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Book 1: Redemption
Chapter 8: Worth
Clouds obscured the midday sun as Lei sat on a ledge of the island overlooking the city. Her breath came out in a cool puff as her thoughts turned to how much her life had changed. Just six months ago she was a naïve cadet with no inkling of the craziness that would come. And after spending so much time going over everything that happened, the teen was sure that she knew where she went wrong.
She heard rustling from behind and turned to see Bolin stepping out from behind the bushes with a giddy grin on his face.
Though, his shoulders soon drooped as he pressed his fingers together. "Oh… you're not training?"
"I was earlier, but stopped to take a break." Lei sheepishly rubbed her neck as she half-joked, "I might have an unhealthy addiction to it."
He furrowed his eyebrows as he put a hand to his chin and thought. "I don't really see what's bad about it. What's wrong with liking what you like?"
She laughed. "Nothing, really. You just don't want to make it the only thing in your life, y'know?" After a moment, she asked, "Were you hoping to catch me practicing?"
Bolin flashed her a sheepish grin as he admitted, "Well, yeah. It's not every day I get to live with a super cool metalbender who saved my life." After a moment, he added, "Also, everyone was wondering where you were at lunch."
"Ah, well..." She could have been honest and told him why she hid away—avoiding the glaringly obvious tension between the oldest teens—but she settled for a simple, "Thanks for getting me."
He offered a hand and pulled the older earthbender to her feet before the two of them headed back to the dining hall area. While Lei consumed her late meal, Lin stepped inside with Taifeng in tow behind her, his baton hanging off his belt.
The young metalbender grinned and waved. "Hey, what's up?"
The nonbender greeted her before explaining, "My shift just ended and I wanted to see how you were doing."
As Lei turned to Lin, the ex-chief put a hand on her hip and informed the teen, "We'll head to the station when you're done so you can be fully reinstated. With Lee's team gone, you'll have to get reassigned to what was Saikhan's team before he took my position. We'll work out the details from there."
The brunette couldn't help her wide grin as she thanked Beifong profusely. After finishing her meal, she went outside and found out that Tenzin asked Lin to stay and protect his children and pregnant wife while he went to the council meeting, so their visit to the station would be delayed until he returned. The ex-chief was a short distance away as she supervised the airbending master's children. Meanwhile, Lei and Taifeng were on the porch as they kept a general eye on the city per Beifong's request.
Lei adjusted her armor and the canister of needles strapped to her belt—it had been a while since she last wore it. To her side, Taifeng was leaning against a beam, his arms folded as he stared out with a pensive look on his face.
The metalbender glanced down before asking, "How's your dad doing?"
He frowned slightly. "He's struggling—of course he would be—but he'll eventually reach a point where he's okay. He started working again, though he has off today." He paused for a moment before beginning a new thought. "It's been a while since the Phantom's been active..."
She blinked and tilted her head. "The kidnapper guy who takes away memories?" Pursing her lips, she added, "Has it really been that long?"
Taifeng nodded. "The last known case was right when you first got put on leave... Remember how some people were thinking this was another Yakone?"
"Yeah..." Lei put a hand on her hip. "Where are you going with this?"
"Well, now we know that Tarrlok was Yakone's son and clearly a powerful bloodbender, so I was thinking that maybe it was him all along." The nonbender pursed his lips as he looked down. "It's the only thing we've got right now, but at the same rate, I can't figure out a motive. Nothing makes sense."
She put a finger to her lips for a moment before suggesting, "Maybe his aim was to create chaos for the sake of filling the role of the hero, or to scare people so they would want his crazy rules to 'protect' them."
Taifeng furrowed his eyebrows as he rubbed his fingers across his jaw, pondering her words.
The ex-chief turned and gave her input. "We won't know anything for sure until we find Tarrlok and interrogate him."
As the teens started to nod, explosions rang off in the distance. Taifeng pushed himself off the beam and stared at the ongoing attack on the city as he narrowed his eyes and clenched his fists. Several White Lotus sentries ran to the clearing to see what was going on. Lei instinctively stepped forward with eyes wide, but managed to restrain herself as she awaited orders.
Lin's tone was urgent as she addressed Tenzin's children. "Alright, kids, time to go inside."
The young airbenders followed orders for now, passing as Korra and her friends came running outside. Beifong brought them up to speed and the four of them set out by boat.
"You two, stay with me," the ex-chief ordered. "We need to keep the airbenders safe."
And they waited for what seemed like hours with only the echoes of the explosions daring to break the silence, even when Tenzin's family joined them on the porch to watch.
Finally, a lone airship was making its way to the island.
Lin turned to the civilians behind her. "Everyone, hide inside and remain calm." She turned to Lei and Taifeng. "Take the fight to them."
Pema screamed out, prompting Lin to whip around. "Pull it together, Pema. Didn't I just say remain calm?"
As Tenzin's wife hunched over and grabbed her belly, Ikki asked, "Mommy, what's wrong?"
She looked up announced in a strained voice, "The baby's coming!"
Lei and Taifeng exchanged glances and nodded before racing down the stairs to the docks. As they made it to the lowest point, White Lotus sentries came up behind them, and the teens noticed a second airship on its way. The Equalists shot their anchor into the ground just in front of them, and they raised their arms to protect themselves from the debris.
Narrowing her eyes, Lei sent a chunk of the island flying at the ship. She grinned as it listed dangerously far, but they all disembarked anyway. The second ship docked soon after.
The lieutenant was the first to land and looked up at the metalbender menacingly before sprinting forward. Taifeng jumped in and blocked his electrified attack as the Equalists began to race up the stairs around them. Lei smirked and whipped out her cables before grabbing two Equalists on the stairs and flinging them into the bay.
While the idea worked on a few, some managed to make it to the next level where the White Lotus acted as a second level of defense.
"Lei!"
She turned just in time to see an Equalist wielding an electrified glove bringing their palm down. Her eyes went wide as she leaned back and instinctively kicked up a rock. The impact knocked him over the edge and into the bay.
Lei let out an amused chortle. "Well, that works too."
"Come on!" Taifeng barked as he raced up the stairs.
The earthbender glanced around at the empty dock and grit her teeth before chasing after him. In the distance, she could see the Equalists racing toward the home, led by the lieutenant. She immediately shot chi-blocking needles at the stragglers, picking them off while Lin took out those who got too close.
Soon the teens were in the fray again, fighting side by side just outside the entrance. Several minutes passed as they seemed to take the lead, but an agonizing scream rang out from behind. Lei turned to see Beifong collapse, smoke coming from her cables as they slipped off the lieutenant's batons.
"Chief!" the cadet cried out as the Equalist approached the woman.
She took a step forward, before pulling back. Clenching her fists, she haphazardly shot a rock at the lieutenant. He deflected her attack and narrowed his eyes. Lei backed against Taifeng as she held her fists defensively. At least this would give Lin the time to recover.
The Equalists surrounded them—the lieutenant targeting Lei while a chi-blocker went after Taifeng. The metalbender avoided his attack and chi-blocked his arm. He grunted as he dropped the baton before swinging the next one at her. Taifeng jumped in and blocked it, but winced as he got hit from behind. Lei whipped out her arm just in time for the chi-blocker to punch her armor instead of her friend, making the attacker cry out in agony.
The other Equalists closed in on the pair when an airbender swooped in and blasted several enemies over the roof.
"Jinora!" Lin cried out. "You shouldn't be out here!"
Her siblings soon joined her, but the shock quickly wore off the Equalists. With the airbenders' aid, they were more evenly matched. Together, the group managed to defeat the intruders.
-:-
Not long had passed before Tenzin returned with Team Avatar, and with his new baby in tow, the airbending master was prioritizing his family's safety. He told Korra to hide while the United Forces made their way to the city.
Lin was going with the airbenders to protect them, but she pulled Lei and Taifeng aside for one last instruction. "I need you to contact the United Forces and guide them through the bay. They'll need the local help, especially with the Equalists waiting for them."
Lei clenched her fists and nodded before her eyes went wide and she looked away. "Wait, no. This isn't right. How can you trust me with something so important? I keep screwing up!"
Beifong folder her arms. "There's no time to argue. And where's that Chen confidence? As far as I'm concerned, you've always done what you thought was right. Now that you have the experience, I know you can handle this."
Taifeng nudged her arm. "Besides, you won't be alone. Technically, I'm your superior officer right now, so you don't have to make the big decisions. And we've got the Avatar."
The brunette nodded slowly.
"Trust in your abilities, Lei. Your father would be proud of all you've done," Lin assured her before facing Taifeng. "With myself gone and all our officers captured, you two are the last authority figures left in the city. I'm counting on you, Detective…" She turned to the cadet. "Officer."
Lei's eyes went wide as she watched Beifong walk away. After a moment, she reached up and took the badge off her chest plate. She stared at it in her palm while Taifeng put a hand on her shoulder, silent in understanding. Closing her fingers around the cool metal, she took a deep breath and placed it upright on her armor.
There was no time to celebrate or brood—the Equalists were coming. Two ships chased after the sky bison while the third anchored right in front of Korra. As they came down the line, the White Lotus formed a defensive line in front of the teens.
"Go. We'll hold them off."
The six of them managed to escape into one of the large sewage pipes under the city. Korra was looking off at Air Temple Island as the Equalists took over. Mako put a supportive arm around her waist, prompting a glare from his girlfriend before she looked away.
After a few moments, the youngest earthbender asked, "Where do we go now?"
Lei pursed her lips for a moment before exchanging glances with Taifeng.
She grinned. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"
-:-
Later that evening, out on the lead ship of the United Forces, a man ran to the helm. "General, I just received a wire from the Avatar. She says Amon and his forces have gained control of the city. How do you want to respond?"
The firebender thought for a moment. "Tell her we will be arriving in three days' time, and that I look forward to winning back Republic City together."
The messenger saluted. "As you wish, General Iroh."
As he went back inside, he passed a middle-aged man of strong water tribe descent with a hefty tome in his arms. His neatly-trimmed hair and beard flowed in the sea breeze as he looked out at the young General.
After a few moments, Iroh addressed him. "Saghani, how likely is diplomacy with this Amon character?"
The older man adjusted the pages in his hands as he reported, "Highly unlikely, sir. We should approach the situation with extreme caution, and be ready for battle if necessary. And in such events, we must be careful not to harm the citizens—they are hostages to this situation, many with nowhere to go."
"Noted." Iroh turned to his chief strategist. "I want you to draft all our options—after all, you should know the area well."
Saghani held his book to his chest as he saluted. "Of course, General."
-:-
While Lei and Taifeng stayed behind to help Gommu give directions, everything fell apart when the Equalists struck with their new flying weapons. Iroh was at the highest point of the ship during the air raid, shooting down planes left and right, but a fated shot at a torpedo blasted him away. Saghani—the last man on the ship—dropped his books and raised the waters to meet the General before diving in after him, only to find that Avatar Korra had kept him afloat. The two men followed her back to the underground hideout with the homeless folks of the city, both injured and worn for wear.
Gommu had just wired General Iroh's instructions to Commander Bumi, and the group was sitting around for dinner before planning the next step. Lei was sitting between Taifeng and Bolin a short distance away, her brows furrowed and lips pursed as she stared at the bowl of gruel in her hands. She already failed to help the United Forces. What was left that she could actually do? There was a nagging thought at the back of her mind, but she couldn't pinpoint what it was.
"Hey, so how'd you guys meet Gommu anyway?" Bolin asked.
Blinking back to the present, Lei looked up and explained, "He's a friend of the family."
Taifeng lazily pointed to the brunette. "Hers, not mine."
"Right." She nodded. "He used to be a telegraph operator in the United Forces, I think..."
As she trailed off again, the younger earthbender frowned. "Hey, you okay? It's not all your fault, you know. Hiroshi just keeps finding time to invent all these evil machines."
The metalbender sighed and narrowed her eyes. "I know. I just feel like I'm forgetting something... Something really important..."
Before the conversation could continue, Iroh directed the groups' attention to a map. With Mako's help, they determined where the high-speed aircraft were coming from—the plan to destroy them to give Bumi's fleet a chance.
"Everyone get ready," Iroh began. "We leave at dawn."
A few moments passed as the group moved forward, but Korra hanged back. "Wait. I'm sorry, but I'm not going with you tomorrow. I'm sick and tired of hiding from Amon." She looked to the side. "It's time I face him."
Iroh stepped closer. "That's not a good plan. We need to stick together."
As Korra began to argue, Taifeng pointed out, "We have extra Equalist uniforms—we can sneak our way to Amon. I say we split the remaining group evenly. I can't do much against an airfield like the earthbenders, but I don't have any bending to lose. I'll go with Korra."
Mako soon added his support, and Iroh approved the plan, but his chief strategist chimed in with a grave expression. "I must go into the city tonight to make sure my family is safe."
The firebender nodded sagely as he recalled, "That's right.. They are also waterbenders… Understood."
Lei's eyes went wide as her hands flew to the sides of her head. "Haku!" Saghani blinked in surprise as she started to panic. "Oh, no. No. No. No." She rapidly glanced around. "I can't believe... I've gotta go save him!"
Taifeng caught her arm just as she started to race off. "Lei, calm down! The last thing you need to do is go in without thinking. You'll just get yourself captured."
"No, you don't understand," she argued. "Me, Haku, and his mom are the only benders in the neighborhood. Everyone knows it! If the Equalists find out—"
"Pardon me," Saghani interrupted, "But are you talking about Dragon Flats Borough?"
Lei relaxed a moment and tilted her head. "How did you know?"
"My family lives there—next to the only other bender in the neighborhood," he explained. "You must be her, the young earthbender."
Her eyes went wide. "You're Haku's dad!"
Saghani nodded. "Indeed. Do you wish to come with me tonight? I cannot guarantee that we'll be back in time for tomorrow's missions, but you will be more in your element than I."
Taifeng released his grip as she grinned. "Yes. Let's go!"
As she raced off, the waterbender called out, stopping her in her tracks. "Hold just a moment! Your friend is right, we must be cautious in our every move."
Lei turned and pouted. "But..."
"It should only take a few minutes," he assured the teen before eyeing her armor. "The Equalists will no doubt be searching for benders along the way. We'll have stealth to our advantage in the night, but not if they are utilizing flashlights."
Her brows sank. "So, you're saying...?"
Taifeng chimed in, "Ditch the armor. It'll reflect the light and give away your positions."
"Oh..."
Saghani nodded. "Now, then... Let us formulate our plan."
