-Lin's Fury—

Her office looked like a shabby old broom closet. This was embarrassing. She used to be the chief, now the current chief barely found a use for her. She was smart, but that apparently didn't matter. Lin was simply thrown to the side and given small menial duties. Lin had other plans, though. She was going to stop this increasing crime wave.

Bolin ran in, excited. "Chief Lin. You'll never believe what happened!"

"Please, Bolin. I am not your chief. Just call me Officer Lin please. Now what is it?"

"Well, first I found the best dumpling place in town yesterday. Right off of Fort Avenue, in case you are ever really hungry and bored of the work they keep giving us that we refuse to do."

Lin was not amused.

"Well, then secondly! So there was another huge car chase that happened late last night. We were there until the morning."

Lin looked surprised. "Car chase? I didn't hear about this one," she said.

"Oh yeah, Triple Threats chasing after the Agni Kais. Gunfire and everything. Kind of like the ones that happened last week. For whatever reason, they have taken their warfare on the move. Maybe standing around too long and fighting was too risky or something? Anyway, don't feel bad. They didn't notify me either, the sirens tipped me off when they passed my place so I followed them to the crime scene. What I found out may aid us in our quest to figure out the mysterious activity of the gangs!" Bolin was so excited he was changing the tone of his voice to try and sound more serious and funny. Lin just looked depressed.

"Unless it is a clear, solid answer, Bolin, I don't think it will really matter. The chief is probably going to be instantiating a rule that will disallow us from investigating this case any further. He says it is a dead-end case that doesn't have an answer. All of the crime scenes before have left us nothing. Whatever survivors are left won't tell them anything, according to them. They've never actually let me speak with the suspects, but still, it leaves little evidence that something bigger is happening, even though I am sure there is. Everything had been so quiet between the mobs ever since their leaders like Zolt and Sabo lost their bending and the Red Monsoons became obsolete. And then all of a sudden they are starting all this violence at night? And I've seen members of the Red Monsoons in on it, too. That doesn't just happen for nothing, but the chief hasn't seen concrete evidence of a stimulus to this warfare, so he believes it to be nothing more than to be normal trends."

"That's not true, though! I know it isn't. There has to be some reason. Warfare like this doesn't just spring out of nowhere! The Triple Threats were following the Agni Kais to their hideout! They were ready to face a whole army of firebenders. There is not just some simple reason behind that."

"According to the chief, it is just a cycle. These things might just happen periodically like this. I'm proud of your enthusiasm, Bolin, but it might not be worth it to pursue this if nothing is coming from it."

"But no one else is going to do this. I am the only one who seems to care. In this whole police force, I am the only one who wants the safety of our citizens. Come on, Lin. You're still a Bei Fong you can't just let this chief guy tell you what to do. And I love doing this, don't let him demote me back down to a traffic guard that was miserable!" Bolin was desperate to keep this position. Lin could see it.

Li wanted to make him happy. "Well, fine. We'll see what happens. We can go a few more weeks I think. The chief rarely leaves his office to do anything anyway. He is always talking with the council and looking over martial law bills."

"What is he doing with the council?"

"The government has been trying to take control of businesses they think are being run by incompetent businessmen that are tangled up with the mobs. Graft and the council think they can run the businesses better by absorbing them, but so far nothing good has really become of it. Whatever innovations business owners have made, the government's ownership is halting it. Not too long ago, several of the power plants were able to operate without the benders generating the electricity. Designers had come up with new technology that would replace human labor. But once it was taken over, advancement seemed to stop and benders were thrown back in to shoot lightning again as laborers. But, people trust the government, for whatever reason, and engineers and businessmen just seem to be accepting it all. Graft is promising new things for this city. That is what I am trying to deal with now, the council wants protection from vandals and terrorist groups who are against this movement. Can't really blame them, but all that's really been done are hate messages on Graft's propaganda. Nothing serious"

"But the government's intentions seem good, right?"

"I guess, but you can never tell when they are always behind closed doors. It's frustrating. And now the police force is sticking its hands in the mess. If I was still chief, I could see everything that was going on. But this new guy, Chief Qu, seems to be keeping everything a secret until the final product. But apparently, this new movement can bring some excellent technology for our forces, things like new weapons, even if it means sacrificing other technology. Maybe that is why private business owners aren't really reacting to this. I don't even know what they've been doing after giving up their companies. Well, hopefully the government's new project can bring down these mobsters. Speaking of them, tell me what you found out today. Perhaps we can use it to get somewhere."

"Oh right! Okay, so there was this chase and apparently the Triple Threats were following the Agni Kais to their secret hideout. According to a witness, the Agni Kais blew up the Triple Threats' car with a lightning bolt, killing all of them in the fire. But then, the Agni Kais' car was slammed into by another car coming right at them! The impact killed the driver, and the only survivor was supposedly shot and killed by a man described as being "huge, wearing a gasmask, shirtless, tattooed, and…really freaky looking", Bolin was looking through his notes. "Then he took something and left. That was it."

Lin looked bored. "That was it?"

"Yeah! Isn't that weird? What do you think he took? It could be the reason this is all happening. Who do you think he was?"

"Sounds like a fiend, just based on the appearance."

"Fiends are so lazy, though. They aren't strong at all. They can barely even walk, all the drugs they do. I see them lying around Pratt Street. Can't even get up or anything. This guy sounded so strong and actually motivated."

"Hmm, well that part doesn't sound like a fiend, but let's say they were fiends. Whatever he took from the Agni Kais would have probably been some kind of drug. But even if it was, why wouldn't any evidence of this "drug" that was so envied not show up at other crime scenes? Someone must have always run off with it before we got there, wouldn't you agree?"

"Hey, yeah, but do the Agni Kais even deal with drugs? That seems too risky for them."

"Might be some sophisticated stuff. That would surprise me, but we can't throw that idea away immediately."

"Hmm, maybe I'll head to Pratt Street and ask if they've seen anything?"

"That sounds like a good idea. Let me know how it goes. Oh also, how is the metalbending going, Bolin?"

Bolin lost his smile and looked down. "Not so good. I have been practicing what you said but it is really difficult and my wrists are starting to hurt."

"Well don't give up. Some people take longer. The fact that you feel sore isn't bad, that is actually good. That means something is happening."

"I mean it is like physical pain."

"That is odd, but probably not a big deal. Just do the exercises I told you. You'll get the hang of it soon."

Bolin headed out. Lin stood over her desk. She started to look over the documents in front of her going over the different descriptions of vandalism, the various companies that were going under government control and requested protection, and the disappearance of several company owners when she sensed someone at her door.

"You know, he might get the hang of it sooner if his teacher was, well, an actual bender," said the officer at the door.

Lin ignored his insult. "Rong, what do you want?"

"How about a little more respect when addressing me, Lin. I am above you, you know."

"Have you come for any reason in particular, or are you just harassing me?" Lin tried to keep reading her documents.

"Couldn't help overhearing your little detective's predicament. Look, I am just trying to save you some trouble. You've kind of been lacking in your work according to the chief. There is no point in taking on a student who really isn't that good at earthbending in the first place especially when you don't even have the ability to do it anymore either."

Lin tried to clear her face. "Look, Rong. I know plenty about earthbending, probably more than you will ever know, so I am perfectly capable of training him. You'd be wise to be careful about the things you say to me. You may be somewhat above me, but you best not forget who you are dealing with. Now what do you want?"

Rong laughed at this. "It just cracks me up that you still try to believe that you are this intimidating fierce woman even after you pathetically lost the only thing that made you that way. Even the chief thinks so, and as such he doesn't believe it is right that you carry your blade, so he has requested that he take it since he is the chief and all."

In her later years, Toph had used her spectacular metalbending skills to forge a sword. It resembled a cavalry sword, the metal of the hilt swirling over the handle. Lin believed her mother did it more out of her own enjoyment. She wasn't the best with a sword, but near the end of her life she passed the sword on to Lin. However, Lin never really used the sword because of her bending, but over the last year she had been practicing with it. Not only was it a weapon she had become decent using, it was a memento from her deceased mother.

Lin couldn't believe what she was hearing. She just grinned. "My mother forged this sword using her own hands and rocks, Rong. This isn't some symbol of power. This is a Bei Fong family artifact. You cannot have it." The blade was sheathed and leaning against Lin's desk.

"I don't think you have any room to negotiate here. I did damn good work while I was underneath you and I'll say I didn't feel proud or rewarded in the least because my "captain", you, was someone who couldn't even bend. It was embarrassing to say the least. I doubt that you did not feel unsafe seeing me do what you used to be able to do because you knew I was stronger. Because you were suddenly helpless. That sword belongs to those who can still fight. Without bending, do you really think you can still do anything?"

Lin swiftly swiped Rong's arm which he had planted on her desk to lean on. He fell and hit his face on her desk and Lin grabbed it to keep it there. She then twisted his arm around his back.

"Any further, and your arm will break." Rong screamed out in pain. Lin kicked the door shut. She watched him grunt and scream in pain."It looks like it hurts. You look scared. You look like you are about to die, or trying to. Are you trying to? Because that is all I can conclude based on what you have been saying to me. You must have forgotten that when someone comes in here and asks to die, I have little restraint in granting them their wish. Let me tell you, since you are who you are, I would have no restraint when it comes to killing you. I could care less about losing my job if it meant I could rip off a pathetic arm like yours. Now, do you still think I am powerless without my bending?"

"No! I don't augh!" He started drooling on her desk. She threw him to the ground where he lay as the pain decreased.

"You almost soiled my work. Now test your luck if you wish. Use whatever metalbending you want. Try and take my sword. Just agree to the fact that if you can't subdue me, I will end your life."

Rong angrily left. Lin made a cup of tea and continued her work.