Triad War

by Jokermask18

Amon may have dealt a crippling blow to the Triads but they weren't the only groups opposed by the Equalists, nor were they the only Triads. The next Paradoxverse fic sees Korra uniting with friend and foe alike to stop three warring fractions from dominating the United Republic, two of which carry secrets from the past. Sequel to Real Connecitions. On semi-permanent Hiatus.

5. Confrontations and Revelations

Korra explained as much about the Four Winds as she could without revealing the full extent of their background. She couldn't bring herself to reveal their part in the death of Bumi's idol or that they had been created specifically to shield Tenzin from his responsibilities. The Air bending master was so distraught by what had been revealed thus far that he had elected to remain outside in meditation…or so Pema had claimed when the Avatar came out of her room and found him still absent,

"An air bending Triad" Lin said after the story had been digested by everyone present "I still can't believe it. And I thought the Rumblers' return was bad enough!"

"Don't forget the turf war the Triple Threats have started with the Red Monsoons" Bumi pointed out "though speaking of the Rumblers, what exactly is their story Lin? I don't believe you ever told us." Everyone turned to give the police chief questioning {and in Pema's case, somewhat accusatory} looks.

"We don't have time for that!" Lin snapped, her voice taking on an even harder edge than usual "Right now I've got to get out there before any of these maniacs strike again! I'm going to personally make sure this 'Triad War' is over before it goes any further!"

"I'll get in contact with Iroh" Bumi piped up, turning serious as well "we're going to need the best the United Forces has to offer if these clowns start fighting each other. Or worse yet, what if they start working together? What if they already are!? It's a little too convenient that three separate Triads with separate goals become active around the same time and haven't crossed paths once."

"Well, whatever they're up to, we'll be there too" Korra said "I think it's time for Team Avatar to return to patroling the city." This statement was met with great enthusiasm from the three members, Bolin in particular pumping his fist in the air, and equal parts mild amusement and exasperation from the adults, mostly because of the name. They knew that somewhere in the Spirit World, Sokka was feeling proud.

"I think I can get the car ready by tomorrow night" Asami said with a slight smirk in Korra's direction "it's taken quite a bit of work to get it running after your 'driving lesson.' The Avatar gave a sheepish grin at the memory of her first time behind the wheel but then a thought suddenly occurred to her. "Actually, I was wondering if you had something bigger? Big enough to seat five? I've been thinking we should add one more to our group."

…

"I'm in" Tahno said when Team Avatar arrived at his new apartment a while later "Those Rumblers have been trying to force Nanook to pay protection money and he won't give in. I think tonight may be when they pull something."

"Then we already know where to start" Korra said as she pounded her fist in her palm "let's move out!" Team Avatar shuffled out the door with their newest member in tow. Mako however, turned to shoot a glare at his former rival and then turned back towards his girlfriend.

"Why are we doing this?" Mako whispered gruffly to the Avatar "we did just fine last time with only four of us. And why him of all people!? We could've gotten that jerk Hasook if we were desperate!" Korra sighed in agitation. She really didn't want to have this conversation again.

"Tahno's changed Mako. He's not the jerk he used to be and he did a good job when the Rumblers first showed up. Besides, this makes our group more like the original Team Avatar. Aang was the Avatar and Katara was the water bender. Just because I can fit two roles doesn't mean I should."

Mako's scowl deepened. "I think you want him here because you have a thing for him! You've been hanging around with him ever since you gave him back his bending and now you want him here to make me jealous!"

"I am NOT trying to make you jealous!" Korra snapped back, raising her voice only slightly "why are you always so hostile!?"

"Me? You're the one who tried to take my head off when I came over to work things out last time!" Korra visibly winced as she remembered the sparring match from several days ago, before her meeting with Aang. At the time, she had been in emotional turmoil and wasn't quite sure what had set her off but she was starting to remember now: Mako had come to the island to patch things up after yet another of their continuous arguments and this lead to what was meant to be a friendly spar. Korra remembered flipping out from something Mako said and attacking far too roughly, leading to the angsty fire bender storming off.

"You're right, and I'm sorry but I was going through some stuff and-" "Yeah,yeah, you're the Avatar and life is unfair" Mako cut her off with a scowl "that doesn't mean I deserve all this attitude I get from you so can you please just not argue with me for once!? Someone's got to keep focus in this group!"

No more words were spoken and Korra continued on in silence with a hurt look on her face. The source of the argument had heard everything and decided to move further back out of Mako's sight. Bolin, who was also able to hear everything, shot his brother a scowl, though he would never have seen it.

The newly expanded Team Avatar began piling into their vehicle, an armored truck. This was the same type the Equalists used to capture the original Triad members but Hiroshi Sato had managed to coat this particular one in platinum as part of his early plans for designing Mecha Tanks. Because the Boulder was the only metal bender capable of bending platinum and had yet to make an appearance since his debut, this was the perfect defense against any Rumblers they were sure to encounter,

Bolin and Tahno were just settling into position in back of the truck when Korra joined them. She tried to look upbeat but Mako snapping at her still clearly stung. The two former rivals looked at one another, both unsure of how to offer comfort.

Finally, Bolin decided to ease into it. "So Korra, I never did thank you for saving my life, for like the second time. That Avatar State is really amazing…and not at all creepy or monster-like."

The Avatar raised an eyebrow but a small smile could also be seen gracing her features. "Forget about it Bo, you're one of my best friends. I'll always have your back."

Korra gave the earth bender a playful punch in the arm and her mood brightened a bit but then something occurred to her. "Hey, what exactly did happen the last time I was in the Avatar State? I don't remember anything but you were there."

Bolin suddenly became nervous. "Uh…I already told you what happened remember? You went into the Avatar State, saved my life, and went out of it again with no problems, really!" Bolin tried his best to look convincing but knew he was a terrible liar. He was barely able to keep Mako and Korra's kiss a secret for as long as he did.

Korra was of course, unconvinced. "Yeah, but there's got to be more to it than that. I haven't had the Avatar State for very long but I never had gaps in my memory before and Asami's place was trashed when I came out of it. Not to mention the fact that I was in your arms, what's that about?"

Bolin was starting to blush. "Well…uh…hey, where's Mako? I think we're leaving now."

"He went to sit with Asami" Korra said with a notable hint of exasperation "he said he wants to wait until 'I've' cooled down before we talk." The Avatar huffed and rolled her eyes as she said this and all thoughts of the former conversation were gone for now. Bolin breathed a sigh of relief but couldn't resist taking a peek at the front. Mako was indeed sitting next to his ex, but Asami didn't exactly look comfortable with the arrangement. Bolin made a note of that for later.

The "Avatarmobile", as affectionately named by Bolin, didn't have to wait long to see some action. They were about halfway to Nanook's when a group of Rumblers burst from the ground to surround the vehicle on all sides. Asami gave Korra and the boys a gesture to stay low as a lanky Triad member with a scar on his cheek and a ponytail approached the front.

"Well, what have we here? I didn't know Republic City hired such young and attractive drivers" the thug rasped "say babe, how 'bout handing over whatever you've got back there and ol' Duri will make it worth your while?"

"Back off!" Mako snapped, igniting one fist while placing a protective arm around a surprised and somewhat annoyed Asami. Duri however, was not impressed.

"Looks like we've got a tough guy in here too" the Rumbler chuckled "good. I was hoping for some entertainment tonight. Step out of the car Sparky and we'll settle this like men!"

Mako was about to respond to this challenge when Sora, a female Rumbler with a stout build and dark skin, spoke up. "Can the macho crap Duri! We're supposed to over at that dump Nanook's in an hour so hurry up and take this score will ya?"

"Yeah, okay" Duri said with a roll of his eyes before turning back to Asami. "Last chance babe" he said "you gonna come peaceful or do I have to get rough?" Asami responded with whipping out her Equalist shock glove and pressing it to Duri's face. The Rumbler howled in pain and staggered back, cursing as he did.

"YOU BITCH! I'LL CRUSH BOTH YOU AND THE BEAN POLE FOR THAT!" So saying, Duri placed his hands on the side of the armored car, willing his metal bending to it's fullest. In his rage, it seemed he actually did intend to crush them but he became confused when nothing happened. "What the-? Platinum!?"

Duri turned back towards Sora and another Rumbler. "You guys check the back" he called to them "these punks must be carrying something really valuable to have this kind of security." The two thugs nodded and moved to the back of the truck to open the doors manually. The moment they did, a massive blast of air knocked them backwards as Korra stepped out.

"They were carrying the Avatar, valuable enough for you?" Korra quipped as the rest of her friends emerged from the armored car. The Rumblers pulled themselves to their feet and Duri suddenly smiled.

"Actually, yeah it does. As long as we've known him, the boss has never once thought my crew and I could pull off any of the big scores. That's why he has us pulling jobs on third rate restaurants! But if we bring him the Avatar? Then, we'll be sitting pretty when he finally takes this town! Trash 'em!"

True to their native element, the Rumblers charged head on into confrontation with Team Avatar. While Korra once again fought them off easily enough, difficulty soon arose for the others. The first person to get into trouble was Asami. She had never truly fought benders one on one before Sao and she now found herself struggling to hold her own like before. The Rumbler she was fighting eventually knocked her down and bent a large rock over his head to finish her with.

A second before the rock made contact, a large water whip swatted it away. Asami used this distraction to sweep kick the thug to the ground and render him unconscious with her shock glove. She turned to thank her rescuer, expecting Korra, and was shocked to find Tahno instead. "Uh…thanks."

"No problem doll" Tahno replied with a ghost of his old smirk "I've gotten used to helping babes kick butt in the last few days. If I'd have known this good guy stuff would lead to your kind of company, I'd have done it years ago."

Asami rolled her eyes but thought she could feel a slight blush enter her cheeks. In all her time following Pro bending, she had never thought of Tahno as anything more than a creep. His reputation in and outside the ring had always been scandalous and his stunt at the championship had only confirmed it. Still, being equalized by Amon couldn't have been easy and Korra had sworn he'd changed, even if Mako insisted otherwise.

Before another word could be said between the two, a sudden tremor took them back to the fight. Two more Rumblers burst from the ground and proceeded to attack them, forcing the two to fight back to back.

Mako happened to catch sight of this and felt jealousy rise up in his gut. He had started to regret leaving Asami and the life she had given him behind, especially since Korra was being so impossible lately. He had tried to rekindle something of their old relationship but she just wasn't biting. In fact, she seemed annoyed. Now he had to deal with that weasel-snake Tahno muscling in!? Unthinkable!

It was these thoughts that distracted Mako from fighting his opponent, a rather vicious Rumbler named Chin. Chin claimed to be descended from the warlord who fought Avatar Kyoshi and had inherited the short stature along with the name, having to be tough to get taken seriously. As a result, he'd developed a very aggressive style of earth bending that involved using earth gauntlets as boxing gloves and pummeling his opponents with punches. Mako's pro-bending style had allowed him to match Chin move for move in the beginning but in his hesitation, the Rumbler struck fast and hard, beating the young fire bender without letting up a minute.

Eventually, Chin knocked Mako backwards and trapped his feet in earth before launching his earth gauntlets straight at the young fire bender and having them form into manacles to bind his wrists. This was a variation of the same move used by the Dai li long ago.

With a malicious grin, Chin turned his attention to a nearby lamp post and metal bent it out of the ground, reshaping it until it resembled a makeshift spear. He leveled it right at Mako even as the young fire bender struggled in vain to burn through his bonds. The rest of Team Avatar tried to make their way to him but their enemies just kept popping up and surrounding them. Korra in particular was having time with the increasing numbers and each time she attempted to go into the Avatar State, she was interrupted by an attack.

For a moment, time seemed to stand still. Then, Chin heaved his weapon towards it's struggling target. "MAKO, NO!"

Bolin's cry echoed across the street but it was in vain. At the very last moment however, the spear stopped in mid-air, suspended there by an unseen force. The fighting stopped almost immediately as both sides turned to look in shock and amazement. Korra was the first to realize it was being held aloft in a barrier of air.

'Air bending? But how?' Korra thought 'I can't-oh no!"

A man materialized from the air but it wasn't Sao or anyone else Korra had seen in her visions. It was a big man with a muscular build that could rival Korra's own father and a missing right eye. His Air Nomad robes and black arrow tattoos definitely confirmed he was a member of the Four Winds Triad however and he effortlessly held the makeshift spear aloft with his air bending.

"Stand down Rumblers, less you obscure the path of righteous justice!" The man's voice was deep and came out like a thunderclap, matching perfectly with his brutish appearance while serving as a sharp contrast to the nature of his element. Chin however, seemed impressed by neither.

"Hey man, what's the deal!? This is Rumbler territory and OUR score, so clear out!" To say Chin's defiance was comical would have been an understatement. He was even shorter next to the giant of an air bender and looked very much like a child who was angry at a parent. The newcomer seemed to regard him as such and smiled patiently at his outburst.

"I am not interested in you quest for material wealth my friend. I am Hoshi, Northern brother of the Four Winds and student of Master Sao. You were about to slay one meant to pay for the crimes of his ancestors against mine. Though I admire your methods, it would dishonor my masters if I didn't kill him myself."

"Get lost Arrows!" Chin sneered "that scrawny punk's mine and no one else's so clear out before I take care of you next!" Hoshi's mood instantly darkened. "You would stand in the way of my destined path? Very well."

With that said, the air bender reversed the direction of the makeshift spear, pointing it straight at Chin. "Please allow me to return your instrument of violence." Hoshi sent the spear towards the Rumbler at blinding speed, knocking the man off his feet before he could even think to raise a barrier. An instant later, Chin was dead in the street, impaled by his own weapon.

Everyone present, even the other Rumblers, were shocked at the display of brutality. It was several minutes before Duri finally spoke, his voice quiet but laced with shock, disbelief, and a hint of fear. "Y…you killed him? But you're an air bender, they don't kill, do they?"

Hoshi laughed at the Rumbler's denial. "Such peaceful practices are wasted on the less enlightened. I urge you not to follow your friend's example and stay out of our way if you wish to continue your lifestyle undisturbed." Duri didn't answer. He was too busy staring at Chin's body, his face unreadable.

"He was my cousin" he finally said after several minutes "and also a Rumbler. You cross one of us, you cross us all!" The entire group of Triad members gathered behind Duri in ready stances and were even joined by Team Avatar, sans the still captive Mako. All animosity seemed to be forgotten by both groups in the face of a common enemy.

Hoshi was unimpressed by this development. "Very well" he said in almost bored tone "if you wish to continue on this path of obstructing justice, you leave me no choice." With these words, more members of the Four Winds, all male, materialized behind Hoshi in their own stances.

"Brothers, show the Rumblers the folly of opposing freedom and enlightenment." "Rumblers, show these air benders why we never back down!" These two proclamations were all it took to send the two groups charging towards one another. The natural opposition between the elements of earth and air shown clearly as the Triads aggressively tried to overtake the other. Team Avatar attempted to intervene on behalf of the Rumblers but found themselves being attacked by both sides. Korra in particular received a nasty surprise when after saving Duri from an air sword attack, she was rewarded with an earth stomp by the Rumbler.

"Hey, what gives!?" Korra exclaimed "I thought we were on the same side!?" Duri scoffed. "The Rumblers don't side with the likes of you Avatar! We carry our own weight and fight our own battles, always have, always will! These air benders showing up saved your ass for a while, but stay out our way if you want it to last."

Korra's face became incredibly stern for a brief moment before she shrugged. "Have it your way." She then entered the Avatar State and blew Duri away with a display of power before taking to the air and charging back into the fight. The Four Winds had began gaining an advantage by way of their air absorbing technique and had already killed several more Rumblers before Korra was able to barrel through most of them and cut a path to Hoshi, who stood guard over the still captive Mako.

"I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU GOT AIR BENDING BUT THIS ENDS NOW!" Korra thundered, the voices of her predecessors mixing with her own. She was in full control of herself this time but no less frightening. Hoshi however, proved a bit more stubborn than his master and stood his ground.

"Neither you nor your past lives can stand in the way of my mission Avatar" the rogue air bender proclaimed "the Air Nomads will be avenged!" Hoshi was about to attack when suddenly, Sao's voice came from nowhere, startling them both. "HOSHI, WHEREVER YOU ARE, STOP WASTING TIME! I HAVE FOUND A HORDE OF OUR ENEMIES IN REPUBLIC CITY PRISON AND AM BEING DETAINED BY POLICE AND UNITED FORCES OFFICERS, COME TO THE BATTLE FIELD AT ONCE!"

"FORGIVE ME MASTER, BUT I HAVE THE FIRE BENDER WHO ELUDED YOUR GRASP MERE HOURS AGO!" Hoshi yelled back in his own, amplified voice "I SIMPLY WISHED TO RESTORE YOUR HONOR BY KILLING HIM!" "NEVER MIND HIM FOR NOW! I'VE BEEN INFORMED HE'S THE AVATAR'S CHOSEN PARTNER AND WILL MAKE A FINER PRIZE IF SAVED FOR LAST!"

"AS MY MASTER COMMANDS" Hoshi consented, looking strange as he gave a respectful bow to an invisible teacher. He then turned his gaze towards Mako and raised an eyebrow before glancing back at Korra, who hovered silently in the air.

"HE is your chosen partner Avatar? Honestly, you could do much better." The rogue air bender became wind as he said this, narrowly avoiding Korra's attempt to capture him with earth bending. His "brothers" followed suit and what was left of the Rumblers retreated soon after, leaving an exhausted Team Avatar behind.

Korra exited the Avatar State and rushed over to free Mako. "You okay sweetie?" "I'm fine" the fire bender said dismissively, sounding indifferent and a little annoyed at her concern as he rubbed his newly free wrists "I had almost burned my way out anyway. You don't always have to rush to my rescue."

Korra stepped back a bit, surprised by his reaction and a bit hurt. "Uh…sorry, I was just-" Mako walked away without letting her finish, leaving the Avatar confused and frustrated. "What did I do now!?"

The rest of Team Avatar were slowly recovering when the two walked up to them. "So…what just happened? Bolin asked "did we win or something? "No" Asami spoke up suddenly, an edge in her voice no one had heard before "didn't you hear? They're going to the prison, the same prison Hiroshi was sent to."

An uncomfortable silence fell over the group. Asami hadn't mentioned her father since the day he was taken into custody. She hadn't even visited him as far as anyone knew. Hearing her bring the man up now, the slightest bit of venom on her tongue as she referred to him by his given name, told everyone that she had severed all biological ties with the man. It also left them confused as to what to say next.

Finally, Korra decided to try. "Asami, I don't know if we can-" "I'm not asking you to let him die Korra" the heiress replied, predicting the Avatar's next words "he deserves to be saved, if only so he can face judgment. Let's go."

"Uh…that might be a problem." The rest of Team Avatar turned to where Bolin was pointing and their jaws dropped. A giant earth spike, obviously created in the heat of the moment by either Bolin, Korra, or some Rumblers, was protruding from the street in front of them. They could see the "Avatarmobile" impaled on it's tip, it's platinum shell completely ripped through as it's limits were exceeded. Korra hurriedly entered the Avatar State and used her enhanced earth bending to make the spike recede, only for the vehicle to plummet to the pavement and become even more damaged.

"Sorry" Korra replied sheepishly, a light blush of embarrassment entering her cheeks "didn't really think that one through." The Avatar thought she heard Mako mutter under his breath but chose to ignore it.

"It doesn't matter" Asami said with an exasperated sigh "I won't be able to repair it in time either way. It looks like the Four Winds are going to achieve their goal tonight."

"No, they won't." Team Avatar turned to see Tenzin land in front of them mounted on Oogi. The air bending master looked more stern than anyone had ever seen him.

"What are you doing here?" Korra asked in genuine surprise. Tenzin hadn't been seen or heard from since earlier that evening, still in shock and perhaps denial at the Four Winds' existence.

"I'm here because someone has to make sure you reckless kids don't mess up! You already let those maniacs escape twice now and if you don't want any more blood on your hands, I suggest you climb on and don't ask any more questions!" Team Avatar was a bit shocked at Tenzin's anger but didn't question it. They climbed onto Oogie and took to the air with a terse cry of "yip yip!" Somehow though, they knew they were already too late.

…

Republic City Prison was meant to be a secure holding place for the most dangerous criminals in the Uniterd Republic's comparatively brief history. For a time, it had served it's purpose and had even held the infamous Yakone until his escape. In recent years however, the government had become more disconnected with the needs of it's citizens and allowed real criminals like the Triads to slip through the cracks while innocent citizens were persecuted. This was especially true during the later days of the Equalist campaign, when laws passed by the corrupt Councilman Tarrlok had many falsely accused of being Equalists and imprisoned while the true radicals roamed free. Even now, there were only a handful of Equalists in custody while others had either returned to their normal lives or rallied under Lieutenant Veka, who had also faded into obscurity and not been seen for several days.

Along with the Equalists, there was also a frightening amount of fire benders in custody. Some were muggers or hired thugs for the Agni Kai and Triple Threat Triads while others were simply falsely accused by paranoid and prejudice bigots. It was nearly impossible to tell which was which these days.

It was these same prisoners that were targeted by the Four Winds when they stormed the prison. By the time the police force and United Forces arrived on the scene, half of them were already dead and marked. The others who hadn't yet been targeted took advantage of the ensuing fight to escape from their cells. It was this sight that greeted Team Avatar and Tenzin when they finally arrived .

"There's been a prison break!" Mako exclaimed as he looked down from his spot on Oogie "I recognize some of them from the Triple Threats."

"As if we didn't have enough problems!" Korra groaned "there's no way we can stop them all at once!"

"You won't have to" Tenzin interjected "the prisoners are your only concern. The Four Winds are mine!" Everyone was shocked by this statement. Tenzin had never sounded so determined…or so venomous.

"Tenzin, that's crazy!" Korra objected "there's too many of them and you-" "That's enough Korra!"

There was a note of clear finality in the air bending master's voice as he stood up and extended his glider. "These murderers have ruined my ancestors' good names long enough" he continued "I'm going to bring them to justice if it's the last thing I do!" With these words, Tenzin leaped off of Oogie and into the wind, letting it carry him to his destiny. Korra instinctively took Oogie's reins and steered him to the direction of the escaping prisoners, all the while watching Tenzin disappear. How bad had things gotten that SHE was the one being level headed?"

…

Tenzin landed on the north side of the prison and immediately noticed the gaping hole in the wall. Moving as stealthily as he could, he walked through and made his way down the long corridor, the faint sounds of battle immediately reaching his ears. It didn't take long before he almost tripped over something and was horrified to see it was the body of a police officer. Looking ahead, he could see more of them, as well as members of the United Forces. A pit formed in the air bender's stomach. Were Lin and his brother a part of this slaughter?

A gasp of pain snapped Tenzin to attention and he rushed off with air bending enhanced speed. He soon came across a group of Four Wind Members torturing one Fire Nation prisoner with the Air Vice move. "Stop where you are!" The rogue air benders turned to see Tenzin and ended their torturous action to hurl air daggers at him. Tenzin countered with a whirlwind that sent each one crumpled to the floor. He then walked up to the nearest one and slammed him up against a wall. "Where is your leader!? Where is Sao!?"

"H-he's in the West Wing, looking for someone!" "Who!?" "He says his name is Sato, Hiroshi Sato!"

Tenzin's eyes narrowed. He knew the Asami had already been targeted that day but he never thought the Four Winds would go after her father. Despite Hiroshi's past misdeeds as an Equalist and his hand in endangering Tenzin's family, the air bending master decided to choose forgiveness and made his way towards the West Wing. He fought off many more rogue air benders as he went, easily besting them with his years of experience. By the time he reached the West Wing, he could already hear the voice of Hiroshi pleading with someone.

"Please, you don't want to do this! I hate fire benders just like you! They took my from me and one of them corrupted my daughter, you must let me live!"

A bitter chuckle answered Hiroshi's pleas. "You are Fire Nation, pure and simple. It matters not if you were betrayed in the end by your own kind. And was it not your grandfather who used his machines to desecrate land my people held sacred? All for the sake of material wealth? You are Sozin's ilk and you will join his progeny in retribution!"

Tenzin emerged from around the corner to witness who could only be Sao attempting to murder Hiroshi. The air bending master watched in horror as his rogue counterpart bent the air out of the inventor's lungs and used it to form a barrier around Hiroshi's head, preventing outside air from reaching him. This was an advanced, far more brutal version of the move Sao used on Mako that day.

Tenzin suddenly felt his anger return and he made a move to save his former enemy. With all the effort he could muster, he attempted to air bend Sao's barrier away. Manipulating the work of another bender was a rare feat, one not even Tenzin's parents had ever attempted, but he had to try. When Hiroshi was suddenly freed and collapsed from exhaustion, he knew he had succeeded.

Sao didn't act surprised. "I knew you'd come Tenzin" the rogue air bender said without turning around "our meeting was inevitable." After a moment, the Four Winds' leader did turn and study the new arrival, looking more amused than intimidated. "You're a bit taller now" he noted "but you wear the same serious scowl as the boy I saw in the paper so long ago. I guess your father was right when he said you had an old soul."

"I don't know what you're babbling about and I don't care!" Tenzin snapped "if you truly are an air bender, why are you doing this? You and your followers could be essential to restoring balance to the world and you disgrace our traditions by choosing violence and murder!"

"We are SAVING our traditions!" Sao countered "our entire culture was all but forgotten after the slaughter, our ways openly mocked and our homes and lands treated as breeding grounds for technological monstrosities. Meanwhile, those who slaughtered us are allowed to grow and prosper, revered by all. Is that justice Tenzin? Justice for us? We who only desired freedom? We who believed all life was sacred? We who died only because fate decreed the Avatar be born among us."

"This isn't the way!" Tenzin argued "you're becoming the same as those you hate and ruining all my father and I have done to preserve our culture!" Sao laughed bitterly at that.

"Your father and you? Avatar Aang did little more than gain a handful of pathetic followers and some new pets. To say nothing of a spoiled water bending daughter and that pitiful soldier you call a brother. He had failed many times over and it was clear you would only repeat his mistakes. That is why he came to me and my allies."

"You're not making sense! You talk as though you're so much older than me yet we're nearly the same age! Just what is your game!?" Tenzin bellowed, an angry wind whipping about his robes.

Sao chuckled again. "Looks can be deceiving. Call my graceful aging another gift from your father, a side-effect from the restoration of my air bending, though how it was lost I've never been sure. Truth be told, it was rather pathetic the way he begged us to take your place as Avatar Korra's air bending masters. You must've been quite the embarrassment, you still are obviously."

Tenzin's eyes widened then, the rogue air bender's words cutting deep as they registered in his brain."You're lying! My father would never entrust air bending to someone like you if he could give it willingly. You're a trick, something conjured up by dark spirits!"

"Believe what you will my young friend, but the fact remains that we are here because you have failed, just as your father has done and Avatar Korra continues to do. You are all just as guilty as the hated fire benders and now, you must pay!"

Sao suddenly unleashed two air slices at Tenzin in rapid succession. The air bending master just barely dodged and countered by creating his Air Cycle, charging straight at his rogue counterpart. Sao leapt into the air at the last minute and came crashing down with a swift kick that knocked Tenzin off his makeshift vehicle and then reshaped the air cycle into air daggers that struck Tenzin just as he was recovering. Just like the Air Sword, the miniature blades struck Tenzin's nerves and paralyzed him, leaving him to collapse right back to the ground.

"Finished already? Can't say I'm surprised" Sao said with a shrug "it just proves how subpar Aang's teachings really were. With any luck, those children of yours will prove more challenging."

The mention of his children stirred something in Tenzin and he began struggling to move. "No! You…won't…touch them!" Sao smirked in amusement at the younger air bender's efforts. The effects from air blades were impossible to overcome with will alone, even if they were only temporary. The rogue air bender had begun thinking of ways to make them more deadly when he received the surprise of watching Tenzin get to his feet.

"Well, this is unexpected" Sao said in a way that almost sounded genuinely impressed "only Avatars have ever resisted an air bade attack before. It looks like our fun isn't over just yet."

"No" Tenzin said in a strained voice, his feat of standing still having taken a toll on him "as long as I'm breathing, it's not over!" Sao grinned maliciously at that statement. "That's what I was hoping for my boy."

The rogue air bender proceeded to create twin air swords, crossing each one over his chest in a mocking display of showmanship. Tenzin duplicated this move in a more serious manner. Though he had never bothered to really practice the more playful air bending move, he had seen enough of his brother's playful duels with their father and more serious swordsmanship lessons under Uncle Zuko to give his enemy a decent fight. A moment later, the two air benders charged one another in what would be a historic fight.

…

Outside the prison, Team Avatar was just finishing rounding up the escaped prisoners. There were no real challenge to any of them but the numbers were enough to keep them busy for a while. The last few of the lot were rather aggressive however and one of them had even backed Tahno into a wall. Realizing he was out of water from both the water skims he had brought with him, he grew nervous at the sight of the thug's faming fist until he noticed the growth of vines behind him that clung to the wall.

Taking a deep breath, Tahno assumed a water bending stance, though it was neither a traditional stance or one used in Pro Bending. It was from an old part of his family history that hadn't been seen in decades by the outside world. With a few motions of his feet and a flick of his wrists, the former athlete caused the vines to lash out at his attacker, pulling him towards the wall and binding him so thoroughly that he'd be unable to fire bend out. Tahno allowed himself a sad little smile, having mixed feelings about what he'd just done.

The rest of Team Avatar had subdued their enemies and were rushing towards the prison to meet Tenzin when Korra noticed what happened. "Tahno, how did-?" "Let's just say it's a little trick I learned back home" the water bender answered hastily "let's go!"

…

Sao and Tenzin had been dueling for several minutes and were completely deadlocked as their air swords clashed. While Sao was more skilled and had several more years of experience, Tenzin was determined to keep fighting until the end. As Sao was able to finally dispel his air sword, the air bending master evaded a direct swipe and pulled out his staff to enhance his attacks. Sao evaded a few swipes from the hybrid weapon as he studied it's design.

"Forgive me for staring Tenzin but it's been a while since I've seen such a modern air bending tool" he said in a strangely casual voice "you know, my compatriots and I have modeled much of our new philosophy on far more ancient customs. The marks we leave on our so-called 'victims' are in fact ancient symbols representing the thirty-six tiers of air bending. A young monk in training would be branded each time they completed a trial and their arrows would be used to cover them once full mastery was achieved. The practice was ended when Avatar Bushi discovered the markings were a sign of disrespect to the ancient spirits and one of them almost destroyed the Northern Temple. That was over a thousand years ago, can you imagine? I sincerely hope the spirits can forgive the revival, wouldn't want Koh or anyone else after my hide, now would I?"

Tenzin ignored him and unleashed another air blast which was casually dodged as Sao continued to speak. "Our black arrows are said to go back even further, to the time of Avatar Tensa. Not much is known about him but he seemed to be a great Avatar and believed in going to any length to see justice done. It's a shame your father didn't quite measure up to his example."

"SHUT UP!" Tenzin bellowed as he unleashed a monstrous tornado, the most powerful attack he could muster, directly at Sao. The rogue air bender was not afraid however. In fact, he seemed pleased with the oncoming attack. "Excellent! You're finally thinking like a true air bender of the modern age, able to cast aside tradition and be forceful in order to seek justice for your cause. Sadly, it will not be enough to save you from me!"

Sao became wind once more but this time, reshaped himself into a tornado and actually absorbed Tenzin's own, becoming larger and more dangerous. Tenzin was horrified by this development and was at a loss until he heard a groan behind him. Hiroshi Sato was finally starting to recover.

"Hiroshi, quick! There isn't much time!" "Councilman…Tenzin? What are-?" "Just run! Find the Avatar and your daughter, they need to get away from here!"

Hiroshi didn't ask questions. He merely ran as fast as he could the minute he caught sight of the terrible whirlwind. Tenzin watched him go for only a moment before turning back to the oncoming attack and closing his eyes. Whatever happened, he would face it knowing that he had died defending his faith, as he was born to do.

…

Hiroshi felt like his heart was going to explode as he raced through the prison corridors. He wasn't a young man anymore and had never been all that used to exercise anyway. But as much as his body ached, his mind was even more clouded. All he could think of was how his life had ended up at this point.

It began with his wife's death at the hands of the Agni Kai Triad. It was on that day that he realized just how dangerous the Triads actually were because of their bending and decided such dangerous powers should be eradicated at all cost. It was also the day that the masked man known as Amon came to him, promising that he could destroy the evil power with Hiroshi's help. The millionaire inventor leant his genius to the creation of weapons that would allow the Equalists, then a secretive group whose movement was only random attacks in the night and a rather annoying public speaker, to become a very public and vey dangerous force. He kept his involvement secret at first, even openly supporting his daughter's love for Pro-Bending and her relationship with a fire bending street urchin. He was sure that this same urchin was the one who convinced her to betray him.

But then, Amon was unmasked and everything changed. Hiroshi had pledged his services to one of the same benders he'd been fighting against, actually going to war against an entire city on the orders of a hypocrite! He had became so obsessed with the crusade that he'd turned his back on everything he'd held dear. It was only when he'd been defeated by Asami and the earth bender boy and his precious daughter had all but disowned had he realized just how far he'd fallen.

As news of the continued Equalist crusade reached his ears, Hiroshi found that their ideals no longer appealed to him. What was the point of equality? Wasn't everyone already equal in terms of compassity for stupidity, hatred, and prejudice? Hiroshi felt he had proved that when he tried to murder his only daughter, the last piece of his beloved wife he had left. At that moment, he was the same as Fire Lord Sozin, Fire Lord Ozai, Yakone, and any other bender who had terrorized humanity in recent history. Even when he attempted to use his old hatred to get the rogue air bender to spare his life just moments ago, the same air bender had only proven this with his accurate accusations.

These were all the things he wanted to say to Asami when he met her in the corridor a moment later, but couldn't. He just stared blankly as she and her friends assumed a fighting stance and glared at him. "Stop right there Hiroshi, you're not going to escape any time soon!"

Hiroshi stayed silent for several more moments, inwardly wincing from the sting of hearing his daughter call him by his given name and the sound of it being used with so much venom. After what felt like forever, he found his voice. "Please, you must listen! Councilman Tenzin is-!"

Hiroshi's next words were cut off by the low sound of roaring wind. All present watched in horror as a monstrous tornado burst through the walls and charged straight at them. "Go,go!" Korra commanded franticly as she rushed her allies and Hiroshi to safety. She followed soon after desperately creating an earth wall in a vain attempt to fend off the coming assault.

The tornado tore through the barrier with ease, hunting the group with a purpose. Along the way, it reached into every cell that contained prisoners with Fire Nation heritage, pulling them into it's swirling mass. Team Avatar and Hiroshi had just reached Oogie when Korra realized something. "Wait, where's Tenzin!?"

"He was facing the tornado when I left him" Hiroshi reported grimly "I'm not sure if he made it. I'm truly sorry, I own him my life." Silence fell over the group. No one knew how to respond to the news or the sympathy they were receiving from one who had been their enemy. Asami looked to be on the verge of speaking when the tornado finally caught up with them.

"We have to leave now! Mako declared over the rising wind as he climbed onto Oogie "it's the only way we'll survive!" Everyone hesitantly agreed and began to mount Oogie but Korra refused "No" she said with finality "I'm not abandoning Tenzin like this!"

"Korra, this is no time to be stubborn!" Mako snapped "Tenzin would want you to leave. The Avatar's life is too important to risk!"

"Well, I AM the Avatar and the risks I take are my decision!" Korra snapped back "I'll meet you all back at the island, WITH Tenzin, when this is over. Now go!"

Mako was about to argue when Bolin placed a hand on his shoulder. "She's got this bro, you know she does, just trust her." Korra couldn't help but smile a little at her friend's confidence. The earth bender always seemed to believe in her more than anyone else. Asami and Tahno also relented a moment later, leaving Mako to give a frustrated huff and command Oogie to fly. Just before she faded from sight, Bolin cast one last concerned look at the brave Avatar.

Meanwhile, Korra did her best to remain stoic as she faced the oncoming tornado, prepared to face any obstacle to retrieve her mentor. She couldn't hide her shock however when the tornado stopped short as it approached her and it's top half morphed into the exact likeness of Sao. "All alone Avatar? Abandoned because of a storm? I guess there really is such a thing as 'fair weather friends, eh?"

"S-Sao? How can you-?" The rogue air bender laughed at Korra's shock. "This is merely an extension of the great gift my brothers and sisters could have unlocked if allowed to live. There is a reason all Air Nomads were benders Avatar, because we were the one Nation to hold the spirits in true reverence. We were their favored children and because of this, our potential is limitless!"

Korra ignored Sao's rant. "Where is Tenzin!? What have you done with him!?" Sao didn't respond and his lower half, still in the form of wind, to form an opening and give the Avatar a clear view of the air bending master. He floated lifelessly but Korra couldn't tell if he was alive or dead.

"Let him go" Korra growled out as she slipped into the Avatar State and began rising into the air "now!" Sao grinned challengingly. "Come and take him!"

For several minutes, Korra did nothing. Despite her first instinct to attack and most of her past lives encouraging her to do so, she knew she couldn't risk Tenzin's life. Casting her glowing eyes towards the night sky, she saw the full moon and felt it bringing her native element to the peak of it's power. She briefly considered attempting to blood bend Sao while he was at least partially flesh but decided against it. Instead, she began attempting to air bend Sao's wind form. It had failed before but the power of the Avatar State was with her now.

The rogue air bender was confused by her efforts until he felt the pull of her bending on his lower half. To his shock, she was pulling Tenzin out of his bizarre prison, letting his body fall to the ground below. "NOW IT'S YOUR TURN!" Korra roared, the voices of all past Avatars roaring with her. Aang's voice seemed especially prominent this time.

"I think not Avatar, I have other matters to attend to, as do you. I wouldn't bother though. Your so-called master is gone and soon, only true air benders will remain in this world!" Sao fully became wind at that moment and spun away into the sky. Korra caught just a fleeting glance of his other prisoners before he faded away completely.

She left the Avatar State immediately afterward and rushed over to the fallen Tenzin. Gathering every last bit of water she could, the Avatar pushed her healing abilities to the limit to save her mentor. She stopped after several minutes and was rewarded with the bittersweet sound of a weak heartbeat. Tenzin was alive, but just barely.

"You need more healers" Korra declared outloud "you need your mother and that means you need to get back to the city first. I'll get you there Tenzin ,just hold on!" The Avatar fought to keep her voice from breaking and she said this and reached for Tenzin's glider-staff, the only available mode of transport. A tear rolled down Korra's eyes as she effortlessly hefted Tenzin over her shoulder, popped out the glider's wings, and took to the air.

…

Down at the Republic City docks, the Red Monsoons Triad was duking it out with the Triple Theats aboard a cargo ship containing many valuable precious metals. Leading the assault for the Monsoons was their boss, Bretoka the Blizzard. Bretoka was a mountain of a man who was missing an eye and wore a necklace of genuine wolf teeth that he'd collected on hunting trips back home in the Northern Water Tribe. He was also a very skilled water bender who often boasted he could've gone toe to toe with Master Katara in her prime. Despite this and the fact that he was at his strongest on that moonlit night, he found himself being pushed to the limits against the fire benders that were being set against him and his thugs at that moment.

The Triple Threat Triad had become more organized and dangerous in recent weeks, their attacks on the Monsoons territory having been so destructive that Bretoka was forced to step in and personally deal with the situation. He hadn't expected their rivals to have actually become stronger as well.

Eventually, most of his thugs were beaten and the Water Tribe Triad boss was forced to use his secret weapon: blood bending. Unlike Zolt and the other Triad bosses who used to work under Yakone, Bretoka never feared his old boss' power, but coveted it. He had worked for years to achieve the level of skill Yakone had demonstrated with the forbidden technique but always came up short. He had however become adept at hiding the skill from the public. Even his own gang had no idea he could do it until just now.

As he forced the rogue fire benders to kneel before him, Bretoka began to interrogate the nearest one. "Okay punks, you've got five seconds to tell me why that little weasel-snake Viper broke our treaty. I practically raised him before he conned his way into Zolt's good graces!"

"It-it wasn't Viper, honest! I-it was…the-" "The who!?" Bretoka demanded "the Agni Kais!? Those has beens the Rumblers!?"

"Wrong on both counts my friend." Bretoka and his thugs turned to see a short looking and very pale man standing behind them. He was dressed in an expensive Water Tribe-style suit but his hair was very long and ragged. His eyes seemed to glow in the moon light.

"Who the Hell are you!? Bretoka demanded, attempting to cover up how much the man's appearance unnerved him "did you send these guys against me?"

The stranger bowed dramaticly. "Vladeku at your service and yes, I'm afraid so. My employer believes brutality is the only way to achieve our current goals but I've recently convinced her to try a diplomatic approach, albeit a little late. I'm sure a man of your obvious intelligence will see the sense in our proposition."

"And what sort of 'proposition' did you have in mind?" Bretoka growled out. Vledeku smiled then and the Triad boss could help but notice how sharp the man's teeth looked.

"My employer had recently begun assimilating the city's Triads into her own organization, the Dark Elements. The Triple Threats have consented and you are next on our list of selected recruits. I'd advise you not to refuse this opportunity as you'll be able to dominate the entire United Republic under our banner. Even the Avatar is but a minor obstacle to our plans."

Bretoka was silent for a moment, then began to chuckle. "Are you joking? We were united under Yakone once and he failed. When we tried to free him and start over, he ran. That's why the Triads exist today. What makes your boss think she can do any better? Consider your offer rejected. Waste him boys!"

The Monsoon thugs attacked without hesitation, lashing out at Vladeku with water whips on all sides. The mysterious man merely raised a hand and the whips turned to ice, shattering on the deck as they froze in mid-air. The thugs were shocked as no one should have been able to do what Vladeku had done. He looked at them with what almost looked like pity. "I can't say I'm not disappointed. I'd hoped one of you Triads would come quietly and prevent scenes like this, particularly since you were the only Triad to not lose members to Amon, but I suppose it was foolish to question Madame Xan's judgment in the first place."

So saying, Vladeku performed another miracle by thawing the frozen water whips and gathering them around him in the Octopus form but the tentacles were partially frozen and formed into scythes at the end. He attacked each Monsoon thug in rapid succession with this bizarre move and killed each one, causing blood to spill onto the deck. Bretoka then watched in horror as Vladeku bent the blood into his open mouth and licked his lips!

"WHAT ARE YOU!?" "More than you can possibly imagine." This was the exchange before Bretoka was attacked by Vladeku. The Triad boss proceed to blood bend the bizarre water bender to halt his assault and to his relief, the mystery man stopped short and began writhing in pain. "Heh, guess you're not as tough as you look huh?"

Suddenly, clouds covered the moon and Bretoka's blood bending left him, freeing Vladeku from his grip. "No!" "Oh…yes." The bizarre water bender's eyes suddenly widened and the Triad boss felt himself in an even stronger blood bending hold, levitating him high into the air.

"You can blood bend with your mind!? You're just like Yakone!" Bretoka gasped out "P…please, I'll join you! Just teach me to do what you do!"

Vladeku chuckled. "What I do cannot be taught and if you believe my offer is still on the table, you're sadly mistaken. However, you can still provide…a contribution to the cause." These were the last words Bretoka heard before he was levitated just inches from the Vladeku's face and the bizarre bender opened his mouth wide, sinking his fully exposed fangs into the Triad boss' neck.

Bretoka couldn't even scream before the blood and all other water in his body was drained out of him, leaving him a dehydrated corpse. Vladeku closed his eyes and allowed his new power to sink in. He could still feel the same rush he felt when he'd first received his gift from a dark spirit so many months ago, the gift to drain the power from every water bender through blood and increase his own abilities to beyond normal limits each time. The Red Monsoon thugs alone had given him abilities to mimic the infamous Yakone and now, he would be able resist any and all blood bending thanks to their leader. All this in exchange for being a powerless non-bender in daylight hours.

He was brought out of his revelry by his hired thugs, now free from Bretoka's blood bending. "What now boss? You just offed the Monsoons' leader and his best guys."

"They have other members" Vladeku said dismissively "they will surely fall in line after this. When that happens, we can move on to the Agni Kai Triad. Something tells me they will cooperate if what I've hear about these new air benders is true."

…

It was later that night when news of the prison incident was broadcast all around the city. This included one of the poorest neighborhoods where a single mother and her six year old son sat huddled in quit contemplation. "Mommy, aren't air benders supposed to be good?" Shui, the boy, asked his mother in a quiet voice "that's what Mrs. Otaku always says."

Mizu, Shui's mother, frowned deeply. "Your teacher isn't always right Shui" she said firmly "air benders may have seemed nice a hundred years ago, but they were dangerous like all benders. They're only using what the fire benders did to them back then to prove it now."

This answer didn't satisfy Shui. "But Mommy, how can all benders be bad? Don't healers make me feel better when I'm sick?"

"Yes" Mizu admitted reluctantly "but they ask far too much money and refuse to treat you if you can't pay, same as the fire benders who work the power plant. Don't you remember how it was when we were in New Yu Dao for a while?"

"That place had a lot of bad guys. It stunk" Shui said matter-of-factly. His mother gave a slight chuckle at his childish, yet entirely accurate statement. "Yes it did and all those bad guys were benders, weren't they?"

Shui seemed to consider this a moment and frowned. "Well…yeah but what about those other bad guys that couldn't bend?" This caught Mizu's attention. "Who are you talking about?"

"Those other bad guys with the goggles" Shui replied in a way that made it sound obvious "those Eqa..Eqaulugists. They can't bend and they're a buncha bullies."

"The word is 'Equalists' young man and they were not bullies!" Mizu snapped as she suddenly became angry "they saved everybody in Yu Dao and tried to do the same for this city! I never want to hear you speak badly of them again or defend benders! How can you be so stupid as to like people who took your father and everything else away from me!? DON'T YOU KNOW ABOUT HOW MUCH I'VE SACRIFICED FOR YOU!?"

The minute her voice rose, Mizu felt guilt bubble up in her stomach. She watched as tears overflowed her son's eyes and he began to tremble, his face a mix of hurt, confusion, and even a little fear. "Shui…sweetie, I'm sorry but-" "STAY AWAY!" The distraught boy shoved his mother away as she attempted to hug him and jumped off the couch, running to the safety of his room.

Once she was alone, Mizu heaved a great sigh. How was it possible for one person to fail so much? She had first failed at the age of seven when she played "War Heroes" with the boys in her village and lost because she couldn't beat "enemy soldiers" in either hand-to- hand combat or armed combat with no matter how hard she tried.

She decided to get stronger then and learn all she could from her father, who only gave her the knowledge because he believed she'd never use it. After weeks of training, she came back only to find her spot had been taken by a water bending girl who lived a few huts away from her.

Mizu was surprised that another girl had been allowed to join as the boys had made it clear to her that she was allowed only because of a shortage of players last time. "She's a water bender" was the boys' casual response "she's tougher than you are."

But the girl wasn't tougher and could just barely play the game. Surely then, Mizu had thought, they would give her a second chance now that she had improved. They didn't and never did for as long as the game was played.

She failed again when she came to Republic City at the age of sixteen in search of a job. Despite her considerable knowledge in herbs and remedies, she could never save patients' lives like the water benders she worked with and lost her job as a healer. Despite her considerable strength and skill with tools, she could never match an earth bender's skill in construction. Despite the fact that you didn't need bending to run maintenance on generators, a fire bender still beat her out a job in the power plant.

Her next failure came when starting a family. She met Shui at eighteen when both were being paid to help give the rising Equalist movement a voice in the public, making posters and the like. It was honest work and decent pay for a good cause, even if the selected public speaker was an annoying jerk.

Two years of dating and a harpoon wedding later, the two were struggling to support themselves and their newborn son. Every job they could get was denied them because benders could always do them better and more efficiently. It was a year later that Shui was forced to get a loan from the Red Monsoons and when he couldn't pay, they unleashed their cursed powers on him until he was in critical condition.

Mizu tried to treat his wounds with her own remedies but only a healer could save him from what had been done. Yet, none were willing if she couldn't pay and her husband died in her arms that night. She had once again failed because benders were above her in life and held power over her very existence.

It was on that day that Mizu officially joined the Equalists, working her way through the ranks over the years until she was noticed by Amon's right hand and finally, Amon himself. The masked man told her how the Revolution would soon begin and she had been trained by the Lieutenant himself to handle a crisis in New Yu Dao, where a syndicate called the Dark Elements held all non-benders in a grip of tyranny. She had moved herself and her son there inconspicuously and spent the next few months leading her own band of Equalists in driving them out. To protect her son, she had decided to keep her name hidden from her enemies as her mentor had done. But rather than abandon her given name altogether as the original Lieutenant seemed to have done, she chose the name "Veka" after a huntress from her favorite Water Tribe folk tale.

Back then, she had believed she was a true champion of equality. She defeated the Dark Elements and drove their leaders into hiding, triumphant over benders at last. Even when Amon was exposed, she believed he had still enabled non-benders like her to truly change the world. But now? Now, she could see that the Equalists were nothing but tools for benders like the Boulder and Amo-no, Noatak, to exploit for their own ends. They had beaten her like they always did and turned her son against her, causing her to fail as a mother.

With a sigh, she walked into her bedroom and sat down on her bed, pulling out a large box. Inside was the outfit she wore as Veka and her kai stick, destroyed beyond repair thanks to metal bending. She looked at the outfit for a moment before hurling it at the wall in disgust. What was the point!? Equality was just a dream, a myth that gave people like her false hope. She thought back to her comrades and how she promised revenge for their humiliation a short time ago. She knew they were out there, waiting for a call back to action that would never come because their so-called leader had realized the truth. She didn't care about them though. All she cared about was Shui, her only son who bore the name of the man she loved, and surviving with hum. When you couldn't bend, survival was all you had.

…

Shui continued to lie on his bed and sob a good while after his mommy yelled at him. Was what she said true? Were all benders bad guys? Were they the reason he didn't have a daddy?

With a sniffle, he wiped some tears on the back of his hand and paused to look at them for a moment before waving his hand over them. Instantly, the tears rose from his hand and he gathered them into a small ball that floated before him like a bubble. This was the trick he learned to do before leaving New Yu dao, the one he could never show his mommy. He didn't want to be a bad guy after all.

AN: UGH! I can't believe it took me an entire season of LoK to do this, but here it is! I want to think all my supporters and say I hope you're still with me because things are just heating up. On a final note, Book 3 was awesome until the very end. Seriously Bryke, leave Korra alone!