Chapter 4

"I can't believe I let Amon get away!" Korra exclaimed. She slammed her fists against the wall, her fingers clenched against her palms so tightly that it left nail marks along her hands. Her face scowled in disdain, brows pulled closely together.

Mako shot her a sympathetic look, his golden eyes soft with understanding. He walked over and sat down on the bench next to her. "It's not your fault."

Korra shook her head sideways, teeth gritting and a dejected expression on her face. "I'm the Avatar. It is my fault." She sighed, her hand wiping the side of her face. She felt like a failure. What use was it being an Avatar if she couldn't even accomplish anything significant? Half-baked Avatar, huh. "The longer we wait, the more people get hurt or get their bending taken away."

"I know, but there isn't anything we can do right now about it." He placed an arm on her back to comfort her but she shrugged it off.

"We need to find him soon," she pressed on.

"Don't worry, we will find him," he stated optimistically, though not entirely convinced by his own statement, "He's got to be hiding somewhere close in Republic City or at the Air Temple Island. Why would he run away?"

"Do you think we can get someone to tell us his location?" Bolin's voice popped up from beside the door.

Korra turned around to face him. "Like who?"

"Any of the Equalists."

"I don't think they would really tell us, Bolin," Mako replied quietly, looking at his brother. He admired Bolin for staying positive during a crisis such as this, but Mako thought his brother's efforts to solve their problems were fruitless.

"We can get the police to arrest them on conspiracy charges and then interrogate them."

Mako crossed his arms. Thoughts of former chief of police Lin Beifong, current chief of police Saikhan, and their officers came up, reminding Mako of the incidents that happened in Mr. Sato's secret underground Equalist factory and when Tenzin was almost captured. "The police are hardly effective anymore. Unfortunately, most of the metalbending cops were debended."

"Well, it's worth a shot." Korra shrugged. It's better to try than to not try at all, right? "But who are we going to arrest?"

"What about Mr. Sato?" Bolin asked softly, his eyebrows drawing together. "He's always out and about protesting for the anti-bending movement when he's not creating new weapons or machines."

Mako tensed at the mention of Mr. Sato. He glanced down at his feet, thinking about a particular ex-girlfriend.

They lapsed into silence.

"It's no use thinking about her right now." Korra lightly tugged on Mako's sleeve. She was sympathetic to his distraught feelings, but she knew now was not the time to deplore Asami's betrayal. She added, "And it's probably not what you think. She must have some reason or else the Asami I knew would never have gone with the Equalists and her father."

Bolin nodded in agreement, a large part of him wanting to believe Korra's statement. "Asami's a nice girl. She wouldn't want anyone debended."

Mako scratched his head, his eyebrows fixed in a frown. His intense golden eyes continued to stare at the empty space ahead. "I still don't understand why she would . . ." He thought aloud for a few moments. "I guess you're right, she must have her reasons."

"Come on," Bolin waved his hands in the air. "We still have other things to worry about, like getting Mr. Sato arrested and finding Amon."

"Maybe Mr. Sato will also lead us to Asami." Korra flashed Mako a radiant smile and pulled him up from the bench. "Let's go! We have no time to waste."

"Hello?! Anyone here?" Bolin's voice echoed in the desolate police station. There was only darkness until Bolin found a light switch by the entrance. He slowly walked in, noticing crinkled papers lay messily across the tables waiting for dust to collect. The building was the definition of bleak and abandoned.

"Wow, they're really all gone." Korra's eyes widened as sudden realization hit her mind. "Amon and the Equalists captured all of the police officers . . ."

"I guess so," Mako sighed.

"We need another way, then. This isn't going to work."

Mako nodded, looking around and familiarizing himself with the police station. He searched through the cabinets and closets, stopping when he found the right one. "Take this," he ordered Bolin, shoving a bundle of gray and green into his hands.

Bolin blinked. "What is this?"

"It's a police uniform," Mako answered simply, a sly smile slowly forming on his face.

"What for?"

"It's for you." Mako's face broke into a grin, and he laughed. As if it weren't obvious enough. "You get to play dress up and pretend to be a police officer to arrest Mr. Sato."

Bolin stared blankly at the uniform in his arms. "B-but," he stammered, "won't Mr. Sato recognize me though?"

"Out of the three of us, you're the least suspecting," Mako reasoned, nodding slightly as if he were marveling his own idea. "Mr. Sato knows Korra and I better than he knows you, since I dated Asami and Korra is the Avatar. Trust me, it won't be that bad. All you have to do is push Mr. Sato into the police car and then behind those bars. Use Earthbending if you have to."

"I think it's a great idea," Korra agreed. She slapped Bolin playfully on the arms and gestured to the clothing. "That, and it was your idea in the first place. I think it's perfect, Police Officer Bolin."

Bolin considered the plan. He shrugged, defeated, "Alright, alright."

"We'll need to get you a fake mustache. Put you under disguise," she added, exiting the building in excitement with Mako closely following behind as they waited for Bolin to get changed into the police uniform.

"A fake mustache," Bolin echoed.

"You are under arrest!" He pointed at the man standing in front of him. As expected, Mr. Sato was rallying for more Equalist supporters in front of the public right beside the small park, with Amon flyers and whatnot in his hands. Some of the pedestrians by the side watched the spectacle with widened eyes, while others rushed off trying to avoid trouble. "Hiroshi Sato, conspiring with the Equalists against the United Republic Council … you are in big trouble now!"

Hiroshi scrunched his nose in confusion, pushing his small glasses upwards with his hand. "Eh, what is this?"

"Shh, no questions allowed," Bolin pulled on Hiroshi's arm and handcuffed him, shoving him into the back of the police car.

"Wait," Hiroshi squinted, "you look oddly familiar –"

Bolin slammed the door shut and entered in from the other side. Korra, who was sitting in the driver's seat, turned around, smirking. "It's probably best to not ask any questions."

"Wha –" Before Hiroshi could say anymore, Bolin pulled out an Equalist glove and electrocuted him. He went unconscious immediately, his body slumping on the car seat and his head leaning to the side.

Hiroshi Sato sat in silence behind bars, his legs crossed and arms relaxed to his sides. He closed his eyes, attempting to ignore the three pairs of eyes staring straight at him from outside the bars. It was quite nerve wrecking to be stared down like that. His husky voice made a low growl, "What do you want from me?"

"I want to know where Amon is," Korra answered, her eyes narrowing. She glanced askance at him. He had to know because if he didn't, then who would?All of their efforts would go to waste. When he didn't respond the first time, she repeated herself. "Where is Amon?"

"Look, I don't know," Hiroshi shrugged his shoulders innocently.

Korra frowned; she couldn't tell if he was lying or if he honestly meant what he said. Either way, she'd take no chances. She raised her voice, "Where is Amon?"

Hiroshi chuckled, ignoring her. He opened his eyes and leaned forward to look closely at Bolin, nodding his head in remembrance. "Ah," he stated musingly, tapping his chin thoughtfully, "you know I couldn't recognize you with all that fake facial hair."

Bolin grinned upon hearing what Hiroshi had to say. He pointed to Korra, "It was all her idea!"

Korra, however, did not find it amusing. She clenched her hands tightly into fists and looked ready to climb through the bars to punch his guts out.

"He's probably telling the truth. Maybe he doesn't actually know where Amon is," Mako stated thoughtlessly, then reached for Korra's shoulders to pull her slightly backwards.

She sighed, knowing that he was probably correct. She reluctantly headed out the door with Bolin, leaving Mako by himself with the prisoner.

There was a short silence before Mako finally opened his mouth to speak.

"Where is Asami?"

Iroh sighed. When Korra had told him the plans about dressing Bolin up as a police officer to arrest Hiroshi Sato, he simply nodded though he hadn't thought it would really work. Of course, he would respect her schemes like how his grandfather Firelord Zuko respected Avatar Aang's. When Korra had told him that their plan was successful in capturing Mr. Sato, Iroh sounded amused as he congratulated her. But then she told him that Mr. Sato knew nothing and Iroh's face fell for a split second.

Either way, Korra would take no chances – Mr. Sato would remain as prisoner until it was safe to let him free. And Iroh, as the general of the United Forces, had a duty to protect the innocent citizens of Republic City and was tasked to patrol the city at night, his subordinates duly doing the same.

"Don't wait for me," he ordered, ignoring the questioning face of the young soldier standing behind him as he wandered off alone, his eyes only focused somewhere far off at the stirring of darkness.

The sky seemed a bit too still for that particular hour and the night, too silent, she thought, as she snuck in quietly into the building, light on her feet. The dim moonlight outlined the small curves of her face, illuminating her delicate features with soft shadows. Her emerald eyes glanced around briefly to make sure no one was following her. The sudden sounds of footsteps approaching startled her. She jerked back almost instantly and turned her head around anxiously, trying to recognize who it was standing behind her.

She looked surprised. "Iroh?"

"I knew you were going to be here," he replied quietly, his light golden eyes flickering to her.

"So you stayed up just for me?" She almost smiled, lifting an eyebrow, "How nice of you."

"What are you here for?"

"You know what I'm here for."

There was a slight pause.

"Look," she crossed her arms over her chest, "I don't want to hurt you."

"You? Hurt me?" There was an air of feigning playfulness delivered by his voice, but he still eyed her cautiously; he knew exactly how damn well she could fight.

"Step aside, General."

"Take off your glove."