After a short delay, we have another update to this story. I want to thank Wildstar93 and SaoirseParisa for their reviews in the previous chapter. We had a huge bombshell last time, with Korra discovering her ancestry and relationship to Tonraq and Senna. What will she do this time in getting to know them better? The only way to find out is to dive right in, so let's get to it!
Before starting, I have 2 birthdays to recognize. SaoirseParisa celebrated her birthday earlier this week, and her Avatar equivalent, Yuri, will make a cameo again. The other birthday is for my home country of Canada, with 151 years as a country! I'm so proud to be a Canadian, and even though there are outstanding issues in my country, I feel we will be stronger in the future. So happy birthday to both, and we're in for (hopefully) a great year!
Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko own the Legend of Korra.
Once again, Korra found herself sitting on her patio. Her eyes were still and her posture was slouched. She leaned her right arm on the table, balling her right hand into a fist and using that to support her head. Beneath Korra, Naga curled up at the bender's feet, letting Korra stroke her fur with Korra's left hand. It was just yesterday that an absolute bombshell was unleashed on her, when Senna revealed that she was Korra's long-lost mother. It left Korra in total shock, to the point where she could not eat, sleep, or even talk for the entire night.
Feeling the morning breeze brushing against her forehead, Korra lifted her face from her fist and allowed her right hand to adjust her bangs. Throughout the entire evening, when Varrick and Zhu Li drove Korra home, they tried to engage Korra in discussion. They hoped she would express her feelings about the issue and talked it out with them, but Korra barely heard a word they said. The entire dinner was nothing more than Korra aimlessly stirring the food on her plate. She then hit the showers early and trudged into her bedroom at least an hour before her usual sleep time. Korra knew her foster parents meant well, but she really didn't want to talk then.
A slight knocking got Korra's attention, with the water bender snapping her head around to the patio door. The housekeeper brought Korra her breakfast, but a new person was in tow. "Asami Sato is dropping by for a visit this morning," the housekeeper announced.
Korra tilted her head to see her long-time friend step onto the patio. Asami was in her usual blazer, looking like she was ready for another day at the office. On the other hand, Korra was in her casual clothes of denim jacket and blue jeans, and she was in no mood to leave the house. "How are you feeling today, Korra?" Asami asked, plopping down on the other chair.
Korra turned her head downward, opting to face Naga instead of Asami. The Great Pyrenees was already in a state of bliss thanks to the early morning massage given by her owner. But for Korra, it almost felt like Naga's thick fur would protect her from all this uncertainty thrown into her life. Why couldn't everything be like what Naga was facing right now, where she could just eat, nap, go for jogs, and get back scratches all the time?
"Korra, is everything okay?" Asami asked. Even though Korra heard Asami just fine, she could not bring herself to lift her head or even respond. "Varrick and Zhu Li told me a bit last night. I know you're probably still shocked about what happened, since you've always wanted to know what happened to your parents. I know it's not the best scenario to meet them after they had a close call with death, but at least you know they're both alive and care deeply about you."
Korra's mouth opened and closed several times, but no words came out of it. She could feel her body tighten while her breathing became more laboured. It was same state of paralysis that befell her at the hospital. Varrick, Zhu Li, and Asami were all correct in saying that Korra should be happy at this reunion, but for some reason Korra just couldn't feel it. Those three were her usual confidants that she could speak to in order to calm down. But this time, even they could not give her the comfort she wanted right now, and that truly made Korra afraid.
"I think I know how you feel Korra, because I sort of felt the same way when they took my father," Asami described, sitting up straighter and looking out at the morning cityscape, "I have to truly rely on myself, now that my father is no longer here to guide me. My mom is easily fatigued due to her long-term injuries, and the rest of the board can be hostile against me. Even now, with me serving as interim president and operations finally getting back on track, I still feel like there's so much I don't know. I kept saying to myself that things will be okay if my dad just gets released, but until then I'm fighting the battle pretty much alone."
Finally, Korra lifted her head, giving Asami an incredulous stare. Asami noticed it, but she did not skip a beat. "I'm glad we've always relied on each other, as well as our friends at the warehouse," Asami pointed out, "But when things become this personal, I sometimes wonder if I should reach out to them at all. What if I end up burdening them instead?"
"You're not a burden, Asami," Korra replied, speaking for the first time since she left the hospital, "You're very talented, and we're lucky to call you our friend. We'll get to the bottom of this whole investigation with your dad, and he will be freed sooner rather than later."
"And you're not a burden either, Korra," Asami replied, turning her body and leaning her torso on the table. That got her in direct eye contact with Korra, to which Korra slightly tilted away. "It's perfectly fine to feel confused, even frustrated right now. You probably have a lot of questions for Senna, but you don't know how to ask them, right?"
Korra winced, lifting both hands to massage her temples. That got a negative reaction out of Naga, who rather enjoyed her massage at the moment. The large dog lifted her head to glare at Korra, who had her eyes closed and face clenched. "Last night, I was so conflicted with my feelings that I don't think I heard a word Varrick and Zhu Li said to me," Korra explained, "The only reaction I actually gave was when one of them tapped my shoulder during dinner. I flinched so hard I almost fell out of my chair. I was wondering why they never told me about Tonraq and Senna, and why Tonraq and Senna didn't reach out to me."
Asami pursed her lips as Korra now pinched her nose with her left hand. Taking a deep breath, Korra released the oxygen before turning her eyes at the cityscape. "But I guess even if they reached out to me, I wonder what good that would do?" she openly mused, "Tonraq is so talented, leading the Southern Water Tribe in a civil war. Now he's the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and may even run for office next year. Compared to them, I'm pretty much nothing!"
"No, don't say that!" Asami called out. The raised volume got Korra to flinch, to which Asami quickly whispered an apology. Lowering her volume, Asami persisted with her point. "I don't believe that you're not amazing just because you haven't achieved what Tonraq and Senna have. You're amazing in your own way, and I'm sure you'll experience success."
Now it was Korra's turn to purse her lips, her eyes focused on the concrete floor beneath her feet. By now, Naga was so annoyed with Korra's lack of attention to her that she trotted to the side of the patio, plopping herself down and shooting Korra a dark look. Amazing or not, the only thing Korra wanted right now was clarity, and she wasn't even sure where to start looking. "Do you think I should reach out to Senna with Varrick and Zhu Li present?" she wondered.
"I guess if that makes you most comfortable, you should definitely talk to Varrick and Zhu Li," Asami responded, adjusting the cuffs of her blazer, "But Korra, you shouldn't shut yourself out from the rest of the world. No matter how dire the situation is, you always have people loving you and supporting you. All you have to do is reach out."
Korra rubbed her hands together before turning back to Asami. Deep down, she was very thankful to have such a great friend like her. "I think I'll spend the next day or two just thinking it over, and maybe go back to Senna and talk to her. Even with this news, I still see Senna as a good friend. Maybe spending more time with her will be great," the water bender decided.
Asami smiled, relieved to see her friend finally opening up again. Meanwhile, Korra waved Naga over, all the while slicing into a piece of ham on her breakfast plate. Even though Korra was hungry, she figured she had some reconciling to do, and that meant sharing her meal. "I'm sorry for ignoring you like that, Naga," she stated, placing her knife down and picking up the piece with her fingers, "How about some ham for my favourite doggy?"
In an apartment unit halfway across Republic City, another individual was not having a good time with his breakfast. Bolin was, like Korra, all alone at home while Mako and Toza were at work. Ever since Asami put him on administrative leave as a result of his involvement with Ginger, Bolin had been jobless and emotionally unsteady. Even Opal, who he had been dating for the past little while, had kept her contact with him to a minimum. "It looks like you are my only friend, Pabu," Bolin stated, feeding Pabu a piece of fruit.
The fire ferret nibbled on the fruit, giving Bolin a slight smile. Other than caring for his pet all day, Bolin had barely left the house. While Toza and Yung asked him to stay away from the warehouse for now, Bolin also wanted to steer clear of the streets in case he ran into Ginger again. From what Mako told him, Varrick and Zhu Li also put Ginger on administrative leave. The Future Industries board would have the final decision on what to do with the results of the investigation. The last thing Bolin wanted was for Ginger to contact him during this time, just to manipulate him further. That would further alienate him from his friends and family.
Bolin looked at his cellphone, scrolling through the messages section again. Other than Mako and Toza, there weren't any extra messages to him for weeks. The only other person who did contact him was Kai, and Bolin figured that Kai was too busy hanging out with Jinora to pay too much attention to him. Personally, Bolin was happy that Kai was getting a chance to pursue his own future, but that meant Bolin was left completely out of the picture.
Just then, the doorbell sounded off, disturbing Bolin from his train of thought. The earth bender lifted from his seat and lumbered to the door, wondering who would visit him at this time of day. Staring through the peephole, Bolin cracked a huge smile at the face on the other side. Undoing the locks in a hurry, Bolin whipped the door wide open before greeting the visitor with an enthusiastic voice. "Kai, what brings you here?" he exclaimed.
"Hey, Bolin," Kai responded in kind, slipping into the apartment unit while Bolin closed the door behind him, "I'm visiting since Yung asked you to stay out of the warehouse. I haven't really talked to you in person for a while, so I want to see how you're doing."
Bolin sighed, throwing his arms in the air. He gestured at the dining room table, giving Kai the seat he was at earlier. Bolin took the one next to Kai's forcing Pabu had to jump off. He had to avoid the humans taking his spot, but nonetheless stayed close. "I'm bored to tears, but I also realize I kind of had it coming," Bolin murmured, rubbing a hand through his hair.
"Don't say that, Bolin," Kai stated, "Yung told me enough about what happened for me to know that you would never do this on purpose. You were just trying to help us, and you ended up making the wrong choice. The most important thing right now is not to give up on yourself, and do everything you can to fix it. And you know I'll support you no matter what, okay?"
Bolin showed a small smile, glad to see his younger friend so supportive. Sometimes, Bolin felt like Kai was the more mature one, even though Bolin was the one to show Kai the ropes. After all, Mako showed Bolin the way, so why wouldn't Bolin pay it forward with Kai? But still, it was hard not to despair in a time like this. "Now I know how Mako felt when I went against him after Toza was arrested," Bolin recalled, glancing at Kai exasperatedly, "Maybe I shouldn't have criticized him so much, because now I'm in the same spot as he was."
"Right, but that's because he also made a wrong choice," Kai pointed out, recalling the time he was at the restaurant when Korra got everyone talking again, "He didn't give up and we all supported him, so why would you think I won't support you?"
Bolin grabbed a glass of water and took a sip, thinking carefully about Kai's words. It almost felt like Kai matured greatly in the past few months. Before they met Korra, Kai was the one worried about not having a future. Heck, he nearly gave up on himself when he became violent towards Skoochy, against everything he believed in as an air bender. "I have to say, Kai, you're the most optimistic right now," Bolin remarked, "When did the change occur?"
Kai scratched the back of his neck before turning back to Bolin. There was none of his cocky grin, but his expression and posture both oozed confidence and authority. "I've hung out with Jinora a lot, and she made me realize what's really important and what's not," he described, "I guess in the past, I was more concerned with sounding like I know what I'm doing instead of actually knowing what I'm doing. When I compared myself with Jinora, I realize how much I still lack, especially with education. If I don't better myself, then nothing will work out."
Kai then turned his eyes to the windows on the other side of the unit, a dreamy look crossing his face as he cast a gaze to the skyline. "Jinora has so much that I want, but I don't know if I can get. So I started thinking about what I really want out of life, and getting a healthy mindset is more important than money or material goods," he explained, "So I just changed the way I view the world and focused on what I feel is most important. I still hope to go to university and do something with my life, but right now it's more important to value all my friendships, including with you and with Jinora."
By this time, Pabu returned to Bolin, squeaking a few times and begging for more food. Bolin reached for some more fruit and handed it to the fire ferret, all the while thinking about what Kai had said. It was true that Bolin worried about the warehouse's future, but he did so based on monetary terms. While being financially stable was important, Bolin ended up turning against everyone he knew. Even when Opal went to the police station to give her testimony, he was nowhere near there. "Now they're cracking the case with multiple arrests of Triple Threat members, and it's Mako who led the way," Bolin stated with a bitter chuckle.
"Oh, that's right. I saw the news and they even got Viper, the Triple Threats' leader," Kai added, tapping his chin in thought, "And did Mako say they were re-assigning him to a bigger role? It was something about going to the Fire Nation to work with Interpol?"
Bolin nodded. Picking up Pabu, he stroked the fire ferret's back as he explained what Mako's newest adventure was. "Mako will be going to the Fire Nation to help the Interpol track the Red Lotus," he described, "We're not sure how long he'll be gone for or the nature of his mission. The only thing we know is that there are pockets of the Red Lotus active there. He'll be leaving by the end of the week, so we're on our own for the next little while. I guess ever since he fixed his wrong choice, he's on the way up. I wonder when it'll be my turn."
Kai placed a hand on Bolin's shoulder. "That's the question I've been asking myself for a while, and even now I'm still waiting for my turn," he replied, staring sympathetically at his long-time friend, "But I know things are turning around, and I hope the same will happen to you. Besides, doesn't that just support my point that we have to look out for each other?"
Bolin smiled back, placing a satisfied Pabu back on the ground. The fire ferret scampered off with some more food, but Bolin paid that no mind. Maybe it would take some time to redeem himself, both to Asami and Opal, but Bolin would do whatever it took to prove himself. "Kai, I'm so glad I can talk to you," Bolin responded, "Just for brightening my day, maybe I should make a Bolin breakfast special for you. What do you want to eat?"
Kai chuckled before asking for a vegetarian omelette. While Bolin set up the kitchen, Kai proceeded to letting Bolin know about some of his experiences with Jinora. "We're not dating yet, but I have a feeling she might agree to it. She's just a great person, and I hope I can even come close to how great she is. If she's really going to renew Air Nomad culture, then I want to be part of that new group. I wonder how Yung will decide?"
"That's quite a workout you had today," Korra commented as Senna was lowered back into her wheelchair. After a few days of discussion with Varrick and Zhu Li, Korra decided to speak with Tonraq and Senna on her own. Both Varrick and Zhu Li were surprised at that decision, given how uncomfortable Korra was with strangers. With Korra considering Tonraq and Senna her friends all this time, would she feel uneasy about seeing them as parents?
"I know it's just walking between two parallel bars, but when your body has been inactive for so long, that short distance can seem pretty far," Senna replied. However, instead of taking her back to her room, Senna asked the nurse to take them to Tonraq's room. "But me being happy about this is nothing compared to me being happy seeing you visit again."
Korra shifted her body a bit. The nurse slowly wheeled Senna in the direction of Tonraq's room, to which Korra lifted herself off the bench and hesitantly followed. While Korra told Varrick and Zhu Li that she really didn't mind getting to know her biological parents better, inside Korra was still trembling. Even when Korra left the house this morning, it felt like a thick cold fog rolled over and encased her body. Korra knew that Tonraq and Senna would never hurt her, but she never felt they were this close to her. Part of her was curious to know more about them, but the other part wanted her to just stay home.
"So, uh, Senna," Korra stuttered, still finding it awkward to calling Senna her mother, "How are you and Tonraq recovering? I mean, you're talking better, and it seems like you're walking a bit too. How is Tonraq doing and when will he get back to work?"
Senna smiled, although Korra could tell even that took a lot of energy out of her. "It's not as easy as just getting up out of bed, you know," she explained, just as the nurse wheeled her into the final corridor. Korra could see all sorts of National Security personnel here, by virtue of both Raiko and Tonraq being housed in the same hallway. "But he is able to talk a little bit, similar to what I was like when you first saw me. Do you want to say a few words to him?"
Again, Korra felt that feeling of being smothered when she entered Tonraq's room. It didn't help that National Security personnel were lined against the walls both inside and outside the room. All of whom had firearms on their belts, which made Korra feel like she was their target. Korra knew that they had to protect the president, who was still in his bed near the window, but was there a need to show such an unfriendly atmosphere?
"I'll just leave you two here so you can have some privacy," the nurse stated, pulling on the brakes of Senna's wheelchair. Senna was now positioned right next to Tonraq's head, while Korra pulled up an extra chair and sat right next to her biological mother. The nurse went to the nearest guard and gave further instructions, to which the guard slightly nodded. "If either of you require anything, let the guards know and they'll come find me," the nurse added.
With the nurse no longer in the room, Korra was left with Senna to face Tonraq. Everyone and everything around Korra now became a blur, with the younger water bender not noticing anything around her except her biological parents. "Tonraq, it's Senna. I brought someone that wants to see you, and I know you want to see her as well," the mother called.
The large man slowly turned his body, like he just wiggled free from several boulders. Korra could only suck in her breath, the strangled feeling from before returning again. "Who is it?" Tonraq asked, his tone barely above a whisper. He cast his eyes further down, which let him connect with Korra's eyes. "Korra, is that really you?"
Korra's eyes immediately turned away from Tonraq, focusing on her lap where her hands clenched and unclenched involuntarily. Despite this, Korra willed herself to stay, against every single reaction in her mind and body. It was her goal to know Tonraq and Senna better, and she wanted to see this goal through to the end. "I'm sorry if I don't like you staring at me like that," she murmured, her fingers flexing and twitching several times.
Tonraq and Senna glanced at each other, recalling they had to be aware of Korra's nature. "Sorry about that, Korra," Senna quietly responded. She placed a hand on Tonraq's hand, which had an IV sticking out of it, but neither of them proceeded to touching Korra. "Do you want to sit a bit closer? You don't have to be afraid of us staring. We just want to hear you out, that's all."
Korra did heed to the request, but her eyes stayed glued to her lap. She knew Tonraq and Senna tentatively had their eyes on her, but Korra was not ready to look back at them. "Well, I guess the first question I have is why?" Korra mumbled, "I get all that stuff about escaping from war and setting up a routine for my autism, but it's still shocking, you know."
Tonraq and Senna glanced at each other. Knowing Tonraq was too tired to speak, Senna decided to explain. "It was a tough decision, but the autism diagnosis surprised everyone," she recalled, "None of us had experience dealing with autism. With the war on our minds, it was hard to adjust. Since Varrick and Zhu Li offered to set the routines for you, we left it in their hands. It broke our hearts to do that too, but at the time, we felt it was best."
"We also want to protect you from the war," Tonraq added, his voice raspy and gravelly, "There are people who might use you as a hostage. We had to keep you away from the South Pole. Being in Republic City was the best option we had," he concluded with a few coughs.
"I get that, but why did you delay in letting me know?" Korra demanded, her entire face scrunched up like a prune, "Did you not trust me or want me back in your lives, or what?"
"That's not true at all, Korra," Senna responded, leaning her body a bit closer to Korra but still avoiding physical contact, "We wanted you to keep working on your routine, but also develop a bond with you. That's why we visited every chance we had, and Varrick and Zhu Li both updated us regularly. But the threat against the Southern Water Tribe, and indirectly against Tonraq, never went away. If you were still in the picture, there would always be a threat against you. We wanted you to be safe and away from that, and that's why you stayed with Varrick and Zhu Li. Besides, even without knowing our identities, you can't deny we bonded well, right?"
Korra opened her mouth again, but nothing came out of it. Despite her frustration at Tonraq and Senna for not telling her, she conceded that they were genuinely good people. Throughout the years, they truly cared for her each time they visited. Moreover, Korra could not say that she turned out poorly under Varrick and Zhu Li. Korra's current life was steady, with a roof above her head, two separate jobs that she enjoyed, and a bunch of wonderful friends, including Tonraq and Senna. If Tonraq and Senna really wanted to abandon her out of malice, why would they leave her with such fantastic people?
At this point, Tonraq cleared his throat and made an offer. "If you're interested, you can stay a few days with us after we get released from the hospital," he proposed, "You can see what it's like to live with us, and potentially reconnect with us. I know it'll be challenging for your routine, but if this is something you want to do, we'll always welcome you."
Korra's head shot up, staring into Tonraq's eyes for the first time in months. This was another huge decision for her, one that intrigued her in more ways than one. Was this the olive branch that Tonraq and Senna were offering to smooth over the past years? What would it mean for Varrick and Zhu Li if Korra moved out? Feeling her head swirl again, Korra excused herself from the room. "Let me think about it, okay?" she replied, heading to the security guard.
Mako felt like it was the first day of school again as he was led into the fancy Interpol headquarters at the Fire Nation. Whether it was marching through the tall front doors, going past security at the wide foyer, and even seeing the individual boardrooms and offices, Mako could not have imagined himself being here. And to think that he was suspended for a month over the summer due to misconduct with the Republic City Police? Compared to what happened then, it truly felt like he hit the jackpot, and he was intent on soaking it all in.
"And this is the briefing boardroom, where you will receive your assignments and updates. Your commanding officers will give the assignments and you will update the team here," Iroh explained, gesturing at the largest boardroom they encountered so far. Mako glanced around at his fellow Republic City officers who were chosen by Lin to go on this mission. Mako could still recall the shocked looks on the faces of Lu and Gang when Lin chose Mako for the job. After years of being bullied and harassed by those two, this was his time to shine. While Mako always remembered that he did this for his family and friends, he could not help but feel a bit smug. Knowing their careers plateaued while his skyrocketed, why wouldn't he be proud?
"I'll meet you all back here tomorrow morning for initial briefing. We want to be ready for investigating the Red Lotus while our leads are still warm," Iroh described. He then turned his eyes to Mako, who then snapped to attention. "Mako, I want some updates regarding the Triple Threats before tomorrow's briefing. Will you join me, please?"
Mako's eyes widened slightly, but quickly recomposed himself before glancing at his team. The other three Republic City officers quickly scurried out, most likely back to the hotel. Other than quickly texting Toza and Bolin informing them that he safely arrived at the Fire Nation, Mako could not discuss further with them. Mako was still concerned about Bolin's administrative leave. When Korra had the brothers openly discuss their situation, Mako had to admit to Bolin that he made a mistake with the Toza arrest. Bolin was quick to give Mako a chance to correct himself, and Mako could only hope the same was offered to Bolin for Bolin's mistake. But with the mess they were in now, could that chance even come soon enough?
"Mako, come with me please?" Iroh requested, gesturing at a smaller meeting room. Mako followed the fellow fire bender in, taking a seat at the small desk present while the general closed the door behind them. The room was nondescript, with pale walls and no windows. Other than the lone set of lights above, there was nothing that stood out to Mako. While Mako knew it was not the case, but he could not help but feel he was the one being interrogated right now.
"First, thank you for all the hard work you've done for this case so far," Iroh began, taking a seat behind the desk and across from him, "Lin and Tenzin both told me good things about you. Since Lin's mother, Tenzin's father, and my grandfather are good friends, I always trust their judgment. You did good things for the force, and after the dinner we had with Bumi, I think you've also changed a lot the past month or two."
Mako cracked a small smile. "I'm glad you think that way, General. I try my best to learn from my mistakes, including when you and Bumi pointed them out to me," he responded. Reaching into his backpack, he pulled out a set of notes he was asked to prepare for today.
Iroh nodded. "I want to know some updates from your investigation on the Triple Threats," Iroh pointed out, taking out a notepad and pen from the desk drawer, "I believe some Triple Threat members were arrested, including their leader Viper. If they said anything about the Red Lotus, then we want to know about it."
Mako placed his notes neatly on the desk and went through them with Iroh. He explained that the Triple Threats were revealed when Mako got one of their own to spill, leading to the whole case getting blown wide open. Within the next week, Triple Threat members were arrested by the dozen, and the police were ready to ask for charges. "I was shocked at how fast Viper surrendered, almost like he wanted to wash his hands clean of the Red Lotus," Mako stated, "I guess even the triads are scared of a specialized terrorist group."
Iroh alternated his eyes between Mako's notes and his own notepad. "Smart move, since they'll probably take a plea deal for less time and potentially testify against the Red Lotus," Iroh responded, flipping to the next page on his pad, "Did Viper say what roles the Triple Threats played in inciting the riots? Based on your investigation, it seems like the Red Lotus were the leaders and the Triple Threats were the followers."
Mako showed Iroh another set of notes, to which the general paid special attention to. Apparently, the Triple Threats were battling the Red Lotus, but supposedly Zaheer's crew took the entire triad on and won. Iroh was impressed at how four special benders defeated an entire bending triad, but also realized how serious the situation was. As long as Red Lotus members, even junior associates, were out and about, there was no way this matter could be resolved. Frankly, he was glad that Mako pressed forward, even when no one believed him.
"I have a question for you," Mako inquired, glancing up from the pile of notes, "Will our group report to anyone during our time here? I know we're helping with the investigation, so I would think someone will lead our team."
Iroh cracked a small smile. "I'm glad you asked, Mako, because I was going to call her in right now," he stated. Pulling out his cellphone, he typed a quick text message to an unknown name. While he waited for the mysterious person to arrive, Iroh shuffled the notes back together. "Your information from Republic City can establish what leads we have of the Red Lotus in the Fire Nation. We still haven't gotten anything concrete yet, but some of their associates are here. That's why the special guest I called will be so important."
A soft knocking on the door brought both fire benders' attention to the other side of the room. "Come on in, it's open," Iroh called. A couple clicks later, the door opened to reveal a female Interpol commanding officer. She wore a uniform similar to Iroh's, and they both had the Fire Nation's typical amber-coloured eyes. She strolled in with the same amount of confidence and pride that Iroh had, positioning right next to the general. As Mako glanced at the commander before him, standing straight and tall with her right hand on her hip, that was when he realized how physically similar the two Fire Nation natives were.
"This is Mako from the Republic City police," Iroh introduced Mako to the newcomer, "He is joining us for the investigation into the Red Lotus within the Fire Nation. Since he uncovered the clues connecting the Red Lotus to the Triple Threats in the United Republic, I expect that you two will have plenty of chances to work together. I know Mako is still relatively young and junior in the field, but I seriously think he's a rising star in law enforcement. I trust that you guys will work well together, both for this case and beyond."
Mako stood up from his seat and extended his hand, to which the newcomer shook firmly and confidently. "Mako, this will be your commanding officer, and I'll give you a little surprise," Iroh stated. That got Mako lifting an eyebrow curiously, only to lose all ability to hold back his shock when the general unleashed his bombshell. "She is also my little sister."
"So I heard that Asami is getting closer and closer to freeing her father," Varrick announced, leaning back on his chair at the dining room table. It was after their meal and the household was ready to retire for the night. But Varrick felt he should at least share the news with everyone before heading off. "It's been a tough few months, and I know how hard Asami worked to line up her evidence. But if this works out, and Asami can prove that Hiroshi's money did not go towards harming anyone, then that takes another hog monkey off our backs."
Zhu Li nodded. "I think everyone in the group helped a lot," she commented, taking a sip of her tea, "Asami first roped in Mako, who then got the entire warehouse gang involved. And of course, our Korra is also a part of that. I'm sure Asami will be very happy, right Korra?"
Korra lifted her head slightly, barely catching Zhu Li in the eye before giving off a sly smile. In reality, while Korra was thrilled that Asami's father would be released, she had a bunch of other thoughts on her mind. It was precisely this reason that, despite the fantastic news, Korra had little to say about it. She was just eagerly waiting for her chance to raise her point with them.
"Either way, Asami will organize the evidence once more tomorrow before taking that to the company lawyer," Varrick declared, rubbing his hands together in glee, "I definitely think the right thing will be done. It's time we show that good-for-nothing Tarrlok Yakone who's boss!"
"And at least we'll get an ally back on our side, now that the president and Tonraq are both awake," Zhu Li added. The latest news from the hospital was that they both progressed in speech therapy, and in a week or two might begin physiotherapy. "Speaking of which, I believe Korra visited Tonraq and Senna a few days ago. Korra, how were they doing?" Zhu Li asked.
Korra's head shot up again, finally getting the chance to speak her topic. "Senna was doing physiotherapy when I went in, and I basically watched her walk down two parallel bars," Korra explained, describing the whole procedure in perfect detail. She even pointed out how nervous Senna was, with her legs wobbly while her arms strained in holding the bars. Despite holding herself up, she still tripped several times. "Had the nurses not been there, I think Senna would have been injured. But then again, I probably could have healed her."
"Let's not get too excited, Korra. I know you have good healing skills, but let the hospital staff address that," Zhu Li pointed out, placing a hand on Korra's elbow, "Did you see Tonraq after that? How was he doing now that he's awake?"
"We wheeled Senna out of the therapy room and into Tonraq's room, which is filled with security," Korra continued, pointing out how the security guards were positioned and how close they were to the president's room, "Tonraq did talk to me, but his voice is not good. We talked a bit about catching up after so many years, and he made a proposal to me."
By now, Korra's voice went from crisp and clear, to barely above a whimper. Both Varrick and Zhu Li leaned their heads forward, trying to catch a glimpse of Korra's face. But the water bender held steady, stuffing her discomfort and soldiering on. "Tonraq wanted to know if I'm interested in spending some time with him once he is released from the hospital," Korra stated, her thumbs now running circles around each other, "I didn't really answer him, because I wasn't sure what to do. Do you think that's something I should consider?"
Varrick and Zhu Li glanced at each other. Inside, part of them realized this day would come, when Korra would want to reach out to her biological parents. While Varrick and Zhu Li had always agreed with Tonraq and Senna that Korra should have the final say, it would still be a challenge. Given Korra was autistic, just moving to Tonraq's home would require new routines. There was also no guarantee that Korra would adapt well to that place, even though her constant work on social interactions and water bending taught her to be adaptive and flexible. And even if Korra was fine with it, did it mean Korra would leave Varrick and Zhu Li for good?
Turning back to Korra, Varrick and Zhu Li set aside their own desires and put Korra first. While Korra was always adverse to strangers, Tonraq and Senna were anything but. They formed close bonds with Korra, visiting her every chance they got, and shared many tales about their common Southern Water Tribe heritage. Korra saw them as close friends and enjoyed their company, but this would be the first time she realized their identities. Seeing the water bender seated in the chair with her back slumped, her upper body tight, and her hands clenching and unclenching several times, Varrick and Zhu Li knew that this was a tough decision for Korra. "I guess the only person who can decide is you, Korra," Zhu Li responded, "Do you want to give it a try, just to see if you can get along with them?"
"I've always gotten along with them. They're my close friends and I like being around them," Korra stuttered, her mouth opening and closing several times before the right words came out, "It's the fact that they're my biological parents that makes this awkward. Should I treat them differently now that I know who they are? Or should there even be a change? Can I still keep a relationship with them like usual despite knowing their identities?"
Varrick and Zhu Li glanced at each other again, the silence between them masking a convergence of thoughts. Right now, the only person who could decide was Korra, and the only person Korra had to decide for was herself. All they could do was to guide her in certain directions, but they had no influence over what Korra would do in the end. "Well, what do you value in Tonraq and Senna?" Varrick inquired, rubbing his goateed chin thoughtfully, "Do you feel their relationship with you is strong enough that seeing them as your biological parents instead of regular friends won't cause you to change that relationship?"
Korra's head shot up once more, this time her eyes keying in on her foster father. That line was eerily similar to what Kya told her about Asami, given how their relationship faced a change. At that time, Korra was not ready to enter into a romantic relationship with Asami, and Asami was respectful enough to keep to a regular friendship for now. Was Varrick suggesting that Korra reached out to Tonraq and Senna as friends, and then work on building it up?
Seeing Korra's reaction, Zhu Li decided to interject. "Any relationship you get into starts with you, and you have to make the decision for you and only you," the bespectacled woman explained, "Why don't you just start small first? Spend a few days with them, get used to their routine, and see if everything works out. If it does, then you can spend more time with them. If not, then you can always come back to us."
"The doors of this place will always be open for you, Korra," Varrick added, waving his arm in the direction of the front door for emphasis, "If you want, you can alternate between here and there once every week. It'll be a good chance for you to know them, but also allow them to know more about you. But right now, I agree with Zhu Li. Take it slow at first, and once you're more comfortable, then you can decide what to do next."
Korra tilted her head a few times, giving everything that happened in the past few days a lot of thought. It was true that nothing stopped her from not going, and it was even more of a relief when Varrick and Zhu Li would welcome her back at any time. Korra had no idea why she felt they would feel abandoned by her, given how well they treated her. Maybe starting small and just going to Tonraq's place for a week would be fine. "Guys, thanks for clearing things up with me," Korra stated with a nod, "I think I know what I should do next."
"Thank you so much for fetching me that info, Mako. You can't believe how useful this will be for our lawyers," Asami stated into the phone at the conference room table. Before Asami were boxes of documents, the same ones that Mako went through with her for the past few months. After they went through these, Asami felt there was a need to go deeper into the police investigations. All they had to prove was that none of Hiroshi's funds went towards activities that harmed or killed anyone. "And it looks like we might have some of that here," she added.
"Not a problem, Asami," Mako replied from the other line. The fire bender was busy with Interpol, after Iroh assigned his sister to supervise Mako. It was only now that Mako was able to connect with Asami about Hiroshi's status. "I know these police files can only be obtained via a confidentiality request, and the privacy commissioner sometimes takes forever to review those requests. That's why I wanted to ensure that goes smoothly before I left for the Fire Nation."
"Well, everything is smooth alright. Most reports show that the police caught most of the Equalists before the damage was done. The final battle between Amon and Bumi took place without any of my father's money," Asami observed, flipping a page on her report, "We can claim that my father didn't harm people with his money, and indefinite detention is unjustified."
"I'm glad to hear that, Asami. I hope everything goes well with your father," Mako stated, "In the meantime, I have to prepare for more investigations into terrorism in the Fire Nation. We're hoping to stop these Red Lotus guys before they do any damage."
"Yes, that's right. I remember you telling me about investigating the Red Lotus in the Fire Nation," Asami recalled while snapping her fingers, "How's that coming so far? I didn't hear anything about the Red Lotus since the riots here in the city. Did you find any leads?"
"I'll be risking the release of classified info by telling you the details, but all I'll say is that we will be patrolling various Fire Nation towns with local authorities very soon," Mako replied with a chuckle, "We'll keep you posted if there's any news, but for now we're just focused on locating any Red Lotus members, even if they're just junior associates."
"Good luck with your investigation, and thanks for all your help. Let's stay in touch, okay?" Asami responded before ending the call. She glanced back at the conference room table, realizing she still had to go through all the documents before she could submit to the lawyer. The good news was that she requested for help, and said helper was about to arrive any moment now.
While Asami waited for her assistant to arrive, she thought about the issues surrounding her father up to this point. It was true that she still had problems coming to terms with Hiroshi's actions, and both she and Yasuko spent a long time trying to adjust. How could the man who raised her and taught her so much be aligned with terrorists? Did Hiroshi hide anything else from Asami and Yasuko during all this time? How could they still trust him after this?
But at the same time, Asami realized she should be the last person in the entire world to hold a grudge for betrayal. After all, Asami did the same thing to Korra. Not only did she violate Korra's privacy by reading Korra's journals, she also terminated Korra from her employment. Even though the entire board agreed that Asami would break the news to Korra, Asami still felt personally responsible for what happened. That only led to Korra pretty much breaking all ties with Asami for more than a month, which led to one of the worst months of Asami's entire life. Would things be different if Asami used another tactic?
"Asami, we're here," a voice called from the doorway. The engineer turned her body to see Opal standing with Yuri, the water bender from the Southern Water Tribe who shared so many characteristics with Korra. "What can we help you with?" Opal asked.
Asami smiled and gestured at the chairs, to which Opal and Yuri approached. The air bender closed the door behind her, while the water bender took a seat directly across from Asami. Even so, Yuri never focused her eyes directly at Asami, just like the way Korra acted by virtue of their mutual autistic traits. It only reminded Asami how much Korra had to go through and the difficulties she faced in order to forgive Asami and bring Asami back into her life. If Korra, with all her mental health issues, could achieve forgiveness and closure, could Asami do the same thing if the authorities release Hiroshi?
"So, Asami," Opal began, taking a seat to Yuri's right, "How do you want us to help you? I just heard you say that you have enough evidence to make a court application to get your father released. How do you want Yuri and me to help you with that evidence?"
"Yes, thank you for coming," Asami stated, now standing up from her seat. She pushed two boxes towards the seated assistants, one before each person. "We want to go through all these police files carefully. We know from Mako that no Equalist attack resulted in largescale harm to society, meaning it's questionable whether my father's funds went to those activities. We expect to find not just bank accounts, but also how my father's money went into those accounts and how they were used. And that can end this case once and for all."
"We'll be on it, Asami," Opal responded with a nod, immediately grabbing the box in front of her, "We can look through these and see what we can find. As long as you let us know what types of info you want us to get, we can get it for you. What do you say, Yuri?"
Yuri hesitantly grabbed the box, her fingers tightening around the lid but not too willing to pull it open. "I'm not really sure what I'm looking for," she pointed out, deeply sucking in her breath, "I'm not good with bank statements, so I'll probably have trouble figuring this out."
"Don't worry, because I can walk you through this," Asami explained, opening her own box. Opal followed suit, while Yuri did so reluctantly. Asami pulled out the first file, spreading the pages on the table and going through each spreadsheet. "Bank statements usually state if money came in or went out of the account. It always states how much, and sometimes it'll also state from or to what source. Do you see those on each line, Yuri?"
Yuri slowly went through each line, with Asami guiding her. While the two took their time, Opal decided to steam ahead. "Are there any particular sources that we should look out for? I mean, I don't think one just walks into a supermarket and asks for explosives," she observed.
"No, they won't," Asami responded, her eyes on Yuri's pages as she continued to guide Yuri through this, "But you can cross-check those with the actual purchases that the police did pull. You can see that from those accounts, there was nothing that went into purchasing items for mass destruction. It seems like this is the account for administrative stuff and not purchases."
"Okay, I think I got the hang of it," Yuri called out, her eyes scanning each line with great interest. Asami left Yuri by herself, allowing her to pick out each detail from the pages. They might have to be here for another day or two, but if this could get Hiroshi out of jail, then Asami felt all their hard work would be worth it.
"Why do you think the Equalists keep things in separate accounts? Do you think it's because they want to avoid getting noticed or make it harder to link their members?" Opal wondered aloud, "If that's the case, I wonder if we can try to investigate the Red Lotus the same way. Get one of their accounts, do some cross-referencing, and maybe pick up a clue?"
Asami tilted her head, realizing that this might open up some new possibilities. Quickly scribbling some notes, she made sure to bring this up in front of Mako whenever she would speak to him next. Until then, she refocused her attention back to the task at hand.
And as usual, here is my list of acknowledgements for this chapter:
1.) The chapter title itself is a play on words from the famous Book 4 episode "Korra Alone," which itself is based on the episode "Zuko Alone" from Book 2 of the original series. Those 2 episodes are absolutely amazing and I only feel it's right to pay tribute to them. And as a special treat, I'm splitting my chapter into 2 parts as well, so you'll have twice the fun!
2.) Along with celebrating her birthday, SaoirseParisa deserves a lot of credit for editing the hospital scene between Korra and her parents. We realize that this is still a lot to take for Korra, given this is the first time she sees Tonraq and Senna as parents. Moreover, with Korra's autism, her brain simply doesn't register the issues and process the emotions properly, leading her to the state she went into. We had a lot of discussion about how all that balances out and Korra should approach the issues from here on out. So many thanks for your input and hopefully the scenes transition well.
3.) The scene with Kai and Bolin is almost a reversal of what happened in Book 3, when Kai was the street kid that nobody liked, while Bolin was the one giving him chance after chance, even when some (mainly Mako) didn't believe Kai should get another chance. I figure that it's an interesting way to show the dynamic, in that even with the situation reversed, they are still looking out for each other, supporting each other, and encouraging each other. There's more to them in the future, so make sure you keep your eyes open for that.
4.) Mako meeting Iroh's sister is not from any canonical episode or comic, but from Bryke themselves. Bryke mentioned that Iroh's sister would have been introduced in Book 4, but due to the staff and budget cuts, she never made the final cut. Because of that, there are lots of head-canons about what Iroh's sister would be like. My guess is that, like Iroh, she went into government and law, but instead of the military, she went into investigatory roles. She would meet Mako in an Interpol-like organization, and they would form a relationship from there on out. I'm not going too deeply into that head-canon, but you'll see tidbits of that here and there.
5.) Tonraq keeping Korra away from the South Pole is similar to "Welcome to Republic City" in Book 1, where Korra grew up in a compound guarded by the White Lotus instead of being at her own home. Korra being torn between moving onto a new family while maintaining relations with her old friends is similar to "Rebel Spirit" in Book 2, where she rejected Tenzin for Unalaq (albeit under more negative terms than here). And Mako figuring out connections to the Red Lotus from the outside is similar to "The Terror Within" from Book 3, when he deciphered that Aiwei was the connection to the Red Lotus within Zaofu.
Thanks for your support again, and I hope to see you next chapter, with (hopefully) a quicker update than I did in the past.