointing out the lines in question, "All these accounts belong to people on this list, and they are on our databases for suspected terrorist activities." Hong Li flipped to another page in his notebook, showing the Satos the list of names and how they were identified as public safety risks. By the time Hong Li was done, Yasuko's entire body was limp, her entire body melting into the chair she sat on.

Hong Li closed his notebook and stared forward, right into the eyes of Hiroshi. "I think it calls for a personal investigation, Mr. Sato," he suggested, folding his hands on his thighs, "Can you please tell us how those accounts got money directly from Future Industries? Did you give any money, intentionally or accidentally, to known members of the Equalists?"

Hiroshi stayed silent, his eyes boring holes into his desk. Struggling to sit back up, Yasuko reached out and grabbed Hiroshi's hand. "Hiroshi, if we don't clear this up, they'll just keep suspecting us over and over," she stated weakly, "You couldn't have done this, right? If it's just a mistake, then confess and fix it. Tell them you had nothing to do with the Equalists!"

Hiroshi finally glanced up, his usually warm and bright eyes now dull and void of any emotion. "Unfortunately, I can't say that," he responded to his wife, his voice barely above a murmur, "I did authorize some funds to go out, and they did go into those accounts. What the people did with my funds, I have no idea. But I was behind the money transfer from Future Industries to those people Hong Li just pointed out."

Yasuko covered her mouth with a shaking hand, tears threatening to spill out of her eyes. Why was her husband associated with a terrorist group? Even with no activity from the Equalists for more than a decade, this was still too shocking to hear. From beside her, Hong Li stood up from his chair and announced, "Mr. Sato, we would like to take you in for questioning. This is completely voluntary and you are not charged with any crime, at least not until the results are clearer. Are you willing to come with us?"

Hiroshi stood up without a fuss. He followed Hong Li to the door, opening it for the young man to leave first. "I'm sorry, Yasuko," he whispered to his wife, before exiting himself.

So here we go again with my usual list of inspirations for what happened in this chapter:

1.) The way Korra did her water bending move against the police water cannons is similar to what happened in the sad, pathetic attempt by a director who shall not be named in creating a movie for the original franchise. The end scene had Aang bending a tsunami against the Fire Nation navy, which I think is the only scene worth mentioning in that big stinky mess. I figure that I should find a way to recycle the only scene worth seeing in that film, hence I made Korra do that over here.

2.) What the police did prior to firing the water cannons is called reading the Riot Act. In various places across the world, when there is a riot, the law enforcement will read out a set of phrases deemed to declare any group of people to be unlawfully assembled. If the group is not dispersed immediately, then they are deemed guilty of criminal activities and can face punitive actions on the spot. The version used here is modified from the Canadian version, which, due to Canada's status as an independent nation in the British Commonwealth, still refers to the British monarchs. But since the United Republic is not a monarchy, I had to remove any references to monarchies and replace them with the "lawful government" of the day. Had I used this in the Fire Nation or the Earth Kingdom, then I may have kept the Canadian version verbatim.

3.) Wildstar93 deserves a lot of credit for helping me with the interaction between Kuvira and Korra. As he rightly pointed out, Korra and Kuvira are different sides of the same coin. They are the same person but made to act in opposite ways. However, because they are not the Avatar and the Great Uniter, things have to change a bit. So I just made Kuvira the typical by-the-book police officer type, who really gets upset at Korra not doing what she was told. Korra, on the other hand, doesn't see the rivalry and hostility between them because of her autism. She simply doesn't register in her brain why Kuvira is so hostile and why the way she did things isn't to Kuvira's standards. Again, Wildstar93 gave me all these great ideas, and he deserves a lot of credit for that.

4.) The way Mako acted at the police station boardroom is taken from a scene from "Infernal Affairs" which became "The Departed" in North America. "Infernal Affairs" is a Hong Kong film about undercover police work, and it's one of my favourite movies of all time. It just so happens that my first big major story on FFN is based on "The Departed" and it can be found in the "Tales of Symphonia" fandom, so anyone interested in that should pop by over there to check it out!

5.) The move Opal and Kai pulled off together against the Triple Threats is identical to the one Opal did with Jinora in "The Battle of Zaofu" in Book 4. Mako getting suspended from the force is similar to him getting suspended, and later on arrested, in "The Guide" in Book 2. And Hiroshi admitting that he authorized the financing of operations run by the Equalists is similar to when he confessed the same thing to Asami in "The Aftermath" in Book 1.

And that's it for this chapter. I hope I didn't give you too wild of a ride, and that you're still staying on the wagon. See you next time in about a month!