Ambush

Chapter 7: A New World Order

Korra felt her knees give out as the full weight of the situation crashed down on her. As it sounded over the radio, Kayne had hundreds, if not thousands of supporters. And all of them were convinced that Korra had murdered Skoochy. Tenzin shifted uncomfortably, unsure of what to say. Chief Beifong was looking at Amon's body, which lay on the table in the center of the room.

"I can't believe Amon's dead…After all this time, we though he was the true enemy. I guess we were wrong."

She sighed and headed towards the stairs that led back to the temple.

"I'll send some officers to collect the body."

She left Korra alone with Tenzin. Korra was thankful when Chief Beifong left. She didn't think she could hold the tears back long enough. All of the things that happened in the past month; The announcement to the public, the riots, the city splitting into factions, the fights, Mako not speaking to her, Asami leaving him to help her father, the Mauler attack, Kayne's announcement, all of it came crashing down on her. She was holding it back for so long. Tenzin moved to comfort her.

"Korra…I can't possibly imagine what you must be feeling right now, but you must understand, your not alone. You have so many people who care about you and are willing to fight beside you. Your friends-"

Korra cut him off with a wry laugh in between sobs.

"My 'friends' haven't talked to me in a month. I haven't seen Bolin since he joined the Metalbender Corps, Asami went off to help her dad, and Mako…Is just gone…I feel so alone, and I can't deal with this on my own."

Tenzin put an arm around her shoulder and helped her to her feet.

"Come. You need rest. Spirits know when it was the last time you slept."

Korra wiped her eyes and nodded. As they left, two Metalbender cops passed them to get Amon's body. Korra stole a glance at it before the left the chamber. She thought it was her tired mind playing tricks on her, but it looked as if Amon's fingers twitched.

Mako made his way to the docks, still thinking that this was a bad idea. He hadn't talked to Korra in a month. It was too hard. He knew that he was being selfish, but at the time he didn't care. He was still dealing with Skoochy's death. He felt a little better a few weeks later and started seeing Asami again. It felt good to get out of the loft, get some fresh air, and laugh again. Things slowly seemed to go back to normal. Then the press conference happened. He was passing City Hall on a walk with Asami and he saw a huge crowd gathered. They decided to see what the commotion was about. He froze when he saw Korra standing on a stage next to Chief Beifong, Tenzin, and the other remaining Council members. Chief Beifong was declaring a state of martial law in which restrictions would be placed on all citizens. A curfew would be placed and all of those caught outside of curfew would be severely punished. There were cries of protest. That's when Korra took the stand. Mako felt strange. It had been so long since he last heard her voice. He never remembered it being this hard and cold. She was recounting her tome spent in captivity. She was interrupted by cries of people defending the Equalists.

"Amon would never do such a thing!"

"Yeah! Neither would Kayne!"

"The Avatar's just another bender trying to scare us into turning against Amon!"

More and more cries of protest sounded. Others in the crowed began to argue with the Equalist supporters. Chief Beifong cried out for order, but the arguments just escalated. Fights broke out and soon after, it turned into an all out brawl. Benders and non benders alike fought each other. The police intervened, trying to control the situation. Mako and Asami left quickly. Mako caught one last look at Korra before they turned the corner. She looked hurt and betrayed. Soon after that, the factions began drawing their lines in the city streets, marking their territory. People were afraid to walk outside alone in fear of being attacked. The neutral citizens entered a state of panic. If they were cornered by a recruiter from one of the factions, they joined. If they refused, a grim fate awaited them. It was around the time that the Yi Alliance first fought the Freedom Fighters that Asami paid he and Bolin an unexpected visit. He invited her in but she said she couldn't stay long.

"I would, but my dad needs help with the company…"

Mako tried not to let his disappointment show.

"Ah. Well, you know, it's cool. How about we meet up tomorrow and-"

"Mako, I'm leaving you!"

Mako blinked for several seconds before Asami's words sunk in.

"…What?"

Asami's eyes were quickly filling with tears.

"I'm sorry Mako…I…I can't explain why, but I just can't do this…Goodbye."

She ran off, leaving Mako speechless. Bolin came downstairs after waking from an afternoon nap. He yawned.

"Who was that at the door bro?…Bro?…Helloooo? Earth to Mako?"

Bolin started waving his hands in front of his brother's face. It seemed to work as Mako snapped himself out of his trance.

"Whuh?"

"Who was at the door?"

Mako felt completely empty inside as he felts his mouth speak the words.

"Asami just broke up with me…"

Bolin's playful expression disappeared immediately. It was replaced by a look of concern and hurt.

"Mako…I'm so sorry…"

Mako kicked an empty can as he got closer to the docks. He didn't know why he kept holding onto that memory but, for some odd reason, he felt as if something was…off. He was brought back to reality by the sound of t ferry's whistle. He made it to the ferry in time before it departed. He paid the fare and spent the ride steeling his courage in case he ran into Korra. He couldn't believe that it's been a month since Skoochy died. It often kept him up at night, wondering, if he was faster, Skoochy would still be alive.

A few hours later, he arrived to Air Temple Island. It was dark, almost midnight. Mako got off and proceeded to the air acolyte on night watch. He waved to him and the air acolyte nodded back. After signing his name, the air acolyte let him pass. He walked around to the other side of the island, to the cliff where Skoochy was buried. He sat on the edge, next to the headstone.

"Hey Skooch. How've you been? My life has been a mess since you…left. Asami left me, Korra hates me, and Bolin went and joined the police force. The city's gone to hell and…"

Mako felt his eyes sting with tears.

"I could really use a friend…"

Mako sat there for a long while, crying silently. When the tears stopped, he got up and wiped his eyes. He left, heading back the way he came. As he turned a corner to the main portion of the island, he nearly ran strait into Korra. He started back so quickly that he tripped over himself and fell. He looked up at Korra to see that she had an incredibly surprised look on her face.

"…Mako?"

Mako thought to himself: "Oh shit…" He swallowed hard and managed a weak smile.

"H-hi, Korra…"

Her surprised expression faded. Her face was blank, but her eyes were cold.

"What are you doing here?"

Mako stood up and brushed himself off. He hated the way she was looking at him. It made him realize just how much of a jerk he'd been in the past month.

"It's been a month since Skoochy…You know…"

Her expression softened.

"Oh…"

She turned to leave and Mako's mind raced to find something, anything to say that would make her stay.

"I came to see you too."

It was a lie and Korra knew it. She whirled on him, fire in her eyes.

"Don't you dare stand there and lie to me. You haven't said a word, not one word to me in a whole month! You basically dropped off the planet! Now you expect me to believe that you came here to see me, just on a whim?"

She was right on all accounts and Mako knew it.

"I know…I know…But…I really need you right now."

She seemed taken aback by his words. Mako felt a faint shimmer of hope. It faded when her eyes became hard again.

"YOU need ME? Since when? You didn't need me for a month! Where were you when I needed you? I needed you when half the city turned against me! I needed you when I was caught in that Freedom Fighter's ambush! I needed you when Kayne almost killed me and Chief Beifong yesterday! I needed you when Kayne declared war on the world!"

Her eyes were streaming tears at this point. Mako didn't know what to do or say as he watched Korra sob into her arm.

"You know what really pisses me off? After all you did to me, after abandoning me…I still need you!"

That realization hit Mako like a two ton platypus bear. How could he have been so stupid? He never realized what Korra was going through until just that moment. His problems were coning compared to hers. He knew then that he had to be there for her, and he was willing to stay by her side for as long as it took. He walked toward her and took her other hand in his. She wiped her eyes and looked up at him.

"I'm here now. And I'm not going anywhere."

Her eyes swam with fresh tears and she lurched into him, burying her face into his chest. He wrapped his arms around her, feeling complete for the first time in his life. She sobbed into his chest for a short while. She remained there long after she stopped crying. Her words were muffled by his shirt.

"Hey."

Mako looked down at the top of her head.

"Yeah?"

"Did you mean what you said? That you're not going anywhere?"

"Every word."

She pulled away from him. Here yes were red and puffy, but they shone like moonlight reflected in the ocean. A faint blush appeared on her cheeks.

"Prove it…"

She closed her eyes and leaned towards him. Their lips met in a soft kiss. Mako was hesitant at first, but then he felt himself begin to lose himself in her. He felt her return his passion. Their passion became hunger as all of the untold emotions built up from the moment they met burst like a dam. After what seemed like ages, they broke apart, both of them panting. Korra was playing with the hem of his scarf.

"It's pretty late."

"Yeah. It is."

"Were you planning on going back to the area?"

Mako hesitated. She really couldn't be implying what he thought she was implying…

"That was the plan."

He decided to take a wild leap.

"Did…you have another idea?"

She grabbed him by the waist and pulled him tight to her.

"I don't want to be alone tonight…Can you stay? Please?"

"Of course I'll stay."

She grabbed his hand and led him back to her room.

Mako looked around the room, embarrassed. This was the first time he'd been in her room, or any girl's room. It wasn't as tidy as he expected. There were a few articles of clothing strewn on the floor, with an airbending scroll lying here or there. Mako shuddered at the reaction Tenzin would have if he saw that Korra was treating these scrolls like this. Mako looked at the door anxiously. Korra left to take a shower a while ago. As if on cue, the door opened and Korra walked in, drying her hair with a towel. Mako immediately noticed she was wearing nothing but her under shorts and bindings. He quickly looked away, trying very hard to ignore the heat spreading across his face. After she finished drying her hair, she walked over and sat down next to Mako. She sat close enough that their skin was touching. He looked at her, but it seemed like either she didn't notice. Her mind seemed to be far away.

"Do you think life will ever return to normal?"

Pulling his attention away from his current situation, Mako thought about the question. It was hard to answer.

"I don't know. Well, I think that things will go on, but they will never be the same."

Korra looked thoughtful for a moment, her eyes reflecting sadness.

"I'm sorry for asking you to stay here. I know you should probably be back at the arena. Bolin might be wondering where you are. Asami too…"

"No. I chose to be here. I told you that I would, and I need to honor that. As for Bolin, he's still in Metalbender training. I haven't heard from him in a while. And Asami…"

His mind flashed back to that painful moment.

"…Is no longer in the picture…She ended it about a week ago."

As hard as he tried, he couldn't keep the pain from his voice. Korra obviously heard it. She took his hand and squeezed it gently.

"I'm sorry…I had no idea you were going through all that…I'm sorry I yelled at you the way I did back there. I was just so angry, and confused, and hurt…"

Tears started to form in her eyes again. He looked at him, the pain of the loneliness she felt in the past month clearly reflected in her eyes.

"I thought I would never see you again and-"

He didn't want to hear any more. He cut her off by pulling her into a deep kiss. She instantly melted into him. Their bodies meshed together like puzzle pieces, like they were meant for each other. Mako felt his clothing become restricting. As if she knew, Korra removed those restrictions. Mako felt very exposed as she took all of him in. His embarrassment quickly melted when he saw only love and passion in her eyes. Their lips met again, and Mako laid Korra gently underneath him as the first rays of the dawning sun peeked over the horizon.

When Mako first woke, he was very unsure as to where he was. The ceiling he was looking at was low and made out of plaster, not wood. The next thing he realized was that his right arm was asleep and very, very warm. He looked over to see a very underdressed Korra, sleeping peacefully next to him. His arm was underneath her. For a moment, Mako panicked. Then he remembered everything that happened that night. He felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He looked over at Korra again. Her face looked so serene, so peaceful. A lose lock of hair drifted into her face. Mako brushed it aside absent mindedly. He thought to himself.

This is how it was supposed to have been…

He heard footsteps approaching the door. It was at that moment where he realized exactly where he was…And who else lived there. He swore softly and moved to get out of bed, but realized that he was still pinned under Korra. Slightly panicking, he started shaking Korra gently, silently willing her to wake up. There was a knock on the door, and a young girl's voice called out.

"Korra? Breakfast is ready!"

Mako shook Korra a little harder.

PLEASE wake up!

Korra moaned a little in her sleep and rolled over, releasing Mako's right arm. Flexing his muscles to try to get the blood flowing again, Mako decided to take drastic measures. He chanced making noise by whispering in Korra's ear.

"Come on Korra, wake up! I need you to wake up!"

Slowly, Korra's eyes opened. She gave Mako a sleepy smile.

"Hey. Did you sleep as good as I did? Last night was amazing. I worked out so much stress and…Why are you waving at me?"

Mako put his forehead in his palm as the girl's voice spoke again.

"Oh really? What was so 'amazing'?"

Korra sat bolt up right, instantly awake. Her face was bright red.

"Jinora! Hey! Umm….How long have you been standing there?"

Jinora giggled.

"Long enough to know that you're not alone, and weren't last night either. Anyway, breakfast is ready."

Mako heard Jinora walk away. He looked at Korra. She looked at him. They both burst out laughing. Mako hadn't laughed like this since he was with the Fire Ferrets. The two were laughing so loud they couldn't hear the other footsteps approaching the door. The door slid open and Bolin, suited up in Metalbender Corps armor, walked through the door.

"HEY MAKO AND KORRA! WHAT'S GOING ON-!"

All three of them froze. After a very awkward silence, Bolin backed out of the room.

"I'm just gonna…uhh…wait out here…until you are…yeah…."

He shut the door quickly, leaving Mako and Korra to get dressed, both thoroughly embarrassed.

Korra knew she was grinning like an idiot and she was blushing furiously, but she didn't care. She was happier than she'd been in months. The two of them made their way to the dining room. Inside, they heard Bolin's voice.

"Man that's good stuff! I'm not entirely sure what it is, but it's delicious. Thanks a lot Miss Pema."

They heard Pema give an exasperated sigh.

"Bolin, for the last time, it's just Pema."

"You got it Miss Pema."

Korra stifled a laugh as she opened the door. Sitting at the table was Jinora, Bolin, Ikki, Meelo, and Tenzin. Pema was placing out the food. She looked up and saw Korra.

"Good morning Korra."

Her eyebrows raised as she saw Mako come in behind her.

"And good morning Mako. I figured you would be here. You're not that far behind your brother. But why did you…"

She paused for half a second, taking in Korra's grinning face and Mako's red ears. She flashed them a knowing smile.

"Never mind. Anyway, Mako, you're most welcome for breakfast."

Korra heard soft snickering and looked over at Jinora and Ikki, who were exchanging glances. Bolin was whistling to himself. Tenzin looked at everyone suspiciously.

"Why do I feel like I'm missing something?"

Pema placed a hand on her husband's shoulder.

"It's nothing dear. Don't worry about it. It's a teenage thing."

Tenzin seemed to accept that and went back to his breakfast. The rest of the breakfast continued uneventfully, apart from Mako and Korra stealing fleeting looks at each other now and then.

Korra ducked and narrowly avoided the jet of flames that Mako shot at her. She spun and retaliated with her own flurry of blows. It had been so long since they last sparred together. She noticed that Mako had improved his fighting style and adapted it to the current situation. He really was a superb fighter. He wielded his flames quickly and efficiently. His footwork was really good too, except he tended to overextend his left foot when he curved his flame. Korra dodged underneath the flame, and struck out three times. Mako hit the ground with a dull thud. Korra wiped her sweaty brow, and grinned down at him.

"I win. Again."

Mako gave her a small smile. Then, without warning, he spun on the ground and scissor kicked. Before she knew what happened, Korra was on her back next to him. They looked at each other and burst out laughing. It felt like old times back at the pro bending gym. Korra heard someone calling for them and she sat up. She saw Bolin running over to them, his armor gleaming in the afternoon sun. She waved him over.

"Hey Bolin!"

When Bolin reached them, Korra was that there wasn't a smile on his face. Something was wrong.

"What is it."

Bolin looked at Korra and Mako then shook his head.

"You gotta come see this. It's Amon…"

Korra looked at Mako and he shrugged. She nodded at Bolin.

"Lead the way."

Chief Beifong was overseeing Amon's autopsy personally. It wasn't that she didn't trust her medical officers, she just had a personal stake in this. She watched as the medics prepared the room for the body. Soon, the medics gave the go ahead and two Metalbending officers brought in Amon's body. They laid him on the table and left. The medics puttered around, taking down the pre autopsy notes. Chief Beifong shifted her weight impatiently. She wished that they would just get on with it already. She was particularly interested in how a man as untouchable as Amon just die. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a flicker of movement on the table. When she looked back, she saw Amon lying there, his arm draped off the side of the table.

Was his arm originally like that?…

Something didn't feel right. She was wary as the medics prepared to make the first incision. The medic cut Amon's shirt open, exposing his chest. The medic looked at Chief Beifong behind the glass panel and gave her a thumbs up. She nodded slowly. The medic picked up a scalpel and started cutting a line down the center of Amon's chest. All of a sudden, without warning, Amon shot up from the table and grabbed the hand of the medic who was cutting him. Chief Beifong was stunned. She watched as Amon twisted the scalpel out of the medic's grasp and flung him against the wall, knocking him out instantly. The other medic advanced with a longer blade. With a flick of his wrist, Amon turned the blade aside. He snapped his hand forward and the medic crumpled. Amon turned his still masked face towards the glass; towards Chief Beifong. It was many, many years since Chief Beifong felt real fear. She had almost forgotten what it felt like. The color drained from her face and she backed away from the man she knew was dead. Amon stumbled up to the glass and slammed his hand on the pane, rattling the frame. His chest bled and his voice was raspy.

"Where…am I?…"

Korra ran alongside Mako and Bolin, heading back towards the temple.

What about Amon? He's dead…

They reached the temple and saw an interesting sight. Tenzin had his arm around Chief Beifong, who was obviously frightened. She was white as a ghost and she was shaking. Korra looked at her and then Tenzin.

"What is going on?"

Chief Beifong took a shaky breath and seemed to gather herself. Korra was very wary of what was going to happen next. Chief Beifong was a very strong woman. Anything that shook her up that badly is not something that should be taken lightly. Chief Beifong directed Korra to the living room.

"I can't explain this…"

She opened the door. Sitting at the table, was Amon. He was wrapped up in chains from the chest down. Bolin stood behind him, keeping him in place with his wires. Amon's eyes were unreadable as he looked up at Korra from behind his mask.

"You…Do I know you?"

Korra was frozen in shock. There he was; the man who haunted her nightmares for months. A wave of anger shattered through her immobilizing shock.

"Yeah. You know me. You turned the entire city against me. Oh and you've threatened everyone I ever cared about. So yeah, you could say you know me."

Confusion clouded Amon's eyes.

"I don't understand…What's going on here?"

Chief Beifong's eyes narrowed. She lifted her foot, moved back the protective plating, and stomped the ground. She closed her eyes.

"You are called Amon. You are the leader of the terrorist cell known as the Equalists. Your sole purpose in life is to rid the world of all bending by any means necessary."

Amon blinked at her.

"What are you talking about? Where am I? Who are you people? Someone tell me what's going on here?"

After a moment, Chief Beifong opened her eyes.

"Well, he's not lying. He truly doesn't know who he is."

Mako glared at Amon, his amber eyes burning.

"It's got to be a trick. This is Amon we're dealing with. It's not like him pulling a stunt like this is below him."

Chief Beifong Gave Mako a stern look.

"I can detect the physical change that occurs in a person when they lie. My mother was the best and she taught me well. This is no trick."

Mako opened his mouth to argue but Korra nudged him with her elbow. She whispered to him out of the corner of her mouth.

"I wouldn't. You don't know what she's like when she's angry."

Mako shut his mouth and put his hands in his pockets.

Chief Beifong looked at Amon, muttering to herself. She seemed to have made a decision. Korra looked at her, then Amon.

"What do we do with him?"

"For now, I'll take him with me back to the station, keep him in a holding cell. In the mean time, we need to focus on getting my city under control, and going after Kayne-"

"Kayne…"

Korra looked over at Amon. His head was bowed, his masked face hidden. His voice shook with pure rage. When he raised his head, she saw that his yellow eyes glowed with fury. Korra, Chief Beifong, and Mako all tensed.

"Why…Why does this name fill me with rage?"

Amon tried to stand, but was forced back down by Bolin. The three relaxed slightly. Chief Beifong looked grim. She turned to leave.

"Change of plans. He's coming in for questioning now. Officer Bolin."

Bolin stood at attention.

"What's up, ma'am!"

Ignoring his blatant disregard for protocol, Chief Beifong gestured to him.

"Bring him."

"Yes ma'am!"

Chief Beifong paced in front of Amon, her piercing gaze never leaving him. He shifted uncomfortably in his chair, his eyes averting hers. She found it hard to believe that the man who terrorized her city, captured her comrades, and threatened the peace that she worked so hard to uphold, was squirming in the interrogation chair like a frightened child. She couldn't help but laugh at the situation. She stopped her pacing and looked Amon in the eyes.

"You were dead. I had my best team examine you. They checked your vitals. Nothing. They took your pulse. There was none. You were a corpse when they dropped you on my table, yet here you are."

She sat down across from him.

"Tell me, what trick did you have up your sleeve that makes people return from the dead?"

Amon gave an exasperated sigh.

"I told you already; there was no possible way that I could have been dead. Look, the only thing I remember, is waking up in that room with some guy cutting me open. I'm sorry for hurting him, but I acted on instinct. I didn't know what else to do."

Amon let out a soft grunt and his head twitched.

"Something wrong?"

Amon shook his head.

"Just a headache. Oh, and as for those things that you've accused me of; being the leader of a terrorist cell and all that, that can't possibly be true either. I just got into the city yesterday."

Chief Beifong felt a jolt of surprise. She felt that he was telling the truth. She decided to press him for more information.

"Is there anything else you remember?"

Amon nodded vigorously.

"Yeah. This guy came up to me after I got off the ferry and he told me to meet him in a warehouse across town. I agreed for some reason, I don't know why. He seemed trustworthy at the time. Anyway, I showed up, the guy answered the door and…"

Amon trailed off, shaking his head.

"That's the last thing I remember before waking up here."

She knew it would be a stretch, but she had to give it a shot anyway. She got up and walked over to a side table. She picked up the photo on the table and placed it in front of Amon. It was a photo of Kayne, waving at something, surrounded by the monstrosities he called Maulers. Chief Beifong managed to snap the photo before Kayne disappeared out of sight that day she was ambushed. Amon saw it, and his eyes narrowed. His hands curled into fists. His voice was full of anger again.

"That's him. That's the guy…His name's Kayne, isn't it?"

Chief Beifong nodded. She didn't want to jump to any conclusions, but she thought she had an idea of what was happening. Amon looked at her, confusion mixing in with the hate.

"Why do I hate this person?"

"Well, most likely, it's because they betrayed you. Funny thing is, you saw it coming, which is why you prepared and antidote to the extremely rare poison your 'partner' injected you with. Rhododendron. A good friend of my mother told her about it. The idiot brewed it into tea once. It educes a state of near-death to the consumer. Drops your vitals so low that you would appear dead to any highly trained healer. A few hours later, you pop back up. Only problem is that your body is weak and you have sever memory loss for the next several hours."

She leaned back in her chair, trying to read Amon's eyes. The rage was still there, but the confusion was replaced by something. Chief Beifong couldn't quite put her finger on it.

"The headaches will be your memory returning. When that happens, I'll have you shipped back down to holding just until I can have the council authorize your transfer to the Boiling Rock."

She heard Amon muttering something. She leaned in closer and realized he was chuckling.

"Correct on all accounts. You missed just one small detail."

Chief Beifong heard a feint click and Amon's restraints sprang open. Suddenly, Amon was a blur of motion. He flipped over the table, using his chair for leverage. He got behind her and used the hair clip he had cleverly hidden and used to pick the lock of his restraints to jam the wire mechanism on her back. Using her own body weight against her, Amon dropped her to the ground and twisted her arm, making sure that she stayed down. He leaned down and whispered in her ear.

"You forgot who you were dealing with."

Chief Beifong felt a strong blow on the back of her neck and her vision faded to black.

Amon stood, stretching his arms. He had only been forced to use the Rhododendron antidote once before, and he hated it. His joints were stiff, he felt sick, and his head felt like it would burst, but he was alive. And Kayne was convinced otherwise. He glanced down at the picture of Kayne. His eyes narrowed. Kayne will pay. Amon strode over to the wall, knocked twice, paused, then knocked again three times. He memorized the special interrogation chamber signals on his way in. He e allowed himself a small smile. Even without his memories he still retained his training. The door slid open and Amon sprang outside. He caught one guard by surprise and , with three well placed blows, sent him into the wall where he crumpled to the ground, unconscious. He turned his attention to the other guard just in time to dodge the wire that he flung at Amon. Amon managed to roll to the side, but he stumbled and slammed into the wall. He cursed his aching body. He recovered quickly and managed to coil his arms under the guard's. He tightened his arm muscles and locked up the guard's arms as well as put significant pressure on his spinal cord.

I apologize for my lack of manners, but I'm not in that good of a mood today. Unless you want to be paralyzed from the neck down for the rest of your life, I suggest you lead me to the fastest rout out of here. Understood?"

The guard gave him an affirmative whimper. The guard directed Amon through the twisting halls of the Metalbender Corps Headquarters. So far, they were able to steer clear of any cops. The guard led Amon through a door and they came face to face with six Metalbender cops. Amon had been led into the recreation room. The Metalbenders looked at the two with surprise, then assumed a ready combat stance. Amon tightened his grip on the cop and he cried out in pain. The Metalbenders didn't move.

"One step closer and I will snap his spine in half."

Amon slowly made his way across the room, making sure to keep every Metalbender in his sight as much as possible. The other Metalbenders assumed a reverse arrowhead formation and slowly advanced toward Amon. Amon glanced behind him and saw that the exit was easily accessible. He halted his retreat.

"Your precious Chief of Police is currently unconscious in one of the interrogation rooms. When she awakens, give her a message from me. Tell her to give me all of the information she has on Kayne's whereabouts in twenty four hours. I will send a note with a place. She will meet me there. Alone. I do not get the information, or if she bring anyone with her, I will not be the only one disappearing."

Amon uncoiled his arms from the guard and struck him on the back of the head. He flung the unconscious guard into the group of Metalbenders. They all collapsed in a heap. They untangled themselves and looked around. Amon was nowhere to be found.

Amon sat atop of a nearby roof, flexing his fingers. That little acrobatic stunt he pulled getting on top of the roof wasn't good for his still raw body. He winced as he stood. He must have torn a few muscles in his elaborate escape. He skimmed across the rooftops, keeping low. He thought about places he could lay low for a while. He couldn't go to any Equalist safe houses. Word would defiantly get back to Kayne. He thought about the safest place he could go. He needed a little medical attention. He knew where he could get it, but it wouldn't be easy. It would take quite a bit of time, but he didn't have any other place to go. Grimacing against the pain under his mask, Amon set off towards the setting sun, and Avatar Aang Memorial Island.

Kayne looked out over the city from the thirtieth floor of the abandoned Cabbage Corp building. He took a sip of the cheap wine in the glass in his hand. It was bitter and stale, but he liked it. The city was dark. It looked deserted at this time of night. Kayne sighed happily. He thought back on how the city used to look. It used to be full of light and energy. Now, it was full of fear and despair. Kayne liked it much better now. He turned and walked back to his desk and sat down behind it. He put his feet up and relaxed. He moved to take another sip of wine, when he stopped. What was he doing? This was a special occasion. Today was the day he rid himself of his handler, Amon. He kept him on a tight leash. Kayne had to limit himself to performing chi experiments only. He finaly caught a break when that task force invaded. It was the perfect opportunity to collect specimen for Project: Mauler and Project: Reaper. After the fiasco with the Avatar escaping and Amon getting all emotional over that brat, it made it all too easy for Kayne to take over and win the hearts and minds of the Equalist party. All that was left after that was to tie up lose ends. A poison dagger did the job perfectly. Kayne threw the glass of wine against the wall and it shattered. He rummaged around in his desk and brought out a bottle of fine whisky and a vial of blood from his newest victim. He poured himself a glass and added the blood. He swirled it around and took a drink. It was sweet and delicious. It burned his throat as it went down. Kayne savored the experience. He looked at the mixture in the glass. He thought out loud.

"Age fifty…Very good year."

He raised his glass in a mocking toast.

"To Hiroshi Sato. To think, if it wasn't for his greed and lust for revenge, my drinks would forever be dull."

He chucked to himself. There came a knock at the door and Kayne answered it in a sing-song voice.

"Come iii-iiin!"

The door opened and a teenage girl walked in. Her long, dark hair was up in a tight bun and her slender figure was sheathed in a skin tight battle suit. Her dark eyes were empty and cold. Kayne swiveled around on his chair and spread his arms wide. He grinned.

"Asami! Good to see you."

Asami nodded. When she spoke, her voice held a neutral tone.

"Master Kayne. I've come with news."

Kayne set down his drink and stood, clapping his hands gleefully.

"Oh good! How I do love news. Lay it on me, babycakes!"

"The leader of the Yi Alliance has agreed to peace talks with the Freedom Fighters. A temporary cease fire has been placed into effect."

Kayne frowned and stroked his chin.

"Hmm…That won't do. That school by the station, is that Freedom Fighters' territory?"

Asami nodded.

"I'll arrange for a bombing and pin it on the Yi's. Shouldn't be too hard to end that cease fire. Keep em' coming! What else?"

"The police have been searching the area around your last public appearance. It seems that they have started up a search for you."

This problem was particularly annoying. Kayne had several laboratories that were invaluable to him in that area.

"We need to set fire to a few headquarters and blame it on the other faction. With the escalation in violence, it should keep the cops off me long enough to finish up with my projects. Is there anything else?"

"No, sir."

Kayne noticed a split second hesitation in her answer. He eyed her out of his peripheral vision. Asami shifted her weight slightly and her eyes flicked toward him. Kayne knew she was hiding something. And he hated being lied to. He stood, and walked toward her slowly. He pulled a ling, wicked looking dagger from a sheath on his belt and casually twirled it in his hands. He saw Asami's eyes flick towards the knife and up at him. She began to sweat a little. Kayne stopped next to her, shoulder to shoulder.

"Asami, you know how much I hate being lied to. You know it makes me cranky. And people tend to die when I get cranky. So I am going to ask you again, and you will give me an honest answer. Is there anything else?"

Asami's voice trembled with fear as she spoke.

"Our mole at the police station heard…a rumor…that…Amon had been taken into custody and was being interrogated."

Kayne stopped twirling the knife. Anger and disbelief invaded his mind.

"How…HOW?"

Kayne whirled on Asami, pinning her to the wall, his dagger centimeters from her quivering throat.

"How long were you planning on keeping this information from me?"

Asami was frozen with fear, tears streaming down her face.

"ANSWER ME!"

"I…I'm sorry sir! I just didn't want to upset you! You have enough to worry about. And I thought…I could take care of it myself. I'm so sorry. Please don't kill me…"

Kayne let out a ragged breath and managed to calm himself down. He really needed to work on his temper. He let Asami go and lowered his dagger. He sighed and grinned at her.

"Bah, I can't stay mad at you. Although I appreciate your eagerness, you need to tell me everything straight away. Kay?"

Asami nodded. She was still visibly shaken. Kayne wondered if he broke the poor girl. He moved toward her and placed his finger at the base of her neck. He used his abilities to directly influence the chi running throughout her system and instantly calmed her. Asami stopped shaking and exhaled slowly. Kayne patted her on the head and returned to his desk.

"You've done right by me so far. Getting rid of your traitorous father was big step in my book."

Kayne picked up his drink and shook his head.

"Ah well. At least you killed him after he built my labs."

"Sir…What of Amon."

Kayne looked back out the window. Somewhere, he knew, Amon was waiting to take revenge in him.

"You leave Amon to me. You have more pressing matters to attend to."

He heard confusion in Asami's voice.

"Sir?"

"It's almost time. My army is nearly complete, half of the city is completely loyal to me, and the other half is busy ripping each other's throats out. Our friends in the Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom are almost ready as well. Once we take Republic City, I can send the word to them."

"What do you mean sir?"

Kayne laughed.

"I mean, once I send the word, we only need to sit back, relax, and watch the world fall. A new world order is at hand, Asami."

He gestured widely at the view outside.

"Can't you see it? The entire world, under my control. A world where no one needs to fear anything but their own limitations. My world…"

Asami gave Kayne a small smile.

"I'm with you every step of the way, sir."

"Glad to hear it. Now go. I have some final plans I need to go over."

Asami, bowed and left. Kayne turned back to the window and sipped his drink. Yes…Fifty was a very good year. His laughter was drowned out by the echoing booms of thunder as a storm approached Republic City, blanketing it a shroud of darkness.

End Chapter 7

Please review and tell me what you think.

Next: Chapter 8-Not Without a Fight