Shiori's knuckles were white as she kept her fists tightly clenched the entire ride to the station. Tila caught onto this quickly and asked if she could have a word with the young pro bender. They went into an interrogation room and Tila pulled a chair to Shiori's side of the table, angling it towards her.
"That was one hell of a match, I was impressed," She complimented.
"Thanks…"
"What's got you so on edge?"
"A few bombs going off over your head will do that to you," she said, staring blankly at the chief.
"No it's something else."
Shiori slumped in the chair and turned her face away.
"I don't see why you're interrogating me, fighting off the bomber is kind of a sound alibi."
"I'm not interrogating you Shiori, we're just talking. I noticed you were pretty effected by what happened. Besides, you live and breathe that arena, if anyone could help me out as a witness it would be you."
"They have to rebuild it again, our next tournament will be postponed, so I'll be broke again for however many months the renovations take. I just...ugh!" She grunted, standing.
"Did you see anything that could help me catch this guy?"
"...It's not a guy."
"You saw them? I can get a sketch artist here and we can put-"
"Her name is Kana, she's the waterbender for the catgators. She subbed out last minute for tonight's match. You'd think a Pro Bender would understand the consequences of this, she just screwed over everyone! Why would she even do this?!"
"You're sure it was her?"
"I worked with her this whole season, yeah I'm sure."
"Thanks Shiori, I know it isn't easy when someone you know commits this level of crime. You're very brave to tell me."
"I'm not going to protect someone who endangered hundreds of people."
Shiori was too deep in her thoughts to be sociable. She and the others were allowed to sit in the policeman's lounge area while they filed witness reports, so she just quickly wrote hers out and set it aside, tuning out the chatter buzzing around her.
"Hey," Kita said, placing a hand on her knee and looking up at her with concern.
"I'm sorry you're in a difficult position…"
"It isn't your fault."
"I know I'm just...offering sympathy I guess. I wish we found each other under better circumstances."
"Me too," she said with a weak smile.
Tila came in then and took a seat next to Kita.
"Did you find her?" Shiori asked.
"Not yet but we will. Kita...the President called for you."
"Ugh," She stuck her tongue out.
"I took a message, figured you wouldn't really want to talk to him. He said since you were present for this, he wants you to head up the press conference with him."
"Really? I guess I could do that."
"We need to be weary of that man." Jinora said, leaning back in her seat and crossing her arms.
"I'll be cautious." Kita assured her.
"And I'll be with her up there in case the press gets too fired up. I don't think you'll need me, but still," Tila chuckled.
"I think I'm gonna head home. It's been a long day," Shiori said.
"I'm going to send two of my guys with you for protection."
"I'll be fine."
"I wasn't asking. If Kana tries contacting you, we need to be able to bring her in."
Shiori just sighed as Tila lead her out, and eventually into the back of a satomobile used for undercover operations. The two guys in the front sipped at their coffee on the way to her apartment off of Kyoshi square.
"I'm coming up with you," one of them said.
"No way am I having a sleepover with you," Shiori snapped.
"I need to scope the place out and make sure it's safe," he said, rolling his eyes at her and climbing the concrete stairs to the top floor. He went in first after she unlocked the front door, checking every corner and scaling the wall on his way to the one bedroom.
"Clear," he announced.
"Thanks, can you go now, I need to shower."
"I'll be just outside, my partner is staying in the car to keep an eye on the perimeter."
Shiori waved him off and headed into her room, pausing in front of her bed.
"Kana."
A figure stepped out from her closet.
"That cop should get his eyes checked."
"Why did you do this."
"Shiori, I-"
"I don't want to hear any excuses, tell it to me straight."
Kana pulled the mask down under chin and sighed.
"I followed orders."
"Whose?"
"Our savior's."
"You sound insane." Shiori scoffed.
"It's not! He's going to deliver us into the new era, give us the world we deserve."
"And what do we deserve huh? And who is 'we' exactly?"
"The superior, more advanced species."
"What are you-"
A knock on the front door cut her off.
"Miss, the Chief called and asked that you come back to the station in the morning."
"Fine fine just go away for now!"
"Kana," Shiori turned back to where her closet was left open, but the figure in black was gone.
"Dammit!" She cursed, pounding a fist on the wall behind her.
"In light of this event, I encourage you all to keep hope and trust in the police force of Republic City. They will bring whoever did this to justice, I assure you. Now, Avatar Kitala will further inform you as a witness herself." The President introduced her, motioning off stage. She climbed the steps and replaced him behind the podium, giving her best smile.
"Good Morning everyone, I-"
"Was it true you fought the bomber?!"
"Do you deny the rumour that you and Pro Bending Champion Shiori are in a relationship?!"
"Does Chief Tila Beifong have any substantial leads?!"
"Uhm...Everyone, please quiet down!" Kita began hesitantly.
"Yes, I did have a confrontation with the bomber along with Shiori and two of my trusted friends. Due to another detonation, we were unable to capture them, but the time we spent there gave us the information we needed to pin down a suspect but uh..I don't think I can say her name yet. As for the rumour about Shiori and I-"
"You say it's a woman?!"
"Oh no! I mean yes, I mean…"
"Who identified the suspect?"
"Sorry I can't say."
"Do you suspect any secondary attacks?"
"Not at this time, no, but it would be to your benefit to keep a lookout for anything suspicious while in larger crowds. Your intuition is a powerful tool. Oh and the Cultural Festival will be postponed too, we don't want to take any chances before we know the motive behind this attack."
"You don't know the motive?!"
"If you had a suspect surely you would know more by know!"
"So you're telling us we're not safe anywhere?"
"We're not detectives!"
"Not everyone is as intuitive as the Avatar you know!"
"I-I was just-" Kita began until she felt Tila drawing her back, and lifted her hands to her eyes as numerous camera flashes startled her.
"Do you have any real advice?!"
"Are you against technological assistance, there's evidence to suggest you aren't current with the times!"
"How can you protect the people if you can't even drive a Sato mobile?!"
"No more questions, you'll be informed of any necessary information, thank you." Tila announced, leading Kita off the platform and away from the crowd.
"Did I just completely ruin that? I'm so sorry I thought…"
"No not completely, it's okay. You should've see the first time I addressed the public, it was much worse."
Kita slumped her shoulders and whimpered.
"It was really just the one...or uh two...comments, don't worry." Tila assured, sympathetically rubbing circles on her back.
Jinora's perch on the roof became Kita's sulking spot, and as she sat with her knees scrunched to her chest, looking out on Yue bay, wondered if she was really fit for this. She did, in fact, know how to drive and loved it, but otherwise rather detested technology. Not that she would ever tell Ari, but she didn't even like movers that much or watching the new Future Industries special edition televisions. To be honest, she would be content with how things used to be in the time of Lion Turtles, trading, foraging, coexisting with spirits better than people did now. Kita huffed and buried her head in her arms, cursing herself for her cynical thoughts when she should be a pillar of hope.
"It wasn't as bad as you think," a kind voice soothed her.
She looked up to see Raavi settling next to her and giving an awkward smile.
"Maybe not but...it made me wonder if...no I can't even say it."
"Let it out, I won't leak it. What do they say, 'off the record'?" He chuckled.
"You sure? Most people can't relate to Avatar stuff."
"Just because I can't relate to it doesn't mean you should suffer alone."
"Hn. Thanks…"
"So? You wonder if what?" He urged, nudging her with his shoulder.
"If...the world even needs an Avatar anymore. The Police are competent, we have world leaders to bring inspiration to people, what place do I really have?"
"You aren't meant to be any of that. Sure you're powerful and could take down the baddest guys, but you're more than that. The bridge between the physical and the spiritual."
"Right, but now I'm just this figurehead. Someone to slap on posters or quote for news reports."
"Only if you want to be. You're probably the most important person in the whole world, I think you can be whatever kind of Avatar you want. What do you want?"
"I…" she began, scanning the skyline of Republic city and breathing deep.
"I just want everyone to have faith in the world again...and in themselves."
"If anyone can show them that, it's you."
"You think so?" She turned her face towards him, blinking up at him with large, sparkling aquamarine orbs. Mesmerized by them, he could only manage a nod and dopey grin that completely gave away his entrancement.
"Thank you, Raavi…" she said quietly, tilting her head just slightly and inching her hand closer to his where it rested on the slatted tile.
"It's nice to see you spending more time here…"
"Because of you…" he said, then quickly realizing the implications.
"Er, not because of you, I mean you helped with the awkward family stuff and-"
"I know what you meant," she giggled.
A grunting noise following by rustling drew their attention to the level below, where a half wall opened up a hallway to the outside, the ledge serving as a prime launch point for getting to the roof.
"Is someone down there?" Raavi asked, knowing the rooms there were only used for storage.
"Oh you're on the roof? When Jinora said this was the hangout I was a tad shocked to see a room full of junk." Ari explained before gracefully swinging himself up, landing on the other side of Kita.
"I half expected you two to be in a more precarious situation," he snickered.
Kita's face flushed beet red and she glanced at Raavi, who surprisingly was having a similarly embarrassing reaction.
"Anyway...I've got an audition tomorrow!"
"That's great!" Kita shouted, thankful to have changed the subject.
"What for?" Raavi asked.
"A radio announcement for the WLS festival, everyone in the city would hear it!"
"But it's postponed isn't it?" Raavi asked.
"Yeah I said so in the press conference, that's what Tila told me."
"I heard Yanwei wasn't too thrilled about it since all the vendors and parade performers are booked already, he made a statement just a few hours ago saying something pompous about how foolish it would be to halt the festivities when the World Leader Summit itself is still going forward as planned," Ari said, doing his best stuffed up impression of the President he could manage.
"That's insane, Tila said herself she wouldn't take that chance."
"I guess he's overridden her authority," Raavi said.
"There's no way they could increase security enough to make it safe."
"Will people even show up knowing there's a bomber on the loose?" Ari asked.
"Since the President basically said everything is fine, everyone might think we've made some development with the bomber. Why would he do that?!" Kita hollered, standing as her voice carried across the vast expanses of the temple.
"I don't know but he could be putting a lot of people in danger here," Raavi said.
"Kotya!" Kita called. It wasn't long before a massive silhouette came swooping up in front of the turret they perched on, causing Ari to scuffle backwards away from the ledge.
"Where are you going?" He asked after regaining his bearings. Kotya hovered a few feet from the edge, looking expectantly at her master.
"Taking the President up on his offer for dinner," Kita said fiercely before leaping to her feline's snug black saddle, a small burst of air assisting her.
"Are you sure that's a good idea? I saw those sleazy eyes he was giving you," Ari warned.
"Maybe not but I'm going to lose my courage any second so..."
"I'm coming with you," Raavi said sharply.
"Now now, I'm usually the first to suggest dramatic spur of the moment confrontations, but I don't think it would be the right way to handle him."
Kita slumped, nestling her head against the back of Kotya's.
"You're right…" She agreed, her voice muffled by fur.
Ari grinned and lunged off the edge, his long legs stretching into an elegant spread eagle. Kita scowled, envying his height and lean figure as she thought back to the use of airbending she needed to get her shapely legs across.
"However, I don't see why we can't go get hot cakes in Ember Town, I have an old flame whose shop is open late, I'm sure he'd give them to us for free."
"Mmmm hot cakes…." Kita's mouth began to water.
"How quickly your aggression fades at the mention of dessert," Ari teased.
Raavi then easily bounded his way across, causing the feline's wings to waver. She regained her stability, but hissed in protest.
"We're reaching capacity here, sorry girl," Kita patted her on the top of her head before they took off.
"We'll pick Shiori up and walk from there I promise," she told Kotya.
