These are the adventures of Division42, a team of nerds who role play as if they are Republic City's answer for anything it's seedy underworld can throw. They use a free system called Fate Accelerated, which is comparable to D&D except all its materials are free, because in addition to being big damn heroes they are all broke-ass cheapskates. Their Dungeon Master (DM) has too much time on her hands and wrote up the session recaps as if it were traditional fan fiction. The background music played during the game is noted in case the reader wants listen to it while they read. These crazy ass shenanigans happen both in the GM's living room and in the Republic City police force shortly after the events of Legend of Korra, Season 1. So if you haven't seen Season 1 there's going to be a lot of spoilers… go away.
A Bad Way to Get a Job
Note from the DM: This was actually my first session as a Dungeon Master. My husband, who plays Lee Wong, let me conduct this little mini session for his character to give me a chance to practice my DM skills before I took it to the rest of the team. But I liked the story that came out of it too much not to include it here, even though it technically isn't exactly about the Divsion42 team.
He found the note tossed onto his desk. It had been flung across the aisle, the deliverer not even pausing in her stride as she marched past his detective's desk. The writing was firm and unhurried as if the writer had pressed down on the pen too hard. But then, Commander Lin Beifong's handwriting was always like that, on Birthday cards, on confirmation-of-death certificates; to the point, no flourishes. The letter simply said: "Report to the Citadel Council room immediately."
As he walked down the marble atrium to the council doors the click of his walking cane was soon drowned out by the muffled voices of people shouting. Lee Wong could hear the voice of his boss among the din but he didn't recognize anyone else. When he pulled open the door he saw that the four council members were seated at a long judges table at the front. Commander Beifong was standing along the left, needling her forehead while a blustery-face shouty-man in a police uniform stood gesticulating from his podium off the right side. The ceilings were high and ornate. A wall of tall windows ran across the left side of the room, casting morning light past Beifong's crossed arms and across the polished tiles of the council room. The fire bending representative was nursing a strong cup of tea and looking anywhere but at the large shouty-man on the right. Lee Wong pushed the door open the rest of the way and stepped in front of the large potted plants that stood at either side of the doorway.
Beifong spotted him first. "Ahh, Lee Wong, you're here. Now we can conduct this meeting officially," she threw the last word at the council members like it was cigarette butt. Lee Wong walked the rest of the way up the long room to stand at attention in the center, between Commander Beifong and the shouty man. He noticed how the council representatives seemed to stare at his walking stick and he drew himself up straight.
"That's the man!" shouted the shouty-man in the corner. "He's the one who stole my job."
"Mr. Kanju will you please be quiet," snapped the firebender representative. She yelled into her tea cup but it was loud enough to make the man snap his lips together like a bullfrog. She then waved away at her other judges to continue and breathed deep her caffeinated steam.
The earth-bender representative stood up. "Mr. Wong" he said. "You have been-"
"It's 'Detective Wong' sir."
"—Detective Wong, excuse me. You have been called here today to address the charges that Mr. Kanju has brought before us. He accuses Chief Beifong of having unjustly passed him up for the position of Captain of the special mixed bending unit that you have been appointed to, a so-called 'Division42' unit. He claims that Commander Beifong's prejudice arises from the fact of her long term association with you. Apart from this we, the members of this council, are also concerned that given your age and health this job may not be safe for a man of your abilities. Do you have anything to bring to our notice?"
Lee Wong looked from Beifong to policeman Kanju. So this was the situation. He tried to keep the exasperation from his voice and answer as genially as possible.
"I think you'll find, Council Members, that Commander Beifong cannot possibly be motivated by any long acquaintanceship with myself. True, I knew her when she was still a young teenager and she has more than earned my respect since taking over her mother's position but if you'll take a glance at my service record you'll find that I have been repeatedly overlooked for promotion both under her and under her mother." As he spoke there was shuffle of papers the council members read over the material that they undoubtedly should have read before calling him here.
After a moment the earth bender representative looked back up from his desk. "And this was because you are a nonbender, am I correct?"
"Yes sir. After Commander Toph Beifong's metal benders became a fixed institution my applications for more high risk positions went virtually ignored, both by her and by her successor." The representative nodded as he scanned the paper in front of him.
"Yes, I can see that here from your service record. And that is why you tested into the detective program instead?"
"Yes sir." It was the Northern water representative that spoke next.
"But, Detective Wong, this only serves to highlight our initial concerns. As a nonbender and man of your age, this position may be much too dangerous for you."
"Yeah my little girl could beat him up!"
"Mr. Kanju—" but the Northern water representative's rebuke was interrupted by a loud "BANG!" The Fire Bender representative had slammed his gavel down and was glaring at Mr. Kanju over the smoking remains of her teacup. Mr. Kanju sat down immediately.
"Yes, about that. Despite my age, my position as the hand-to-hand combat instructor at the police academy should assure you of my abilities. Furthermore, having a more experienced member on a new team like this often brings more advantages than disad-" a loud grating groan reverberated at him from across the room and Lee Wong turned just in time to see a large de-potted plant hurtling towards his face. He barely had time to think to dodge when it hit him square in the nose and exploded in a shower of gravel and leaves. Lee Wong spat out the dust from his mouth and when he had cleared his eyes of soot he saw a small pigtailed girl standing where plant once stood. Her legs splayed out and her nose runny.
"You stole my daddy's job!" she shouted at him.
"Honey Bear!" exclaimed Kanju, throwing his arms open to catch her as she ran across room and jumped into his arms."
"Mr. Kanju will you kindly restrain your daughter?" said the Northern water representative, her voice firm but a grin danced on the edge of her lips.
"Yes ma'm," Mr. Kanju nodded and patted his daughter's head.
The representative turned back towards Lee Wong. "Mr. Wong as unfortunate as this incident is it only serves to highlight how valid our concerns for your safety are. A captain of this team has to be able to respond to unplanned situations."
Lee Wong nodded politely as she spoke but his mouth was thin. "No," he looked her in the eyes as he spoke. "I do not see how this proves anything. My record and work history should speak for itself. Though Chief Beifong has had no scruples about passing me up for promotion before now she clearly thought I was the right person for the job. I think the real question here is why the Council, of all things, is involving themselves in Chief Beifong's affairs." There was awkward silence as most of the council members suddenly found no reason to look the defendant in the eye, all except for the fire bending representative, who finally seemed to have achieved a normal state of consciousness.
"Thank you for your testimony, Mr. Wong." Her gaze was steady. "You may return to your duties at the station. You will be notified of the Council's decision shortly."
Lee Wong fought with his feelings of doom at work for the rest of the day and when he returned home he found a letter notifying him of his removal from the captaincy. His wife took one look at his face and, without knowing what had happened, reached across the table to grip his hand.
…
The next morning he walked to work the way he did every morning. The main street was crowded with venders setting up their wares and factory workers catching a cup of tea before work. He was scarcely a block away from his flat when he spotted the two brutes in trenchcoats following him. He didn't react. He kept walking the same pace. This was a crowded street. He was wearing a police uniform. They could do nothing.
When they got close enough to him he heard one of them say, "Hey, Old Guy," but he kept walking. One of them brushed up past his shoulder and came even with him. His hands in his pockets, his legs leaning, the brute began to push at Lee Wong, as if to veer him off course. Up ahead Lee Wong could see the opening to a small alleyway off the main road. If the brute shoved hard he might force Lee Wong into it. Lee Wong pushed back and the two struggled tight-lipped and furious on the crowded street. People walked by them, hurrying on their way, not glancing up. As they came level with the alley Lee Wong gave a mightly shove and the brute next to him stumbled back. But before he could feel quite safe enough the other brute behind him grabbed his shoulder and shoved him into the dark mouth of the alley.
It was a narrow space here, barely wide enough for two men. The brick walls on either side loomed above his head like cave walls. Even the sounds of the main road seemed to dull in the darkness. "Hey." The brute's voice was like ground rice. A big hand went up and unfastened the top button of his trench coat. The cloth folded away revealing the burnished bronze badge of a Republic City Police Officer. "Mr. Kanju has a message for ya."
Lee Wong struck before the man had time to react, and while he was wheezing on the ground the second brute ran at him with his fists swinging. The first blow hit him square in the shoulder but the ringing was not as loud as what was happening in his head. Brandishing his cane like a sword he took a crack at the man's ribs. He missed and the second blow hit his head. Lee Wong blinked through the pain and struck at the brute's neck. But just as the second man was collapsing to the ground he felt his hands being grabbed and tied behind him. He turned. The first brute had recovered and must have doubled back around the building to get behind him. Lee Wong felt the brick wall of alley way shove into him as his captor tightened the knots.
Next he was being shoved through a rusted door in the alleyway and marched down two flights of steps into a basement. He heard the crowd about half way down. The basement was large and crowded. The men smelled like they had been partying all night. Broken bottles litered the ground. In the center of the room above the sweating heads was a boxing ring, and shouty-man Kanju was standing square in the center of it.
The brutes forced him up the steps and into the ring while Kanju started whipping up the crowd.
"Thought you could get the better of me, didja old man? You nearly made me look like a fool in front of the council. Well you wanna fight? Let's fight." And he lifted up his fists. Lee Wong felt fingers at his wrists as he was unbound.
"Give him his cane!" shouted a punch-happy voice and he Lee felt the cool wood of his weapon slipped into his hand. Around him the crowd took bets and shouted insults. He rolled his wrists testing their strength.
"They're going to need to send you to the Northern water tribe, to get the best healers to repair your jaw," he said cooly.
Kanju's face reddened. "Think you're being smart, huh? Look around you old man there's no where to go." And then he swung but Lee Wong was not where he had been a moment before. A loud crack announced the blow across Kanju's wrist and he squealed in the fracture. Unfortunately Kanju still had his other hand. He swung an uppercut that just missed Lee's nose as he stepped back out of the way. The rope barrier touched his back and he felt the fingers of someone in the crowd grasping at his heels. Kanju's eyes were furious and animal. Lee Wong drew back his fist. His punch landed squarely between the eyes and a spirt of blood shot out of his nose. Kanju faltered, regained his feet and in the next moment he was out cold on the mat. The crowd around him exploded but Lee Wong's head was still ringing too much to register. When he looked up it was to see uniformed police officers swarming through the door. The crowd fled like cockroaches, through back exits but Lee Wong could care less about them. Chief Beifong and Council Representative Tenzin came up to him. Tenzin's mouth was hanging open.
"We caught the last of it," said Beifong. "That was quite a punch."
"Quite a—" Tenzin broke off as if he couldn't believe himself enough to say it. Beifong's toe turned Kanju's face over until she could see him.
"This guy again!" she snorted. "This is the underground boxing leader?" she spat. "Figures."
Tenzin shook his head and seemed to regain some of his composure. He turned smartly to Lee Wong. "Forget this guy. The council won't be able to say a word against you after this.I think you've more than proved you can handle yourself. Congratulations on your new post Captain," and then he shook Lee Wong's hand.