Note: We're back! Again! We will have another chapter done hopefully by the end of the month, so in the meantime, just read, review if you can, and enjoy.
Asami stared at herself in the mirror. It had been thirty-six hours since Korra had called, thirty six hours since she discovered that her fiancé nearly died. Asami had spent a lot of those hours by herself. It wasn't particularly difficult. Her room was located at the far end of the ship, and the grunts of the workers were blocked out by the constant hum of the engines. The only person who occasionally bothered her was Shang, who sometimes knocked on her door and yelled at her to get working. Hopefully, she had told him off enough times that he wouldn't come back. She didn't think she was fully prepared to get back to work, and looking at her reflection, she felt ever-more sure.
She had just stepped out of the shower, her body glistening and damp hair strung across her shoulders in a tangled mess. A green towel was wrapped around her torso, and mist filled the room, keeping her relatively warm. Stripped bare and pure, she saw just how rough around the edges she appeared. She looked thinner than usual after having not eaten since the phone call, and dark bags rested under her normally bright green eyes. Her face was drained of color, and she noticed that her posture was more hunched and deteriorative. Her long nails were also reduced, having been bitten often over the past few nights.
"Girl, you look like a mess," Asami sighed. She absolutely despised looking hideous, and she nearly gagged at how dreary she had let herself get in merely a few days. She studied herself intently for a solution. The bags under her eyes could be hidden with enough eyeshadow, and with some blush her face would seem less pale. She was going to be wearing gloves, so the nails were not a relevant concern for the time being. Her clothes would cover her smaller frame completely, and she straightening her posture would simply require enough focus and dedication.
However, she did realize something: There wasn't really any reason why she needed to physically impress anyone at all. The only people she saw were Varrick, Zhu Li, and Shang. Varrick only cared about her skills with a wrench, Zhu Li only cared about her wellbeing, and she didn't care enough about Shang to worry about his feelings. Putting on make-up was something she had done her entire life. Whether she was going to a dance or going drag-racing, she dressed up like a gleaming star. It was something her mother told her a long time ago.
"No matter what I do, I always make sure I look like the best one doing it," she had said to her one night. "People will always respect a woman who displays elegance in all aspects of her life."
Asami mused on the comment. She viewed her mother as radiant and beautiful in her memories, so the advice was clearly effective. As Asami stared at herself in the mirror, she felt uneasy. The person looking back at her was a mess of a human being. That person was an emotional wreck whose face held nothing but worry and regret. She pursed her lips. She was not going to be her reflection anymore.
She strolled out of her bathroom, walked straight to her closet, and rummaged through the twenty or so outfits she had brought with her. Everything was so fancy, so impractical to what she needed. Korra had been helping her reduce her overall travel load, and for years Asami had stressed the importance of every piece of cloth and hair product she brought with her. Now, in light of things, she was starting to see Korra's point. She threw away the skirts, threw away the fancy underwear, and threw away the high heels. She grabbed the most basic set of clothes she could find—a white tank top she usually reserved for an undershirt, gray slacks and an aging pair of flats—and threw them on without a second thought. Then, she marched to her dresser, grabbed her make-up kit, and scooped out a handful of supplies. She applied the foundation with a steady hand, watching the color magically appear on her face. As she brushed on her eyeshadow and smeared on her lipstick, she couldn't help but feel like she was applying war paint. Within minutes she saw a healthy young woman staring back at her through the mirror, the horrid, frightened figure gone from view. Asami smirked.
"That looks better," she said aloud. Her other self smirked back at her. "Now, let's see if you can get some actual work done for once."
Asami confidently walked out of her room, and passed through the dimly lit halls towards the front of the ship. The center lounge had been reconstructed into a workshop of sorts for the crew to work on their projects. Where there used to be a couch, multiple chairs, and even a bar, there now laid workbenches and metal strewn about in every direction. It wasn't the easiest place to work. The airship occasionally rocked severely from strong gusts of wind, sending every item on the tables sailing to the floor. Still, it made due for their needs, and made Asami feel ever so closer to home.
Naturally, the first thing Asami saw upon entering the makeshift workshop was a screaming contest between Varrick and Shang, and Zhu Li shaking her head in a corner.
"That has to be the worst idea I've ever heard!" screamed Varrick, pointing his finger directly into Shang's face. Shang swatted it way and leaned in close.
"My idea is fine. You just can't accept it because your brain is the size of a walnut!" he retorted with a growl.
"You're the walnut!" replied Varrick. "Don't you know anything about the second law of thermodynamics? Your plan would never work."
"I don't follow laws," said Shang. "Laws follow me."
"Play nice, you two," Asami called out, walking past them towards what remained of the bar. She strolled behind the counter, opened the secret fridge underneath, and pulled out the coldest, most sugar-filled drink she could find.
"I'm trying to be nice," Shang insisted. "Someone isn't being cooperative."
"I'm cooperative to people who have basic scientific knowledge," Varrick said, outraged. "We don't have time to waste on his stupid ideas."
"My ideas aren't stupid. They're well-defined and meticulously crafted!"
The two instantly began screaming at each other once more, their voices drowning out any peaceful thought Asami previously had. She groaned, taking a quick sip of her drink to gain some much-needed energy. She scowled and spoke as sternly as she could, "Cut it out. You're acting like children."
Shang whined, "But he started it—"
"No buts," Asami stated forcefully. "We are here to work together, and that is what I intend to do. You both promised that you wouldn't rip each other's throats out while we were together. Shang, listen to Varrick; he has more engineering experience than you. Varrick, be respectful… and don't call him a walnut."
"He is a walnut," Varrick complained.
"No. He's a valued member of this team, and his opinion and ideas are just as valued just as much as everyone; maybe even more, considering that he's paying for this. Got it?"
Varrick sighed. "Okay, maybe walnut was a bit extreme… peanut probably would have been better. Or maybe hazelnuts. Cashews? Pecans? Zhu Li! Make a list of nuts that serve as viable insults, starting in alphabetical order!"
"Varrick…" Asami said threatening. The water-tribe billionaire took one look into Asami's fierce green eyes, and groaned.
"Fine. No nut-based insults," he said disheartened. "Zhu Li, cancel that list for me."
"I never even got started," said Zhu Li.
"Good, then you're ahead of schedule!" Varrick said in delight. "Back to work we go."
Varrick quickly moved to the nearest workbench, and started tossing metal around the table. Shang grunted something incoherently, and went to do his own work. Asami sighed. She supposed it was an improvement, at the very least. She guzzled down more of her beverage, and approached Zhu Li, shaking her head.
"I cannot believe you actually married that person," she said as respectfully as possible.
"Sometimes, neither can I," said the former assistant. "How are you holding up?"
"A lot better than I was before."
"I'd say so. You look better."
Asami smiled. "Thanks. It makes things easier knowing that she at least has everyone there for her."
"That, and she could probably demolish all of Republic City with her bare hands," Zhu Li added.
"Well, that too," said Asami, feeling a weird sensation of pride float through the back of her head. "How has everything been coming along?"
"You know that conversation you just witnessed? It's pretty much been that for the past few days."
"That bad, huh?"
"I don't get it," Zhu Li sighed. "No matter what happens, those two can't along at all. Even if they're working on something they both like, they'll find some way to hate each other. It's almost like they are destined to hate each other."
"Well, it kind of makes sense," Asami thought aloud. "I mean, when you get right down to it, they are pretty much the same person."
"What is that supposed to mean?" Zhu Li asked suspiciously. Asami quickly backtracked, her cheeks turning a bright red.
"I… I just meant that they're kind of similar, that's all. I didn't mean to offend you or anything."
Zhu Li scowled. "You're telling me that my husband is just like that arrogant jerk who's forcing us on this trip. How am I not supposed to be offended by that?"
"Sorry," Asami said hurriedly. "I didn't mean it like that, I swear. I just meant that they can both get a bit egotistical at times. I'm not saying that's an insult."
"It sure sounds like it," Zhu Li stated bitterly. Her normally emotionless exterior was steadily breaking down. Two days of non-stop arguments had been slowly pushing her patience to a boiling point. Every night, she had to listen to Varrick whine consistently about how big of an idiot Shang was, and every day, she was forced to work with that constant stupidity to ensure that her friend's company did not fall out from under her. For years, she had worked for her husband under constant stress, always managing to push her hardships down beneath the surface. But this horrible, pain-inducing trip was proving too much for her. It felt like there were two completely separate, equally-terrible Varricks yelling constantly at anything and everything. Granted, that was exactly what Asami was trying to tell her (more politely, of course), but she didn't need audible confirmation of it. Simply being reminded of this immense pressure was enough to make her begin to crack, like a mirror being repeatedly bashed in over and over until her reflection had broken into a hundred pathetic shards.
Zhu Li pushed away the reality from her head; she wouldn't last another day if she let it be true. "Iknik is not like Shang. He can be abrasive sometimes, and maybe even cruel, but he only because he cares. He cares about me, he cares about his work, and he cares about making the best inventions he possibly can. Shang doesn't care about any of this. He doesn't care if your company goes under, or how he makes a profit, or how many people get hurt along the way. He's just an unforgiving, brash, selfish, megalomaniacal, impulsive, intolerant, worthless piece of crap. So yes, Asami; saying my husband and Shang are alike is very insulting to me."
Asami remained silent as Zhu Li's brow twitched and she involuntary cracked the joints in her fingers one-by-one. She took a quick sip of her beverage to ease the awkward silence. She wondered how much she had truly missed for someone as calm and collected as Zhu Li to snap at the drop of a hat.
"Uh, you know Zhu Li," she said with a nervous laugh, "I'm supposed to be the emotional wreck here."
Zhu Li took a breath through gritted teeth. "Sorry. Being trapped on this airship is starting to get to me."
"Hey, it's what we do for the people we love, right?" said Asami, trying to sound cheerful. Zhu Li took a long look at her, her brown eyes filled with no discernable emotion.
"I suppose you're right," she finally stated, turning her head. "That doesn't mean I have to like it. Watch yourself, Asami. If you were stressed out before, you are going to be in for a big surprise."
Zhu Li strolled towards her husband, moving with clean, precise movements. Asami watched her as she passed, not sure whether to be enthusiastic or terrified. She decided to withhold judgment until she got back into her usual habits. At the very least, she was going back to work, and that was something positive to look forward to. She looked out the large, rectangular window, and watched the sun as it rose slowly over the mountains. The airship was scheduled to make a stop in the lower Earth Kingdom first, before making its way to the Fire Nation. Once that was done, she could finally return home. She smiled at the thought of being back in Republic City, with her fiancé eagerly awaiting her arrival. It filled her with hope.
But then, her eye caught her reflection in the window, and that smile soon faded away. A miserable creature stared back at her through the glass. The creature was pale and frightened, staring back at her with almost luminescent green eyes. She read a single, dominant expression within them: guilt. A voice taunted her in the back of her head; her voice.
"It's what we do for the people we love, right?"
Asami turned away quickly, blocking the demon out. A pain welled in her chest. She knew there was no time to be thinking of that. She already had enough to worry about. Pushing the dark thoughts back into the recesses of her mind, Asami finished off her beverage, and went back to work.
Mako's head was swimming in paperwork. He had examined the files of seventy-three practicing surgeons in Republic City, searching for any clue that could lead to them being the Hanzi Killer. However, he had found not an ounce of evidence to suggest that they had committed any crime at all. Worse, he still had to perform checks on eighty-eight more practicing surgeons, in addition to the countless nurses, assistants, medical students, and retired surgeons that could very likely also be the Killer. It was a tiring, thankless job, yet it had to be done to find proper justice.
Next to him, poor Chen also worked tirelessly. He was given his first major assignment by the Chief, and he wasn't going to screw it up. Luckily for him, the job did not require any extraneous physical activity, so he was rather confident he could get it done. All he had to do was track down Valos Basteln, the "Tinkerer" as he was so called. Although the search was dull, he was kept enthralled merely by the concept of working on a legitimate case, and that excitement drove him to work as hard as he could every minute of every day until Basteln was found and captured.
"Any luck yet?" Mako asked his partner.
"Not yet, but I'm getting close," said Chen with a grin. "This Tinkerer guy is slippery. He could be anywhere in Republic City."
"At least you're only searching for one person," Mako groaned. "How does Lin expect me to even tell these people apart? I can only double check psych profiles and alibies for a handful of them. It's more like searching for a haystack within Republic City, and then finding a needle within that haystack."
"Maybe there's something else you're missing," Chen suggested. "Like, do any of them have an affinity for the macabre? The strange? The unusual?"
"How would I know that? Unless I interrogate every single doctor in the city, then I would have no way of knowing."
"Oh, what if you search for people who grew up in crime-ridden areas?"
"There is no direct correlation between where someone grows up and how they act. That's stereotyping the prosecuted. We can't use that as part of the investigation."
"Yeah, I guess you're right. I mean, look at me. Just a year ago, I was wasting away in Jackdaw's Den, and now I'm helping one of the coolest detectives in the world stop crime."
"Thanks," Mako said happily. But then, something clicked in the back of his mind. "Wait a minute, Chen. Did you say 'Jackdaw's Den'?"
"Well, it's not what that district is officially called, but—" Chen stammered, suddenly feeling very uneasy.
"I've heard of that place before," Mako said, the pieces connecting before him. "Right before we arrested Rei. He said that he was working for some 'big guy' ruling over a place called Jackdaw's Den. What is that place?"
"Look, I don't really think I can tell you."
"Because no one rats on each other in Jackdaw's Den?" Mako asked suspiciously. Chen shook his head.
"No, it's not that. I just… don't have a lot to tell you, that's all. It's not something people really liked to talk about that much. That's why I left. It was too scary to live there."
Mako sighed. Something about Jackdaw's Den was calling out to him. On a whim, he reached over to his phone, and dialed in the number for the hospital. He waited impatiently through the string of nurses to hook up the call to where it needed to go. Three minutes later, he heard Lin's annoyed sigh on the other end.
"What do you want, Mako?" she asked tiredly. Mako assumed that she must have just gotten up from a long sleep.
"Chief, I have a question for you," he told her.
"In regards to the Killer? I think you can handle that yourself," she said halfheartedly.
"No, it's more personal," Mako explained "Do you know anything important about an area of the city called Jackdaw's Den?"
Lin stayed silent for a moment. She grunted and groaned, "I'm sorry. I just woke up. I don't think I heard you right. You didn't just say 'Jackdaw's Den', did you?"
"I, uh, did say that, Chief."
"Under what circumstances did you hear that name?' she asked, leaving Mako stunned; he heard an undertone of fear emanating from her voice.
"I… I heard it from that man Rei we suspected of being the Killer, and just recently from Chen. He said he managed to get out of it just last year, whatever it is."
"Jackdaw's Den has been operational for a year?" Lin repeated in hushed tones. She sounded as if she was disbelief. Mako continued nervously. He never heard such a sound of dread coming from Lin Beifong.
"I suppose so," said Mako. "I'm starting to think that whatever this place is, it might have some connection with the Hanzi Killer. At the very least, we should probably send someone to investigate it, if possible. I've also remember something Rei said about some 'big guy' running the entire region. If we can find out who this person is, maybe we can get another lead about whom the Killer is and where he operates."
"Why now?" Lin muttered under her breath, completely ignoring the detective. "Of all the times for that monster to show up again, why does it have to be now?"
"Uh, Chief?" Mako asked worriedly. "Beifong? Lin, are you okay?"
"Mako, get down to the hospital as soon as you can," Lin instructed. "If what you said is true, and Jackdaw's Den is running again, then we're going to have a whole other mess on our hands."
"But why?" asked Mako. "What's the deal with that place?"
"It's not just the place, Mako," stated Lin. "Just get over here soon. It's time you heard the story about the man who nearly killed Republic City."