Keeping Hope:
"The last war we had on this scale was the Hundred Years War. When my father was young, Firelord Ozai waged his war against everyone who was not part of the Fire Nation. Our nation was destroyed a hundred years earlier, the Water Tribes were all but defeated and only the Earth Kingdom stood strong. One day, however, even Ba Sing Se fell as a result of Princess Azula's trickery and cunning. She nearly killed my father and almost won the war."
"Mister Tenzin, sir, how did Avatar Aang win?"
"With the help of his friends, of course. My father was a great man and an incredible Avatar, yet nobody can save the world alone. That's why, if Avatar Jahn ever returns from the spirit world, we must be ready to assist him in restoring peace to the world."
The Airbender child sniffed. "That's good. It's good to have friends. Like Ralsey!" he said, holding up a young flying lemur.
"Wh-what? How did you get that lemur in here?" Tenzin asked incredulously. "No animals in the classroom!"
"Aww!" the little boy moaned, placing the lemur through the doorway and looking sadly over his shoulder as he walked back to his cushion. Ralsey the lemur sat in the doorway until Tenzin looked away, before creeping back into the room quietly.
Tenzin sniffed, control now back in his hands. "Now, Aana, would you like to tell the class how Avatar Korra prevented the Earth Empire from taking over Republic City?"
Aana stood up and walked to the front of the small class. She looked around nervously, taking a deep breath in. "She went…WOOSH and CRASH and then the robot went ARGH and Kuvira said NEVER and then Korra used the vines and then she made a pretty spirit portal and then everyone was happy again!" she said, acting out every word with a dramatic movement to emphasise the point.
Everyone was silent. After a few seconds, all the Airbender children were laughing, making Tenzin pinch the bridge of his noise in impatience. "Alright, alright! Class dismissed! I knew early morning lessons were never going to work…" he muttered to himself.
As the children all filed out, Aana went to give her grandfather a hug. "I'm sorry grandfather. It's just nice to keep everyone laughing, y'know?" she said with a faint smile.
Tenzin sighed. "You're right, Aana," he finally conceded. "Laughter is just as valuable as knowledge sometimes. I just wish you wouldn't be so immature all the time. Maybe you should think about taking a leaf out of your brother's book."
"Grandfather, I don't even think the sun is up yet. I'm toooo sleepy!" Aana complained, pretending to faint dramatically.
Before Tenzin could respond, an elderly gentleman stepped into the room. "Master Tenzin, Master Jinora is back. Thought you'd like to know," he said, nodding his head slightly.
Tenzin's face lit up. "Ah, excellent. Thank you Shinori, I shall be right out."
Aana jumped off the floor with a burst of Airbending propelling her to her feet. "They're back!? Yippee! Come on Shortsnout!" she cried, running from the room. From a small alcove in the rocky ceiling, a yellow dragonfly-bunny spirit whirred its wings and followed her out of the room.
"I don't know why you let her keep that thing around," Shinori mumbled.
Tenzin sniffed, making his way across the room. "Firstly, I don't not let Aana keep him; Shortsnout goes where he wants. Spirits are no man's property. Secondly, it's important to remind everyone that, like humans, not all spirits are fighting in this war."
"But they're the ones going round killing everyone!" Shinori exclaimed angrily.
"Not true. Has Shortsnout attacked anyone since we've been here? No. The other spirits in here are friendly, or else our location would no longer be a secret," the Airbender responded.
The elderly man snorted. He flicked a pebble from his hand with Earthbending, sending it clattering against the wall. "Why are you all even hiding down here? We Earthbenders are ideal for this place but you Air Nation…shouldn't you all be helping people round the world?"
Tenzin pouted slightly. "Well, yes, in an ideal world, we would indeed be out assisting all those hurt in this war. As it stands, however, we must conserve our strength until Avatar Jahn returns. I will not risk any more of the new Air Nation; we respect the spirits and do not wish to harm then, but some of the spirits don't take too kindly to our presence. We lost ten of our best Airbenders in the first few days."
"Oh. Well, I guess staying here a little while longer ain't too bad. I mean, when was the last time all four nations lived together in a massive underground labyrinth without fighting, eh?" Shinori chuckled, clapping Tenzin on the back and left the room, wheezing to himself. Tenzin gritted his teeth and straightened his robe. Plenty had asked him about the choices he'd made. He'd told them the same story, which seemed to work just fine. He had told nobody about the choice Jahn had made. Tenzin knew they wouldn't understand but keeping that secret was proving to be a tough challenge.
Sleep called to him, despite his early morning meditation. Teaching the class this early had certainly been a mistake. When he was younger, it was far easier to stay awake, but his age was catching up to him. His children were helping, yet the mantle of responsibility had fallen yet again on his shoulders once the war had begun.
Tenzin made his way to the Air Nation quarters. They took up the vast majority of the inner chambers, having been the first chambers carved out. Before long, refugees from all nations had arrived and created a small society, dominated mostly by the Air Nation. Small torches flickered as he passed, feeling curious as to the lack of people around.
He entered his quarters, furnished considerably compared to some of the other rooms around. Like all rooms, it was supported by a crude rocky pillar, so that his room was spread around the central column. All sat around a chipped table against the far wall was his family. Jinora placed a gentle kiss on Kai's lips before smiling at Meelo's disgusted reaction. Ikki placed her hands over her heart, making a soft 'aww' sound as her partner gently placed his arm round her shoulders. Aana was sat talking with a young man who kept pushing his glasses up his nose, pointing towards a book he was clearly trying to read without any distractions.
As he moved towards them, an arm linked with his. Pema rested her head gently against Tenzin's shoulder, smiling gently. "How was class?" she asked sleepily.
"Well we finished early. I believe that says everything. How are you this morning, Pema?" Tenzin asked his wife, hugging her tightly.
"Oh, I'm fine, except I'm now an old woman still being woken by her children who are too old for these games," she said in an exasperated tone.
"Mum, you're just cranky because you've had to get up early. It's not fair to take it out on us," a young man complained from behind the column. Rohan had grown considerably; now a man full-grown, he was a perfect blend of Jinora's sensibility and Meelo's unlimited enthusiasm for anything remotely fun. In truth, Tenzin was reminded of his father more by Rohan than any of his other children.
"Well, I'm just glad your Uncle Bumi has the sense to sleep in a while longer yet. I couldn't deal with his antics on top of yours," Pema said with a wry look on her face.
Tenzin walked over to the table and embraced Jinora tightly. "I'm so glad you're back safe. Happy birthday, sweetheart," he said with a smile.
Jinora smiled back. "Thanks Dad. I heard you've been torturing my children since I left?" she smirked, well aware of how important Tenzin's teachings were.
"Actually, Grandfather's lessons have been extremely useful. I learnt all about how Guru Rashii once calmed a violent spirit simply by…" Jinora's son Ioran began to say, before a loud raspberry sound silenced him.
"Boring! You sound like Uncle Bumi, but without all the fun stories!" Meelo laughed.
Ioran frowned, clutching his book tightly. Aana chuckled, laughing even harder when Meelo pulled a face at her.
"Why did we ever grant you those tattoos?" Tenzin moaned. Meelo shrugged, running his hand over his smooth head along the blue arrow to his forehead. "No idea but they make me look super awesome. I'm the greatest Airbender ever!" he exclaimed.
"Anyway…" Tenzin muttered, trying to get back to Jinora. "What happened on your mission? Were you attacked? You were gone the entire night."
Jinora blushed. "Erm, Kai and I…had some…erm…spirits attacked and um..."
"They got it on!" Meelo shouted loudly.
"MEELO SHUT UP!" Pema shouted loudly, blushing as well. Her son simply cackled loudly, ignoring everyone's uncomfortable looks.
Jinora looked around. "Erm, where is Kai anyway?" she asked, determined to change the subject.
"Ahem. Ah. He's, uh, busy. With…um, a thing," Tenzin said awkwardly, thrown completely by Meelo's comment.
Pema sat herself down on a cushion, a hand to her forehead. "He's just sorting out a present for you, I think. Best leave him alone until later, you know how men are with their plans," she said, earning a genuine laugh from Jinora, Ikki and Aana and frowns from everyone else.
"Ah, ok. Oh, did you all know Bolin is here?" Jinora said, pleased with the cheers of happiness from her family. "Yeah, he's here for my birthday."
"And to see Opal, no doubt. It's been too long since they saw each other," Pema said quietly.
"Well that's no surprise. Opal's been all over the place, looking for her mother and aunt. We haven't heard from either of them since the war began," Rohan said with a displeased expression.
There was a short silence as they all considered the implications. There was every chance they'd never hear from Su or Lin again.
"Hey, speaking of people we haven't heard from, any news about Jahn?" Ikki asked hopefully.
Tenzin shook his head. "No. Not yet. In fact, I need a private word with Jinora about Jahn. If you all don't mind…" he said, leaving the sentence hanging.
The only person to move was Ioran, who immediately stood up. The others all just stared at Tenzin blankly.
"…leaving the room," Tenzin finished weakly. His family all sat for a second before Ikki realised. "Oh, everyone, we need to leave please! Nice orderly fashion now!" she said, clapping her hands twice and whisking everyone to their feet with a small assist from some Airbending. They all exited, Meelo teasing Ioran about his book as they went.
Tenzin sat down in one of the two chairs in the room, noting how oddly warm it was after Meelo had just left. "Oh surely not…" he mumbled in horror. He tentatively sniffed and Jinora laughed. "It's safe, Dad. He's just constantly running hot," she explained.
"What a relief. I had enough of that when he was a child. Listen Jinora, I'm sorry to talk about such serious matters with you today, sweetheart, but I need to know if you saw anything suspicious out at the Eastern Air Temple," Tenzin said seriously, running a hand over his smooth head.
Jinora shook her head. "Nothing. A few spirit birds came this way just as we left but nothing to worry about."
"And the Avatar statues?"
"Still glowing nicely. Know what it means yet?" Jinora asked. The Avatar statues, found in every Air Temple, were broken and few in number. A few weeks ago, however, the remaining statues' eyes had begun to glow slightly, illuminating the entire chamber in the Temple. Jinora had not been the one to discover this, yet had requested to continuously check on the statues herself once she had heard.
Tenzin shrugged. "I have no idea. I can only assume it has something to do with Jahn but until he returns, I cannot say."
Jinora stared at the table, deep in thought. "He will come back, right? I know he was banished from Republic City but you don't think he thought they meant from…everywhere?"
Her father stroked his beard, which had grown longer since their exile underground. "I'm sure he knows he can return whenever he wants. I think the problem is simply getting through a portal. Jahn will find us when he's able," he said with confidence.
Jinora nodded. "What about everyone else? I tried to keep Tilia here but…"
"Ah, she was never going to stay quiet forever. That girl is more confident than she's aware. Am I right in assuming there is something between Jahn and Tilia?" Tenzin asked.
Jinora nodded again. "Yeah I think so, although their relationship is probably more strained than Bolin and Opal's at the moment. Jahn had to leave her behind and I don't think she took it well."
"She's more than capable of looking after herself. Anik is with her too, don't forget. We're stronger with loved ones around. Isn't that precisely why Kazon returned home to his family almost immediately?" Tenzin said wisely.
"Exactly. I just feel as though Kazon rushed home to defend his family and even though I did the same, we just ran and now we're useless…" his daughter whispered.
"We're never useless, Jinora. Even when we have our bad days, we can still help make someone else's day a little brighter. I was speaking to Shinori earlier about this, actually," Tenzin said, remembering the conversation. "We're just waiting until we can get back to work, helping the world recover. We're not fighters."
"Speak for yourself Dad," Jinora said with a smile, but she felt suddenly sad. She brushed away a tear with her sleeve, putting her hand on Tenzin's. "I'm just glad you're still here with me," Jinora said sincerely.
"Thanks to Jahn," Tenzin conceded. "I haven't forgotten the sacrifice he made. I know my father would have done the same thing, and I like to think that Korra would have certainly done so as well. Whilst I may not agree with his choice, I cannot be ungrateful for Jahn saving my life. When the time comes, I shall help him with whatever he requires of me."
Jinora squeezed her father's hand tightly. "If that day ever comes, I'll be right there with you. We all will be. As a family."
"How on earth do we get through that!?"
"We don't. We go around and hope we get lucky," Mako said, pointing at the nearest building. It was covered in spirit vines, crumbled and derelict. The swarm of spirits had grown even larger during their time underground. Something was riling them up. Something worthy of notice.
As it was, the group decided to make the most of the distraction. Whatever was happening certainly had Mako's interest, yet Lin had given the order. Even though he was technically in charge, there was no denying Beifong. She led the other half of the group, circling around to the east. Mako and his small squad were also circling, although further afield. They thought it best to split into two teams to avoid detection. If they were spotted, numerous spirits would converge on their position within seconds. That wasn't a fight they could win.
"Down, quick!" Mako whispered in a hurried voice. A huge spider-crab spirit was scuttling over some debris ahead; it had suddenly lurched sideways so that they were directly in its line of sight. After a few tense seconds, it turned to the side and hurried on towards the portal.
"Phew," Denn sighed. "Where to, sir?"
Mako flicked his hand twice and motioned forward. He crept forwards slowly, his knees already aching from the sheer amount of crouching he was doing. They made it to the corner of the building without any more interruptions; all four of them craned their necks round to see what awaited them.
The street was empty. A few leaflets and lanterns were buffeted around in the wind, yet there were no signs of people or spirits. Mako signalled to move forward and his team ran past, staying close to the shadows of the buildings. Future Industries Tower lay ahead, still standing strong despite the destruction around. Asami's office had become the beacon for all of her company: a single, resolute statue of defiance which had stood against Kuvira and survived, just as her company would resist any competition. In the open space at the foot of the tower, a large glossy black statue of Korra warded off any threats, long after she'd gone.
"Bolin's finest work…" Mako muttered as they approached it. The sprint across to the statue would be nerve-wracking but once they reached Korra, it would be fine. Lin and her team should be approaching from the side of the building around the same time.
"Your brother made that?" Denn marvelled, unable to help himself as he shuffled low along the floor.
Mako nodded. "Yeah, he started making it pretty much as soon as we left the hospital when Korra…ahem. Anyway, let's move. Beifong will be grumpy if we're late."
They all huddled together, watching the skies for any spirits. After a few seconds, it was apparent the skies were clear, so they launched into the open, running hard for the tower's base.
As they passed the statue, Mako couldn't help but notice that, despite the carnage the angry spirits had wrought to this portion of the city, Korra was untouched. Could it be that even now, the spirits still respected the Avatar that much?
The doorway to the tower was partially blocked by huge chunks of stone. Mako immediately clambered up on one, his back to the doorway in case they were followed. Nothing.
"Psst, Mako. Get off there so I can get us inside," an irritable voice came from the side. Mako shrugged and climbed down slowly, aware of Beifong and her team creeping round the corner.
"This'll get noisy…" Denn whispered. Together, he and Beifong shifted their weight and lifted slowly with their arms. The rubble shifted and cracked, splitting apart and rumbling as the stones were pushed to the side with Earthbending. After a minute, the doorway was clear.
"Good job," Rella whispered. Mako disapproved of having any non-benders on the mission, yet she seemed desperate to come. She'd fought with them the entire way here, defending herself with just a knife. Whatever knife it was, it seemed to cut through spirits like butter.
"How do we get into the vaults?" Denn asked as Mako ignited a flame in his hand. One of the men behind them followed suit. Together, they waved their hands around, illuminating the dark lobby. Mako didn't really have an answer; it was Kanro and Beifong that had been planning this all week.
"Alright Kanro, we're inside. The entrance to the vaults are round the back, correct?" Beifong suddenly said. They all jumped, wondering who she was talking to, as Kanro had remained in the secret safehouse.
Lin made some more confirming noises, apparently listening to something, before she came to her senses and looked at them all. "What? Oh. You don't know about the earpiece. A portable short-range radio right in my ear. One of Future Industries' prototypes."
"Whoa," the group all gasped in awe. "How did you get that?" Mako frowned. Such an invention would be incredibly useful.
"Raided it when I first got here. How else do you think I found out about the cannon?" Beifong said with a scowl. "Now quit your blabbering, we have work to do. Kanro's keeping an eye on the spirits while we work but we don't have long. Through there, to the back and keep left," she said, pointing at a metal shutter at the far end of the lobby.
"Is she always like this?" Rella asked Mako extremely quietly as they walked through the deserted room.
Mako didn't say anything but his face said it all. Rella rolled her eyes and sighed under her breath.
"I saw that," Beifong said, still looking straight ahead.
Before either of them could protest, the Firebender assisting Mako turned his head. "Excuse me, Chief Beifong. What's the plan here? We get the cannon, somehow get it back to the front lines and then? Wait for the Avatar to come back and save us? We can't just expect him to fix it alone."
Lin turned. "You know what the Avatar is or isn't capable of? You're best friends with him?" she asked sarcastically.
The man shook his head. "No ma'am. I sparred with him once but he didn't seem in the best way. I just mean that if he returned, maybe it won't be such a simple fix."
"Sho-tahn, just drop it," Mako ordered, hoping the Firebender wouldn't push it for his own sake. He nodded, staying silent, keeping Lin satisfied.
They made their way through the tower's ground floor, eventually coming across a flight of stairs leading below ground. Mako took point with Beifong, lighting their way, whilst Beifong removed any metal doors and barriers in their way with ease.
"Kanro, I'm losing you slightly. This earpiece doesn't work below ground. Try not…I just said, it's breaking up," Lin said, pressing her ear with two fingers. "We'll be fine. If anything happens upstairs, just make a lot of noise and we'll move. You're used to flapping your gums so that shouldn't be a problem for you," she snapped before pressing a button on her earpiece and pointing ahead. "Door to the left. The cannon is four stories below and it's been dismantled."
"That'll make it easier to move for sure!" Rella said happily.
Lin gave her a disgusted look. "Where did you find this detective?" she asked Mako sarcastically.
"Excuse me, I'm not as stupid as that! I just meant it'll make our lives easier. Jeez, do you have to be such a bitch all the time!?" Rella replied angrily. Mako immediately flinched visibly, edging away from Beifong, who had frozen in place.
"Yeah. Something I learnt from my mother," Lin responded without turning round. Her voice was hard and cold.
Sho-tahn's flame flickered as he gestured quickly. "Hey, stop fighting and look there! Was that a tail?"
He was right. An orange bushy tail had just vanished around the doorway they were aiming for. Mako made for it quickly, determined to find out what was inside with them. As he leapt round the corner, his flame illuminated the small room inside. In one corner, a few boxes were stacked up with documents spilling out. A small fox was rummaging around in one of these boxes, sniffing around for something in particular. When it realised it had company, the fox jumped backwards and sat quietly in the centre of the room, curious.
"It's a fox. Just…a fox. How weird is that?" Denn said. "It's not a hybrid, how strange," he chuckled, observing the fox with an amazed expression.
"Vermin," Lin muttered, detaching her metal whip with a flick of her fingers.
Mako threw his arm out sideways. "Wait. I think Tenzin's daughter once told us about these. Knowledge-seekers."
"It's a spirit?" Rella asked, immediately grabbing her knife.
The Firebender frowned at her. "I think so, but it doesn't necessarily make it an enemy. All the spirits up there could be friendly, for all we know, but it isn't worth risking it just to meet an enemy. Pretty sure these little guys aren't harmful though."
The fox continued to watch them, its head cocked to the side as it listened in.
"Is it listening? Is it a spy!?" Rella asked sharply. The war had made both sides distrustful of each other, so it was a pleasant surprise for Mako to encounter a spirit which was content to just sit and do nothing.
"Mako, she has a point. We can't let this thing up on the surface in case it brings everything down on us," Denn said. Lin nodded in agreement. "Even the dunderhead has the right idea," she muttered.
Mako shook his head. "If there's one thing I learnt from my time travelling with Korra, it's that sometimes your enemy can be your greatest asset. Hey, little guy. I…um, we're looking for a big spirit cannon. I don't suppose you can lead us to it?" he asked, realising just how stupid he must sound to the group.
The fox was still for a moment. Eventually, it wagged its tail and seemed to smile. Standing, it trotted over to a hatch in the floor and pawed it. Lin ripped the metal hatch off its hinges with one swipe of her hand, leaving a gaping hole in the floor. The knowledge-seeker descended into the gloom, apparently walking on air. As Mako approached, he noticed a small flight of stairs leading down. How far down did Asami bury this thing? Remembering the sheer destructive power of that giant mecha-suit all those years ago, Mako had to agree with the precautions.
"Come on," he said, beckoning over his shoulder. The Firebender descended carefully, unable to keep the flame steady as the stairs were so steep, he had to hold onto the handrail. He could hear the others following above him, complaining about the dark. Something didn't feel right here, although Mako couldn't explain what.
His feet touched flat ground and he nearly fell over, surprised at the end of the stairs. Behind him, he heard Beifong chuckle. "Smooth," she joked, somewhere in the dark. Mako blushed, glad the others hadn't seen.
"Everyone down yet?" Mako asked, igniting a flame once again. As soon as the light burst forth from his hand, glowing eyes appeared ahead. Mako stepped back, stepping on someone's foot.
"Ow!" Sho-tahn complained, but Mako waved his hand. The eyes were watching silently, at least twelve all around.
"Light switch on the wall. I've got it," Beifong said behind them, stamping her foot. Somewhere to their left, a click echoed throughout the frozen silence. Above, lights flickered weakly and eventually turned on, a few flashing due to lack of power. All around, foxes were watching them as the first knowledge-seeker walked over to them happily.
"Erm, what?" Denn asked, concerned.
"Humans?" one of the foxes asked, larger than the others. Intelligence shone in its eyes, yet it still appeared to be just a fox. "What are you doing here?"
Mako raised his hands. "Hey, we just got lost," he lied, hoping to avoid any confrontation. They were outnumbered; it wasn't worth the risk. Looking around, his mouth opened in amazement. Huge mecha-suits stood dormant against the walls, surrounded by crates of various broken technology and paperwork. This seemed to be where Asami's engineers designed and created new technology.
"Lies. We can tell when humans lie," the fox said, swishing its tail. "You came here for something, the same as us. Tell us."
"We came for the spirit cannon!" Rella shouted defiantly, unaware of Mako's attempts at a peaceful discussion.
The foxes around all hissed, their fur standing on end. "Why? To destroy us? You humans never learn!" the leader said.
Mako shook his head. "No, no, no! We just wanted to…um…uh…" he mumbled, incapable of thinking of an excuse.
"We wanted to see if there was any way to destroy it, so neither side could use it in this war," Lin said quickly, her face deadly serious.
Before the fox could respond, an ominous creaking echoed around them. Dust fell from the ceiling, covering them in a thin layer. The foxes all looked nervous, ready to run. The leader noticed, exhibiting the same behaviour. It finally turned back to them and looked at Lin, trying to read her face. "You are too late. Our master, Wan Shi Tong, desired the cannon as a replica of the blueprints we found for him. We have delivered in piece by piece through the portal."
"Why did the big owl want the cannon!?" Mako asked in disbelief. The fox sniffed in disdain.
"I am not privy to Wan Shi Tong's motives. He asks us to seek knowledge, we seek it. He asks us to bring it back, we do so. I can only imagine it is to understand the nature of how it operates. Now, humans, shall we discuss this all day or shall we wait for this building to collapse?" the fox asked in a nonchalant tone.
They all looked around, aware of the creaking. It was a dull booming, echoing throughout the underbelly of the tower. They were well below the ground, yet if the tower came down, they would be buried completely.
"The fluffball is right. The mission is scrubbed. Get back upstairs and back to the safehouse," Lin ordered, stepping aside so the others could pass. Rella and Denn nodded, leading the way. The others followed until Mako and Lin were left.
"Hey, spirit fox guy, stay safe," Mako said sincerely. The larger fox twitched its tail distrustfully but nodded. The foxes all turned back to scavenging through the boxes, clearly after something.
"Oh stop with the mushy crap and let's go," Lin said, rolling her eyes. They quickly made their way up the stairs, Mako in the lead, finding it far easier to navigate now he could see. They spiralled upwards, making for the doorway at the top. As soon as they reached halfway, however, there was a loud cracking sound from above. They turned their heads, watching in horror as a huge metal beam crashed down to the floor, nearly flattening the knowledge-seekers. The ceiling buckled startlingly, the metal sheets all popping loose and falling down.
"Mako, go!" Lin shouted as the ceiling ruptured. An almighty roaring surrounded them as the room collapsed. The foxes all shot past their feet, moving far faster than they could. Mako ran up the stairs, feeling his legs burn intently with the effort. Finally, he dived through the doorway and landed heavily on the floor. Rella helped him to his feet as Lin stumbled through. Her hair was covered in dust and her right arm seemed to be hurt slightly. She held it tightly, frowning as the others asked how she was. "I'm fine, get off me. That place is bust. Stairs went down as I got to the top, had to pull myself up but that damn rubble got me," she said, gritting her teeth.
Lin suddenly threw her good arm up to her ear, pulling a face as she ignored the pain in her other shoulder. She took the earpiece from her ear and held it in her open palm. Static could be heard loudly from the device, a voice barely shouting through it. Lin held it up, trying to find a better signal.
"Here, let me," Sho-tahn said, taking it gently from Lin. He held it up nearly twice as high as she was able, stretching himself fully to do so. Within a few seconds, Kanro's voice shouted loudly through the earpiece.
"LIN!? LIN!"
"We're here, Kanro. What is it?" Mako shouted up to the device.
"It's the portal! Something's happened! Bloody tremors, like an earthquake, coming from it! It's destroyed half of the safehouse!"
Mako frowned, before his eyes went wide in horror. What had the spirits done?
Rocks fell from the ceiling, breaking through the metal sheeting that covered the internal wires and plumbing. Sparks flew as the wires snapped and twisted, bursting into flame as they encountered the water from the broken pipes. Now they were closer to ground, they could feel the tremors themselves. It was shaking Future Industries Tower to its core.
"Lin, get out! NOW!" Kanro yelled through the static.
They were frozen for a second, before Mako pointed at the stairway quickly. "GO!" he shouted.
The group didn't wait around to be told twice. They sprinted for the stairs as fast as possible. Mako hesitated, aware that Lin could not run with her bad arm. Before he could do anything, however, Sho-tahn had grabbed Lin round her waist and had thrown her over his shoulder.
Mako was stunned. He watched Sho-tahn run past, apologising profusely as Beifong screamed insults over his shoulder. He was aware of the danger, yet he'd rather face a collapsing tower than doing that to Beifong.
The Firebender snapped to it. It was Bolin's birthday soon and he needed to be there for it. He couldn't very well attend if he was buried under metres of rubble. Fire burst from his feet as Mako propelled himself forward, jumping up the stairs five at a time. Around him, the walls were cracking and splintering, breaking apart at the seams. Mako yelled as he felt his chest tear, unable to get enough air as he sprinted after the others.
A gigantic chasm instantly ripped through the floor, creating a gap which widened with every second. Sho-tahn just jumped it, landing heavily with Beifong. The lobby was ruined, a worsening wreck with every moment. Mako did not slow; he hit the chasm at a dead sprint, flinging himself into the air with his firebending. He sailed across the gap and across the lobby, crashing through a glass doorway and out into the open.
A hand grabbed his, yanking him to his feet. Mako inhaled deeply, feeling his lungs stretch with the blissful gulp of fresh oxygen. Before he could take a second, the hand had pulled him into another run. One of the women in his group, Min-li, was pulling him away from the tower, now leaning precariously to the side. They ran past Korra's statue, mere metres away when from behind them the tower groaned loudly.
The ground floor simply snapped. The entire tower, weakened by months of battle, now came crashing down to the floor, sending titanic plumes of smoke and dust billowing out in every direction. Entire portions of the tower came hurtling down around them as the sprinted away. When the dust hit them, they were all knocked off their feet, flying across the street.
The roaring continued for a few minutes until it subsided into a low subsonic rumble. After a few tense heartbeats, Mako brushed the rubble off his head and looked up. Future Industries Tower, along with Korra, was gone. Looking around blearily, he noticed the entire group emerging from the wreckage. Mako sighed in relief. Even Beifong was safe, albeit absolutely fuming at her loss of dignity.
"LIN!" Mako shouted, aware his hearing was impaired. "BEIFONG!" he corrected, hoping she would forgive his lapse of manners, given what they had just endured.
They all gathered together slowly, picking their way through the rubble. The street was in an even worse state than they were; it appeared as though all buildings around had suffered some damage due to the tremors.
"CAN YOU GIVE ME THE EARPIECE PLEASE!?" Mako shouted, barely able to hear his own voice. Beifong recoiled at his voice, saying something too quiet to catch. Regardless, she handed over the earpiece, which she had snatched back from Sho-tahn immediately.
Placing it in his ear awkwardly, Mako was amazed at the clarity of the voice coming through, albeit quietly. "Mako? Is that you?" Kanro asked with an extremely worried voice.
Mumbling so that he didn't shout any louder, Mako nodded. "Yeah. What the hell just happened? Something about the portal?"
"The portal's just totally gone haywire. I was keeping an eye on the tower but then I noticed the sheer amount of spirits piling through it. Turns out there was a damn good reason they were in a hurry to get back," Kanro said in an awed voice.
"What do you mean, going haywire? You mean it did something?"
"Like, it closed and opened straight away, as if they were trying to keep it locked but failed. You try keeping a door closed with someone shoving on the other side. Gonna make a shit-ton of noise," Kanro said, cursing to emphasise the sheer amount of energy released.
"The portal was closed!?" Mako asked. It looked like the spirits could open and close the portals after all. It might take hundreds and hundreds of them, but that must have been why it opened the first time. Even now, the spirits were still surprising all of them.
"Well, it was. They tried damn hard to keep that thing shut but in the end, they had to concede. Can't say I blame them," Kanro chuckled. "Oh, hang-crap! Sorry, nice chunk of the wall just fell down near my feet. Keep you on your toes eh?" he laughed again to someone else.
Mako looked at Lin, unable to make sense of Kanro's information. Lin beckoned once with her hand and Mako reluctantly handed the earpiece back over. Beifong clicked a button on the side and Kanro's voice suddenly became loud enough for them all to hear.
"So yeah, hence why the tower came down. You're all good though, right?"
"We're fine!" Rella shouted happily, earning a hushing noise from Della. She immediately bowed her head, sorry for the noise.
"Hang on…" Min-li murmured, looking around. "It's a little quiet…"
"Just clocked it, have you?" Kanro asked through the radio. "No spirits coming down on your heads? I'd confirm nothing's jumping down on your heads but I lost my little watchtower in the earthquake so I can't see you guys. Typical."
"Kanro, for the love of-just tell us what caused all this!" Lin said in an icy tone. Silence from the earpiece.
"Well, Lin," Kanro replied eventually, "there are only two possible reasons the portal could have done what it did. The spirits locking it was a dead cert. But why did they lock it? What wanted to come through?" Kanro asked, leading them to the answer.
Lin seemed more pissed off than ever. She looked as though she was about to throw the earpiece as far away as she could. Mako, however, gasped as he realised what Kanro was dragging out. Brushing the dust from his hair and rolling his shoulder, he took the earpiece back from Beifong without even asking. He held it up to his mouth, regardless of the speaker option.
"The Avatar?"
"Ten points to Team Firebender. Come greet our guest."