反射
Book 1.5: Reflections
Chapter 12: The Avatar Returns: Part II
Winter was approaching its end in the United Republic of Nations. However, in contrast to the sunny weather of the previous day, the pale morning sky was pockmarked with grey and white clouds. The small amount of winter snow which had fallen had long been reduced to a grimy slush beneath the repetitions of shoes and Satomobile tyres.
Despite the decisive chill in the air, a large crowd was gathered before City Hall, chattering excitedly. They had all heard the rumours that the Avatar had returned, and was about to give a press conference in the next few minutes.
Questions were abound. Did she really defeat Amon? Where had she been all this time? What was she going to do about the Equalist and triad uprisings? Reporters and journalists readied their pens, notepads and flash-bulb cameras in eager anticipation.
The main entrance to City Hall was still heavily damaged from the Equalist attack the previous day, but its doors had finally been cleared of the rubble. The young Avatar stood inside the foyer, fretting on the top landing of a large and ornate staircase which led to the upper levels of the building. It was the same staircase where Tarrlok had thrown her to the wolves at the gala he was holding "in her honour", and had the press bully her into joining his task-force against the Equalists.
Only this time, she was ready for what was waiting for her at the bottom of those steps.
She made no attempt to hide her identity with a trench-coat and hat, and was instead dressed in her regular Water Tribe clothes. Her hair was done up in its usual style with the wolf-tail and twin pigtails. No more disguises.
No more hiding.
"Five minutes until the press conference, Avatar Korra," came the nasally voice of the primly-dressed council page, his short and whiting hair hidden beneath a tall hat.
She nodded in thanks, and the wiry public servant brought his palms together in a servile gesture, spectacles sliding down his nose, before moving off. Nobody knew how he had managed to retain the title of 'Council Page', given that the United Republic Council had been dissolved, but everyone figured that they had more important matters to worry about right now.
"Is everything alright, Korra?"
The seventeen year-old turned to see Tenzin climbing the stairs to join her on the landing. She flashed him the most confident smile she could muster, given that her stomach was twisted up like a knot, and she was practically bouncing on the balls of her feet in anxiety.
She was going to make her first public statement since the revolution. And not as an airbender, but as the Avatar.
"I'm fine," she tried to assure him.
"Are you nervous?"
She took a breath to try and calm her racing nerves. "A bit, I guess."
"Don't be," Tenzin said warmly. "I'll be here to support you every step of the way."
Korra appreciated her teacher's gesture. Despite how unprepared she felt about what was to come, she knew there was no other alternative. She was the Avatar. She never stopped being the Avatar, even after Amon had taken her bending away. Korra knew her duties to the world, and correcting the imbalance in Republic City was one of them. This city, and all of its problems, was her responsibility.
"One minute until the press conference, Avatar Korra."
She took a deep breath and made her way down the stairs to where the council page was waiting for them. The doors were opened out onto the front steps of City Hall, the din of the crowd gathered in the plaza outside drifting through them.
Tenzin offered her an encouraging smile, although he was wary of what she was getting herself into. The Equalists were out for blood, and doing this would only make Korra a target again. She was about to re-enter a political whirlpool of cunning, conniving and scheming, and would have to contend with the separate agendas of the Provisional Government and its ministers, and the war that threatened to tear Republic City apart.
He remembered the idealistic and naïve young woman who had turned up on his doorstep from the Southern Water Tribe several months ago, only to see her manipulated and attacked by Tarrlok, Amon, the Equalists and the very people she had sworn to protect. He knew she was wiser now, but there was still so much innocence about her, and he was worried that she would lose herself.
Tenzin swore to himself that he would be by her side through all of this. He would protect her.
Beams of light streamed through the windows into the brothers' apartment as the sun peaked out from behind the pall of clouds that hung in the sky. A chorus of trumpets and clarinets blared out from the speaker of the radio sitting on the coffee-table, while Bolin clattered about in the cramped kitchenette.
"Come on, Mako!" he called. "Breakfast is ready!"
"In a minute!" his brother's voice called from behind the bathroom door.
The stocky earthbender shrugged, picked up his plate and made his way over to the sofa. As he bit into a pumpkin bau, savouring the sweet taste of its orange filling, he pondered what he could do for the day.
The Pro-Bending Arena was still closed for repairs, and job hunting was as abysmal as it had been in the past few weeks. With all the chaos within the city, it was no wonder the job market was slow, and shop owners reluctant to hire new staff. Mako assured him that it was fine – that he was pulling enough shifts at the power-plant to cover the rent – but that did nothing to lessen Bolin's guilt. He wanted to pull his weight.
"What do you say, Pabu?" he said, feeding bits of bau to the red striped ferret. "You reckon if we pull off some fancier street tricks, we could make some more money?"
The furry animal chirped in response, before curling up in the boy's lap and falling asleep.
"Okay, you get your beauty rest, and then it's practise time. No excuses."
It was not just the money problem which had him worried. In the past two weeks, the Dragon Flats borough had become the site of the latest turf war between the Agni Kai and Triple Threat triads. Despite a heavier police presence on the streets, scuffles and skirmishes often broke out between triad benders in the back alleys and grimy corners of the neighbourhood as the firebending triad pushed to oust the other gang.
Violence and territorial wars were cropping up all over the city between the Triple Threats and the other two major crime syndicates, only adding to the chaos as the police and the United Forces battled the Equalists.
The worst attack he had witnessed was only in the previous week, when he had been walking home to see a group of men in the street outside an apartment complex. All of them had been dressed in identical black clothes, face-masks, hoods and straw conical hats. All were lined up in front of the building, spaced evenly apart. When they settled into firebending stances, Bolin's eyes widened when he realised what was happening. But before he could do anything, the entire building erupted into flames, and the Agni Kai firebenders vanished into the twilight like wraiths. Fortunately for the residents, the apartment building was right next to the canal, and the waterbenders of the Fire Department had responded quickly.
The green-eyed teen sighed and settled back into the couch, feeling the rough fabric through his dirty white vest. Of all the work he and his brother had done for the triads in the past, they had never gotten involved in turf wars. He felt shame when he remembered being desperate enough to follow Shady Shin back to the Triple Threat headquarters all those months ago for a job. Perhaps getting kidnapped by the Equalists had been a blessing in disguise – he certainly had no further thoughts of going back to the triads after that night.
The bathroom door finally opened, and Mako nodded at him as he came out. Things had been slightly awkward between the two brothers ever since the incident with Korra and Asami at the restaurant. But a hot breakfast was at stake, so Bolin swallowed his pride and held up the cold turkey-duck skewer left on his plate with a pleading look. His older brother smirked as he took it, holding it over a flame he nursed in his palm.
"There you go," he said, handing it back.
"Thanks," Bolin said eagerly, biting into the meat and getting up to put his plate in the sink. "You got work today?"
"In the afternoon."
"Oh, that's good. You have time, then." Seeing his brother's questioning look, the earthbender teen continued, "I was thinking of going to see Korra at the island today. It'd be a perfect time for you to come and apologise."
"Bolin…" Mako frowned, pinching his nose irritably. "I'll go see her. Just… stop pestering me, alright?"
The younger man opened his mouth to reply, but paused when he noticed what was being said on the radio.
"…is here to deliver her first public address since Amon's downfall," a man's voice was saying. "Please welcome the Avatar."
Speak of the devil…
The sound of roaring cheers could be heard through the speaker, before someone spoke over the cacophony of noise.
"Hello, Republic City," came the nervous flutters of a very familiar voice over the radio, her tone clear but unsure. "I am… Avatar Korra."