The police airships flooded Yue Bay with light, leaving nowhere to run or hide. Rumblings from the tunnels signaled earthbenders at work and Red Monsoons were spilling out into the cove, driven out of hiding. Metalbenders hit the cove in the confusion. They swung down long cables dropped from an airship which had positioned itself above the dock and began subduing everyone who resisted, twisting metal around their hands and feet to restrain them.

Air Bison circled lower than airships, bellowing to each other. On their backs were airbenders, attracted by the piercing light of the Avatar State. They hovered near the water and the airbenders picked up people trying to swim away in the confusion, people who expected to meet reclusive, elderly pacifists and instead found themselves faced with angry young men and women armed with six-foot poles and tornados. The airbenders flew their captives up to the airships, into the waiting arms of the Republic City Police Force.

Hanamiya bared his teeth at Ryou, pulling water up from the sea into a huge wave that swamped the cove. They were all knocked over, despite attempts by waterbenders to slow the wave. When it cleared, Hanamiya was gone and even more people had been washed out to sea, bobbing dangerously close to the floating debris and to Kise, still battling the benders on the ship.

No. Aomine pushed himself off the ground and went for the ocean, straining his senses through the water. There was Hanamiya, hiding beneath the waves: bending his way through the water out towards the open ocean. There was so much noise and light that no one else had noticed, occupied with their own problems. Ryou was exchanging blows with Hara, and Satsuki was re-securing a Seto now bleeding heavily from the nose.

Frantic movement on the ship had been to some purpose. Kise was hit with one net, then another, tangling his limbs and dragging him down. He hit the deck of the ship and tried to burn up the nets, but they were massive, and while he did that the firebenders advanced. The closest Airbenders tried to swoop in and help, but the net guns had been reloaded, and Air Bison roared, throwing their heads from side to side in an attempt to shake off the heavy weighted nets. The airbenders were occupied in freeing their bison.

The water heaved again, but it wasn't waterbending. Kiyoshi, on the shore, was bending the sea floor up to lift the ship free of the water, upsetting the benders on it. Several Metalbenders had caught on to what he was doing and helped him, effectively beaching the ship. Kuroko raced down the strip of created land towards the ship, and after him, Midorima. That was okay, then. They had Kise's back. With Kise's waterspout down, the way out of the cove was clear. Aomine was going after Hanamiya.

Hitting the water, ice-cold and dangerously turbulent, tasting that salt, made Aomine feel better than he had all night. He bent the water around him swiftly, arrowing towards Hanamiya.

Hanamiya was moving faster than Aomine was, but the huge Fleet flagship was alive with lights, and it had moved to block the entrance of Yue Bay. Waterbenders had frozen a thick wall of ice to fill in the gaps to either side, and firebenders and other soldiers stood beside them, watching to make sure no one escaped out to the ocean. Hanamiya wasn't getting past that, not now, not ever.

The leader of the Red Monsoons wasn't an idiot. He stopped and raised himself on a waterspout, looking for an opening. Aomine gritted his teeth and yanked, hard, undoing the spin and dropping Hanamiya back into the water.

"Fuck you," Hanamiya called. His eyes were wild and furious, his hair slicked to his head. He looked like a drowned rat. There was nowhere to go.

Aomine was cold and wet and in amazing amounts of pain. He didn't have time for this. He pushed himself closer to Hanamiya, readying himself to attack-

Air struck Aomine and Hanamiya, driving them underwater. Aomine was knocked head-over-heels, tumbling through the water. When he surfaced, he looked wildly around for Hanamiya. An Air Bison was hovering and the turbulance it caused was making it difficult to see and even more difficult to stay afloat. Hanamiya was cursing audibly, and Aomine saw him, his legs dangling against the Bison's white fur as the Airbender grabbed his arms.

"I got him!" called an unfamiliar voice. "I'm gonna bring him up to the airship, you just stay there, okay?"

Aomine opened his mouth to argue for not being left out in the ocean, and got seawater in it. By the time he got his breath back, the airbender and his captive were gaining altitude, and Aomine was too tired to chase them. He made himself a little ice floe, letting it lift him out of the water, and lay back, closing his eyes.

.0.

For the second time in as many days, Aomine was roused from uneasy sleep by voices arguing.

"-you really think it's him, Kuroko?" Aomine heard someone say. He didn't like that voice, but he owed it something. Owed it a lot. That pissed him off.

"I consider it a possibility, Midorima-kun," said Tetsu. "I take it you've also considered the same, yes?"

Aomine opened his eyes. He was in a bed. Tetsu was perched on the end of it. That prissy rich boy they'd made take his place - Midorima, yeah - was standing in front of Tetsu, and strode over to check Aomine's vitals. Midorima's left arm was broken, and the sling it was in did nothing to improve his temper or his bedside manner. Tetsu, covered in neat bandages with a nasty cut over his eye, watched them both.

"Stable condition," said Midorima to Tetsu. "And of course, I considered the possibility. But I find it highly improbable that- I TOLD YOU TO STAY IN BED," he roared, over his shoulder.

Aomine turned his head. It hurt less than he had expected it to. In the other bed, looking battered but alive, was Kagami. The prince froze guiltily and lowered himself back onto his pillows, but when he noticed Aomine looking at him, he smiled in relief. His pendant was back around his neck, Aomine saw. Shame no one had washed the blood off before returning it to him.

"Don't. Talk," said Midorima, hovering over Kagami awfully. Kagami eyed the waterbender truculently but subsided.

"Midorin said that Dai-chan was going to be alright," said Satsuki, as though Aomine didn't know already that he was still alive. She had also been attended to: she sat on Kagami's other side, with Nigou in her arms. Aomine was probably going to get it from her later. He winced internally at the thought. Wincing externally seemed like too much effort for way too much pain right now.

"Kise?" said Aomine.

Wordlessly, Midorima pointed to Aomine's other side. Kise was sitting in a chair like Satsuki's, napping. Pain had cut deep lines into his face and he was ill and grey, but he was nowhere near as banged up as the rest of them.

"He insisted on being here when you woke up," said Midorima acidly. "So did Taiga, which is why you are recuperating here instead of in a cell, where you belong."

Kagami turned his head to stare at the wall.

"Midorima-kun," said Tetsu reprovingly. "I don't deny that Aomine-kun has made idiotic, reckless and dangerous mistakes."

Aomine rolled his gaze to a blank patch of wall as well.

"But I believe he was misled, and that he did not mean for any of us to get hurt," continued Tetsu. "We have given our statements to the police. You have given yours. It will be up to them to take the next step now."

"Speaking of," said Imayoshi, sliding the door open without shame. Ryou, standing just outside with his hand upraised to knock, blushed. "Momoi, how're ya?"

Satsuki stood up, spilling Nigou into Kagami's lap. "Sir," she said. "I've - we've-"

"Sit down, officer," said Imayoshi, looking amused. He was wearing the full metalbender officer uniform. "As ta man said, we've got plenty of time to decide if you're in trouble or not."

Ryou came to speak to Aomine. He was still in his - disguise, Aomine supposed it was. But he had his badge pinned to the shirt, and his shoulders were straight, not huddled. It suited Ryou more.

"A-aomine-san," said Ryou, looking stricken. "I'm sorry! For-" his hands waved vaguely all over Aomine's body.

"Well," allowed Aomine. "You did have a plan and the whole police force showed up to arrest them, so I guess you had a good reason for tricking us."

"Not everyone," said Ryou, looking relieved but grave. "Mako- Hanamiya- he escaped. I er thought of asking… Sorry, you were the last one seen pursuing him, do you know-"

Aomine jerked upwards. "He didn't!" he said. "An Airbender picked him up, I saw-"

"An Airbender?" said Ryou. He went pale - well, paler than usual, and even more pale than exhaustion and blood loss had already made him. He looked at Imayoshi. "Sir-"

"I heard," said Imayoshi. Aomine felt pinned by his sudden attention. "Ya sure?"

"Wasn't he the one who told you where to find me?" said Aomine. He remembered that, anyway.

"No, Kasamatsu-san and Takao-san brought you in. They found you while the airbenders were sweeping the bay," said Tetsu.

"What helpful information," said Imayoshi, his eyes wide open. "Ryou, get Susa on the wire to the Victory. We're not just looking for him on the ships."

They raced out of the room, and everyone stared after them.

Kise stirred. "Ow," he complained, stretching. He looked up. "Aominechi!" he said. "You're okay!"

.0.

"It is my belief that Midorima Shintarou has not been influenced by the philosophies of the Mukan group," said Lieutenant Takao of the Republic City Fleet, formerly of the Hawk. "Throughout my attachment to him, his daily routine has been unexceptionable, barring the recent incident. He holds no subversive political views. He expresses no discontent with political events. It is my opinion that he is not in danger of being turned to their cause, and that his purpose in Republic City is exactly as he stated when he arrived."

"Barring the recent incident," said Commander Akashi, in a completely colourless voice.

Takao kept staring forward. "Yes, sir," he said. "As I said, it was a coincidence that Midorima and I got caught up in it at all."

"But you said that there had been a recent run-in with the same gang, also involving Midorima and Aomine Daiki," said Councilwoman Araki. "Do you expect us to believe that these two incidents are unconnected?"

"Yes," said Takao. "We gave our statements to the police at the time."

"It was investigated and found to be a routine extortion visit by a small group of Red Monsoons," said Councilman Harasawa. "Our undercover officer's report corroborates that of the Lieutenant. To his knowledge, no meeting was set up and Midorima-kun merely acted swiftly to intervene in a potentially dangerous fight between rogue benders. Other known Mukan agents or sympathisers were also not involved. The incident is most likely unconnected."

Araki refrained from comment. Councilman Kagetora gazed at Takao in a very worrying manner. Nakatani had declined to be in attendance, citing his initial opposition to assigning a watch on an upright and honourable young man placed in his care. There had been a note in Midorima Shintarou's case file about the councilman's reluctance, and now that Takao had met Midorima and known him for four months, he understood it. Shin-chan would have been no one's first choice for a spy. If Shin-chan had somehow been involved in a plot to abduct the Prince and the Avatar, as Kagetora and Araki seemed to think was possible, Takao would eat his gloves.

Takao swept his gaze over the rest of the attendees. Aida Riko, sitting near her father, was taking notes, presumably to keep her temper in check. Commander Akashi, who had apparently and inexplicably not been informed that one of his closest friends had been identified as likely to have radical terrorist group ties and that an officer of the Fleet had been attached to Shin-chan as a spy, was even more angry than Aida Riko, and had only gotten more so as Takao continued his report. Lightning was sparking from his eyes, unless that was just Takao's imagination, a hallucination brought on by exhaustion and - Takao wasn't too proud to admit it - fear.

Imayoshi Shouichi, man of the hour, had prudently sat with the airbenders between him and the firebenders; Elder Takeuchi and Kasamatsu Yukio looked like they had gotten no sleep since the news had gotten out that the ringleader had potentially made his escape by air bison. Harasawa alone looked as though he had finally accepted that, as Takao had always privately maintained, shadowing Shin-chan was a waste of the Fleet's time.

"Where is Midorima now?" inquired Araki.

Takao's stare verged, very subtly, on the edge of insubordination. "He is at the pro-bending Arena," Takao said. "After being discharged this afternoon, the prince insisted on returning to his lodgings with his friends. Midorima went with them to supervise the move and because they wished to convey their gratitude for his help last night."

"That's chummy," Kagetora remarked.

Takao barely stopped himself from shrugging. Of course they'd ask Shin-chan along, why wouldn't they?

"Very well," said Takeuchi. "Thank you for your report, Lieutenant. I believe this concludes our business here today, are there any objections?" He looked at Commander Akashi.

There were none. Takao bowed to the Republic City Council; the meeting broke up. Commander Akashi left with the airbenders, and the various other council members took themselves off. Takao eased out of parade rest and cracked his aching neck. If he hurried, he'd have time for a wash and change before Shin-chan and that lot headed out to dinner.

.0.

"Captain!" called Riko. "Captain, excuse me. I want a word with you." She crossed her arms. It had been hard to track Imayoshi down, but he'd been here sucking up to the Council, just as she suspected.

Imayoshi looked extremely harassed, which was a first. "Can't this wait?" he said.

"No," Riko said. "It can't."

She pulled him into an empty meeting room, then turned on him.

"Why is Teppei still in custody?" she said.

"Excuse me?" said Imayoshi.

"You heard me. Why is Teppei still in custody? We haven't been allowed to see him for two days, but everyone else is out by this afternoon and able to go home?" Riko demanded.

"Ah really cannot see how this is a matter for civilians," said Imayoshi, emphasizing the word, "ta stick their noses in."

"I see," said Riko, controlling her temper. "So the Avatar and the Fire Nation prince get out whenever they want to, but Kiyoshi's still being held on some trumped-up charge? Is that how this works?"

"Ya're getting a little high and mighty, aren't ya, for someone who wouldn't have been in tha hearing at all except that her daddy brought her along?" said Imayoshi. "Your boy's being held under Fleet jurisdiction. It's been moved out of my hands."

Riko glared at Imayoshi. "What do you mean, under Fleet jurisdiction? Teppei hasn't done anything wrong. He was helping them. Why would the Fleet even care about Kiyoshi?"

"If you can pull enough strings ta find out what they're holding him for, you're welcome ta," said Imayoshi. "Until then, you're just going ta have ta deal with knowing as much as me."

.0.

Kise was in seclusion on Air Temple Island following his discharge, on the Elder's firm suggestion. Accessing the Avatar State was a very important milestone in Kise's spiritual development, and it was paramount that he rest and reflect upon it while it was still fresh in his memory.

When Akashi walked in on the Avatar in the spiritual grove where he had gone to meditate, Kise was soundly asleep in the shadow of drooping trees. The island's wildlife was napping along with him.

Winged lemurs scattered as the Commander approached. "Wake up," said Akashi.

Kise jerked awake, grabbed his glider, dodged in a zig-zag, and rolled to his feet several metres away, raising it in a defensive position.

Akashi raised an eyebrow.

Kise laughed nervously and lowered his weapon. "Akashichi!" he said. "What's up?"

Akashi raised the other eyebrow.

"Do you, um," said Kise. "Kagamichi and Midorimachi, they were okay when I left them this afternoon-"

A shadow passed over them. Far overhead, Air Bison were coming and going, returning from their aerial sweeps of the island and the Republic City waters. Kise watched them.

"I am not here to talk about them," said Akashi. "I will deal with that later."

Kise straightened. He wondered if they could all get out of town before that happened. Maybe out to Whale Tail Island. That was nice this time of year, wasn't it?

"As you should be aware, I returned to Republic City even though the Northern situation with the Mukan is still unstable and unresolved," continued Akashi.

"You… came back to attend the conference," said Kise, uncertainly.

"No," said Akashi, tonelessly. "I returned after several violent attacks upon my person provoked concern for my safety. It was agreed that I would attend the conference here while the matter was investigated and dealt with there."

"Someone tried to assassinate you?" said Kise. It seemed insane. No one could possibly succeed. Then he thought about it. Not that it would stop people from trying. Or wanting to.

"No," said Akashi. "We interrogated those agents captured. The gist of their confessions- their declarations, let us rather say - was that the Mukan's aim in attacking me was not to relieve me of my life. It was to relieve me of my bending."

Kise sucked in a breath.

"It had been previously suspected that Hanamiya Makoto was the alleged perpetrator," said Akashi. "He is a highly talented bloodbender, and bloodbending combined with chi-blocking techniques has previously been proven to stimulate the effects of energybending. However, the fact that he had Kagami Taiga as well as yourself at his advantage last night and did not take steps to disable your bending at a time when it would have greatly advantaged him to do so argues that he does not possess the ability to remove bending at will."

Kise went cold all over.

"You think-" he said.

"If the Mukan have truly acquired the allegiance of an energybender, it is more imperative than ever that you master the Avatar State and harness your own ability to energybend," said Akashi.

Kise thought of the blur of two nights ago, a roaring through his veins, the world gone white before his eyes. Someone's hands, reaching for him, and he had known he was safe, and could stop. Just like that. Kise didn't remember mastering the Avatar State, nothing even close. He doubted it could be mastered at all. It was just - reaching out for the light tucked somewhere behind his eyes, and then letting go.

"C-could," said Kise. "If I energybent an energybender, wouldn't he be able to - they be able to return their own bending?"

Akashi eyed him. "I don't know," he said, turning to leave Kise alone again in the spiritual grove. "And until you master energybending, we won't have the opportunity to find out."

.0.

"You know, we should think about getting dinner," said Aomine, staring at the ceiling. Nigou was slumbering by his side, his small furry body a warm weight pressing into Aomine's sore ribs.

"We don't have any food," said Kagami. His voice was better thanks to Midorima's non-stop clucking, but it was still rough and softer than usual.

"And Tetsu-kun isn't back yet," added Satsuki.

"After that," said Aomine. "Or y'know, now. That'd be good too." He looked across at the other sleeping platform. Midorima was rich, wasn't he? Hell, Aomine had no idea if if the Lion-Dogs were even still solvent. He'd broken Aida Riko's rule about getting mixed up in trouble, they might be thrown out of here any moment. Fucking a.

Even Midorima had succumbed to exhaustion after they'd all returned to the attic that afternoon: he had taken off his fancy jacket and folded it up as a pillow. Now, he raised his rumpled head and almost rubbed his eyes with his cast. "What time is it?" he said, locating his glasses.

"Dinner time," said Aomine.

Midorima muttered something about feathered-monkey flocks. He sat up and called water to coat his hand, running it over Kagami. "Recovering normally," he said. "Stop talking." He climbed off the platform - with help from Kagami because of his broken arm - to check Aomine as well, but Aomine shied away.

"I'm fine," he said. "I slept, I'm always better after I sleep."

"I highly doubt this," said Midorima acidly. "After the beating you took, one on top of another, you should be..." He frowned.

"Told you," said Aomine. He was still sore, of course, but after being healed multiple times over the course of the day, he felt a lot better than this know-it-all seemed to think he should. The dip in the freezing ocean had done him good.

Midorima thought the better of what he had been about to say and moved on to Satsuki. The cut on her throat was now only a distant memory. Aomine supposed he now had his answer for why Kagami's body, despite its owner's lack of self-preservation, was so unmarred.

Satsuki smiled warmly at Midorima. Aomine could see that this was going to be another one they were never going to get rid of.

Tetsu came back while Midorima was healing Kagami again, hand on the firebender's throat. To Aomine's deep disappointment, he did not have food.

"I was at the office," said Tetsu, when Aomine complained. "They were very anxious to hear about what had happened, and of course, as a news organization, it was deeply relevant to our work."

"Didn't they make you say you wouldn't talk to the press?" Kagami wanted to know. "They did for the rest of us."

"They must have overlooked me," said Tetsu. "I only submitted a writeup of events as I witnessed them, I'm sure that further investigation will make matters much clearer." He looked innocently back at group.

"And in the meantime, your gutter press will crawl all over this sordid affair," sniffed Midorima.

"I kept your name largely out of it, Midorima-kun, pending an official statement from the embassy," said Tetsu, straight-faced. "Your pro-bending debut was unfortunately overlooked in the commotion, but I was assured by Koganei-san that the article would get top billing if published at any other time."

"You wouldn't," said Midorima, outraged.

"I'm mentally drafting the copy as we speak," said Tetsu. "I'm sure everybody back home will be delighted to hear of your successes."

"Was he even any good?" said Aomine, cutting off Midorima's sputters.

Midorima turned on him. "You should know," he said. "Or have you forgotten that-"

"Don't start," said Kagami, catching hold of Midorima's wrist. Midorima subsided, and Nigou climbed into Aomine's lap. "We can't get into any more trouble, anyway."

"You can't," said Midorima. "Your brother has definitely heard of this, you understand."

Kagami seemed to deflate. "I get it," he said. "How 'bout you, is your… that guy… going to be disciplined or something? Where is he?"

"He does have a job, with responsibilities," pointed out Midorima. The unlike you people was clear in the tone of his voice.

Aomine, frowning at them, was about to complain again about being hungry when a noise from the stairwell attracted all their attention.

"Is that him?" said Satsuki, craning her neck. "It's open!" she called down.

"Hmm," said the stranger, coming up through the floor of the attic. They stared at him. A smile was firmly fixed to his face. He had longish black hair tied back at the nape of his neck, some of which fell over his face and his eyes, the pale blue-white of icebergs. All of their eyes were drawn to the gold pendant the stranger was wearing, the royal fire symbol wrought in gold and hung on silk, identical to the flame that hung around Kagami's neck. He smiled at them. "Taiga, I've been looking for you everywhere!" he said. "You've certainly gotten yourself into a fix."

END OF BOOK 2