-:-
Book 1: Redemption
Chapter 6: Demons
The sun barely peeked through the curtains in Tahno's house as he remained still on his seat, his head hung and his posture slouched. Jin frowned as she stepped into the darkness, green eyes landing on her boyfriend. He had deep bags under his eyes and his hair was loosely drooping over the side of his face—he stopped styling it after Amon took his bending away last week.
She took a deep breath to quell her trembling fingers before kneeling beside him and gently placing her hands on his.
With a soft voice from years of practice, she asked, "Do you want to see Nanuq? She's one of the best healers in the city."
He roughly pulled away and stood. "It doesn't matter!" His voice cracked. "I've been to dozens of healers already and none of them brought my bending back!"
Jin slowly rose to her feet, pressing her lips together as she held her tongue. When Tahno looked up and took in her expression, his shoulders fell again.
The former waterbender grew quiet. "I'm sorry…"
His girlfriend stepped forward and took his hand while she tenderly cupped his cheek. He leaned into her touch as he closed his eyes and put his free hand over hers.
Jin placed a chaste kiss on his lips and promised, "I'll be with you every step of the way, no matter how long it takes to get your bending back."
Tahno weakly smiled before turning to the couch. "You don't have to sleep out here, you know."
She softly squeezed his hand before glancing to the clock. "We should head to the police station to give our eyewitness reports. Beifong will probably want to talk to you for a while."
He nodded. "Maybe… after that, we can see Nanuq."
With that, Jin took his hand and led him outside.
-:-
Clouds overshadowed the evening sky, bringing an early night as Taifeng returned to his childhood home. The officer was sitting at the dinner table when his mother walked in with the final dish of the meal. Akemi was a petite woman of mixed Fire Nation and Water Tribe descent, passing her smooth black hair and tan skin onto her only son. In truth, Taifeng resembled his mother far more than his father, who was missing from the dinner table due to an overtime shift searching for Equalists.
All was calm as they ate before Akemi confessed, "Your father and I miss your company… You're always welcome home to visit us."
The young man glanced away and nodded.
She hesitated before asking, "How have you been?"
He shrugged. "I'm okay."
His mother frowned slightly. "Have you been spending any time with your friends?"
Taifeng absentmindedly pushed his food around his plate as he looked away. "Everyone's busy. Shirou's working overtime at the power plant to make rent, and Yazhu just moved to Yu Dao for an apprenticeship."
Her voice was soft as she asked, "What about Ming?"
He paused and stared at his mother with slightly furrowed eyebrows. "I haven't talked to her in years."
Akemi lowered her hand to the table. "Is it still bothering you?"
A mildly-amused snort hit her ears as her son stared back at her. "Mom, it's been three years since we broke up. It stopped bothering me a long time ago."
She fell silent and turned her gaze to her plate before looking up with a smile. "What about Lei? Have you gone dancing lately?"
He frowned as he started to pick at his meal. "No. She's been too busy trying to make up for lost time at work."
Akemi fell silent for a few minutes. When the meal was close to an end, she brought up, "Your father told me that you've been working more often." He glanced away as she continued, "He thinks that you're avoiding him."
The teen tensed and averted his gaze, his speech rapid. "I'm not avoiding him. I'm just busy."
She frowned. "I can't fix the problem if I don't know what's wrong… I know that you've been angry at your father for some time now—I know that's why you moved out—but you need to open up about it. I don't want to see you so miserable all the time."
He squeezed his eyes shut, pulling his shoulders inward as he snapped, "It's my own stupid problem, not what anyone else is doing!"
Akemi furrowed her eyebrows, her tone stern. "There's no reason to yell at me, Taifeng."
His shoulders drooped narrowed his eyes, his voice quiet. "I'm sorry… There's nothing you or Dad can do because you're not doing anything wrong. I'm just being an idiot."
She thought for a moment. "Having feelings doesn't make you an idiot, honey." There was a long silence before she sighed. "I know you're not ready to talk about it now, but your father and I will be here, ready to listen when you are."
He tightened his lips into a thin line and looked away.
-:-
Tips had been coming in left and right ever since the attack on the arena, but none had proved fruitful so far. Between that and the events at the arena three weeks ago, Tarrlok had been calling for Chief Beifong to be replaced. Still, the Elite were investigating everything they heard. The most recent was anonymous intel against Lau Gan-Lan, head of Cabbage Corp.
As Lei followed Captain Lee into the warehouse, he turned to her. "Cadet, stay by my side until we leave. If this really is an Equalist warehouse, there could be traps."
She groaned. "We've had so many false leads. This one probably is too."
He frowned as he turned to her fully. "We treat every situation as if something will happen, otherwise you won't be prepared in the event of an attack. Now, follow my orders."
She nodded. "Yes, sir."
He moved forward, but glanced back to make sure she was coming. Lei frowned. It was clear that he didn't trust her anymore.
The team spread out in pairs inside the building before starting to go through crates. The brunette followed Lee to a stack near the wall, sensing the nails in the wood with her bending. After stopping not far from one another, they began unpacking the boxes.
The first one contained construction tools. Lee glanced over his shoulder as his student moved a few steps away. Upon opening the crate, she found it filled to the brim with Equalist posters.
She grinned and held up a flyer. "Captain, look!"
Her mentor came over and nodded as he peered into the open box. "Good work, Cadet."
The search continued as the team recovered troves of Equalist weapons and propaganda. Lee had Lei follow him into the office, where Lau Gan-Lan was sitting. The captain read his rights as she handcuffed the business leader.
They led him outside as he screamed, "This is an outrage. I'm innocent!"
-:-
Later in the week, while the Cabbage Corp investigation was ongoing, Korra turned in a tip on Hiroshi Sato—Lau Gan-Lan's business rival. When the team checked his home, the legendary inventor claimed that the Avatar misheard his words. That with his rival gone, it was time to "strike" the market with a new line of vehicles. He even offered for the Elite to search all his warehouses to prove his innocence. But with both teams of the Elite busy, a man far downtown carried out the next phase of his plan…
Viper groggily opened his eyes to find himself strapped to a chair with metal bonds around his ankles, wrists, and forehead, forcing him to look ahead. He looked up and was greeted with the sight of a masked man—his captor. Two hollow eyes with haunting red irises and an eerie grin were the only things staring back at him on that white mask.
He furrowed his eyebrows and clenched his fists. "You better let me outta here before my boys come for you."
The masked man laughed. "Oh, you expect me to believe that with your gang all hiding away from the Equalists, they'll somehow find me and take me out? I don't think so. You're in my world now, not your world."
Viper narrowed his eyes. "Who are you?"
He laughed. "Viper. Wan Shi Tong. Go ahead and pick one—though, one newspaper has taken to calling me 'the Phantom.' I quite like that one: it's ominous and threatening. I do so hope it catches on."
The captive man scowled. "How did you knock me out? I didn't feel anything."
"Oh, did you like that? It's my own invention," the Phantom cooed. "I reengineered shirshu toxins into a vapor form. Without any pinpricks or devices left behind, there is no way to trace it—unlike the case with the darts your Triple Threats sell on the black market."
The waterbender grit his teeth as he snarled, "What do you want from me?"
The Phantom laughed darkly as a candle began to circle him on a floating platform. "You have much power now that you're the leader of your little gang... You are about to become my trump card."
Viper's pupils dilated.
-:-
The following week at police headquarters, Lin had just returned with Avatar Korra and Councilman Tenzin. With Saikhan's team busy patrolling, she enlisted Lee's for a last-minute raid. While preparing, Lei passed by Taifeng in the hallway.
He stopped with a hand on his hip. "What's the hurry?"
"Beifong just got a promising tip," she explained. "Supposedly, there's a secret warehouse under the Sato mansion, where Hiroshi is making a new weapon for Amon." She grinned widely as she added, "I can't wait to go in and stop them!"
He scoffed and turned away.
As he started to walk off, Lei scowled. "What's your problem? You've been like this ever since the attack on the arena. Why are you so mad at me for doing what's right?!"
He clenched his fists to the point of shaking before roaring, "You act like you're invincible, but you're at a huge risk against the Equalists! If you wanna keep acting like this and get yourselves killed, then fine."
She frowned, taken aback. "That's not all… is it?"
He tensed and turned away. "Forget it."
As he walked away, she released a sigh and headed up to the airship. The sky was dark, clouds hiding the moon and stars as they made their way to the Sato Estate for a second time. Near the front of the ship, Lin, Korra, and Tenzin were gathered.
Once the team arrived, they went inside and confronted Asami, Bolin, and Mako—Hiroshi nowhere to be seen. His daughter was unpleasant in tone—for understandable reasons—but complied and informed them that he was in his workshop behind the house.
Out back, Lei and the officers busted through the doors.
With no one else there, Asami called out, "Dad? Hello?"
As Lei looked around the shed, she couldn't help the nagging feeling in the back of her mind. "The ground feels almost... hollow somehow…"
Captain Lee approached Lin. "Chief, the estate's been secured. No one has left the workshop since we arrived."
She glanced to Lei. "Perhaps we just couldn't see him leaving."
Walking to the center of the room, Lin raised her foot and slammed it against the metal floor, surveying the area with seismic sense.
When she stood, she announced, "There's a tunnel beneath the workshop running deep into the mountainside." She nodded to the youngest. "Good catch, Cadet."
Asami furrowed her eyebrows, tone clearly annoyed. "What? There's no tunnel."
Lin turned and removed the metal floor covering the entrance, revealing a large elevator down the passageway.
Bolin leaned in toward Asami and whispered, "Do you think your dad knows about this tunnel?"
She was distraught as she stared deep into the hole. "I don't understand… There must be an explanation."
Korra's gaze softened. "Maybe you don't know everything about your father. I'm sorry…"
Lin put her arms behind her back. "Officers, into the tunnel. Be cautious."
They all snapped to a salute and marched down. Officer Song stayed to keep an eye on Mako, Bolin, and Asami while the rest of them investigated. Korra was the last to board the elevator, casting her gaze back to the trio. Her eyes stayed on Mako for a moment before she glanced to Asami, her shoulders drooping.
Only Tenzin, Korra, Lin, Lee, four officers, and Lei were making the trek, with the rest of Lee's team watching the perimeter. Everyone was silent as the cart carried them down. Korra was gripping the railing as she looked down, sadness in her eye. Breaks began to creak as the elevator approached a landing pad. Lei clenched her fists, ready to fight again and—this time—stop them for good.
The cart grinded to a halt at the platform and they all made their way inside in a protective formation around Lin, Korra, and Tenzin. Passing through the entrance revealed a massive room with a high ceiling and banners of Amon's face plastered along the beams.
Lin commented, "Not your average backyard workshop."
As the group pressed forward, they came to an area lined with towering metal suits.
Korra stared up at them. "And I'm guessing those are the new weapons."
Everyone paused for a moment as the officers visually scanned the area.
"Hiroshi was lying alright," Tenzin began, "but where is he?"
A wall shot up behind them, trapping the group as the lights went dim. Breaking formation, Lei ran up and tried to move the wall with the chief.
Hiroshi's voice rang out, "I'm afraid you won't be able to metalbend that wall, Chief Beifong." Blinding lights appeared around the perimeter, so the benders shielded their eyes. "It's solid platinum."
The suits turned on and rolled toward the group, surrounding everyone as he added, "My mecha tanks are platinum as well. Not even your renowned mother could bend a metal so pure."
Korra narrowed her eyes. "Hiroshi, I knew you were a lying, no-good Equalist. Come out here and—"
"And do what, young Avatar? Face the wrath of your bending?" he asked. "No. I think I'll fight from inside here where my odds are a little more… equal."
Lin clenched her fists. "That source was a setup. You lured us down here!"
"Guilty as charged," he admitted as the mecha tanks closed in on their prey.
Lei immediately ran to the nearest tank and threw a chunk of the ground at its head. It listed back, but not enough to fall. Narrowing her eyes, she compressed what remained of the boulder into a stone. She shot her hand forward, crumbling the earth into high-velocity projectiles at her target. It made dents in the armor and managed to shatter the glass around the cockpit. She smirked as she advanced again.
The other officers were slowing down two mechas—two per tank, holding them back with their cables. Lee was nearby, attacking an Equalist from afar, keeping him at bay. There was an explosion to the side, and Lei turned to see Lin jumping away from the destroyed weapon.
And just as she thought they were starting to get the upper hand, four screams rang out from behind her. The officers dropped to the ground, sparks flying from their armor. Lin was flung across the room and slammed to the ground, unmoving.
Three Equalists moved in on Lei and Captain Lee while the others went after Korra and Tenzin. The cadet ran to attack the nearest mecha. She had it on the run, but saw something in the corner of her eye. Green eyes glanced back just in time to see Captain Lee jump in and take the hit, cables wrapping around him as he was electrocuted.
Her eyes widened. "Captain!"
She tried to rush to his aid, but was forced back by two Equalists. Korra was slammed against the wall on the far side, near Lin. Lei managed to attack and evade, but she found herself being pushed into that same corner—three mechas on one.
As she made a last-ditch attempt to knock them back, one shot a disk at her. Its wires extended and trapped her arms to her armored body. Her eyes widened as she was electrocuted—her body feeling like it was on fire as she spasmed and screamed.
She blacked out before she even hit the ground.
It wasn't long before Tenzin was taken out too. With no one left standing, Hiroshi emerged from the suit.
"Well, I'd say that was a near flawless test run," he declared before turning to his underlings. "Load everyone into the transports and deliver them to Amon!"
As the officers were being carried away, a hole quietly opened in the ground. The ferret brothers peeked out, their eyes wide when they saw what was going on.
All Bolin could muster was a simple, "Oh, no…"
Mako furrowed his eyebrows and whispered, "Korra was right. We've gotta do something quick."
Quietly, they followed the wall to those who hadn't been taken yet, untangling Lei and Tenzin from the wires. Mako pulled Korra onto his back and grabbed Lei by the arm while Bolin took Tenzin and Lin.
As they started to walk away, Hiroshi warned, "Not so fast, boys."
They froze and turned to see him threatening them with two electrified gloves. The lieutenant was just beside him with his batons at the ready.
Bolin dropped the chief and gestured with Tenzin's arms. "Hello, Mr. Sato! Wow! What a really swell, scary factory you have here under your giant mansion."
Mako scowled. "Sponsoring our team. Supporting the Avatar. It was all just a big cover."
"Yes," Hiroshi admitted. "And the worst part was watching my daughter traipse around with a firebending street rat like you."
As the Equalists stepped closer, a voice called out from behind them. "Dad, stop!"
He whipped around to see Asami standing there, distraught.
She glanced down, her voice soft. "Why?"
"Sweetie… I wanted to keep you out of this for as long as I could," he confessed. "But now that you know the truth, please… forgive me." Korra weakly looked up over Mako's shoulder as Hiroshi continued, "These people… These benders… They took away your mother—the love of my life. They've ruined the world. But with Amon, we can fix it."
Asami's eyes widened in horror before she grit her teeth and looked down.
"We can build a perfect world together," her father pleaded. "We can help people like us everywhere." He took off a glove and held it out. "Join me, Asami."
She was quiet for a while before her body tensed, her brows pinching downward. Clenching her fists, she stepped forward, her hand shaking as she hesitatingly grasped the weapon and slipped it on. The nonbender stared at her palm for a few moments before closing her eyes.
Korra and Mako watched on as he whispered, "No…"
Asami opened her eyes. "I love you, Dad."
She electrocuted him before taking down the lieutenant in the same way. The others watched on in shock, with Korra, Lin, and Tenzin standing on their own now.
As the remaining mecha suits turned toward the group, Mako pulled Lei onto his shoulder. "Let's get outta here!"
-:-
It was late at night as Lei's mother waited around the foyer. Just what was taking her daughter so long to get home? A knock at the door drew her attention. She rose and opened it, revealing Lin Beifong—to her surprise—and a few people behind her. Ping's heart stopped when she noticed the set of armor in Lin's arms.
The chief frowned. "Ping… I'm sorry."
Tears welled up in her eyes. "Where is she?"
Lin moved aside as Korra stepped in with Lei limp in her arms. "I can still help her. Do you have a bathtub?"
Ping led them inside and filled the tub. The Avatar carefully placed the cadet in the water, using Katara's method of healing back and forth. Eventually, she let out a quiet groan and opened her eyes slightly.
Lei glanced around the room, her brows furrowed as she weakly asked, "Where…?"
Her eyes closed again before she could finish, and her mother started crying. Lin frowned and put a hand on her shoulder.
Ping sniffled as she tried to control herself. "I know she's an adult and can make her own decisions now, but… I just hate that she's taking the same path as Shang. There are times when I see so much of him in her—it usually makes things easier, but not when it's like this…"
"I'm sorry." Lin told her as she retracted her hand. "I'll put her on medical leave before I resign tomorrow. She needs to rest."
Author's Notes: By the way, I do have some commissioned art on the way for the three main OCs of the story (being Lei, Taifeng, and Haku.) I'll post links to the artists' posts when they're done for anyone interested—it won't be for a while, though. I'll also have it up when I post this story on Wattpad (under CloudyLuminosity) since they allow art with each chapter and within them rather than just the cover.
Review Response:
Wanderstar: Thank you! As you might guess, it's going to be a fairly action-backed bunch of chapters coming up. While Jin is a chi-blocker, she's not much of a teacher, and (as you saw in this first scene) she has other methods to console her grieving boyfriend. We'll see her in action in due time, though. :)
Guest: Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it :)
