The city's lights blinked back on, yet no one had even a second to react before explosions blasted in succession, one right after the other lining the outside of the festival. The crowd crouched low and most people covered their heads from debris blown sky high. Once the smoke begin to clear only slightly, Kita peered at a line of black in the gaps between stands, surrounding the entire festival. As her eyes adjusted, she realized the barricade was actually a wall of soldiers dressed in all black, faces covered.

'The same clothes as the bomber!'

Shiori stood, coughing as she looked around. Her gaze stopped at one person in particular, the only soldier to have pulled down their mask.

"Kana!" She growled, bolting through the crowd.

"Shiori wa-!" Kita was cut off as another grouping of bombs detonated deeper in the city. Panic swept across the festival and everyone began to shout and jostle one another trying to run back to city Hall. At that moment, the doors to the grand building were pushed closed by more black clad men.

"There, look up!" Raavi shouted, pointing skyward. Kita and the others followed his gaze to an airship lowering above them. A beam of light shot down, surveying the vast sea of faces until landing on one group in particular. Shielding their eyes from the intense light, Kita and Raavi gathered their friends and yelled for them to start moving. However before they could get anywhere, more soldiers had dropped from the airship, ropes still tethering them to it. The beam was still blinding them, and all Kita could think to do was airbend. She filtered a blast of air upward, but nothing happened. In seconds she was cuffed and arms clasped tightly around her waist. She felt herself being lifted off the ground, but strong hands latched onto her ankles.

"Raavi!"

"Kita I can't see anything but I'm trying to hang on!"

He gripped onto her with white knuckles, but another assailant captured him. Kita's captor was scaling up the ladder now, but Raavi still hung on just barely. More soldiers had now latched on to Giyan, Urza, Hiro, and Jinora. Two were attempting to fend off Shiori but were having major difficulty. She threw fire coated punches left and right, but in the end she, Ari and Raavi clutching one of Kita's black boots were all left behind as the airship made its getaway.

"Follow it! Don't take your eyes off of it!" Shiori screamed, shoving people out of their way as she ran in it's direction.

They came to the doors of city Hall and looked up to the roof where the airship was currently hovering. Approaching the soldiers guarding the entrance, the three fiercely stared them down and prepared to fight.

Each of the captured leaders were held to the walls of the airship with platinum chains, and Kita seemed to be the only one that was conscious. She couldn't find any identifying features, insignia's or even any soldiers.

'Wouldn't they want to guard us?'

"I'm sure you're confused," someone said as the door to the control room slid open.

Kita gasped, recognizing the voice. Wearing the same face coverage as his soldiers, he stepped into view. Before he could reach for the mask, Kita shouted, "Ren! That was your name right? The Earth bender."

He sighed and tugged the fabric under his chin.

"Oh I'm sorry, I ruined your big reveal, do you want to...I don't know, re enter? Make it more dramatic maybe?"

"No, no, it's fine,"

"Really if you want to make a bigger impact, I can just-"

"Stop talking."

"Okay yeah sure."

"Now-"

"But why am I awake and not the others?"

"I can change that if it would make you more comfortable."

"That was a very polite threat, I applaud you."

He cleared his throat and crossed his arms, glaring at her.

"Okay sorry. Wait why am I saying sorry, you just bombed the city and you're an awful person."

"I'm not, actually. If you let me explain I'm sure we can come to an understanding."

"Doubtful."

"As you can see, I have a sizeable following, the means to take over Republic City, and the most influential leaders are in my grasp."

"You haven't taken the city yet, there are still plenty of people down there who can stop you. Oh, and you don't have all the leaders."

Just then, the door slid open again and President Yanwei was tossed inside, landing hard on the metal floor.

"You were saying?" Ren taunted.

Kita rolled her eyes.

"I wanted to talk to you alone at first without the disruption of the others. You are my prime target after all."

"Why?"

"You're the Avatar, and a pliable one. Avatar Korra was...difficult. Which was why, rather than convincing her, my Father swiftly eliminated her."

"What? You're the ones who killed her!? Why would you do that!"

"The past is unimportant."

"You're going to pay for everything you've done."

"Interesting, that fear driven blathering is gone now. You're angry, that's good."

She didn't respond, only gritted her teeth and stared into his cold eyes.

"Kitala, I want to work with you to create a better world. One where the superior race snuffs out the weak. It's simple evolution. People who lack our abilities are less advanced, and therefore are beneath us."

"You're wrong!"

"I'm not. As the master of all elements, you could be a God like figure, yet you and all those before you act as a servant to the people, rather than embracing your power. I want to give you the position you deserve."

"That's not what the Avatar is meant to be! We're the bridge between humans and spirits."

"Yes I've heard it a thousand times before, and it's all lies told to keep you suppressed."

"How could you actually think that! Your Father was delusional."

"He was wise and taught me everything I needed to know. He showed me the corruption of this world. If your predecessor hadn't fatally wounded him in their last encounter, he would have succeeded long ago. But, I am carrying out his plan, and I don't intend to let you or these pathetic wastes ruin it. You all will watch as I cleanse the world of non benders, and when I'm through, we'll all be rid of inferiority."

"It'll never work, non benders are born from benders, it's all a part of the world's balance, you can't disrupt that!"

"Right, like your friend. I've been watching, and you seem to have a fondness for him. It disgusts me to see the Avatar even dane to speak to someone like him."

"Don't you dare talk about him like that! He's better than you in every way, he doesn't need bending!"

"He won't be an issue for much longer. As to your earlier point, yes it's true non benders come from benders, however, these things can be anticipated thanks to modern technology."

"You're bluffing."

"No. Avatar Aang unfortunately carried a gene that lead to the smear of filth in his bloodline. Therefore his living descendants will be eradicated."

"I'll kill you first."

"Cute. I have no doubt that I'll change your mind. When I do, we can truly begin making the world a better place. Naturally, our marriage would serve as a unifying symbol and-"

"Wow, how original, you're going to force me to marry you? That act is overdone."

"It's not an act, Kitala."

"It really is, and I've got a few people on my side that won't let that happen."

"People that I'm sure will be dealt with momentarily."

"I wouldn't underestimate them."

"Hm," he smirked, "You're more resistant than I thought. At our first meeting, you seemed so meek and easily manipulated, I figured this would be the simple part."

"You thought wrong. I will never help you."

"We'll see. Now if you'll excuse me, I have business to attend to."

Raavi had pulled his knives from the holster under his jacket and taken down two of the guards while Shiori dealt a roundhouse kick to the head of another, and Ari took an octopus formation with all eight tentacles lashing out at the soldiers. Luckily, most of the other enemies were occupied with police officers, yet City Hall was the most heavily guarded. The three were beginning to feel overwhelmed when two metal ropes flew past and wrapped around two soldiers, yanking them backwards.

"I think you could use some help. We need to get inside that building now," said Chief Beifong.

"There's too many of them!" Ari shouted.

"I don't care! I'll take them all down myself if I have to!" Shiori snapped as she threw another punch.

"My friends, hold down the perimeter and refrain temporarily from violence," a low voice called out over the entire festival. At that moment, the soldiers halted and with them, the people of Republic City. No one dared to breath for fear of missing an explanation.

"People of Republic City...we are The Shizen, and many among you have joined our cause already. Those who possess the incredible ability to bend the elements are meant to inherit the Earth. Those who don't are beneath us. It is simple, it is natural selection...it is the natural order."

"It is the natural order!" responded every soldier in perfect unison, and even some citizens scattered throughout the crowd.

"This is what Kana meant…" Shiori murmured to herself.

"Well this is great news for me," Raavi sighed.

"We welcome benders into our new order, but a word of caution to those who resist: The Shizen will not hesitate to take you down," Ren finished.

As Kita slumped against the metal wall, thinking of anything she could do to be less pathetic, she heard a groan. Giyan had come to, and upon realizing his circumstances, pulled hard against the chains that bound him and frantically looked around the chamber until his eyes locked onto Kita.

"What's going on?! Did they only take us?"

"Yes for now. His plan is insane, he wants to make the entire population of non benders subservient to benders while killing as many people as it takes to eliminate the gene that creates them."

"That can't be possible."

"We've seen a lot of these birdbrain theorists since the equalist movement, but none that have gotten this far…" Urza groaned as she stretched her aching back.

"He talked to you?" Hiro asked.

"Mhm. He...wants to make me some sort of God leading the world into a new future."

"Did you agree to his terms?" Eska asked sternly.

"Of course not, I would die before letting something like that happen."

"What does he want with us?"

"I'm not sure exactly, but it can't be good."

"Oh trust me, it isn't," came a sharp female voice as the door slid open once again. A tan bleached yellow blonde briskly approached them, and spit at Kita's feet.

"I wish you all had the same fate, but we have special plans for the Avatar. I won't spoil the fun though, I'm just here to make sure you stay put until we relocate you," She snapped, hooking her foot around the leg of a stool and yanking it close before plopping down on it.

"Kana, right? I've heard a lot about you." Kita said.

"Shut it."

The festival was hushed after Ren's introduction concluded, the soldiers remaining eerily still as if the entire city was frozen in shock from what had just echoed throughout it. Tila backed away from the guards and scaled a wooden stand.

"Officers! Fall back!" She hollered.

"What?!" Shiori asked in disbelief.

Tila leapt back down to the ground and put a hand on Shiori's arm, staring into her golden eyes as if to tell her something.

"We want to join your cause," She said to the guards.

"Are you all benders?"

"Yes," she answered, Shiori and Ari glancing worriedly at Raavi.

"We will have to examine you thoroughly to test your loyalty, hands up." One of them ordered. They all obeyed, and four soldiers marched to each of them, putting their hands in platinum cuffs.

"Element?" They were each asked.

"Fire."

"Earth."

"Water."

"...Uh Air."

"You, keep everyone back while I take them inside." He told the other soldiers, who walked around them and formed a line to shield them as the doors to City Hall opened narrowly and they were taken inside.

"Is it just me or was that too easy?" Ari whispered to Shiori as they walked a few steps behind the soldier.

"It was," Tila said, her brows knitted with concern as she kept her eyes fixed on the top of the stairwell they were about to climb.

"Where are you taking us?" Raavi asked.

"To the savior."

"Great," he said, eyes rolling.

There was a hard knock on the metal door to the chamber, and Kana abruptly stood.

"Time to move," She said, taking a few steps and pulling a lever that released the chains from the wall. She pushed on Hiro's back and he walked towards the door. When it opened, she shoved him out into the hands of other Shizen, then motioning for Eska to follow. When it came to be Urza's turn, she refused, keeping her ground as she intently stared at Kana.

"One of you does have a spine," She nearly chuckled, stomping towards the Firelord and drawing a stream from the pouch at her hip, swiftly whipping Urza's back with it.

"Leave her alone!" Kita shouted.

"I will if she cooperates."

Urza bit down on her lip to keep from crying out in pain. Kana smirked and stood back.

"Fine by me," She said, extending her arms in the Firelord's direction before snapping her wrists up. As she did, Urza straightened and Kana lifted her hands, raising her along with it.

"You're a bloodbender," Giyan said with wide eyes.

"That's why he wanted you to join him…" Kita realized. Kana suddenly dropped the Firelord and encroached on her, slamming Kita into the wall.

"That's not why! He wanted me to be his partner in all this, no one else could help him like I can!"

"Please, someone like you? He'll throw you away eventually," Urza spat as she stumbled to her feet. Kana roared as she bended her blood, nearly throwing her towards the door, which opened just in time for the soldiers to catch her.

"Anyone else want to make this difficult?!"

Kita just observed her. The way she moved, carried herself, the pure anger and pain constantly painted on her face. Given how easily she lashed out and the nature of her relationship with Ren…

'He must have sought her out because of her abilities but...he chose her for a different reason. Ren is taking complete advantage of an unstable girl that doesn't know how to manage her own emotions…' She thought, softening her eyes as she saw Kana in a whole new light.

"Let's go," she ordered, clutching a fist full of Giyan's shirt and attempting to pull him, but he shrugged her off and walked of his own accord. Kita followed willingly as her mind raced.

"In this room here, sit and wait," the guard said before shutting Tila and the others into a smaller conference room.

"Okay let's think this through. I doubt they would act this way if just anyone wanted to join, I heard several yelling that they'd do as they say and the guards didn't do a thing." Tila analyzed.

"Cowards," Shiori muttered.

"Anyway, they only let us in. Why? They must know who we are."

"They have to, considering we were beating the crap out of them, I think they'd take us into custody before anything," Raavi agreed.

"Right. But instead we get an audience with the leader?"

"You are the Chief of Police, I think they would have kept an eye on you," Ari said.

"Then why bring you three?"

The door handle clicked.

"We're about to find out." Shiori said.

"I really wish we had a plan or something," Ari whined, wincing as he prepared to look upon the face of their so called savior.