Hey there. I want to apologise for how long this took to get out. I also want to apologise for how short it is compared to other chapters. It's just that tomorrow I'm off on a short weekend holiday with a phone hotspot for internet, and I'd rather get something out before I go.
As for why this took so long, part of it is because I've ended up working on half a dozen or so stories at once. But a major part is how I tend to work. It goes a bit like this.
I've got a major brainwave for this story. I should write it down. Done. Now to take a break. (A few days become a week, become two weeks or more.) Ooh, one of my older stories hasn't been updated for quite a while. I should start writing something… Ooh, new video on YouTube. And I've got a book I've been meaning to read. Hey, one of the stories I follow has released a chapter. Awesome. (Days later.) A new patch is out for a game. Should play it a bit. Got work now. (Days later.) Ooh, had another brainwave for a different story. Must get it down and into the open. (Days later.) Huh. Got a review for one of my stories. Huh? Been 3 months since I've updated it? Oh shit! Need to get something down. Must keep working.
That's pretty much what happens (assuming I don't still end up getting distracted again while doing so). I'm sure many of you who are also writers somewhat understand what I mean. I can't promise that I'll post more regularly, since it's so amazingly easy for a few days to turn into weeks. But I can promise that I will not be adding any new stories until I work through my workload and get down to… three or four stories. Probably three.
Please accept this as an apology, and hopefully things will get more exciting next chapter.
Chapter 15: I'm Going to Ba Sing Se
It had taken five more days before they had a heading, thanks to a phone call from Beifong. According to her, there have been several reports of people around the Earth Kingdom spontaneously developing Airbending, with some of them barely showing signs of control. Tenzin theorised that such control would change in the time it would take for them to get to them, but they would still likely require further tutoring. And they would need help to relocate to the Air Temples to help rebuild the ancient order. Luckily, Asami had already started building a new airship to take them and the new Airbenders around the Earth Kingdom. Now here they were, all packed and ready, waiting for Asami and Alex to arrive with the airship.
They didn't have to wait too long.
Ikki jumped to her feet, hopping on the spot. "I can see them, I can see them!" She said excitedly, pointing towards the city. The others looked closer, squinting as they tried to spot it too.
"Wow." Korra said in surprise. "Asami's really gone all out on that thing." And indeed, she had. The airship was much larger than the others she had seen, easily big enough to put a small house on the top of it. At least eight propellers on top helped lift it into the air, and there were massive jade-coloured glass windows down the side. Finally, she had apparently seen fit to decorate it with a large golden phoenix as a figurehead. "Does it really have to be so big?"
"We're going to have a lot of people joining us, hopefully." Tenzin replied, still squinting. "But I'm more curious about what's following it. It seems to be some kind of… tornado." Two massive spirals of air snaked their way into the clouds, pulling them in and churning them up with ease.
Korra leaned back, frowning. "It's… probably Alex showing off or something. It's not really that big a deal."
"Those look pretty big Korra." Jinora said nervously. "Even Alex wouldn't make something so big just for fun."
"Well, we'll probably find out soon." Tenzin said, pointing. "It's getting closer." Asami's airship lowered itself right by the steps of the temple, while the tornado veered away before approaching from the side. As it turned away, they could see that it was actually six tornados, lined up in pairs. Everyone started getting buffeted by the wind as it shrank down in size, finally revealing its cargo. Despite herself, Korra still gasped. A massive dragon floated down towards them, the tornadoes perfectly situated beneath six massive wings. The dark scales and red lines marked it as another of Alex's forms. Once it was low enough, the tornadoes stopped as he shifted into human form. He held his arms out, a red mist trailing from his body as he slowed himself down.
But when he landed, he still hit it with enough force to shake the ground and make a large crater.
"Wow." Bolin said, his voice filling the shocked silence. "I think Alex's put on a few… tonnes. Maybe he should go on a diet."
"I was thinking more along the lines of shedding some excess weight." Alex replied as he stepped out of the crater, dusting himself off. "Also, I'll have to be careful not to binge eat anymore." He walked past them towards the airship, where Asami was waiting. "Luckily, I've been preparing something for this. Bolin, Bumi, Tenzin. You three mind going inside and wheeling out a large drum for me?"
Bolin frowned. "Uh, sure. But why can't you get it? Everyone here knows you're strong enough to lift anything."
"He is. But unfortunately the ship itself is nowhere near strong enough to handle his weight." Asami explained. "And thanks to his little 'display' yesterday we can't exactly leave him here."
"Why not? It's not like he's gonna go into the city and hunt down Raiko." Korra said. The old him might've done that, but he's changed.
"I like hanging out with you guys." He replied. "And it'll be nice to see the Earth Kingdom without being completely focused on hunting down Blackwatch." He smirked. "Besides, I want to see how your plan to wrangle up some Airbenders goes."
"We're not wrangling them. We're recruiting them." Tenzin grunted, him and Bolin helping Bumi move a large drum down the ramp on a trolley. The three of them grunted with exertion until Alex came in and grabbed the drum, causing them all to stumble as he lifted it up like a toy. They all gave him a look from the pile they ended up in as he walked away, placing the drum in the crater he made. He slammed his foot into the ground, using Earthbending to level it out before he grew his arms out and unlatched it. Once the lid was open, he turned into his true state, and slithered into the drum.
"Ah, I bet he's got a dozen ways he could've gotten that drum off the ship without our help." Bumi said waspishly. "He probably thought it be funny to see us struggling like that. Lousy jerk."
Kya gave him a look from the corner of her eye. "Bumi, you'd do the exact same thing if you were in his shoes."
"Yeah, but it's not as funny when I have to do it."
Korra walked on over to Asami, ignoring Bumi and Kya's squabble. Asami smiled warmly as she approached. "Hey Korra." She said. "This has got to be the biggest thing I've ever done yet. Helping to rebuild the Air Nation."
"I dunno. I always figured that helping to stop Amon and Unalaq was just as big." Korra replied. Asami looked away, blushing bright red.
Sooo…" She clapped her hands. "Are we ready to leave once Alex's done securing his extra biomass?"
"Not yet." Korra answered. "We're still waiting for the map Beifong's marking with Airbender sightings. But once she's had it dropped off…" She looked past Asami, spotting something. "Well when Mako drops off the map, then we can go."
"Ah." Asami replied nervously. "Do you think things are still going be awkward between us?"
"Probably. Right now I'm just hoping that he'll agree to join us. Team Avatar just isn't the same without him."
"Yeah, you're right." By now, Mako had made it up the stairs, a sealed tube strapped to his back. He stood ramrod straight, hand ready with an official salute.
"Avatar Korra." He said in a stilted voice. "As ordered by you… and Chief Beifong… I've brought a map marked with the locations of villages that have reported Airbender activity." He pulled the tube from his back, handing it over to Korra. "I'm sure you'll find it very useful."
"Hm. I dunno Mako. What if I can't understand the handwriting and need you to translate it for me?" She said.
"My handwriting is perfectly legible Korra. Avatar Korra. Now, uh… If you'll excuse me, I'm needed back at the station. Where I work. And live." He turned on his heel and started walking away.
Korra grabbed him by the shoulder. "Ah come on Mako. The whole crew is going on this trip. It'll be just awkward if we're going without you."
"I'm sorry. But I have a duty to protect Republic City." He tried to pull free. But his ex-girlfriend always did have a strong grip.
"Wait Mako! You can't leave!" Bolin shouted, nearly bowling Asami over in his rush to stop his brother. "We need you. Really need you." He grabbed Mako by the shoulders, pulling him free of Korra's grip. "Our final stop is Ba Sing Se. It's where Dad grew up. We've probably still got family there. What if we find them, and Grandma's near death, and she's like 'Where's Mako? Where's my beloved grandson? I can't go on without him.' And then she dies. Without ever meeting you. It would crush her."
Mako sighed. "I'm sorry Bolin. I can't. I've got a life here."
"Under your desk?"
"Yes." He paused. "Well, no. But my job is very important. I've got so much paperwork to do right now. And Beifong's not just gonna let me leave just like that."
"Good news Mako!" Pema called out as she walked out of the main building of the temple. "I just got on the phone with Lin. She's alright with you joining us for the search. And she said she'll find someone else to do your paperwork for you."
"You were saying?" Bolin asked slyly. Mako sighed again, knowing when he was beaten.
"Fine. But I want a promise from Alex that he's not going to kill me in some highly imaginative and gruesome way because I broke up with Korra."
"Done." Alex called out, sitting on top of the drum. Large, tough-looking locks dotted the side of the lid. He jumped down off it, and when he landed he barely cracked the tiles. "Korra had me promise the same thing way back when."
"Right." Korra said. "And now that you're both here, I want you two to shake hands and put this 'grudge' behind us all." Alex was the first to hold out his hand, watching Mako like a raven eagle. Mako stared at his hand warily, before grasping the tips of his fingers lightly and giving him a quick shake. Korra wanted to groan. But it was technically a handshake at least. It'll have to do for now.
"Now, will someone tell me what exactly is in that drum?" Mako asked.
"Well… That could've gone better." Asami said, rubbing the back of her neck. To say that their first attempt at recruiting went badly would be an understatement. What had started off as a pleasant meal ended up with shouting, thrown food, and their Airbender kicking them out of the village.
"Yeah, I saw that going very differently." Korra agreed. Though she looked just mildly perplexed, Asami felt as though she could see the frustration she was keeping hidden. This has to work, has to make something meaningful. Every day people were pushing her down for events beyond her control. It always pained her to see how quickly people would blame Korra for everything.
"Maybe we should've stuck around and tried harder to convince him." Mako mulled.
"Yeah. Or we could've thrown him into a potato sack and dragged him onboard." Bolin added.
Alex snorted. "Well if we're going for potato sacks I can always help out."
"We're not going to coerce these people. Or throw them in potato sacks. They must be willing to join the Airbender ranks, or this won't mean anything."
"In that case, you might want to work on your diplomacy then Tenzin." Alex replied. "Cause telling people that they have to be an Air Nomad doesn't sound very diplomatic."
"I'll tell the next lot of Airbenders all the great things about the Air Nomads. They'll be so eager to join us then."
"You're trying to get people to give us their lives in order to join an order that's against the decadence of life. Bet you 10 Yuans that it won't work."
"You're on Alex."
"When your son becomes a master Airbender, he'll get tattoos all over his body, just like me." Tenzin said excitedly. The mother looked down at her young son for a second before slamming the door in his face. Tenzin frowned, and turned to see Alex standing right behind him. A slight smirk was on his face as he held his hand out.
Tenzin's brow furrowed. "Double or Nothing." He said.
"There's nothing more nutritious than our vegetarian diet." The large man glared at him before slamming the door in his face. Alex hid his smirk behind a hand.
"I can tell that you're going to love wearing our ancient Airbender robes. They're very breathable." The woman dressed in a very fancy dress slammed the door in his face as well.
When Tenzin walked past Alex, he still refused to hand the money over. "Not a word Alex."
"I didn't say anything."
"You'll never have to worry about your worldly possessions again, because you won't have any." He barely managed to step back before the door was slammed shut.
It went on like this at every stop. And Tenzin kept going at it like a polar-bear dog on a bone. Alex had to give him points for persistence, even if he was saying the wrong things.
They were on their second to last stop before Ba Sing Se, and everyone was growing despondent. Korra was scribbling away furiously at the map, crossing off all the places that refused to join them. Asami was reading a book, stealing glances at Korra whenever the young lady wasn't noticing. Mako and Bolin were playing Pai Sho, and Bumi was resting on the couch. Alex walked around them all, handing over slips as he passed. Tenzin noticed this as he mulled things over.
"What exactly are you guys doing?" He asked.
"Placing bets on how many Airbenders we get before Ba Sing Se." Bumi replied truthfully. "I've got 45 Yuans that we'll get just one."
"Don't worry Tenzin. I've got 20 Yuans that we'll get three Airbenders before then." Bolin said cheerfully. A nerve twitched on Tenzin's forehead.
"Well just so long as no one's betting that we don't get a single Airbender. We will have another Airbender join no matter what."
Asami coughed slightly, yet Tenzin's raised enough kids to know what it meant. He looked over at her just as she gave him a nervous smile and flipped over her own slip. 50 Yuans for no Airbenders.
"Whoops. That's my slip actually." Alex said, pulling it from her hand. "Asami's betted 47 Yuans that we'll get two Airbenders."
Korra frowned at him. "Nice one Alex."
"I'm being realistic here. We haven't gotten a single Airbender in over seven villages. Unless we change our sales pitch, we're not likely to get anyone else."
Korra stood up angrily. "That's where you're wrong Alex. When we get to the next village, I'll bring back an Airbender. No matter what."
"Let me go Mako!" Korra shouted angrily, being dragged inside by both Mako and Bolin. "I swear I'm dragging that stupid slacker in by his stupid ears!"
"So I guess things didn't go quite as planned then?" Alex asked them, leaning against a wall.
"Not really." Mako replied. "Our Airbender is so much a slacker that he tried to convince Korra that she doesn't have to do anything. He's a twenty-something-year-old guy who still lives in his mother's basement."
Alex scoffed. "Long before the invention of the computer, and the stereotype still lives." He followed them as Korra struggled free, stomping towards the living room in a sulk. "So diplomacy isn't working. Forcing them isn't working…" He shrugged. "All I've got left is threatening them with bodily harm. Don't think that's quite what we're going for." By now, they had reached the others. The lack of another member told them all they needed to know.
"Maybe we could try some razzle-dazzle." Bumi pondered. "Have Alex done up in sequins or something."
"Is this really going to help, or do you just want to get back at me?"
"Yes."
"I've got it!" Bolin said excitedly. "We can put on an Airbending show. Let everyone see all the cool things Airbenders can do."
"Sounds a bit ridiculous…" Korra started saying.
"And humiliating." Alex interjected.
"But it might just work. I mean, nothing else has so far."
"At this point, I'm willing to give anything a try."
"Yes!" Bolin cheered. "I've always wanted to direct a performance. People are going to love it!"
He was right about one thing. People did love it. They cheered, gasped and watched every moment of it in awe. At the end, everyone started clapping wildly.
It was the best praise Korra's gotten from normal people since before Harmonic Convergence.
"You see anyone coming forward Alex?" She asked him. His infrared vision will allow him to pick out people in this crowd better than the rest of them. His eyes glowed red for a split second.
"One person. A kid. Probably about Jinora's age." And lo, when the crowd parted enough, a young raggedy boy was walking towards them. His clothes were dusty and weathered, and his hair looked as though it hasn't been within ten metres of a brush. Honestly, he looked as though he's been living outside for a while.
"Hey there." He said quickly. "You guys looking for Airbenders? Because you've got one right here." He quickly kicked and punched the air, blasts of wind scattering dust. Korra's heart soared. Finally, they found someone willing to join. At least, she hoped that he'd join. "So, where are we going? To some secret training site?"
"Well, an Air Temple actually." She explained. "But first we need to make a quick stop as Ba Sing Se to find a few more Airbenders, before we go and live as nomads. Is all of that ok with you?"
"Yeah, yeah. Ba Sing Se, Air Temple, nomad stuff. When do we leave?"
"Hold on, hold on, um…"
"Name's Kai."
"Kai. Well, we'll need permission from your parents first before we can leave. Are they close by?" Tenzin said. Kai looked down at the ground, eyes almost tearing up.
"They're… not around anymore." He said haltingly. "Our village was attacked by outlaws. My parents refused to sit back and let them win, and they defended us from them. They saved us, but they both died doing so. I've got no one to look after me, so I ran away. The outlaws are still after me."
"That's… that's so sad." Korra said. "But you don't have to worry anymore. We'll keep you safe." She pulled Kai into a hug, one that almost everyone else joined.
Only Alex stayed back, watching Kai carefully are they led him towards the airship. His gaze turned towards the only main road into the village, his ears picking up the sound of engines. His eyes zoomed in on them, already picking out the colours and badges of the Earth Kingdom police.
If these guys were outlaws, then he was a monkey's uncle.
"It's the outlaws." Kai lied, cowering behind Korra. "They found me. We have to run."
"No. We're running from them." Korra said firmly. "Alex, let's scare these crooks off."
"Right." He nodded, walking past Mako. He stopped to whisper in his ear. "I think Kai's feeding us a whole sack of bullshit. Keep an eye on him in case he tries anything." Mako turned to look at him in surprise, before nodding. Alex stood next to Korra, fists ready to pound some flesh. The sheriff and his men stood before them in fighting stances.
The sheriff glared at the two of them. "Release the boy at once, or we will take him by force. Don't do anything you'll regret." Well that could've been worded better, moron.
As expected, Korra took that as a threat. The words of a bully. "If you want Kai, then you'll have to go through us first."
"Fine then. Fire." The deputies threw their boulders at them, travelling at incredible speed for their size. Korra simply used Airbending to shatter the rocks, while Alex caught and crushed the rocks that he intercepted. Korra was already tripping them up by herself when he spotted Kai sneaking off down a side path on the cliff, Mako sneaking up right behind him.
Korra could handle herself. Stopping Kai was the important thing right now. He jumped back away from the fight, easily sailing over Kai's head. The boy came to a halt as Alex landed right in front of him, bouncing off his chest. Before he could try and escape, Alex had a firm grip on his shoulder.
"Going somewhere, outlaw?" Alex snarled, dragging him back to the airship. The fighting was over, the men standing upright again while Korra looked away in embarrassment. Guess the sheriff finally got to introducing himself. About damn time, should've started with that. Alex nodded to him as he and Mako approached. "Sheriff. Benn a while."
The sheriff nodded back. "Mercer. I see that you caught the boy."
"Wait. You two know each other?" Korra asked in confusion.
"Blackwatch decided to take over my town as their new base. Didn't take it lying down, and got rescued by Mercer when he came to clean up." The sheriff explained. Alex never really had the inclination to learn his name. He was just Sheriff to him.
"Seeing him at the head of the pack was what tipped me off that something wasn't right." Alex said. Mako grabbed the bag hanging from Kai's arm and opened it up. He snorted in disgust and tossed it to the ground. "So, can we finally learn what's going on here?"
"The boy was living in an orphanage until about six months ago, when a nice couple adopted him and gave him a home. And how did he repay them? By taking every last bit of their life savings. We've been chasing him ever since."
"Kai? Is that true?" Korra asked.
"That was the old me." Kai tried to explain. "Once I gained Airbending, I turned over a new leaf. I just needed to find a place to make a fresh start, to have a do-over on my life. If you'd just give me a chance, I'll show you that I've changed. I promise."
"If I had a Yuan everytime I heard that old story." The sheriff grumbled, grabbing the stolen goods as his deputies moved to handcuff Kai. Korra looked at Alex, before holding a hand up in the deputy's face.
"Wait. The stolen gold was the most important thing, right?"
"True. But I tend to dislike letting the crooks behind things walk away." The sheriff said.
"What if you release him into our custody? We can keep watch over him, make sure he's telling the truth about changing his ways, and you don't have to deal with all the paperwork of his arrest. It's a win-win situation." She looked back at Tenzin, seeing the wary look on his face. "Kai's the only Airbender we've gotten to join. We can't lose him now."
The sheriff stroked his beard. "Well, I suppose that with both Avatars on your team he'd be hard-pressed to get away. And the family did say they were more concerned about the gold than getting justice." He nodded. "Alright then. He's yours." He waved away his deputies, who started heading back to their bikes.
Korra smiled down at Kai, who was looking up at her in tear-filled awe. "Don't make me regret this." She warned him.
"You won't. I swear. This will be the best decision you've ever made." The group headed back towards the airship, with Mako and Alex at the rear. Before Kai could hop onboard, Mako stopped him and turned him around.
"I just want you to know that we'll both be watching you carefully." Mako said. "You may claim that you've changed your ways, but I've been in your shoes before. And I know that it's all just bull. And if you betray our trust again, I'll feed you to Alex." Alex smirked as he said that.
"Relax pal. I've really changed my ways. Besides, he doesn't eat people." His cocky grim shrank in size. "Right?"
"Let me answer your question with another question." Alex said, giving a large grin with far too many teeth. "Do you really want to find out?"
The next day, Kai simply assumed that Alex was bluffing (and way too fond of sharpening his teeth) and got on with enjoying the cushier life on this airship. It saved him from walking all the time, it got him away from Sheriff Loser and his doo-doo deputies, and best of all they were taking him to Ba Sing Se. From everything he's heard, that place is loaded with enough gold to make a simple thief a very rich person. And hey, Jinora was certainly pretty. Not to mention nice. He felt a twinge of guilt, just like when he left his foster parents place with all their money, but he shrugged it off. Hey, it was a dog-eat-dog world out there, and you only survive by looking out for number one. Anyone dumb enough to be kind to you had only themselves to blame when you robbed them blind.
Right now, he was proving how awesome he was by beating Bumi, Avatar Aang's other son, in a friendly contest of Airbending. It was laughably trivial to easily run rings around the old man. Bumi boasted about how he'd go easy on him, but Kai proved him wrong by easily blasting his feet out from under him. Acting like a good little boy, he helped Jinora pull Bumi to his feet, quickly pocketing his wallet as he did so.
"Remember Uncle Bumi, you need to be light on your feet." Jinora told him once they were all standing again. "Don't stand still like the Earth. Keep moving like the wind." She turned to Kai. "That move you did was pretty good Kai. You're a natural at Airbending."
Kai looked away, his cheeks red. "Well, I had a great tutor." He thought of some other things he wanted to say, but he quickly shoved them back inside. Sure she was pretty, but the moment he tied himself down, his life would be other. He quickly walked over to the railing, planning on distracting himself by watching the land go by. But he was surprised as a long slithering shape flew past the airship, nearly taking his head off as it flew past. He yelled as he jumped away, falling onto his butt as he slipped. Even as he rubbed it, he kept watching the dragon fly above them. It was both horrifying and yet majestic. Black scales covered its body, with red lines in the grooves. The wings seemed odd somehow, like someone sewed skin together to make them (thanks for that image, brain). And the head was far too spiked for its body, almost as if it belonged to another creature.
And it was heading straight for them.
"Run!" He shouted, even as he took off for the door. But no one else was moving. They were either watching the dragon, or smiling and waving. He shrugged as he hid inside the hallway. Fine. If they wanted to end up a dragon's meal, that's their problem. But instead of screams and chomping, things were still quiet. He looked through the half-open doorway again, only to find the dragon sitting peacefully on the deck. Even the sky bison wasn't reacting badly to it, though he did note that it had moved over a bit. The dragon watched him with glaring eyes, before its scales turned fluid. The whole dragon shrank down into a smaller pile of black stuff, before it shaped into a man. A ring of red flowed up and down the pile, until it revealed Alex standing in its place. He smirked as he saw Kai's expression, before heading for the front of the ship where Mako and Bolin were. Kai just kept staring at him. No. Way. Alex was the dragon?
"Sorry." Jinora said, now standing next to him. "We should've warned you about Alex doing something like that. Although I think he likes scaring people every now and then." She gave him a reproachful look, but Alex simply smirked and waved.
"I… I…" He stuttered. "I heard that… Avatar Alex could shapeshift. But I never…"
"Never expected it to be true?"
"So much. I thought he could change his appearance. Like how those people can just throw on some make up and pad their cheeks to look completely different. Or like those plastic surgeons."
"Well Alex's is more… complete than either of them. And he's not limited to human forms." She explained.
"So… Could he eat a person?" Jinora gave him a strange look. "I just figured that he might've. You know, as a dragon."
"Ah. Well, he could. He's done that Blackwatch soldiers before. But you don't have to worry. He won't do that to any of his friends."
"That does not fill me with confidence." He muttered to himself. Ok, when he decides to sneak away, he's gonna have to be careful to keep away from Alex. Somehow.
Mako turned away from watching Jinora and Kai talking. "So, was the dragon form just to intimidate Kai or something?" He asked, still watching as Ba Sing Se grew ever closer. Arranged into three sections, it rose upwards like a cake, with each section higher than the last. Mako slightly wondered which section his family came from. Probably the Middle Ring. There's no way Dad would've left the Upper Ring if he lived there.
"I needed to stretch my muscles a bit anyway. I always prefer moving when I can." Alex replied, rolling his neck. Like he even needed it. "And hey, it was kinda funny."
"Alex, you should treat Kai better." Bolin scolded him. "He's a part of the family now."
"And his first actions as part of our 'family' was to lie to us and then try to run at the first moment. I agree with Alex. Maybe learning he's not as tough as he thinks might knock some sense into him." Mako said. Ignoring Bolin's gasp, he turned back to Alex. "Have you been to Ba Sing Se before?"
"During my hunt of Blackwatch. Figured that the monarchy might have some ideas as to where they are."
"You figured they were all in the Earth Kingdom?"
"Why not? It's the only place you can reach by land from Republic City. It's big enough that any group could disappear into it, and there's hundreds who'd help you hide for the right price. If I had to go into hiding, this would be where I'd do it." He gave Mako a look from the corner of his eye. "Bit of a warning though. Don't trust what the Earth Queen tells you guys."
"Personal experience?" Mako guessed.
Alex nodded. "She told me that there weren't any Blackwatch soldiers in Ba Sing Se or the Earth Kingdom. That didn't sit right with me, so I started digging. Turned out that she had offered them protection if they would start building things for her."
"What?" They turned. Korra was standing right behind them, looking aghast. "But Blackwatch were enemies of the entire world after their bomb stunt. It was world law or something that you had to turn over all soldiers and heavy fines would be placed on any country that harboured them."
Alex shrugged. "Apparently the Earth Queen doesn't feel like those rules apply to her. That's why I hate monarchies."
"I'm surprised that she's still alive. Back then you weren't exactly subtle about your feelings." Tenzin said.
Alex shrugged again. "If I wasted too much time, Blackwatch would've gone into hiding and I'd never find them again. Had to follow all my trails before they got cold. The Earth Queen wasn't going anywhere."
"And now that you're not so busy?" Korra asked.
"I don't feel like offing the queen. Assuming she doesn't lie to us as well. That reminds me." He changed his form until he resembled an Air Acolyte, all saffron robes and shaved head. "Probably should go for a low profile while I'm here. I'm certain that the queen's still pissed off at me for destroying her stolen gear."
"Let's hope that she's more agreeable for us." Tenzin muttered. "We need her if we hope to find any Airbenders in this city.
They were greeted upon landing by Grand Secretariat Gun, who amazingly had somehow lost even more a spine since the last time Alex was here. He kept wringing his hands and reciting all the numerous and conflicting rules Queen Hou-Ting had for everything. One such rule that they had to deal with immediately was her irrational hatred for animals. Oogi was far too big to hide, so he was staying on the airship. Pabu and Naga, however, needed to hide in the backyard of their 'humble' abode. As the supposed servant of the party, getting them there was his responsibility.
Well, that and keeping an eye on their resident thief. He watched Kai try to sneak off after a noble festooned in jewels, easily grabbing him by the arm and dragging him back into the party. He gave it a few good tugs to stop him from trying again.
Kai, on his part, was smart enough to not try again so quickly. Alex, on his part, released him to see how long it would take before Kai tried to run away again.
It took until a surprisingly difficult bridge where he was busy before Kai tried to sneak away again. Alex grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and pulled him back. Kai certainly was surprised, seeing as how he had gotten beyond human reach by the time Alex grabbed him.
He kept a firm hand on him at all times until they reached the villa.
"Yes, yes. That will do nicely." Gun said once Alex had hidden the animals. "Now uh, I don't suppose Avatar Alex is here, is he?"
"No." Korra replied instantly, a flash of irritation on her face. "I'm the only avatar here."
Gun nodded. "Just as well. He disrupted several operations the queen had organised, and she's repeatedly demanded his head. You'll do just fine Avatar Korra."
"Finally." She said in relief, someone calling her avatar music to her ears. "Lead on then."
"Ok." Bolin said, clapping his hands together. "What's our plans right now?"
Bumi shrugged. "I figured that we'd just wait here for the Earth Queen to deliver the Airbenders to us or something."
"Yes, that was the general idea." Tenzin agreed.
"Someone's gotta babysit Kai." Alex said, walking out the door.
Mako sighed. "Do we really have to keep him? If he wants to cause us problems and run off all the time we should let him go. Find someone else to be a pain to."
"Mako. That's a horrible thing to say." Jinora scolded him. "He just needs some more compassion, not threats."
"Exactly Jinora." Tenzin agreed. "Besides, right now he's our only new Airbender. We can't let him run off." They heard a loud snap, and Kai yelping in pain. He and Alex walked back in, Kai rubbing at a red welt on his arm. Alex was looking smug.
"Well, in that case, Mako and I are going to go look in wherever they keep records of families in Ba Sing Se. We're off to find our family."
"You mean the Consensus." Alex said.
"Yeah. That place."
"Just be careful." Tenzin said. "From what I've heard, some of the streets in the lower rings aren't safe for travellers. We don't want you two getting hurt."
"Based on what I saw, some of the streets were pretty unsafe. Until I passed through." Alex smirked. "I could guide you guys if you want."
"Thanks for the offer Alex, but I'd feel safer with you on guard duty." Mako replied. "Come on Bolin. We'd better get going before things get too dark."
"Yes sir." Bolin said with an exaggerated salute.
Korra wanted to almost shout in relief as the guards delivered the taxes. Dealing with the Earth Queen was just as bad as Alex said it would be. Not only was she abrasive, rude, conceited and loud, but she also apparently hasn't forgiven Aang for being gifted land to build Republic City on. And especially Alex for attacking her personal 'former Blackwatch soldiers', conveniently forgetting that all Blackwatch soldiers were to be turned in by international law. It took a lot of swallowing her pride and pleading before the Earth Queen was willing to consider telling her of any Airbenders in Ba Sing Se. All she had to do first was get her some overdue taxes that keep getting stolen.
Annoyed at Alex constantly upstaging her, Korra felt that the mission was small enough that it could just be her and Asami. The other girl couldn't accept fast enough.
"That's a lot of money." Asami noted, watching the guards load the gold into a cart for them. She looked around at the buildings around them. "Too much for just this town. Do you think there are other villages not far from here? Like this is a general collection point?"
"Honestly, it wouldn't surprise me if she just overtaxes her villages. Spirits know how much that building she's making would've cost." Korra replied. "Come on. Let's get this over with and get out of here. Something doesn't feel right." As she said that, the sky suddenly lit up red. She turned to see a flare high in the sky.
"Gonna have to agree with you on that." Asami said, turning back just in time to see the guards running for the safety of the building. "And there goes our escorts."
"We don't need them. We can handle these guys." Korra said bravely. Her Infected arm shifted in form, spikes jutting from her forearm as the skin turned black and scaled. Her fingers became claws, and part of her elbow jutted out. Asami, on her part, equipped the shock glove she kept since the Equalist attacks.
They stood waiting for the enemy to arrive, in only a few seconds, the air with echoing with the sounds of engines. Several motorcycles came roaring through the air, a Satomobile truck not far behind. And Korra spotted several Blackwatch rifles in their hands.
"Now we know why the guards ran." Asami noted.
"New plan. I'll deal with the gunners. Try not to get shot." Korra said, already running towards them.
"'Don't get shot'. Guess that's the best advice you can get for guns." She snarked back, already moving for some cover. The motorcycles kept riding around them, trying to box them in. One of them, sitting on top of the truck with a grenade launcher, looked to be the leader of the group.
"Alright ladies, let's make this easy." He said. "Hand over the gold, or we'll show you how dangerous we can be with these bad boys." He gestured with his launcher, making his point clear.
"This money is going to Ba Sing Se, whether you like it or not." Korra replied angrily.
"Aw, I like girls with some spirit. But I always liked them more when they're in one piece." He fired off a shot of his launcher. Time seemed to slow as it arced towards Korra. Under normal circumstances, she'd never be able to stop it. Even Airbending, while able to blow it aside, would probably still hit someone. Maybe even Asami.
But all she had to do was think about it, and her Infected arm grabbed the grenade from mid-air, and tossed it away from everyone. By the time it exploded, she was already moving. She slammed her foot against the ground, launching the truck into the air with a pillar of rock, while Asami danced around the motorcyclists. They opened fire with their rifles, but as expected they were still terrible shots with their guns. Several of them were wounded by their own side. Korra lashed out with a blast of air, knocking their aim even wider before shooting spines into them. They screamed in pain as the sharp spines found several vital areas. She then slammed her elbow spike into another man's face, launching him backwards into his friends. Then she followed up by slicing into another man's gun with her claws and blasting him point blank with a small gust of fire. She turned around to see a wrecked bike on the ground and Asami standing over an unconscious man, one hand wrapped around a rifle. They both heard another motorcycle heading straight towards them, but Asami merely crouched, flicked at a switch on the rifle, and fired single bursts at it. The front wheel popped, and the bike ended up crashing long before it got near them.
"Nice." Korra said. "I didn't know you learnt how to use a rifle."
"After Beifong confiscated some of them, I thought it might be good to know in case we run into some that she missed. Guess I made a good call." She looked at the rifle and snorted. "No wonder those morons were missing so much. They've had this thing on full auto the whole time. Alex described it as 'spray and pray'."
"Fitting choice of words." They heard scuffling sounds, and turned to see the leader pulling himself free of the truck. One hand was still wrapped around his launcher.
"Ok then." He gasped. "You girls are tougher than the usual lackeys the queen sends to get the taxes. But I've still got…" Before he could finish, Korra used the wind to push her towards him. Her Infected hand wrapped around the barrel of the launcher, and most of her biomass was focused into her fingers. Her grip crushed the barrel into scrap with the same ease she'd ball up a piece of paper.
"Fire that thing, and it's just going to explode in your face." She said. The few men in any condition to run were already heading away. Knowing he was beaten, their leader quickly followed them.
"You're on the wrong side Avatar!" He shouted as he ran. "That money belongs to the people!"
The worse part was, she knew he was right.
Yep, not much changed here. Just have Alex enjoy some fun at Tenzin's expense. I always felt that a betting pool would totally fit into this scene, simply because of how many times they failed to recruit someone. One reviewer mentioned that Alex seemed a bit out of character in the last chapter, so I'm going to try and moderate his jerkiness and niceness until we get something more in line with him. As for Kai, I never really liked him to begin with. I'd totally agree with Mako about him. Hell, I'd probably kick him out anyway if I had to sleep in a dirty alleyway.
And hey, we finally see Korra use her Infected arm. Yes, I know that spikes probably use precious biomass, and it's probably near impossible for someone in real life to catch and throw a grenade before it explodes. But it totally looks awesome. And until they get some kind of defence against bullets, there's not much else they could do. At least Asami's got a nice new weapon. Makes sense that she'd use guns along with everything else.
And if anyone's wondering about Alex's weight, since a full grown Bison like Oogi apparently weighs ten tonnes, Alex is about fifteen to twenty tonnes. Not too much heavier, but it's all focused on a human-sized footprint. It'd be like an armour-piercing round or something.
And yes, the title is a reference to the old line 'I'm going to Disneyland'.