I want to thank SaoirseParisa and Wildstar93 for their reviews of the previous chapter. Things are finally reaching a boil, with even more problems for our favourite characters. The president and at least one minister are incapacitated, the Red Lotus is on the loose, and Korra still hasn't worked things out with Asami! How will the group get out of this one? This next chapter will reveal all that!

Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko own the Legend of Korra.

Security personnel surrounded the lobby of the hospital, preventing members of the public and the press from pushing forward. Deeper into the emergency unit were four VIP's, all having been rushed here less than fifteen minutes ago. While all four were being treated, one man paced back and forth. Rubbing the part where the blue arrow tattoo ended on his forehead, Tenzin whipped his head at the entrance of the unit again. "When is she going to arrive?" he wondered aloud.

Just then, a middle-aged woman in blue trotted into the unit. She struggled to put on her lab coat, all the while being followed by an older wild-haired man. "Tenzin, I just got here," Kya announced, approaching her brother while slipping an arm into a sleeve, "What's the deal?"

"The president and Tonraq are both unconscious, while Buttercup and Senna are slipping in and out of consciousness," Tenzin reported, wringing his hands in worry, "Reports say that they were attacked in the middle of their dinner, and the Red Lotus was behind it. Check on them first, and I'll keep an eye on any security updates."

Kya nodded. Immediately, she buttoned up her lab coat and trotted into the room. That left Bumi with Tenzin, with neither air bender taking a step away from the front of the door. "I was at home when Iroh called me. From what I heard, Kya was visiting Korra," Bumi told Tenzin, "Did the security team catch any of the Red Lotus members? Were there any witnesses to the event? The rest of us won't be in danger, will we?"

Before Tenzin could answer, Tarrlok blew into the emergency waiting room. "This is an outrage!" the Minister of National Defence growled, standing in the middle of the room with his hands arrogantly planted on his hips, "How did the Red Lotus beat our best security teams? I demand a full investigation into what happened!" Tarrlok then whipped around at Tenzin. "What's the news on the president and his wife? And what about Tonraq and Senna?"

"Before you criticize anyone, just let me give you the update," Tenzin stated, waving his hands to calm Tarrlok, "My sister just got here and she's examining them as we speak. As for the Red Lotus, I am aware of them. We already asked Iroh and his forces to assist local police in the matter. Once we have an update from Iroh, you'll be the first to know."

Tarrlok marched straight up to Tenzin, their faces inches apart as intense blue eyes stared into equally steely grey ones. "I'll have you know that even though you're in charge legally, by virtue of the president's incapacity, you will defer all security decisions to me," he muttered in an aggressive tone, "This has turned into a national crisis, and until every single one of those Red Lotus people are found, I'll put the entire republic in lockdown if I have to."

"Nobody wanted this to happen, okay? But until the investigation produces clearer results and we've narrowed down the problem, you can't just restrict people's rights unconditionally!" Tenzin retorted, his face creasing into a frown, "When Iroh drops by later on, we can get a report from him. But until then, you will not try to seize more power for yourself!"

Tarrlok gave Tenzin a rough two-handed shove to the chest, catching the vice president off guard. Before the air bender could even respond, Tarrlok jabbed an icicle-like finger right in his face. "Don't think because you now have presidential powers, you can bark orders at me!" he roared, "If it wasn't for you and Tonraq always prioritizing funding to other departments over mine, this would have never happened. You are partly responsible for this, you hear me?"

"Hey, hands off my little brother!" Bumi called, getting in between Tarrlok and Tenzin. Tarrlok frowned at the former military man, all the while Bumi glowered at the water bender. "Look, it's getting late and we're getting too emotional. So why don't we both calm down right now? I'm sure there will be an emergency cabinet meeting tomorrow. You two can share those ideas then, okay? No point fighting over it at a hospital!"

Just then, Iroh marched into the room with several military members in tow. "Mr. Vice President, Minister Yakone, Bumi, I have some updates," he announced, waving a set of notes at them, "During the final few minutes of the battle, we captured some of the junior associates of the Red Lotus. Chief Bei Fong interrogated them, and they confirmed our suspicions. The Red Lotus is active again and they are targeting various government leaders. We couldn't get more details on the plans, but things don't look so good."

Tenzin, Tarrlok, and Bumi all went silent, too stunned to comment on that. It gave Iroh a chance to flip to the next page of his notes. "The combustion bender, P'Li, managed to blast away at the SWAT team, which gave them an escape route. Our security team from within the presidential mansion were kept back by Ming Hua, who threw ice blades and froze people in place," Iroh added, his finger pecking at each line on his page, "Ghazan then slammed the rock bindings at the heads Mrs. Raiko and Mrs. Arnook, who were already restrained at the time. That's how they suffered their injuries and are in and out of consciousness."

"But the president and Tonraq weren't bound by the rocks, were they?" Bumi inquired, trying to sneak a peek at Iroh's notes, "What did the Red Lotus do to them?"

Iroh bit his lip and exhaled helplessly. His eyes returned to the page, clearly disturbed by its contents. "Zaheer employed his trademark technique again, trying to bend the air out of the victims' lungs," the fire bender reported, his tone weak and sombre, "Our security members saw Senna up some of Ming Hua's ice and bent a piece at Zaheer. It stabbed into his shoulder and interrupted him before the victims were killed."

"And not a moment too soon, because the president and Tonraq have suffered hypoxia to the point where they are both comatose," a female voice called from the back. The group turned in time to see Kya standing there, adjusting the cuffs of her lab coat. "I just checked on them all. The president and Tonraq had the air bent out of them, but it wasn't serious enough to lose pressure on their lungs. Their lungs remaining intact avoided the implosion that would cause massive internal bleeding, which could kill them instantly. But because they still lost air supply to their brains, they are now in a state of prolonged hypoxia, hence the coma."

Tenzin took a gander into the emergency room, where hospital beds containing Raiko and Tonraq were held. "Do we know if or when they will wake up?" he asked, staring at Kya with nervous but hopeful eyes, "And how will the ladies fare in all this?"

Unfortunately, Kya shook her head. "It's harder to predict the recovery process of a comatose patient," the physician explained, "The longer a patient stays in a coma, the harder it'll be for them to regain their consciousness. Even if they are conscious, the prolonged hypoxia will affect their brain functions. The president and Tonraq may no longer function with full capacity."

While the group gasped and stuttered, Kya waved at the attendants in the emergency room. Two extra hospital beds containing Buttercup and Senna were wheeled out, taking the ladies to their respective hospital rooms. "Those two suffered internal bleeding when the rock binding bruised some organs, and that final hit didn't help either," Kya described, "They'll both be put in medically induced comas to reduce brain swelling, so all four of them will be out of commission for the near future. It may be best that extended family members are contacted."

While Kya trotted off to complete her duties, Tenzin placed a shaking hand on his forehead. "Even though the president and one of the top ministers won't be available, the government must keep functioning," he stated with a mix of fear and determination, "Let's call that emergency cabinet meeting for first thing tomorrow."

Bolin had not felt this uncomfortable for a long time, including the times Tarrlok came to his warehouse for inspections. At least each time Tarrlok came, they knew nothing came out of the investigations and Tarrlok had to go home emptyhanded. But now, in this mid-morning meeting at a coffee shop just outside the route leading back to Firewood Bay, the summer heat could not penetrate through Bolin's chilled core. Privately, Bolin wondered if this was even worse than when Mako had to personally arrest Toza.

And seated across from him at the table was Ginger, whose fingers gently wrapped around her hot drink while her eyes narrowed at Bolin. The earth bender still recalled what Korra told him before she left the warehouse, and was well aware of the threat Ginger posed to everyone. Bolin tried to limit his interaction with Ginger, and he was fairly successful even after Korra's departure. But suddenly, Bolin received a call this morning before he went to work, asking him to meet here. Never would he imagine Ginger taking the initiative to contact him, and now Bolin wasn't sure what to expect from this meeting.

Clearing his throat, Bolin tried to break the ice with the unpredictable former actress. "So Ginger, what brings you here today?" he asked, his voice shaky and his eyes trying to avoid hers, "We had some pretty shocking news last night, you know. Some terrorist group tried to kill our president, and Mako is itching to get back to the police so he can help out…"

"That's exactly what I'm here to talk to you about, Bolin," Ginger interjected, gripping her drink slightly harder. Bolin could see Ginger's knuckles change colour when she tightened her grip, making him wonder what it would be like if that was his throat. "It's not just President Raiko who was targeted, but Minister Tonraq Arnook as well. If you recall, Minister Arnook is the Minister of Trade. His department handles all the traded goods going in and out of our country. With him out cold, I doubt the warehouse will make progress."

Bolin tilted his head, realizing the logic behind that. With Tonraq's staff now handling things, would they be delegated tasks to ensure everything transitioned smoothly? "And don't forget that Minister Arnook is also a frontrunner to the presidential nomination early next year, meaning we might have lost a potential future president," Ginger added before taking a sip from her drink, "If you don't think that will hurt you, then you're dumber than the rocks you bend. So what plans have you and your family made to avoid going down in flames?"

Bolin's mouth opened and closed several times, completely at a loss for words. It only got Ginger smirking at him, leaning back on her chair and crossing her arms. "That's also on top of the fact that Hiroshi Sato was arrested, and Korra's own foster parents, Varrick and Zhu Li, were also taken in for an investigation," Ginger added, "This current assassination attempt will take up all of the Department of Public Safety's resources. I wonder if Future Industries will even be a priority in the government's eyes. Good luck trying to survive on that one."

"Hold on, what are you getting at here?" Bolin responded, getting a bit agitated at the way Ginger taunted him, "I'm aware of all those, and I know both Korra and Asami are going through tough times. I think that we should give them all the support we can, and not talk down to them like what you're doing right now. Did you forget that Varrick brought you into this? Don't you think you should look out for him?"

In the most derisive move yet, Ginger snorted at Bolin and turned her face away from him in dismissal. "How did you even make it to this age when you're this incredibly dim-witted, Bolin?" Ginger snapped, "I swear, the more you talk, the more I want to rip my own hair out. Do you realize if I stay with Varrick, I might be investigated as well? I have nothing to do with what he and Hiroshi did once upon a time, so the last thing I want is have my name dragged through this. If you're smart, you'll think of that possibility too, alright?"

Bolin bit his lower lip and furrowed his brows. While he understood the importance of the warehouse not falling apart, he just could not backstab Korra, Asami, or Varrick at this point. They had become his friends, and Bolin did not ruin that over the warehouse's survival. "This is against every single one of my morals, you know that?" he murmured, sending a pleading look to the redhead across from him.

Ginger pushed her body forward again, this time clasping her hands on the table while staring at Bolin with a more neutral look. Gone was the tilted smirk and downcast eyes, as they were replaced with a serious expression. "It's time you and I both start thinking about what other options we have, because in politics, it's about betting on the right ostrich horse," she explained, "If dear Tonraq will not run for the presidency, then we have to support the other contender. That means, no matter how much you don't like him, you'll have to support Tarrlok."

Bolin's eyes widened to larger than the plates being handed out by the waitresses. "You can't be serious!" he exclaimed, much to the shock of the other patrons. Feeling several sets of eyes turning his way, he lowered his head and waved his hand in apology. In a softer voice, he retorted back to Ginger, "Tarrlok already has it out for us, so what makes you think we can just get on his good side? I doubt he'll side with us after picking on us for so long."

Ginger smirked again. "I have to correct you on one thing. Tarrlok has it out for Korra, not the warehouse. Since Korra is no longer here, I'm sure that makes life easier for you," she pointed out, "More importantly, I have the skills to network and market the company. That means I can cross paths with some important government officials. If I can get a connection or two that leads me to Tarrlok, then the goal will be met."

Bolin winced. He still had reservations about going against Korra, even though Ginger was correct in that Korra was no longer a part of this. Kuvira was now in charge on an interim basis, and even though she was by-the-book, Bolin might be able to sway Kuvira. But the main issue he had was with Ginger, given his awareness of her unsavoury history. Bolin did not want any of Ginger's manipulation anywhere near his warehouse, and he definitely did not want him or his family to be part of her scheme. But right now, with things this dire, cozying up with Tarrlok might be the last option for Bolin, no matter how disgusting he found that to be.

It was as if Ginger read Bolin's mind when she proposed the next stage of her plans. "I know you still have doubts, but I assure you that you won't have to do any of the connections. You just follow my lead, do the work you're supposed to do, and everything will be fine," she stated, "All Tarrlok and his team wants is to see your warehouse doing a good job, which I'm sure you can achieve without Korra. That crazy foster child of Varrick's is always in the way, and the fact that she didn't even shake my hand when she almost ran me over in the elevator just proves she's weird. Your warehouse is so much better off without her."

Bolin tried to speak up in defence of Korra, but by now Ginger already cut him off. Grabbing her belongings, Ginger stood up and took her drink in her hand. "Collaborate with me, and I guarantee things will go well for you," she reminded the earth bender, "You can live in a stable and comfortable way, and neither you nor your little buddy Kai will have to go to college. You won't get a better deal than this, so work with me, okay?"

Ginger quickly strode off, leaving Bolin alone in his wake. Suddenly, the corner of the café became that much colder and lonelier, making Bolin rub his bare arms. Even though he was told to be aware of Ginger's manipulation, Bolin felt that he was already in the thick of it. And with no one able to advise him, Bolin knew he was on his own in finding a way out of this mess.

Tenzin could feel the tenseness in the presidential boardroom as all members of the cabinet gathered. He had kept an eye on everything throughout the night, getting very little sleep and running on pure adrenaline. While Iroh and Lin worked on reconfiguring security, and Kya looked after Raiko and the rest of the injured, Tenzin busily thought of the best possible way to address the issues at hand. The United Republic had not faced a threat like this for quite some time, and the last thing he wanted was an incident that threw things out of control.

To no one's surprise, seated directly to the right of Tenzin was Tarrlok, who had a very disturbing smirk on his face. Being the vice president, Tenzin was now in charge of presidential duties, as Raiko was incapacitated. That meant Tenzin was at the head of the table, but what shocked Tenzin was how quickly Tarrlok took the seat directly to Tenzin's right. Tenzin would never choose Tarrlok as his right-hand man, given all the issues they had in the past. But right now, Tarrlok seemed to have appointed himself to that role, and he had no qualms demonstrating that with the smug grin on his face to his colleagues.

Clearing his throat, Tenzin turned away from Tarrlok and began his meeting. "I'm sure you all are as shocked and stunned as I am when you heard the news," he announced, his eyes alternating from the crowd and the notes before him, "President Raiko, the first lady, our colleague Minister Arnook, and his wife are all in comas and cannot serve their functions. I have been in contact with General Iroh Sozin and Chief Bei Fong, and we are monitoring this very carefully. We have proof that this is the work of the Red Lotus, an international terrorist organization with a goal of anarchy. They target governments in an attempt to topple them. We're not sure where their home base is, but Republic City is a possibility."

Tarrlok, with the smirk still on his face, raised his hand to interject. "And may I ask the vice president if any efforts have been made to investigate this matter?" he asked, sneering at Tenzin the whole way, "Surely with such a dangerous group, we should put this not just as the highest priority, but the only priority for our security teams."

Tenzin took the glass of water before him and sipped it thoughtfully. He knew this was another one of Tarrlok's attempts to gain favour with the ministers. Given Tonraq was out of commission, Tarrlok just lost his main rival for the presidential nomination. As long as he kept the support of those around him, all the while picking up endorsements here and there, getting the nomination would be easy. Steering the conversation back, Tenzin placed the glass down and shuffled his notes. "As a matter of fact, yes," he replied calmly, "We have contacted Interpol to discuss collaboration on this. Our job is to scour every nation to see what leads we have on the Red Lotus. If we can get even one clue, we will be on our way to stopping them."

Tarrlok shook his head. In the boldest move yet, he stood up and moved to the front of the table. Standing beside Tenzin, he shot the air bender a side glance before turning right at the group. "This is where I vehemently disagree with our vice president," Tarrlok stated confidently, "Instead of focusing on the international front, we have to focus domestically. Our primary goal is to keep the United Republic safe, and that means tightening security from within."

Tenzin fumed as he glared at Tarrlok. Whatever the Minister of Public Safety was proposing, Tenzin did not like it one bit. "We don't even know if the Red Lotus has a home base in the city. They could be located all over the world, attacking other governments as we speak," he reminded Tarrlok, "Don't you think working with our allies is the best option?"

Tarrlok snickered at Tenzin. "What is required right now is an investigation into every single thing the Red Lotus is involved in within the United Republic, starting with anyone they may have contacted," Tarrlok explained. Grabbing his own set of notes, Tarrlok flipped to one specific page involving privately funded terrorism. "Before the assassination attempt, I found out that Future Industries has been funding a previous terrorist group called the Equalists. Hiroshi Sato has already been put in custody, and we recently brought in Iknik Blackstone Varrick and Zhu Li Moon. They won't be released until the investigation produces clearer results on what they did and how the way the Equalists used Future Industries resources."

Tenzin could only look on in horror as Tarrlok proposed an extension of his plan. "We will form a taskforce dedicated to checking all major financial institutions and accounting firms, going through each tax filing and money transaction," Tarrlok declared, "Any firm that doesn't cooperate will have their operations frozen and their accounts seized. We will also double all security at nighttime, putting in curfews in specific communities and neighbourhoods in the city and surrounding areas. All citizens can be subject to random ID searches and questioning, and any refusal will be met with an immediate arrest with no exceptions."

"Wait a minute, Tarrlok," Tenzin sputtered, feeling his hands curl into fists, "You can't just set up a taskforce and hijack the police's responsibilities. The United Republic is a country that runs by rule of law, and no one individual can override those laws, no matter how extreme the situation is. You already have special powers to investigate public safety threats, so why are you needlessly expanding that? Besides, with you targeting anyone doing banking or accounting work, you'll only create more divisions within the city!"

Tarrlok chuckled and shook his head. Crossing his arms, he gave Tenzin an intense side stare. "And I would have thought that your father would have taught you to be decisive, given what he did to limit the dangers of the Equalists. Didn't your own brother take part in that mission that defeated Amon?" Tarrlok retorted, "Or were you too disappointed at Bumi for having to betray Air Nomad principles for taking part in a mission that ended in loss of life?"

By now, Tenzin's bald head was redder than ever before. "Don't you dare speak that way about my family! Bumi and I may have had our differences, but don't you try to pit him against me," Tenzin roared, still recalling how Bumi supported him when Tarrlok challenged them at the hospital, "I've never said I was disappointed at Bumi, and neither did my father. And neither of us, plus Kya, will support your ridiculous plan! You just want to gain more power for yourself!"

But Tarrlok paid Tenzin no mind. Instead, he whipped his body around, literally thrusting the shoulder at Tenzin, and faced the cabinet once more. "Ladies and gentlemen, my proposal will involve the police and the national security team working together," he described, "We will focus on weeding out Republic City's links to terrorism, and all findings will be reported to me. I will be the final authority for this, and I will have to final say. Until the Red Lotus is uncovered and taken down once and for all, now is not the time to be weak."

Turning back to Tenzin, Tarrlok sneered at the air bender once more. "I remind our vice president that if our cabinet, which is formed by a list of candidates voted on by the public, gives me a two-thirds majority vote in support, then I have the ability to carry out this operation. The decision, the votes, and a summary of our discussion will be posted for the public to see," he stated, "Not even a presidential veto will work here. Should we put this matter to a vote?"

There was nothing more Tenzin could do as the cabinet members all cast their votes openly. Tarrlok easily attain his two-thirds majority, leaving Tenzin helpless and alone. As each cabinet member stepped out of the boardroom, Tenzin could only watch Tarrlok shake his supporters' hands. He could not put his finger on it, but Tenzin was certain that Tarrlok did some backroom dealings to ensure he got his support. Maybe Tarrlok promised some of these folks a senior cabinet position or a high-level bureaucratic post when he got the nomination and election win. But whatever the case, Tenzin believed things would only go downhill from here on out.

Even though she had faced the board members of Future Industries before, Asami was not at ease. Even with her mother sitting beside her at the head of the table, Asami could see some unimpressed and downright unfriendly faces at each seat. Hiroshi's arrest, later followed by Varrick and Zhu Li, shook Future Industries to its core, and while Asami was determined to quell the rumblings, she knew her powers were limited.

Clearing her throat, Asami slowly glanced at her notes before she began. "I'm sure you all heard the shocking news, and we have to keep everything under control," she stated, her usual eloquence and confidence completely gone, "Our lawyers will contact the Department of Public Safety to ask what information they require to clear us. While the department hasn't given us any meaningful response, we're going to keep pushing. Our lawyers have also attempted to speak with Varrick and Zhu Li, but we haven't secured a meeting time yet."

Yasuko looked on as Asami struggled with the updates. Both mother and daughter were still stunned at the revelation that Hiroshi was linked, albeit indirectly, to the Equalists. While they already started scouring the books, they still wanted to know what drove Hiroshi to fund that group with Future Industries accounts. "Our accountants have already done an initial search through the financial books," Asami continued, "We've located the accounts in question and we will dig deeper into where the money went and how it might have been used."

"Asami, stop it right there," a female board member stated. Asami glanced up to see a middle-aged woman with curly hair and dressed in a dark blazer raise her hand. "You just stated that the accounting department only did a cursory initial review of the books. In other words, you have no idea which department is in charge of which amount of funds. What are the chances that every department is affected, to the point where the whole company can't function?"

"That's a good point, but right now, Future Industries has to stick together," Asami insisted, her hands clenching and unclenching nervously, "I know it's a tough pill to swallow, but we're all on the same boat. The least we can do is support each other and get through this. If we can track the evidence properly, then we can clear our names."

"It's because we're stuck together that I'm more concerned," another board member, a balding man with a thin moustache, added. Asami recognized this member in the brown suit as the same one who challenged Varrick for bringing Ginger into the company. "We're letting all these outsiders flip through our books. If what Hiroshi always says is true, and Tarrlok Yakone is purposely picking on us, then we have to split while we still can."

"When you were with your father, did you ask him how much longer he'll be held for? Did you ask him what they will charge him with?" a younger male board member in a blue suit chimed in, "We're all in trouble here, and Hiroshi still isn't out. And if they have this special power that can detain one indefinitely, then we're definitely sunk. Can we quickly make a decision and deal with this before it gets worse?"

Asami fumed and glanced at Yasuko, who bit her lower lip and furrowed her brow. Even though they knew the board would not be happy with them, they never expected this animosity. It was like they were only interested in their profits, or they just wanted to wash their hands clean of this matter. Inhaling deeply, Asami allowed the air to soothe her jittering nerves before setting back to her goal. "Whether you agree or not, my father is still the president and owner of Future Industries. The company can sanction a board member found guilty of a criminal offence, but right now there isn't even a charge," Asami clarified, "And since my mother and I are still members of this board, our duty is to act in the best interests of the company. If we split it up now, we're basically surrendering."

"But every decision goes through the entire board, and the rest of us have the right to give our say," a bearded man with grey hair sitting at the back interjected, "If we don't do something today, we'll regret it later on. Who knows what that nutcase Tarrlok will do to us tomorrow?"

"And how will you address the interests of the shareholders?" another woman dressed in a fuchsia jacket challenged. Asami and Yasuko turned to their direct left, where the woman glared at them with narrowing eyes. "Even if Hiroshi gets cleared, it'll be weeks, maybe even months later. In the meantime, the public's trust in us will deteriorate. What if by the time Hiroshi gets released, the company will be worth nothing?"

Before more could be said, Opal slipped into the boardroom. Gesturing at Yasuko and Asami, she brought the Satos to the corner of the boardroom. "I just got news from Aunt Lin," the air bender reported, "Tarrlok proposed at an emergency cabinet meeting today that he will set up a taskforce looking at all financial transactions related to funding terrorism. Any firm that doesn't cooperate will have their accounts frozen and assets seized. Aunt Lin didn't want to say too much, but she hinted that Future Industries might be first on the list."

"Did Lin say how we can ensure that doesn't happen?" Yasuko queried, her hands wringing in worry, "We're already very cooperative with the police, but it seems like Tarrlok isn't stopping. At this rate, we just want Hiroshi, Varrick, and Zhu Li out."

Opal shook her head. "All I know is that if Future Industries does anything funny, that court order will be granted on the spot," she responded, her eyes tilting back and forth between the Satos and the angry board members, "That's going to affect everything, including shipping and sales, right? Is there anything you can do to stop them from getting the court order?"

Asami glanced at the board members again, all of whom now craned their necks to get a better view at what the three ladies were mumbling about. She knew this was a huge gamble, but it had to be done. Stepping away from Yasuko and Opal, the engineer cleared her throat once more. "If you want to do anything today, you may," she proposed, "But splitting up the company is out of the question. This will only cause more suspicion from the department, and none of us will be safe. If anything, we should stick together and do an even more thorough investigation."

Before the board members could disapprove, Yasuko also stepped up to the table. "This is something that we Satos created, and we Satos will get us out of this," Yasuko added, "I have faith that my husband will be cleared, just how I have faith that my daughter will lead us through this difficult time. You can move to suspend Hiroshi from the board if you want, but I then move that Asami be made the interim president until this is over. I know she can get us through this."

"Let's put this to a vote then, and let me remind you that if you insist on splitting, don't be surprised if Tarrlok goes after your personal finances," Asami warned, staring down the entire board. With that, she lifted a hand and asked, "Who is in favour of my mother's motion?"

The next minute felt like a year, with only the ticking clock echoing through the entire boardroom. But one after another, the board members all raised their hands in approval. Yasuko was the last to raise her hand, finally declaring the motion carried. "Hiroshi will be temporarily suspended as president, and Asami will be the interim president," she announced.

While the board members murmured amongst themselves, still trying to digest what happened, Asami whipped her head back at Opal. "Let's get as much help on this as possible," she proposed, "You try to get Bolin, Kai, and their families in. I'll rope in Mako, since your aunt suspended him from the force and he'll be free. We must work quickly and work together."

"Mako, thank you so much for helping us out," Asami announced, bringing him into the boardroom at Future Industries, "We know this is sudden and I didn't tell you too much over the phone, but the fate of this company and your family's warehouse will depend heavily on you."

"Not a problem, Asami," Mako responded, keeping his hands in his pants pockets. Before him on the boardroom table, the same one Asami was at with the board this morning, were boxes upon boxes of documents. It reminded Mako of his usual police work, where he went through all sorts of reports and analysis from the forensics team. "So what's going on at the company? Opal told me a bit about Tarrlok, and then your mother moved to suspend your father from the board. So you're now the interim president of the company?"

Asami nodded. "Mako, you and I both know that Tarrlok won't stop until the company is run into the ground. It doesn't help that the Red Lotus attempted to assassinate the president. With the police force completely focused on catching the Red Lotus, they're unlikely to give us priority. That means my dad, Varrick, and Zhu Li will be in jail for a bit longer," the engineer explained, "The only way we can get them out sooner is if we pre-empt them, so anything we have right now will come in handy. Since you're still suspended, I figure you're my best bet."

Mako scratched his chin in thought. His mind was still swirling after his conversation with Iroh and Bumi, who asked him to rediscover himself during this suspension. While he still had no answer, Mako knew that this was something he treasured. Asami became a good friend during her collaboration with his family's warehouse, and her dedication and kindness were definitely things Mako admired. Was this the awakening that Iroh and Bumi alluded to that Mako had to go through in order to become a better person?

Shaking his head several times, Mako focused back on the task at hand. "Well, right now we have to figure out how to narrow things down," Mako suggested, "We have several things that may or may not be connected. We got the riots against Future Industries, and I did see some Triple Threat members present. Then we got this investigation against Future Industries, on grounds that some funds went to terrorists. And on top of all this, we have the Red Lotus. With all these things mixing and matching, where do we even start?"

"Let's hear out what you found out about the riots first," Asami proposed. She left the boxes alone and moved to the front of the room. Approaching the whiteboard, she lifted a black marker and scribbled a timeline of events. "Before Tarrlok even targeted us, Future Industries was what the rioters protested about. Did you say you found something unusual there?"

Mako nodded. Stepping up to the whiteboard himself, Mako made some notes under Asami's first bullet point. "Let's start with the riots, which involved Triple Threat members," Mako pointed out, "When I was asked to patrol the streets, I saw Triple Threat members all over the place. I know Bolin saved Opal from them at around the same time, so that's a huge hint."

Asami watched Mako make several more points, before shifting the attention to the investigation against her company. "Then things took a turn for the worse when my father was asked to assist in the tracing of funds to terrorist groups. This uncovered the fact that Future Industries funds went to people with Equalist ties," Asami described, "Why would that happen when the Red Lotus was not a threat back then?"

"These two might be completely separate, but I don't rule out the possibility that the Red Lotus and the Triple Threats collaborated here. If the Red Lotus got the Triple Threats on their side, then they can divert the police's attention away from them, giving them the perfect way to do the assassination," Mako commented, moving to the next part of the timeline and adding more bullet points, "And that brings up exactly that event, which put the president and one of his top ministers, along with their wives, in comas. Vice President Anil is in charge, and guess which government minister has the most important priorities?"

"That's right, it's Tarrlok Yakone," Asami answered, scribbling that name under Mako's bullet points, "Tarrlok now has the agenda, and based on what Opal told me today, there's this new taskforce that will investigate the funding of terrorism. He's already taken Varrick and Zhu Li in for interrogation, and I doubt they'll be released anytime soon. But will Tarrlok pay the same amount of attention to the Red Lotus? Or is this another attempt to antagonize us?"

Mako tapped his chin with the capped end of the marker, his eyes tilting back and forth between the notes on the riots and the notes on the taskforce. The entire premise of the Triple Threats taking part in the riots just to take advantage of the chaos seemed almost absurd. With the Triple Threats more interested in coercing businesses into payments, why would they cause more trouble? Wouldn't they want to control the chaos so that they could gain the most in the end? "All this is just so contradictory and counterintuitive," Mako stated, squinting his eyes at the words on the whiteboard, "Unless somebody must be directing them to do so."

"But even if you're right in that the Red Lotus is directing the Triple Threats, which will make perfect sense if their goal is to keep security away from their assassination attempt, what proof do you have to link them together?" Asami queried, drawing some lines on the whiteboard like she was connecting the dots on a puzzle, "I know it seems convenient, but unless you have something more concrete, I doubt the chief will let you just go with that when you go back."

Mako scratched his short black hair with his free hand. He knew the pieces of the puzzle were on the whiteboard before him, but he didn't know how to put them together yet. "Maybe if we can go back to riots, where Opal was first attacked," he suggested, gesturing at the associated bullet point, "If there are witnesses or security footage, then things should make sense. I'm also certain that if we can even arrest one Triple Threat member, we should get something out."

"But how are you able to arrest a Triple Threat member right now, when you're not on active duty?" Asami asked, crossing her arms and tilting her head at Mako, "And even if you do arrest them, how will you make them talk? If they don't tell the truth, then we're out of luck."

Mako tapped his chin some more, but suddenly a train of thought flashed through his mind. While he was on the phone with Bolin during the riots, he recalled that there was one person in the group who could help them. But with things the way they were right now, Mako knew it would be a long shot. "Asami, did you tell Korra about what happened?" he inquired.

Asami's face sagged at the mention of the water bender. "I did text her earlier today to update her," Asami responded, pulling out her cellphone and scrolling through the texts. Her body stood limper than earlier, while her tone and volume decreased drastically. "I think she was at home when Varrick and Zhu Li were taken in, meaning she probably did see it firsthand. I just hope she'll be okay, because she's all alone right now."

Mako pursed his lips. Knowing Korra had trouble coping with sudden changes, Mako knew it would be risky to enlist her for help. But with Korra's photographic memory, this could be their only chance to break this case open. "I don't know if she's still uncomfortable with you or if she's just having a hard time, but Korra has to pull through for us," Mako insisted, his free hand clenching into a fist, "Can you ask her to go to the warehouse tomorrow for a meeting?"

Asam inhaled and exhaled deeply, not sure what would ensue. Korra completely turned away from her when they met at Future Industries headquarters. Would she agree to help them out again? "I'll text her again and hope she'll respond," Asami replied, clicking on her phone once more, "In the meantime, let's go over some of these boxes, okay?"

"This is certainly most unorthodox, Asami," Kuvira commented, crossing her arms and staring out the entrance of the warehouse. Per her discussion with Mako the night before, Asami managed to gather the entire warehouse team. Bolin, Opal, and the others were more than willing to participate, but what surprised Kuvira the most was the presence of a certain water bender. "I thought she's no longer part of the warehouse staff," Kuvira pointed out.

Said water bender was none other than Korra, who kept her eyes on the floor and refused to look at either Asami or Kuvira. Korra was still surprised when Asami texted her to request assistance. Insisting that this affected Varrick and Zhu Li, Korra became intrigued by what she saw. She had been alone for the past few days, with no updates from the police on Varrick and Zhu Li. Not only was she worried sick, she was almost driven to insanity by their absence. If she could help them get out quicker, then Korra was prepared to try anything.

"Kuvira, Korra is one person we have to rely on right now," Asami replied. That got Korra's head to lift a bit, but otherwise the water bender remained rigid. "It'll take all of us to work together in order to get this solved, so I appreciate if we can all be civil."

Kuvira gave Korra a dark look, which was not unnoticed by Korra. While Korra wanted to help Bolin's family on top of Varrick and Zhu Li, she really didn't want to be here for long. Kuvira raised her voice at Korra the last time they met, and Korra still had problems coming to terms with Asami, despite Kya's advice. Moreover, just being in the same workplace she was in not long ago, before she was abruptly terminated by Asami, just gave Korra goose bumps.

Asami cleared her throat and stepped to the front, where she and Mako prepared several flowcharts and diagrams. "Mako and I worked late into the night last night, and we've come up with several ideas," she explained. Going through their ideas about potential connections among the Triple Threats, the Red Lotus, and even the Department of Public Safety, Asami and Mako plotted a way for the group to proceed. "If we can solve these problems bit by bit, then we'll get closer to the truth, which will get everyone out of jail," Asami concluded.

"Well, the Triple Threats were definitely in the riot crowd," Bolin declared, "They attacked Opal and we're prepared to file a police report on it. If we can just get Opal in to see her aunt, we should be able to get things moving. Mako, can you make the chief make this a priority? I know there's the assassination thing, but there's got to be a way to link these things."

"Right, but the only way we can link them is if a Triple Threat member points out that the Red Lotus is involved," Mako responded, circling some points on his chart, "Only they know what the connections are, and as long as they don't speak of each other, we have nothing."

"What about asking some people in the public for input first?" Kai proposed, "If you can get the public to point out that the Triple Threats were behind the riots, which is likely because the Triple Threats were there, then that establishes a link to the Triple Threats. You then have reason to bring those guys in for questioning, and that can help establish the link."

"I can try to convince Aunt Lin to not take her eyes off the riots, even though it'll double the workload on everyone," Opal added, stressfully rubbing her forehead, "I'm still not totally comfortable talking about what happened, but I'm willing to do my part to help out."

"Just a moment," Kuvira interjected with a lifted hand, "This really doesn't go well for police protocol. There's a certain way to do this, and you can't just cut into the line and use your personal connections to put a case ahead of others. I'm all for catching these guys and bringing them to justice, but Opal is basically asking her aunt to show favouritism to her."

"Desperate times call for desperate measures, and I think we'll have to take a shortcut here," Toza retorted. From beside Toza, Bolin wearily tiled his glance between his supervisor and his foster father. While he agreed with Toza in trying to rescue everyone, he also didn't want to directly contradict his own superior. "I spoke with Mako about the Red Lotus, and I found out that they are an international terrorist group. Mako mentioned requiring Interpol's help, and that means covering the whole world. With attention stretched that much, who will look at us?"

"Not only that, but Opal told us about Tarrlok's taskforce in investigating terrorist funding," Asami chimed in, pointing her marker at another bullet point, "This taskforce reports only to Tarrlok, who has very wide discretion to do whatever he wants. If he's got it out for my family and Korra's family, then who knows how much will get done on the Triple Threats. If we don't at least make an effort to bring this issue back, we're done for."

"But every investigation the police start requires some type of proof. Even if you do follow the rules, what evidence do you have to convince Lin to restart the investigation? You all can testify, but the presence of the Triple Threats itself isn't strong enough to even suggest they started the riots, let alone starting it with the Red Lotus," Kuvira challenged, "And how will you even identify the Triple Threats in a crowd of rioters? You'll have to look through every security camera in every block where the rioters went in order to do that."

"Actually, we don't have to. We have a security camera standing in this very room that can do the job," Asami calmly stated. Every set of eyes then descended on the lone water bender in the warehouse. "Do you know why Korra reacted so dramatically when you called her out in my office? It's because she has autism, meaning her brain doesn't operate like ours. One trait of autistic people is their superior memory, and Korra has that trait to the extreme."

Korra's head lifted a bit more, finally turning her attention to Asami. She also caught a glimpse of everyone else, all of whom had worried expressions on their faces. It was like the fate of the world was in Korra's hands, which only made Korra more concerned. "Korra, you have to remember," Yung pled with her, "Do you know the faces of all the Triple Threats that you saw that day? Bolin and Kai already have the ones who attacked Opal, but I know you saw more."

Kuvira sighed exasperatedly. "This is ridiculous," the metal bender growled, "Can Korra really recall all that stuff? And even if she does, can she explain her observations to us in a calm enough manner that makes this compelling? The last thing I want is another tantrum from her."

Before Kuvira could say another world, she was met head-on by a pair of angry blue eyes. "Don't you dare talk about me like that!" Korra shouted straight into Kuvira's face, "I know what I saw and I will help out my friends. I don't know what your problem is with me, but right now my friends and family are in danger. If you want to keep insulting me, then that's your problem. But I will help these guys out, and you should get out if you don't want to!"

Turning to the group, Korra took several deep breaths before announcing, "I've done a bit of thinking in the past few days. I know Asami and I aren't on the best terms right now, but she and I are in the same boat. Her father is arrested, and so are Varrick and Zhu Li. We can work on repairing our relationship later, but for now I'm prepared to work together with her. I value my friendship with her and you all too much to let this fail, so I'll do this no matter what."

Asami could only smile at Korra's remarks, happy and relieved that the determined and unrelenting Korra they all knew and loved was back. She was even happier when Korra came up to her and, without flinching or hesitating, placed a hand on Asami's shoulder. "Thanks for giving me another chance, Asami," Korra stated, "I promise I won't let you down."

And as usual, my list of inspirations goes like this:

1.) The electoral system of the United Republic is a mix of Canada, the United States, and Hong Kong. Like the United States, candidates are elected based on their political views and parties. But like some governments in Canada, such as most cities and towns, as well as the territory of Nunavut, the government is considered non-partisan and consensus is the norm. The list idea comes from Hong Kong, where certain parties can run a list of candidates, and based on how high they rank in terms of votes, they will be elected that way. I hope this hybridized government makes sense for everyone reading this chapter.

2.) The way the board of directors of Future Industries voted is similar to how most organization boards work. A group of people make the decisions for the best interests of an organization, and that may include the removal of certain individuals. A motion is proposed to be discussed upon, and the group votes for it based on their viewpoints. Those outside the board may have a say, but the board's decision is based completely on how the board members view those outside viewpoints. It just so happens that yours truly is serving on the board of a non-profit organization, and may be recruited for another non-profit organization, so I have some first-hand experience in this!

3.) Wildstar93 deserves a lot of credit for his work in the final scene, where Korra finally stands up to Kuvira for the first time. It was based on some personal experiences that Wildstar93 experienced, but I will not get into. The goal is that we want Kuvira and Korra to still maintain that rivalry, but the idea that Korra is autistic is revealed. We also agreed that Kuvira will be sceptical to begin with, but will slowly warm up to Korra. So again, many thanks for your hard work on that scene!

4.) Ginger switching sides and coercing Bolin is similar to "Night of a Thousand Stars" in Book 2, where, after Bolin saved the president, she claimed Bolin was her boyfriend after mistreating him for the longest time. Tarrlok setting up a taskforce for his personal purposes while claiming it was for security, all the while using the cabinet to outvote Tenzin (who is against the taskforce), is from "The Voice in the Night" in Book 1 where he did the same thing when fighting the Equalists. Asami and Mako going outside of the police to run an investigation in from "The Sting" in Book 2 where they did the same thing, except they roped in the Triple Threats instead of investigating them. And Korra telling Kuvira off is similar to "The Battle of Zaofu" when the two fought, but instead it was Kuvira telling Korra to stay out of her business for good.

Thank you very much for your support in this chapter, and I'll see you again in a month when I post the next chapter of this story!