It was well past midnight when Hiroshi returned to the Sato mansion. He opened the door and entered quietly, so as not to wake up Asami. His daughter didn't know anything about his involvement with the Equalist movement. It wasn't easy to keep it from her – she was every bit as brilliant as her mother had been. But it was necessary, and Hiroshi did his best, every day, to obfuscate his vigilante actions. Everything he did, he did for Asami. He wanted to create a world where she wouldn't be a second-class citizen due to her lack of bending – but he wanted to shield her from all that he had to do in order to bring it about. He wanted her to live a happy life as she saw fit. It did make him inwardly cringe when she introduced an earthbender as her first girlfriend… but he hid it from her nonetheless. After all, he told himself, it wasn't any particular bender that was the problem. And he was building a world where his daughter wouldn't be in danger just by being near benders.
Of course, the Satos were certainly better off than many benders, due to their wealth. Even so, however, he had to fight every step of the way to be allowed in the upper echelons of Republic City society. For all his money, and all the technology his company produced, he was a non-bender who came from other non-benders. The only bending relative he could recall was a firebender grandfather who died in the Hundred Years' War. Yasuko could lay claim to some more, from what he remembered… but he remembered less with every year that passed since her departure. One way or the other, it made him an upstart. Not every person who looked down on him was a bender, of course. Many a rich non-bender thought ill of him for climbing the social ladder. But they all came from old money. Former bending aristocracy of the Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom – especially the former, since the Hundred Years' War had engendered a strong sense of firebender superiority in the Fire Nation society. Those families produced many benders, and accumulated wealth over the centuries because of their power. Times were different, now. The rapidly-developing industry and the political structure Avatar Aang and Firelord Zuko established when they turned the colonies into the United Republic of Nations allowed for many a low-born but industrial man and woman to rise to wealth and influence, bender and non-bender alike. Hiroshi Sato and his wife were simply the most prominent example of it. And yet, all their money could not save Yasuko from being killed by a bender's carelessness.
But now, something could. Not Yasuko, of course. Nothing would bring her back, but Hiroshi had just witnessed Amon strip away the power that had allowed Ga Min to murder her thoughtlessly. She would never do so again. According to Amon, she would be forced to live the rest of her life as one of those she had bullied and threatened. Hiroshi resolved to track her down and observe her. He told himself it was because he wanted to make sure her loss of bending was indeed permanent – and it was true. But, deep down, a part of him also wanted to watch the person who had taken the love of his life away from him be humiliated.
Hiroshi's mind raced as he retired to his bedroom and prepared for sleep, after that eventful night. It was an amazing ability indeed. To brutally enforce equality on the world that had never known it. Take this power away from those who do not deserve it. What was wrong about only leaving the bending of those who were willing and able to use it for everyone's good and prosperity? Who won't use it to simply throw their weight around, make their own lives easier and steal livelihood from non-benders? Or worse yet, bully and threaten them like the triads did?
Later on, the industrialist lay in his bed, trying to sleep, but could not. The brutal display he had seen brought to mind old memories. The first operations of the Equalist group. The failures and the victories. The exhilarating sensation of finally standing up to the benders. The feeling that they made the world more just and fair, if only by a small measure. It sent ripples through the society of Republic City, and the rest of United Republic. Hiroshi's mind went years back…
The night was warm and humid. It was the rainy season, which made it a very inconvenient time to fight the Red Monsoon triad. But the Equalists couldn't wait any longer. The triads had spent the years that had passed since the bloodbending crime lord Yakone was defeated by Avatar Aang rebuilding themselves, and the Red Monsoons were growing too strong. There were rumours that some among them were trying to learn bloodbending themselves. They were getting bolder, as well – two months before, some of their number used waterbending to sink a ship belonging to a trading company that had refused to pay them. Not everyone on the crew managed to make it out of the freezing, ice-filled water that the ship sunk into, either. The waterbenders did, of course. The non-bending crewmen had a harder time.
A group of Red Monsoons were now headed towards the shipping company's office to renew their "offer". They were ready to cause some more damage to make their point. Four of them, each a strong waterbender, and the humid weather would be convenient for them. It would not be an easy fight.
The Equalist force laying in ambush numbered six people. Three of them were selected from among the first ranks of the chi-blocker cadre. They were led by a woman named Zia, who was said to have trained with the Kyoshi warriors themselves – the order of warrior women responsible for the popularization of the chi-blocking martial arts. According to rumours, she quit the group in disgust when they continued to be treated as less important than the Dai Li, despite the earthbending force's treachery. According to some who knew her closely, she said she'd refused to play second fiddle to power-hungry benders, oaths of fealty to the Earth Kingdom be damned. She wound up travelling to the United Republic, teaching people self-defence. Her frustration with the survival of the Dai Li made her an easy recruit for the Equalists, and she became the group's first and most prominent chi-blocking teacher.
The other two chi-blockers were among her brightest students. They and their teacher would lead the assault on the waterbenders, while the other three Equalists would support them using their weapons – one of them was using a sturdy staff, another had a set of bolas and throwing knives and the third one was using an experimental weapon based on recent inventions – a metal rod attached to a power generator strapped to his back. The developing technology had given rise to more sophisticated weapons for non-benders, which would hopefully provide an easier alternative to swordsmanship or martial arts.
The air was thick and humid with the promise of rain, and the streets were slick with the earlier downpour. The Equalists heard the roar of the Red Monsoons' satomobile. There weren't many of them in this part of the city at this time of night. The vehicle came to a halt in an overgrown, abandoned yard, and the waterbenders proceeded to leave. At that point, the Equalists struck.
They had predicted the gangers might stop there, and the prediction turned out to be correct. This allowed them to attack immediately, while the benders were still getting out of their car. Zia rushed towards the first Red Monsoon to emerge from the car. Four precise jabs sent pain through his arms and deprived her of bending. However, that was the end of the Equalists' element of surprise. The chi-blocked waterbender staggered back into the car, but the others were ready. Zia had to dodge a jet of water from another Red Monsoon, and while she did that, the triad member turned a puddle on the ground into ice, sending her sprawling. The other two gangers who could still use their bending turned towards the other incoming Equalists. Zia's students had to evade a shower of ice shards formed from the moisture on the ground and the satomobile. They didn't manage to dodge them all, and one of them was bleeding heavily.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" one of the Red Monsoons cried, laughing. "Don't you yokels know chi-blocking is illegal? That makes you criminals just like us, only without bending to show for it. Time to put you in your place!"
The battle wasn't looking too good for the Equalists, but then the others joined the fray, having held back until now – as planned. The Red Monsoon menacing Zia was set upon by the staff-wielding Equalist, driving him back long enough for the chi-blocker to get up and recover. By the time she did, however, the staff-wielder's knee was pierced by a long icicle, and she fell to the ground, screaming. Zia quickly repaid the favour by chi-blocking the waterbender and sending him to the ground with a powerful kick that also caused him to lose at least two teeth.
Meanwhile, the remaining two triad members found themselves fighting off four opponents at once. For a while, they kept them at bay, sending thin jets of water their way in wide arcs, turning their tips into ice. Then, however, a carefully-placed, lucky knife pierced the right wrist of one of them, cutting his efforts short. The other one responded by pinning the knife-thrower to the nearest wall with a wave of water turned into ice, but it provided the Equalist wielding an electrified rod an opening. The waterbender felt a two-pronged metal bar against her ribs, and then a surge of electricity went through her body, knocking her out instantly.
The battle was over at that point. The knifed triad member was quickly chi-blocked. All of them were tied up with ropes and stuffed into their car, which had its engine promptly sabotaged. Someone would find them there eventually. A message would be sent. There were people out there ready to do what the police could not. Granted, three of the Equalists suffered serious injuries… but it was a victory. Hiroshi received the report the same night, and the next day the city was abuzz with rumours. Four Red Monsoons, found tied up and packed into their own car. Three of them bore the marks of being chi-blocked, although the effect had worn off a long time before they were found. The electricity used by one of the Equalists proved to be more powerful than it had been anticipated, and the burns would stay with the Red Monsoon for a while – perhaps permanently. Who could have done that? Controversy arose quickly. Many were glad that the triad had been knocked down a peg. Others feared that the mysterious attackers would target less deserving targets next, or that their actions would spark a gang war. Others still dismissed the vanquishers of the Red Monsoons as simply another criminal gang, just one that happened not to use bending. The Council and other city authorities condemned the attack.
Many years later, Hiroshi woke up and descended the stairs from his bedroom to the kitchen, yawning. Asami was already there, eating breakfast. He smiled at her.
"Good morning, sweetie," he said.
"Hi dad. It looks like you didn't get enough sleep," his daughter answered, tilting her head.
"Oh, don't worry about me." Hiroshi waved his hand. His work kept him up at night frequently enough that Asami had no reason to suspect anything. "Are you all ready for your self-defence class today?"
"I am, but I'm not sure if there'll be any classes today," Asami said uncertainly. Hiroshi merely raised his eyebrow, so she continued. "Master Hikari is having some trouble. He might come under police investigation over suspicion of teaching chi-blocking. He said councilman Tarrlok suspects those Equalist vigilantes might have support from the non-bending martial arts community."
Hiroshi's teacup froze between the table and his mouth. He knew it was ridiculous. He had been extremely careful to make sure Asami took her lessons from a teacher who had no ties whatsoever to the group. But he couldn't tell her that, could he.
"That's nonsense," he said. "I'm sure he has nothing to do with that group. I wouldn't hire a trainer with such disreputable connections for you." That was technically true, at the very least.
"I know." Asami sighed. "I don't get it. Why is Tarrlok so afraid of non-benders? It's like he's worried we'll start attacking benders if we're allowed."
"I don't know, dear," Hiroshi said, tiredly. Truth to be told, he really did not. He had always assumed Tarrlok was just a part of the establishment – a bender who enjoyed power and wasn't interested in sharing it. But for the last year or so, his treatment of non-benders had bordered on active malice. It wasn't the attitude of a man who wants to keep the underprivileged majority stay this way; it was as though… Asami was right. As though Tarrlok really did fear non-benders. But why would he?
"I hope the Avatar arrives in the city soon," Asami suddenly said. "They'd be about my age by now, wouldn't they? Avatar Aang defeated Firelord Ozai when he was younger than that. I'm sure the new Avatar will set the Council straight."
"Let's hope so. I think I've done all I possibly could, and I don't have much to show for it," Hiroshi responded, shaking his head. He had tried to lobby for non-bender representation, which was his way of bringing the Equalists' secret fight into the open. But the results were unimpressive. There was just so much resistance… had there ever been a point? All he ever heard was "benders are simply more powerful, nothing to be done about it". He doubted the Avatar would feel any different. At the end of the day, the Avatar wasn't just a bender, but the bender. The master of all the elements.
"Don't say that, dad. All non-benders in the city felt better knowing you were trying to make a difference." His daughter's voice snapped him out of his increasingly bitter thoughts.
"Thank you, sweetie." Hiroshi smiled. "If Master Hikari did get into trouble because of Councilman Tarrlok's conviction we're all forming a chi-blocking army to overthrow him, I'll try to get him out of it."
"You're the best, dad. Are you sure you can't go to the pro-bending match tonight?"
Hiroshi shook his head. "You know I don't really like this sport, Asami. Watching benders throw rocks, fire and water at each other isn't really my idea of a good time." In truth, it irritated him to see Asami idolize bending athletes. Couldn't she interest herself in non-bending sports? But he'd never had the heart to really argue with her about it.
Asami chuckled and left the kitchen, leaving her father alone with his thoughts. Had everything he done as an official lobbyist for non-bender rights and the man behind the Equalists been for nothing? It all seemed so… irrelevant compared to simply stripping a bender of their power. Perhaps that's the only thing they would listen to.
Hiroshi glanced at the clock above the table. It would be a busy day for him, since he was meeting with a new supplier. But he'd have to make the time to meet with Amon again, and speak with him in detail. The masked man promised him answers, and Hiroshi felt he badly needed them.