Chapter 11: A Tale of Two Brothers

Tonraq looked up from the table as his door opened to see Alex walking in. It was morning now, and he was one of the few to still look well rested.

"I've just had a thought." He said. "Why did you leave the North Pole? As far as I can tell, you're the older sibling. By all rights, you should be the Chieftain of the North."

Tonraq frowned. "It's something I don't want to talk about. All I'm willing to say is that I'm ashamed of what I did."

"Oh, come on. Whatever you did to lose your throne can't be anywhere as bad as the things I've done. Even if Blackwatch was a fascist trigger-happy bunch of psychos, they still had some good reasons for hating me. Besides, I've never really been big on honour and all that."

"…" He sighed. "Alright. I suppose you've got a point." He took a deep breath. "You were right. I was the heir to the Chieftain's throne. But before that, I worked in the military. I wanted to do nothing more than protect my home. One day, while we were out in the artic going through some combat training, Unalaq arrived to tell us that Firebender Raiders had attacked in our absence."

"Who were they? Remnants of the Hundred Year War?"

"I don't think so. I think they were exactly what they were. Firebenders who chose a life of crime. We managed to chase them out of the city, and we followed them to the North Pole. There, we found them holed up inside an ancient forest growing in the heart of the Pole."

"That's impossible. The pole is nothing but ice and snow. There's no way a forest could be growing there."

"On your world, perhaps. But here, it was the home of the spirits. Hallowed ground. No doubt the Raiders hid there thinking that we wouldn't fight them on sacred ground."

"But you weren't going to let them get away with attacking your home and your people, no matter the cost."

"Yes. We attacked mercilessly. We captured every last one of them. But in the process, we ended up destroying the forest. And that night, we were under attack again. By angry spirits."

Alex nodded. "I'd probably be upset if someone had a fight in my home too. How did you fend them off?"

"I didn't. I couldn't. My Waterbending did nothing against them. In the end, Unalaq managed to calm them down, send them back into the forest. But the damage had been done. Because my actions led to the attacks, my father banished me from the North. I sailed down here to escape my past, and I refused to talk about the shame I brought upon myself."

"Leaving Unalaq to take the throne instead. Funny how he seemed to know the only way of dispersing the dark spirits when no one else did."

"He's always been interested in spirits, ever since we were children. He'd spend entire days in the library, reading every scroll he could find about spirits. No doubt one of those scrolls told him about the calming ritual."

Alex nodded. "Tell me, how common was the knowledge that the forest was hallowed ground?"

"Somewhat common. Practically everyone in the North knew that it was said to be home to spirits. As you could tell, some of us took that more seriously than others. Why? Do you think that someone told them to head to the forest?"

"This whole thing reminds me of a tale from my world. About Thor and Loki. They were both children of the great king Odin, ruler of Asgard. Like you, Thor was a great warrior, willing to do anything to defend his home. And Loki was an illusionist, fighting with tricks and spells than sheer might. According to the tale, on the day of Thor's coronation their vaults were broken into by several Frost Giants, their mortal enemies. Though they were fought off, Thor wanted to chase them and bring them to justice. Odin refused. So Loki convinced Thor to disobey Odin's orders in case the Giants attacked again. In the end, Odin had to come to save them, and he ended up banishing Thor for his rashness and arrogance. This meant that Loki was now next in line to become king. And the tale also mentioned how Loki was the one who let the Giants into Asgard in the first place."

"You think that Unalaq was the one behind the raiders."

"Someone had to have told them about how sacred the forest was, and he would've known that you were willing to destroy it to capture them. Then, when the spirits attacked, he would be the hero for banishing them, while you would be the villain for unleashing them in the first place. It fits with how he acted last night."

"But why? What does he have to gain from all this? I can sort of understand him wanting become Chieftain, but there's nothing to be gained from attacking now."

"But there is. I bet that Unalaq was jealous of you his whole life. You were the favoured son, the next in line to be chieftain. I'll bet that everyone liked you before you were banished. And now, even when he's taken your throne, you still one-up him by having the Avatar as your daughter. By creating a problem only he could solve, he's trying to take Korra from you. I'm surprised he hasn't tried to usurp the Southern Chieftain role from you too."

"That's because the South doesn't have a chieftain. We obey the Northern Chieftain. He's already in charge, even if it's just ceremonial." Tonraq made a decision. "We should stick close to Korra; watch over her until we can find some actual evidence against my brother. Where is she now?"

"That's not such a good idea. I'm already considered paranoid, and you're not exactly her favourite person right now. She'd likely see you coming along as treating her like a child."

"While she sees you as paranoid, she still trusts you. If I can't stay with her, then you should."

"I'd love to. But Unalaq's been trying to convince her that my presence would just rile up the spirits on their journey."

"Journey? What journey?"

"You haven't heard? Unalaq's going to take her to the South Pole to meditate on the sprits, along with try to fix the problem. They're getting ready to leave as we speak."

"And you waited until now to tell me? We have to go after them." He ran out of his house as fast as possible, hopping onto the nearby snowmobile. Even as he gunned it, he saw Alex easily keeping pace alongside him. Nodding, Alex took the lead and guided him towards Korra. He spotted her on top of Naga, waiting next to some camel yaks. He saw her turn in her seat, smiling nervously at Alex before spotting him. She frowned as he got closer.

"Tonraq, what are you doing here?" Unalaq asked, glaring at him. Now that he had entertained the notion that Unalaq set up his banishment, Tonraq felt more guarded around him. He still didn't want to believe it, but Alex was right when he said it was suspicious.

"Avatar Alex just informed me that you're taking Korra to the South Pole. I'm coming with you." He said.

"Absolutely not. You're a distraction to Korra, and a hindrance to our mission. You being there will just make things worse."

"Then let me come. I've already chased these things off before. They can't hurt me. And who knows, maybe I could learn to calm spirits down too."

"Alex has a point." Mako said. "He may be way too quick to start killing, but I'd definitely feel better having him with us."

"And that strength is exactly why we need him to stay and protect the Southern Tribe. If the Dark Spirits attack again, he could hold them off until we are able to open the spirit portal." Unalaq frowned deeper, as though he accidently said more than necessary.

"Spirit portal? What's a spirit portal?" Alex asked.

"None of… Long ago, the spirit world and the physical world were linked together. But sadly the portals were closed, and the worlds are now barred from each other. Along with the inhabitants. By opening the portal, Korra should be able to realign the South with the spirits, hopefully calming them down and restoring peace."

"In our world, gates and doors are usually kept closed for a reason." Alex replied.

"Look, Alex. We don't know why they're so angry with us. This portal thing could be our best shot. And… Well, I'd feel better if I knew you were keeping everyone safe for us."

"If Avatar Alex is staying behind, then I will be joining you. Unless you think you can stop me." Tonraq got off his snowmobile and squared off against Unalaq, glaring at him. To get to the pole, they needed to go through the Everstorm. There was no way his little girl was going there, not without him at any rate. "It's your choice brother. Either I go, or Alex does."

"Enough." Korra interrupted them. "Fine, you can come with us. But you're not to interrupt my training, at all. Understand?" This tense moment was ruined by the sound of another snowmobile. Tonraq turned to see young Bolin driving erratically towards them. He was smiling from within his parka.

"Hey guys, whadda ya think? Bolin's travelling in style." He seemed to finally notice the looks everyone was giving him. "Uh, did I just ruin a moment again?"

"No. Just too many people being stubborn." Alex said as he turned to leave. "Just stay safe Korra. Usually, the nastier things live closer to whatever's the problem."

"I'm not a kid Alex. I'll be fine." She replied, a small smile on her face.

To Tonraq, she was always his little girl.

Asami was sitting on a snowy hill overlooking the harbour, watching as the people went about their business. It had been a day since Korra and the others had gone to the Pole, and she was still worried about them. Strangely enough, she felt that she'd feel better if Alex was with them. He may be a living weapon, but he was a skilled weapon. Instead, he was stuck here. The last she saw him, he was heading to the library to do some studying. And early this morning, Tonraq returned alone. All he said was the Korra felt that his presence was making things worse for their mission. She hoped that they didn't have a massive fight. She knew first-hand how you won't truly come to regret something until it's missing. Even though her father had hated benders and even tried to kill her, a part of her still missed him. She heard a soft thump as something landed behind her.

"Things looked so good the day before." She said aloud. "But ever since Chief Unalaq showed up things have been getting worse."

"Unalaq may be behind all this, but Tonraq's not exactly helping." Alex said as he sat down next to her. "He keeps brushing Korra the wrong way."

"What do you mean? He just worries about her. He's trying to protect her."

"Exactly. He's treating Korra like she's still a child, or a priceless ornament. But Korra's the Avatar. She can finally bend all four elements. If I weren't here, she'd be one of the strongest people on the planet just by existing. Tonraq trying to protect her is almost like he's saying she's not strong enough. Add the fact that he was behind the compound, and you've pretty much got a re-enactment of Toph Beifong's life."

"Doesn't a compound seem a little… extreme?"

"That's what I thought too. But he still doesn't want to tell me why he did it, just saying that some people would want to use her."

"Even so, she's been a little quick to just accept Unalaq at his word."

"She's scared. She's up against an enemy she can't just beat up, and he's the only one aside from me to stop them. Since he's offering her a way to fight back, she's more willing to listen to him than anyone else."

Asami gave him a look. "You sure seem to know a lot about what she's thinking."

"Part of it could be because we shared the same head space, but I think it's more because we're so alike. We both prefer to solve our problems with violence. We both have some trouble relating to others…"

"Some of us more than others." She said.

"Yeah. And we're both incredibly powerful, easily the strongest people from our worlds. I feel angry that I couldn't just kill that Dark Spirit the night before. But I've only been alive for a few years, I'm nearly impossible to kill, and being angry is kind of my default mood. Korra's been told that she's the Avatar for most of her life. But unfortunately, when you're scared you end up making bad decisions. Like not listening to your friends when they're trying to help you. Or going into an eternal storm on the words of a sneak."

"Well, at least she's got Mako to keep her safe. And maybe he could get her to listen."

"Doubt it. In fact, I can't really see their relationship lasting all that long."

"What do you mean? They complement each other. She's the force pushing Mako to take risks, and he helps keep her calm and in check. You know what they say; opposites attract and all that."

"Not all the time. Sometimes they just end up crashing and making a giant explosion. It probably doesn't help that I doubt even Korra knows what she wants."

"Uh, ok? What's that supposed to mean?"

"I heard them arguing twice already. The first time she was annoyed at Mako for agreeing with Tenzin about how she needs more training, seeing it as him taking the other side. And the second time, she was annoyed that he told her exactly what she wanted to hear. There's no way Mako can win with her." They sat there in silence for a bit. "Sorry."

She started. Did he actually apologise for something? "Sorry for what?"

"You and Mako used to date. He left you for Korra, and you probably accepted because they seemed right for each other. And now I'm telling you that they're an accident just waiting to happen. That's not exactly something you'd want to hear."

"Eh. Just because I don't want to hear it doesn't mean it'll just go away." She replied. Then she had an idea. "Maybe things would be better if you two ended up dating."

"Pass. Even if you ignore the fact that I'm a bioweapon that only looks human, we're still too similar. We'd end up fighting almost all the time. Besides, the last time I fell in love, I ended up betrayed and decided to wipe out mankind. I'm not going to go through that again." As he looked away, something from the sea gained his attention. He stared intently as something beyond Asami's sight, before snorting. "Well, it looks like Unalaq's given me yet another reason to hate his slimy guts."

"What? What did you see?"

"A fleet of Northern ships are approaching. Naval types, battleship class. And lots of them." He smirked. "You know, technically I was ordered to defend the South from all possible threats. A massive fleet, no matter who they are, could count as a possible threat."

"Somehow, I doubt you could justify that. But what are they even doing here? There's no way the South could be at war with the North.

"Don't know. But until Unalaq gets back here and says otherwise, I'm working under the assumption that they're not allowed into the city. You want to come along?"

"Well someone's got make sure you don't kill them all." She replied, hopping onto his back. Biomass wrapped around her, holding her securely as he dashed towards the harbour. She had forgotten just how fast he could be. The ships had barely arrived on the horizon by the time they got there. Alex immediately Waterbended massive walls of ice across the harbour, before jumping onto them with her. This was no exactly what she had in mind. She was expecting to stay on solid ground and negotiate from there. But, she knew she couldn't leave him here alone, so she waited until the lead ship got close enough.

"Attention Southern Water Tribe." The captain of the ship called through a megaphone. "Chieftain Unalaq has ordered us here to help you strengthen your connection to the spirits. Lower the wall and let us dock."

"Ok. Just tell them politely that we will need to…" She stopped as Alex held a hand in her face.

"As an Avatar, I am not beholden to your jackass chief or whatever orders you suggest may be from him. Unless Avatar Korra tells me otherwise, I am keeping this wall up. Any attempt to break through will be seen as an act of invasion, and dealt with accordingly. I'm sure you've heard of what I did to Blackwatch." He turned to Asami. "Good enough for you?"

"Well, you haven't started killing them yet. I guess that's a plus." She looked at the still ships. "And it doesn't look like they're willing to test you yet. That's another plus." She yelped as the wall started sagging under her feet. But Alex snapped his fingers, and the wall grew sturdy again. The area they were standing on grew bigger and formed guard rails, until it was more of a platform.

"I warned them, they attacked. You're my witness. Now, keep an eye out for Korra while I knock some heads together." He jumped off the platform and plummeted onto the lead ship, the boat nearly sinking as he slammed into it. She could see a massive dent in it as rivets fired, the hull cracking from the impact. He then jumped again and slammed into the next, before unleashing a massive wave to freeze and lift the ship beside it. She felt the wall sag slightly, before it grew sturdy again. Once again, she was amazed at the sheer power Alex had at his disposal. To fight so many at once while still watching and fixing the wall was unbelievable. She turned enough that she could still watch the fighting while keeping an eye out for Korra. Just in time too, since she spotted her riding along the streets towards them.

"Alex! Korra's here!" She called out, aware that he'll still likely hear her. The water around them froze over completely, lifting every ship that was still within range. Alex just kept freezing them more and more, until they were all nearly trapped. He then jumped up towards the wall and grabbed her, before dropping lightly to the harbour just in time to see Korra.

"Alex. What's going on? Why are you attacking Northern ships?" She asked in confusion. Alex smirked as he saw Unalaq barely keeping his temper under control.

"I told them that I wasn't going to let them in unless you told me to, and they started trying to bust their way in. If only they had been willing to wait a few more minutes, we could've avoided all this." He said innocently. Unalaq got right up in his face.

"Let my men through this instant." He growled.

Alex shook his head. "Not until Korra deems them as not a threat to the South."

"Alex, they're just here to protect the Southern Spirit Portal from people that want to misuse it. That's all they're doing."

"That, and illuminate the locals on how to be more spiritual, according to the captain." He replied. But he waved his hand, and all the ice he made melted. The ships nearly capsized as they fell, bobbing in the water like toys. Asami could see crew members helping each other out of the water. "Korra, if this turns out to be some kind of crusade, I'm putting it down immediately. Understand?"

"It's not a crusade, Alex. But, I get your point. I just want you to remember that we're supposed to be peace-keepers. Please don't start any wars."

"Well, since you asked so nicely. I'll just settle for mooning them and drawing rude pictures. But only as long as Unalaq tells his men to behave themselves."

Unalaq kept glaring at him. "Oh don't worry. We'll be on our best behaviour."

Korra was muttering to herself in annoyance as she and Naga headed towards the Tribal Palace. Why was everyone so against Unalaq? He just wanted to help them stop the spirit attacks. If they could just make peace with them by any means, then surely it was for the better. And yet everyone was ignoring her suggestions. So here she was, planning on asking Unalaq to at least have his men move on to the portal. Just to help calm everyone's frustrations.

Sadly, it seemed that not everyone was willing to calm down. She could hear some people arguing. Turning round the corner, she spotted a Northern soldier arguing with one of the hunters. It sounded like it was about the blockade. She was rushing over to end it, when Alex jumped down from nowhere and landed beside them. They both looked at him in surprise as he glared. Deciding they had better things to do, they both walked away.

"Third one I've had to break up since the meeting." He said as he walked alongside her. "So much for his men behaving themselves."

She frowned. "You know, you're not really in a position to complain. They're still upset with you attacking them like that."

"They disregarded me. I gave them clear, precise orders and they ignored them. Besides, it was fun watching your uncle nearly pop a blood vessel."

"Because you still think he's the bad guy? Alex, he's trying to save the world from the dark spirits."

"And Blackwatch was trying to save the world from Blacklight. Saving the world doesn't instantly mean everything you're doing is right. Even heroes get things wrong. And it's strange how they all start showing up now of all times."

"You're paranoid."

"Probably. Doesn't mean I'm not right." He started walking away. "You'd better hurry up and let Unalaq know that people aren't happy with him. It probably won't do much, but at least you'll have tried." She groaned as he left. Great. Even Alex was ignoring her. Why did he have to be so confrontational now of all times? She shook her head. Well, whatever. He can keep being moody. She had a job to do.

No matter what everyone else thought, she was still the Avatar.

Seven. Seven different fights broken up just today. And that's not even including the ones Korra took care of herself. Whatever Korra said to Unalaq, it was clear that he wasn't bothering to pay attention. Was a war what he really wanted? Or was he just so determined to get Korra to follow him that he was willing to risk everything? Alex wasn't sure. With people like him, they were willing to do anything for the most petty of reasons.

It was now night, and the military had enforced a curfew on the populace. Alex decided to get around that by pretending to be one of them. And the best way was to eat someone. All the guy knew was that they were here on Unalaq's orders, to somehow make everyone be more spiritually minded. He didn't have a clue how they'd do that, aside from forcing everyone to worship the spirits. And the word on the street was that anyone siding with the North was against the South. Such dichotomy was just going to make everyone more problems. As he jumped up onto a roof, he spotted Naga's white coat rushing down towards the palace. What was Korra doing out so late? And why was she in such a hurry? He ran after her, changing back to normal as he got closer.

"Alex!" Korra shouted in surprise. "What are you doing here?" She shook her head. "Nevermind that. My dad's a part of a rebel group, and they're going after Unalaq. You have to help me."

"A rebel group? This is the first I've heard of it." Maybe trying to keep the peace meant they didn't think of trying to recruit him. He would've said no anyway, but it still would've been nice to have been asked. "I'll help, but I still don't trust him." They moved quickly to the palace, Alex nearly smashing the door wide open as they charged through. Inside, they spotted two guards tied up and unconscious, and past them they saw masked men carrying Unalaq away. They all stopped as they spotted each other.

"Dad. Please, don't do this." Korra begged him.

"Turn around and pretend you didn't see anything. Both of you." The man was definitely not Tonraq. So if he wasn't here, then where was he?

"I can't. Leave Unalaq here and go. I'll tell him that I tried to stop you, but you managed to escape. We can still avoid a war."

"She's right. Only a fool or a god seeks out war. And I doubt you're anything close to a god."

"Neither are you." The rebels slammed them back with a wall of ice. Alex stopped it in its tracks with sheer strength, before liquefying it and chasing after it. The first they knew that he had caught up was when he slammed some of them through the air. They fell to the ground floor and didn't get back up. Korra jumped above him to try and trap them.

"Please stop. We're all part of the same tribe. I don't want to hurt you. I just want to stop the fighting."

"Then you've chosen the wrong side, Avatar. Keep them busy." The lead rebel shouted as he ran for it. Korra jumped up high and grabbed a hanging banner, using it to help her dodge the water they threw at her. Alex charged through them, knocking them like skittles before going after the leader. He found him trying to tie Unalaq to a snowmobile, so intent on his work that he didn't notice Alex until he imbedded his claws into the engine. The man had only enough time to squeak before Alex booted him into the wall. And then he found himself standing over Unalaq.

It would be so easy to just get rid of him right now. He could claim that the rebels had two snowmobiles, and the first one got away before he could follow. He could find out exactly what Unalaq was planning, why this portal was so important. What he planned for Korra. This man was likely willing to hurt Korra to make her obey him, to make her see him as the better option. He sorely wanted to rip him to shreds.

But it wouldn't work like that. Korra would figure out what he did. There was very little chance that the rebels could've escaped him, no matter what happened. And even if he turned out to be right about Unalaq, her trust in him would be shattered.

He needed that trust. He needed her friendship. He couldn't just give that up for a feeling. Not like the old him would've done. He stayed his hand as Korra came running out of the building, looking for him. He saw her smile in relief as she spotted him by the snowmobile. Alex smiled back and walked over to the rebel, who was just waking up again. He removed the mask to reveal a long-haired man. He looked similar to Tonraq, but it clearly wasn't him.

"Wait. You're not my dad." Korra said as she stopped beside him, confusion and relief etched on her face.

"Of course not. That traitor refused to help us. He was too busy licking his master's boots, just like you both are." Alex gave him a sharp tap, knocking him out again. By now, more Northern guards had arrived. They looked on in surprise at the scene before them. Alex looked up and smirked at them.

"Don't mind us. It's not like we're doing your jobs for you or anything."

Well, that could've gone better.

Unalaq was all pleasant when he woke up, agreeing to give the rebels a fair trial under Korra's suggestion. But the next day, Alex got up to see a dozen guards standing in his room, spears to his neck. They were to arrest him for conspiring to assassinate Unalaq.

Alex was sure that in time, someone was bound to go looking for them.

And so here he was, entering Varrick's personal mansion disguised as a young woman in a servant outfit. He was currently heading towards his office, where he was certain Asami would be having a meeting with him, while pretending to sweep the floor. But as he went, Eska and Desna led a small battalion of guards towards Varrick's offices. Guess Unalaq was rounding up everyone who he thought was a threat to his plans. Switching gears, he swapped the broom for a tray with tea, following them as though he wasn't aware of why they were here. When they slammed the doors open, he saw Asami, Mako, and Bolin all standing around in the room, looking surprised at the guards.

But there was no sign of Varrick himself.

"Eska, hey." Bolin laughed nervously. "I wasn't hiding from you, honest."

"Don't worry. I'm not on the hunt for you. Yet." Alex followed them in placed his tray down, standing at attention by the tray. "We are here searching for Varrick. Our father wishes for him to stand trial."

"Trial? On what grounds?" Asami asked.

"For conspiring with our aunt and uncle to assassinate our father."

"Wait. Korra's parents have been arrested?" Mako asked.

"Yes." Desna replied dryly. "Your powers of deduction are most impressive." A guard stood next to them.

"Varrick's not inside the mansion." He said.

"Very well then. Perhaps he is hiding onboard one of his ships. Let us continue the search." Alex saw Asami pick up a cup, before he let out a whistling command that caused the handle to separate. She looked in surprise as it fell to the ground and shattered. "Boyfriend. Bow to me when I exit." Bolin started waving his hands around before doing exactly as she commanded. The guards closed the door with a loud bang.

"Bolin, you can't let her treat you that way. Stand up for yourself." Asami said fiercely as she picked up another cup. This time, Alex covered it with his hand.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." He said in his normal voice. The group looked in shock while he changed back. "It seems that Unalaq's doing a bit of a purge. He's already gone for me even after I saved his life. From the way the guards acted, I was probably supposed to end up dying while resisting arrest."

"I knew I had him pegged from the beginning." They all looked around as they heard Varrick's voice. "That's why as soon as it was morning, I hid in the one place he'd never look." The platypus bear next to them opened its bill to show Varrick's face. "Inside Ping-Ping. By the way Alex, I can't believe you stopped my rebels. Look at the way he's repaying you."

Alex stood there in a daze, eyes blinking in confusion. "Are… Are you hiding inside a taxidermied platypus bear?"

"I know. No one would ever think of looking for me here. So, what's the plan?"

"We find Korra, let her know what Unalaq's really like, and kick his ass out of the South." Alex replied. The others looked at each other.

"Are you sure she'll listen to you? I know it seems harsh to us, but Varrick did organise a rebel group. Maybe the judge will understand that it's all a mix-up." Mako said.

"Even if that was the case, that still doesn't change the fact that he tried to kill me after I saved his ass. For now, I'll let him think his men took care of me." He changed into a Northern soldier, complete with spear. "If her folks have been arrested, she'll no doubt be at the trial. You guys just stay out of trouble and don't give them a reason to arrest you too." He left the room and carefully made his way down the streets. He likely had an hour or so before the case started, and he couldn't reveal his identity just yet. Even if it meant having people hate me, he thought as dodged a snowball thrown at his head. The crowd heckled him as he marched along, only getting louder as he joined another group. The man in charge looked like he was ready to order a large arrest, until Alex placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Sir, I would advise against it." He said. "Once they see that we have no tolerance for assault on our Chieftain, they'll quieten down. In the meantime, wouldn't it be prudent to watch over the palace in case there are more terrorists?"

"Don't give me orders, soldier." The captain said as he pulled himself free. "Men, continue our patrol around the palace, just in case more of them show up to free their fellow traitors." Alex smirked at the man did as he suggested. Once they had gotten close enough, it was easy enough for him to slip out. Then all he had to do was follow the murmuring. Inside, there was a large group of people, all sitting before a judge's stand. Between them, sitting on a long table, were all the rebels. Including Senna and Tonraq. And over by the side was Korra, right next to Unalaq. Alex nearly growled. He couldn't talk to her without revealing himself. It looked like he was going to have to wait until the trial was over to make his move.

"We're good to go. I gave all the money to some guys over there. I told them to 'take care of it', and then I winked. Pretty sure they got the message." He heard Bolin say. He looked over to see Asami holding her face in her hand, while two strangers were handling a lot of Yuans.

Next time Varrick, give the money to someone who understands how to actually bribe someone.

"This trial will now come to order! Judge Hotah presiding." A clerk shouted. Hotah turned out to be an old, serious looking man. Alex was under no false pretences that he was strict with his punishment.

What followed next was practically exactly what he had been expecting. Unalaq barely included Alex in his rescue, only treating him as an afterthought, and likely to appease Korra. Hotah then asked Korra a series of damming questions, refusing to give her time to explain before launching into the next one. He left for a break to think over his final decision, most likely one that Korra wouldn't like. And when he returned, he proved him right. Although he was lenient enough to release Senna – likely because there was no way anyone could spin a lie that would implicate her – he judged the rest to be guilty and thus to be executed. Korra responded with a harsh threat to end him if he so much as touched them. Surprising him, Unalaq then stepped forward to try and calm everyone down. He then asked that the judge show the rebels mercy. Hotah relented, choosing instead to have them locked away in prison. But now it made sense. If he helped spare the rebels, Korra would believe that he is being merciful and truly wished to help everyone. She would trust him even more, while he and Tonraq would be 'unavailable' to show her the truth. Clever of him. And if he hadn't been stupid enough to target the near-invulnerable weapon, he might've just succeeded. He waited until the guards led the rebels away and Unalaq returned to his office before getting close to Korra. He touched her bio-arm, letting tendrils writhe up and down it. She looked down in surprise, before allowing him to drag her away to a private room.

"Alex? Where have you been? I've been looking everywhere for you since my parents were arrested. And why are you a guard?"

"I'm a guard because a whole squad of guards tried to kill me. On Unalaq's orders." Korra froze in shock.

"But… I don't understand. Why would he order that? You helped save him. If it wasn't for you, the rebels might've gotten away before I could rescue him. This doesn't make any sense."

"It actually makes perfect sense." He replied, before telling her everything he had learnt about Unalaq. She kept looking more and more shocked with every fact. "…And he obviously saw me as a big enough threat to his plans to try and eliminate me. The only thing I'm missing is his goals, and actual evidence to back me up."

Korra's eyes grew flinty, and she had a determined expression on her face. "I think I might know where to look. And it'll be right up your alley."

They were now at a frozen pass leading away from the city. Below him, a Satomobile was heading back from the prison, likely carrying Judge Hotah. Alex skidded down the side of the cliff until he ended up on the road ahead of Hotah, waiting until he was rounding the corner before stepping out. Far too late for him to react.

It always made him feel better, knowing that being hit by a car was useless.

Hotah limply stirred awake, just in time for Korra to come up and have Naga rip the door open. She grabbed him by the coat and slammed him against the wrecked Satomobile. Alex came round, his hands now spiked claws.

"Wh-What do you want? What do you both want?" Hotah said, completely terrified.

"We want some words with you, Judge Hotah. How about you start telling us how Unalaq manipulated the trial." Korra said angrily.

"Manipulated? I-I don't know what you mean. I run a fair court room."

"Well, here's the thing." Alex said nicely. "We don't believe you. Korra doesn't believe you, since you tried to have her father executed. And I don't believe you because I found that whole sham to be too quick and clean to be real. So how about you cut the bullshit and tell us the truth? Before I decide to just eat your brain and learn that way." He punctuated his threat by carving a neat line into the metal panel next to his head. Hotah turned as white as a sheet at that.

"Alright! It was a sham. It was all premeditated, I swear. Unalaq wanted to make it look like the trail was fair."

"So he told you what to say?" Korra asked.

"Yes. Every word. He even sorted out that leniency beforehand."

"So that was to keep Korra on his side. And to keep Tonraq out of the way."

"Yes. Just like when he had him banished." He clapped his hands to his mouth, having blurted out too much. Alex smirked at him.

"Knew I right about that." Hotah yelped as Korra slammed him against the Satomobile again.

"Start. Talking." She growled at him. Hotah babbled like a loon, telling her everything Alex had suspected. Unalaq had hired the raiders to attack, and then had them hide in the forest knowing his brother would attack them anyway. He didn't mention about him trying to twist Tonraq's actions to make him seem like a failure, but then he wasn't actually involved in that in the first place. By the time he was done, Korra looked ready to go into the Avatar State.

"Thanks for all the info, Hotah." Alex said warmly. "Now, I just need to make sure you told us everything." He gave Hotah enough time to realise what he meant before impaling his claw into the metal right next to his head. Hotah stared at it with trembling eyes before fainting dead away. "I'll go and tell the others that we're kicking the North out of the South. You go and rescue your father."

"Right." Korra hopped on Naga as Alex used Airbending to boost his speed to rocket levels. He had never actually reached these kinds of speeds before. He was actually over the Southern Tribe before he was even aware of it. Below him, he could see plenty of Northern troops patrolling, getting the stink eye from the Southerners.

Ah what the hell. He sent out a bird and dropped down on their heads.

The guards started yelling as he bashed them around like toys, snapping bones and bruising organs while they tried to mount a defence. True, their continued Waterbending assaults were causing him to lose consistency over his form, but it was easy enough to push through and knock them about like skittles. He could hear them calling for more back up, but he knew they weren't going to bother him anymore than these guys did.

Until he saw that the 'back-up' was dark spirits.

"You know, it's really starting to feel like Unalaq's been behind everything today." He said as he sliced through the spirits. As he clashed against him, he could see why Unalaq would want to use them against him. His blows weren't fatal. At best he would simply disperse them for a while. They could doge him even faster than he could attack, and they could alter their forms as easily as he could. About the only thing that stopped them from continuously swarming him was the fact that they were terrified of him. Of course, that just meant that the ones he engaged were tougher than normal. He found himself getting thrown through a building by one of them, only to jump back out and slam it against the road. He looked up to see that many warriors were fighting the troopers, the spirits, or both. And a large flood of them were attempting to rush him. He readied to fire a devastator at them, the many tendrils hopefully punching hole in them. But before he could do that, a Satomobile drove through them at speed. It swerved around him and dropped off Mako, before it kept going towards the prison.

"We got your message. Looks like you were right. Have you told Korra 'you told her so'?" Mako asked as he fought back with blasts of fire.

"I was thinking of maybe waiting until after we rescue the South." Alex replied. "Now, help me clear some room so I can really start cutting loose." Mako nodded, before rushing off to help the Southerners fend off their enemies. A spirit tried to crush him under a massive hammer fist, but he bounced it back with a shield before slicing it in half with his blade. The one spirit became two. Alex shot twin flames down at them as he fell, the spirits crouching in pain as he slammed into one of them. Watching as it turned into a cluster of goblin things, he barely had time to react as the second one screamed at him, the concussive force knocking him to the ground. Alex formed a short hand pointing upwards and fired a blast of flames into its mouth. The spirit exploded into fragments. As he tried to get up, he was suddenly swarmed by a multitude of spirits. They weren't trying to kill him, just keep him down. Well, they were clawing away at him, but that wasn't likely their main goal. He could barely stand up from the sheer mass of them.

He imagined everyone looked surprised as he exploded and sent tendrils and hardened fragments flying everywhere.

He looked around to see the spirits trying to reform, nearly all of them wounded. He also could see Korra and the Satomobile heading his way. She barely waited to stop before shouting at him. "Unalaq's having my dad shipped to the North. We have to stop them."

"Varrick should be on his yacht right now." Asami said as they all headed towards the harbour. "The blockade's the only problem, and Alex already handled them before."

"Uh, don't look now, but we've got company." Bolin shouted, pointing towards the Northern guards chasing after them.

"Grab onto me." Alex said as he ran alongside the Satomobile. Bolin nearly fell as he jumped out, only just latching on with Alex's help. Asami moved as fast as she could, the Satomobile already slowing down. Alex grabbed hold of it and tossed it at the guards, forcing them to stop as it exploded before them. "That should keep them busy for a while." By now, they had reached Varrick's yacht. And it was already moving. They jumped aboard before it got too far, everyone hopping off while Varrick steered towards the blockade. Alex stood at the front and waved his hands, melting the ice wall and sending the water behind them. "Hang on, everyone. Never tried battleship surfing before." He caused the water to swell under them, pushing them higher and higher while causing the blockade ships to capsize. He then pushed the water towards the only other ship leaving, rocketing them closer. Once he was in range, Korra tapped into the Avatar state and used Airbending to launch them, targeting Alex at the command deck. He smashed through almost every floor before stopping, the sounds of battle coming from outside. He carved his way through the halls until he found several crouched shapes inside a locked room. It was child's play to rip the door off, revealing Tonraq and the rebels.

"Alex? What are you doing here?" Tonraq asked even as Alex opened their cuffs. "You're going to cause a civil war between the North and the South."

"Unalaq's already done that." Alex replied. "Korra and I got Hotah to pretty much confirm everything you and I thought Unalaq had done. Right now though, we need to get out of here before these guys get their acts together." Tonraq kept glaring at him, but he motioned the rebels to follow him. Luckily, it was easy to get out. Alex had made a direct path through all the twisting halls. He ripped open the outer wall just in time to swat a guard with it. Korra was doing pretty well. Half the guards were out cold (sometimes literally), and the rest weren't doing so well. Especially when Alex and co started throwing water around too. Varrick pulled up just as they dealt with the last guard. Everyone else jumped on board, while Alex drove a massive spike through the hull. The water came out like a geyser as the whole boat started sinking. He jumped on as they left, leaving the Northerners to Waterbend back to shore.

That felt really cathartic.

They were now docked near an ice sheet, Korra explaining everything they had learnt over the past few days. Or rather, Alex and Dad had learnt. She couldn't believe how stupid she had been, ignoring everyone to listen to Unalaq. How much of this could've been avoided if she had been willing to just listen to someone else? The sad expression on Dad's face made her feel worse.

"I still can't believe it. I always knew he was ambitious, and talking with Alex made me realise that some things were far too neat. But to think that he had actually betrayed me. And the entire tribe." He shook his head, getting a steely look in his eyes. "I've been running from my past for too long. It's time to put Unalaq back in his place."

"You have our support, Chief Tonraq." The rebel leader said solemnly. "We've always handled ourselves since we were separated from the North during the Hundred Year War. It's time we make it official."

"I want to help too." Korra said. "I've got a lot of mistakes to make up for."

"Maybe. But I'm willing to admit that it's my fault too. Alex was right; I've still been treating you like a child. It's time that I realise that you're an adult now. I've got to accept that you're capable of taking care of yourself."

Korra felt like her heart was going to burst. And there was shame, too. "Dad, there's something I need to tell you about. I… I didn't make it out of that fight against Amon unscathed." Alex touched her arm, and she felt everything go dead as the biomass released her. She looked down to see only a stump where her arm had been. "Alex made me a new arm, as his way of helping me. I was so worried that you'd get over-protective that I tried to pretend that it didn't happen."

"Why are you telling me all this?" Tonraq asked in confusion, eyes still staring at her stump. Alex placed the arm back on, and it was like it never happened.

"Because I want Alex to upgrade it. We're going to need every weapon we can to defend our people. This way, I can fight alongside you even better than before."

"That's… I'm proud that you want to help us, but I need you to go to Republic City. We can hold them off for a while, but without the United Nations we can't win. We need you to get their support."

"I'll stick around here and do as much damage as I can." Alex said. "Who knows? I might even beat them by the time you get back." He laced his hand on her biomass arm again, the skin shifting as tendrils writhed. "There. I've given you some basic coding. You won't have enough biomass for anything powerful, but it should give you an edge in close combat. Just remember that it isn't invincible. If you end up using too much, you'll have to gain more biomass. Anything organic will do. Just give it the command, and it'll follow to the best of its ability."

"Thanks Alex." She said, slapping him on the arm. "I should've listened to you. Guess you weren't paranoid in the end."

"Or maybe I was, and it just ended up working out for us. I find your idealism to be… refreshing. Maybe I should try to go around without thinking that everyone's out to get me someday." He followed the rebels as they hopped on board an ice raft, using the water to lift him onto the surface. They were sailing away as she heard him call out to her. "By the way; I told you so!" She laughed as he sailed back towards the South.

Unalaq wouldn't know what hit him.

Whoa. When I started writing this chapter, I never expected to fit so much into it. For those of you who know the Korra episodes, I just managed to fit Episodes 2, 3 and 4 all into this one chapter. I knew that book 2 wasn't going to be as long as Book 1, but damn. I'm gonna look back at this and wonder where half my story went.

Part of it is probably because I cut out quite a bit of the show from this. Things that Alex being there wouldn't change enough to mention; or things that could be mentioned afterwards. While this is both Alex's and Korra's story (mostly Alex's) fans of the show would understand enough of Korra's development that it'd be a waste to just reprint it here. On the plus side, it means that we can get to the cool action stuff I've got planned faster.

Now, when you think about it, Unalaq is probably one of the few villains in Avatar capable of being a real hindrance to Alex. His Waterbending is more effective against Alex because of Blacklight's fear of water; and the dark spirits aren't something Alex could just easily kill. Well, they might, but there wasn't anything on the show about whether a person could kill a spirit. So I'll just have it that Alex can dispel them by causing enough damage. Only problem is that there's a lot of spirits. He's not just going to waltz up to Unalaq and bump him off before the first sentence. Unalaq is going to be more paranoid when a supposed-to-be-dead Avatar shows up again.

We also see a bit more of Alex's character development. The Alex in Book 1 would've happily eaten Unalaq just because he made him uneasy, never mind what anyone would think. But Alex in Book 2 is willing to think about how the others would react. Especially Korra. She fills the role Dana played in Prototype, acting like his moral compass. He does good things to make them happy. In time, he might even do good things for the sake of good.

On second thought, maybe not that far.

Oh, and that bit about Alex and romance? That's my official stance on Alex/Korra/Anyone shipping. There will be romance here, just not with Alex. His first girlfriend betrayed him because he was Blacklight, and the second killed him for his money. That kind of stuff leaves you wary of love at the best of times.

Oh, and the story's pretty much going to be in the South. As I mentioned earlier, I don't want to do a complete retread of Book 2. We already know what happens to Korra in Republic City. But we know hardly anything about what went down in the South until they got back. This gives me the perfect canvas to paint my own ideas. And given that Alex is involved, there's going to be lots of fire, destruction, and blood.

I can hardly wait.