Note: Well, that was a longer break than we were anticipating. Sorry for the delay, but we have been caught up with a lot of other work as of late. You might want to read the last few chapters to refresh yourself on the story, because we jump right in without much explanation. That being said, enjoy and leave feedback if you can. we highly appreciate it.
"How are you feeling?" Korra asked worriedly. Lin took another sip of water from a cup she shakily held in her left hand.
"Like I have razor blades in my stomach," she responded bluntly. The truth was that Lin had razor blades in her stomach; two of them, in fact. She also had three more in multiple limbs, several shards of glass buried in her skin, and four nails plunged into her muscle structure. She had been under a surgical knife for the better part of fourteen hours, where she was peeled apart and stapled back together again. Three healers watched over her constantly, stopping her from bleeding to death while doctors picked at her like birds. After that, she lied unconscious for thirty hours straight, before finally waking up two hours prior, cursing like a sailor at everyone around her in a state of confusion and pain. All in all, it had not been a very good week for her.
"You probably shouldn't be thinking about this," Korra said. "No one will blame you for wanting more time to rest."
"I think I've slept more in the past few days than I have my whole life. Besides, if what you saw was real, then we don't have any time to spare."
"'We'? As in, you're actually going to let me help?"
"It would be pretty horrible of me not to."
Korra attempted to keep her excitement to herself. She had to, for Lin was the only other person in the room, and she did not think it would be very respectable to rub it in to someone who had nearly died. On the outside, she maintained a pleasant smirk. On the inside, she was screaming in victory. Lin was letting her on the Hanzi Killer case. She could actually participate in stopping the murders that haunted Republic City. The feeling of gratification was almost enough to make her ignore the stabbing pain in her side, and the fact that her fiancé was probably having nightly panic attacks thousands of miles away.
"I'll do whatever you need of me, boss," Korra responded happily.
"You can start by getting me more water," Lin groaned, holding out her empty cup. Korra nodded and walked over to the sink. She turned on the faucet, and a steady stream of water flowed out from it. With a flick of her arm, the liquid flew across the room and filled the chief's cup, from which the tired woman drank with haste.
"So… do you want to get into this, or what?"
"Wait until Mako gets back," Lin stated. When Lin had first awoken, she ordered everyone around her out, with Korra as the exception. In addition, she gave Mako specific instructions to head to the precinct and bring back all of the files he could on the Hanzi Killer case and the explosion that nearly killed her in the first place.
"He's taking forever," Korra complained. "Can't we at least start discussing it now?"
"Mako is officially assigned to this case, not you. We wait for him."
Korra sighed. Mako left an hour ago. She could only sit around in one room for so long without going insane. She needed to be active so that she would not rot away where she sat. Lin was not saying anything, whether to save her strength or because she simply did not feel like talking. So, Korra sat alone to her thoughts. She sat alone for a good seven minutes. For seven frustratingly boring minutes she sat and waited for Mako's blubbering butt to get back to the hospital. With every passing tension, she felt more uncomfortable in the silence, with Lin occasionally staring at her in silence.
She tapped impatiently against her chair. "Uh, your sister called earlier. She said that she was worried and you should call her back when you wake up."
"I will, eventually."
"Right," Korra said, swinging her feet back and forth. She pursed her lips and glanced at the clock. Unfortunately, the fundamental laws of reality had not magically shifted in the past few seconds, and she had not been spontaneously transported into the future.
"How are you feeling?" Korra asked.
Lin raised an eyebrow. "You already asked that."
"Just checking in. Just checking in."
Korra rested her face upon her fist, her fingers wrapped around her arm and strumming against her elbow. She looked back at the clock. Twelve seconds had passed. She felt like she was about to lose her mind.
"Um… did you hear that I was awarded Bombshell Babe of the Year?"
Suddenly, there came a knock on the door. Without wasting a moment, Korra scrambled to the door, and threw it open. Mako took only a single step into the room before Korra squeezed him tightly, nearly knocking the folders he carried onto the floor.
"Thank goodness you actually came!" she said in relief. "What took you so long? The police station isn't that far."
"It's rush hour," Mako said defensively. "Plus, the forensics unit was just finishing up their investigation of the bombing. I wanted to make sure everything was up to date for you."
"Well, at least he is considerate," Lin shrugged. "Hand that over. Let's see what you got."
Mako carefully handed Lin the selection of folders in his possession, making sure that she did not strain herself while trying to read them. Korra noticed that she read each page in excruciating detail, as if she was searching for something very specific.
"What have you got?" Korra asked intently.
"Well, most of this is stuff we already know about the Killer's identity," said Lin. "We know the Killer has residency in Republic City, and he has been able to break into homes without any signs of forced entry. The reports don't list any new connections between the victims aside from the method in which they were killed." There's nothing linking the kidnapped victims either. Are you sure this is everything the unit managed to get together, Mako?"
"Pretty sure," Mako said with a sigh. "I don't think anyone there has any idea where to start searching for clues. It all seems like the victims were chosen at pure random."
"But they weren't killed randomly," said Korra. "You said that they were all killed the same way, and then shown off in the same way. That blood writing has to have some meaning behind it, aside from just being a way to gather attention."
"Obviously," Lin nodded. "But whatever that meaning is supposed to be, that freak seems to want to keep it to himself."
"I'm sure we could piece it together if we just think hard enough," Korra said confidently. She did not join this case only to immediately get stumped with a lack of information. A lack of information had never stopped her before. What they needed was a brainstorming session, where they could throw out every idea imaginable, no matter how ludicrous it might seem. Asami often told her that she always overthought things to a ridiculous degree. Well, she thought, what better time than now to put it to use? After all, they weren't getting far anyway.
"Let's think about this: What does the writing tell us about the Killer?" Korra asked aloud. "It tells us he's a perfectionist. He sees extreme negative qualities in people that we usually don't see. Like, why did he write 'envy' for one of the victims? Was she envious of something that he had, or was it maybe the other way around? And why wasn't there anything written for Lin when she was attacked with that metal bomb?"
"Those are a lot of questions, but we don't have any answers for them," Mako said dishearteningly. "We could be here all day trying to build a psych profile for this guy, but in the end, we'd still have to check it against everyone in the city, because we don't have any leads."
"You have one lead," Korra said, a sudden idea popping into her head.
"No, we don't."
"Yeah, you do," Korra stated with certainty. "All of the three victims were mutilated, but according to your reports, none of them died from blood loss."
"True. The autopsies showed that—even though they were severely wounded—they passed away from either shock or asphyxiation."
"Well, if we know that those injuries were caused before their deaths, and if they were really as bad as you made them out to be—"
"They were," Mako confirmed, a shudder running up his spine.
"Then," Korra continued, feeling her enthusiasm grow, "that would mean that all of those wounds would have had to be non-lethal, or would have had to be treated with care if they were so that the victim would say alive. The Killer would have to have reasonable medical knowledge of the human body so that they wouldn't accidentally kill the victim early."
Mako and Lin exchanged glances. Mako stammered, "That's… that's actually a really good point, Korra."
"Do you think the Hanzi Killer is really a doctor?" Lin asked with suspicion.
"I think checking anyone with a degree in medicine would be a good start," Korra suggested, feeling proud for putting the pieces together. However, while Mako seemed gratified that there was finally a lead, she couldn't help but notice that Lin was not very amused with the theory.
"Lin, why are you making that face?" she asked worriedly. "That's the face that says, 'You're an idiot, Korra.'"
"I think you are on to something," Lin clarified. "It's just that there's something bugging me. That bombing during the press conference sticks out like a sore thumb."
"How so?"
It's hard to explain. When you saw the bomb, you said that it looked like it was made of strong metal, right?"
"I couldn't really tell from the brief look I got at it, but it looked strong and metallic enough. Why do you want to know?"
"That's strange, isn't it?" asked Lin. "The killer used a nail bomb made of metal."
"I don't get why that's stranger than it being covered in writing and trying to kill you."
"Think about it. Let's say you were building a bomb, and you wanted the explosion to create a lot of shrapnel. Wouldn't you want to create the casing out of something easily breakable, like glass or aluminum? If you construct it out of metal, then it would dampen the force of the explosion."
"It didn't look very dampened to me," Korra commented. However, she quickly caught on to Lin's train of thought. "Wait, I think I get it. You're saying that only someone who didn't know what they were doing would ever try to build something a bomb like that."
"Either someone who had no clue what they were doing," Lin clarified, "or someone who knew exactly how to manipulate the device to create a more powerful explosion. If the Killer was just a doctor, then I would expect them to make an amateur mistake like that. But that bomb wasn't a dud. Not only did that thing blast at full force, but it penetrated through my uniform. The only way for someone to make an effective nail bomb out of metal would be if they knew a lot about mechanical engineering and the craft of explosives, and I could only assume that it would be hard to master both that and surgical training needed to cut someone into ribbons without murdering them."
"So… you think the bomb maker is a demolitions expert," said Mako with an understanding nod.
"I don't think it's a demolitions expert," stated Lin, scanning through the police files once again. "There was only one person I ever knew who understood explosives well enough to make a nail bomb out that powerful. I just need to see if the forensics team found a—here it is!"
With a shaky hand, Lin pointed to one of the documents in her possession. Mako read through the findings. There were the typical findings related to an explosive: gunpowder, flint, and the remains of copper wiring. However, the report also claimed that a spring lock mechanism, which Lin directed towards.
"Korra, I don't think the bomb went off on a timer," Lin explained. "That clicking you heard before the detonation was actually the bomb priming itself with a series of springs." Korra looked at the Chief quizzically. Lin continued. "The reason the bomb was made of metal was so that it could contain extra pieces of machinery. It's something called a Basteln Explosive. You separate a canister into various sections and rig them all to a series of springs. You fill the metal with gunpowder and shrapnel. Then, once the device is triggered, the springs rapidly tumble the canister, building kinetic energy, before finally separating the panels and triggering an explosion. It lets the shrapnel carry ore penetration power, thus making the force of the impact greater than a typical bomb."
Korra stared at Lin with all of her might, trying to put the words together in her mind. She could not.
"So, that's great," Korra said, unsure of her words. "That means that we know the Killer was specifically targeting you, right? I don't get why that's important."
"I wouldn't expect you to," Lin admitted, "but Mako should."
She glanced knowingly at the detective, who was following along the best he could. "Wait, are you suggesting that Valos did it?"
"Valos?" Korra asked.
"Valos Basteln," said Mako. "He was a member of the bomb squad in Republic City up until a few years ago. He was this bigger, balding guy with thick glasses. He wasn't very good at being social, but he was phenomenal at his job."
"Until he nearly killed us all," Lin said distastefully. "Valos was the kind of guy that you never really wanted to be around unless you had to. He was always obsessed with explosives, and everything about them. We all called him, 'The Tinkerer'. He could pretty much find any kind of bomb in the world, take it completely apart, and put it back together like it was brand new. He even invented a few types of explosive on his own, one of which was the beauty that nearly killed us two days ago. However, we had to let him off the force three years ago for… reasons that I'd rather not talk about."
"You won't talk about them because you can't legally or morally?" Korra asked, intrigued.
"Both," Lin said with a scowl. "Let's just say that you won't be seeing him around any playgrounds for a while."
Korra shuddered. "So… I take it that this Tinkerer guy must have been pretty angry about that. Do you think that's why he tried to kill you?"
"Well, that would make sense," Lin mused. "I did pretty much throw him out on the street. I can assume he didn't take it too well."
"Plus, he would have known about our security protocols," Mako stated. "That's how he could slip a bomb into the podium the night before without getting caught. He knew exactly how to bypass us from experience."
"So, let's book 'em, right?" Korra said with enthusiasm. "We know he has to be the Hanzi Killer because of the bomb. Hell, we even have a motivation for him to do it."
"That's the other problem," Lin said with a sigh. "Valos definitely has reasons to dislike me, but all of this happened three years ago. I've had people keep track of him, but I haven't personally seen the guy in a long time. Not only that, but we don't have anything connecting him to the other victims. A grudge against me is fine; plenty of people hate my guts. But, that doesn't explain everything else. Besides, a few years ago, it was reported to me that he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. He can barely hold a pair of chopsticks, let alone perform the delicate surgery that you think the Killer performed."
"He did make a bomb though," Mako added.
"He could have told someone else how to make it," Lin said. "Or, maybe it was something he kept in storage for a rainy day. Valos being responsible for everything just doesn't add up when you put all of the pieces together, and aside from the bombing, there is nothing to suggest that he's responsible for any of this."
"So, you're saying that he isn't the Killer, either," Korra said, feeling suddenly drained of energy. She rested her head against the nearby wall. Every time they seemed to get close, something else swooped in and shut them down. It was infuriating. She missed the days of being able to clearly identify what was trying to kill her. Would it be so difficult to return to those times?
"Hey, cheer up, Korra," Mako said. "Think about it like this: We have two new leads thanks to you."
"Yeah, I know," Korra sighed. "It's just that it's so… tedious."
"Welcome to the magical land of police work," Lin said with a smirk. "Five percent: action. Ninety-five percent: the most boring fucking paperwork you'll ever see in your life."
"At least we have somewhere to start again," Mako said. "I could start an investigation into every licensed and studying surgeon in the city. I'll see if I could draw up any connections we haven't seen yet."
"Good thinking," said Lin. "Why don't you get that partner of yours to get a lead on the Tinkerer's whereabouts. That shouldn't be too hard for the rookie."
Mako saluted. "Whatever you say, ma'am." He collected the files from Lin's lap, and moved towards the doorway. Korra jumped after him.
"I'll help you with—"
"Wait," Lin instructed forcefully, despite her frail appearance. "I have something else I need you to do."
Like a child denied of sweets, Korra watched in agony as Mako left the dreariness of the hospital without her. She turned back towards Lin, and brushed the sweat she hadn't noticed was pooling off of her face.
"What do you need of me?" she asked as politely as she could manage.
"Korra, I want you to go visit the families of the most recent victims, and give them your condolences."
Korra raised an eyebrow. "I… I thought you said you wanted me to help out with the investigation. We have two leads open—"
"And they're being taken care of. I think it would be best if you went to spend time with the grieving families. Usually, in cases like these, I go myself, but as you can see, I'm not really in the best condition to do that. However, if the Avatar goes to visit them, it might help ease their pain, even just a bit."
"Look, it's not that I don't want to do this," Korra said calmly. "Believe me, I gladly would at any other time if it meant helping some of these people. It's just that I think there are so many places I'm needed more."
"Not for those families," Lin said sternly. "It won't take long. Some of them might not even want to talk to you, but you should go anyway. Just seeing that you care and are focused on solving this case will do wonders for them." Lin paused for a moment. "And… maybe if you ask kindly, they might have some more information you can use."
Korra closed her eyes. "Okay, fair point. I'll go out and speak with them tomorrow, if they let me out of this stupid hospital first. I just hope you realize that I'm not the best cry-on-your-shoulder kind of person."
"Neither am I," Lin said bluntly. "Still, a little bit of heart goes a long way."
Korra nodded. There were a few moments of awkward silence, before Lin finally stated, "You can leave now."
Without a moment of hesitation, Korra thanked the Chief for her opportunity, turned around, and walked out of the forsaken hospital room, a mission and purpose clear on her mind.