Note: One more week to go! Expect an epilogue chapter sometime soon after that. That's all for now. Enjoy.
Korra and Asami rushed outside. Jinora had gathered her siblings, and was staring up at the airship speedily heading towards them. Kai glided overhead in his wingsuit, and upon seeing the Avatar, made a hasty landing.
"That ship is armed to the teeth," he reported nervously.
"Asami, do you know who that is?" asked Jinora.
"It's Shang," Asami growled. "He's the one who promised to help Future Industries before he stabbed me in the back. Looks like he didn't appreciate me punching him in the face."
"How did he get back here so quickly?" Korra wondered. "It took you weeks to fly all the way down the continent, but he managed to fly back in a couple of days? That doesn't make sense."
"It's those rockets attached to the airship," Asami assumed. "Varrick and I were working on a means of faster travel. We managed to finish a few prototypes before we escaped. He must have strapped them to the back of the ship and hoped for the best."
"That doesn't sound safe," Ikki noted.
"It's not," Asami claimed. "We never got to finish our tests. Those prototypes are highly unstable. They could explode at any moment, taking the whole airship and everything in the vicinity down with it."
"So, it's a bomb," Jinora said worriedly. "A very big bomb."
"And it's heading straight for us," Korra stated. Thinking quickly, she formulated her plan of attack. "We need to up there and shut that ship down before it reaches the island. Ikki, Jinora, you're with me. Boys, you need to get everyone out of here and onto the mainland in case we don't make it on time. Asami, stay with them."
"What? No way!" Asami protested. "You're not going without me. Shang is messing with my technology, which means it's my responsibility to stop him."
"You aren't going anywhere with that injury of yours," Korra said forcefully. "You can barely stand. I'm not risking you stressing that concussion because you have a score to settle."
"But I—"
"No buts. You are staying here where it's safe. I have two of the best airbenders on the planet with me. I'll be fine. Just lay low and let me handle this, okay?"
Asami felt the urge to resist, but Korra's steel words extinguished the fire within her, and she swallowed her pride.
"Okay."
"Good," Korra said with relief, turning to the young airbender to her side. "Meelo, I'm counting on you to look after Asami. You'll take care of her, right?"
"Yes, ma'am!" Meelo exclaimed with a salute. His voice surged with bravado as he extended a hand to the Avatar's fiancé. "Follow me, my queen! I shall protect you!"
Asami sighed and took his hand, turning to her lover. "You better not die on me."
Korra smirked. "And miss taking care of your injured butt? Wouldn't dream of it."
The Avatar took off sprinting towards the speeding airship. She shot her hands downwards, and pillar of earth erupted beneath her, propelling her into the sky. A blast of fire emerged from her hands and feet, rapidly guiding her towards the mad inventor and his flying fortress. As she raced forward, the ship burst into shades of orange as cannonballs launched towards her, flaming and smoldering as the barreled through the air. Using gusts of air, she blasted them aside, never losing momentum as she charged through the all-out assault. The cannonballs landed harmlessly in the water, sizzling as they were extinguished.
"Won't somebody hit her already?" Shang ordered over the speakers. "It's one woman! How hard is it to hit one woman with a flaming ball of death?"
As Korra approached the airship, she could see the three pirates operating the cannons at the front of the ship. They raced to load the ammunition, sloppily shoving the cast iron spheres in and firing them without bothering to aim. She locked on to the closest pirate, and accelerated drastically. He tried to dive out of the way, but failed as she connected a boot into his sternum, knocking him out on the balcony. The other two moved to retaliate, but were taken out with simultaneous attacks from the airbending sisters.
"How many more do you think they are?" asked Ikki.
"No idea," said Korra, "but keep your guard up. I don't want anything like what happened to Asami."
They entered the airship from a nearby maintenance door. Inside was a metal chute ascending into the center of the aircraft, and a ladder embedded into the wall. The trio moved quickly up the ladder, knowing that at any moment, they could be blown to smithereens.
"It's so hot in here," said Jinora, brushing sweat from her brow. They climbed for what felt like an eternity before emerging from a hatch leading to the cargo hold. Korra left first and checked her surroundings, making sure the coast was clear before calling the others. "Do you have any idea where you're going?"
"No clue," Korra said, helping Jinora up from the hatch. "I figure that Shang is waiting at the bridge. If this ship is anything like a Future Industries airship, then that probably means it's directly above us."
"And how do we get there?"
"There are probably stairs nearby. It'll be easy," Korra said unconfidently. She hurried to the door of the cargo hold, and kicked it open. Two big, grubby pirates were standing on the other side, very confused and very alerted.
"Or not."
Korra spun and kicked a wave of air towards them, knocking them onto their stomachs She raced past them, navigating through the corridors at a blistering pace. She glided off of the metal walls, bouncing off of surfaces and gliding smoothly forward. She ran across more pirates along the way, but before any of them had a chance to strike, she skirted around them, flipping onto the ceiling and dashing over their heads before resuming her normal sprint. Ikki and Jinora followed suit. Years of rigid training kept them light on their feet. They moved like the wind itself, blowing past any obstacle in their path while never losing balance.
Shang's voice rang throughout the hallways, rattling in the speakers. "There are intruders on my ship! If you want to get your paycheck, stop them!"
The halls illuminated in a red flash, and sirens blared, but the trio did not halt. They charged forward with added ferocity, pushing past every pirate they came across.
"Is anyone listening to me?" Shang bellowed. "What part of kill the Avatar is so hard to under—"
Korra burst through the door to the bridge, a sneer on her face and a flame emerging from her hand. The bridge was divided into two sections; a lower area by the entrance, and a raised platform where the navigational equipment was held separated by a railing. It was completely abandoned, save for Shang, who huddled over a microphone, and his wife Katarina, who was balled up in a corner, petrified. He gulped as Ikki and Jinora arrived, ready to spring into action if needed.
"Hey," Shang said with a nervous laugh. "It's you. The Avatar. Asami has told me so much about you. Right, Katarina?"
Katarina shook violently, her eyes wide. "The Avatar is going to kill us. The Avatar is going to kill us. The Avatar is going to kill us."
"Shang. Shut down this airship now," Korra demanded. She took a menacing step forward. Shang shifted backwards.
"No can do, Avatar. This ship doesn't sink until I get my stuff back."
"This isn't a game," Korra growled, stepping onto the platform. "Lives are at risk. Land the airship. I'm not asking again."
"Then you better tell your girlfriend to stop being a selfish bitch and give me back what's mine!" Shang protested. Korra's temper flared. She suddenly shot forward, grabbing Shang by his collar. She effortlessly threw him over the railing and onto the hard floor. Katarina screamed in terror; Jinora rushed to get her contained. Ikki watched on in shock as Korra hoisted Shang up once more and pinned him against the wall.
"Don't you ever call her that again," Korra snarled. There was a fire in her words that Ikki had never heard before, and it left her immobilized. "Now, you're going to land this airship, or I am going to start breaking things. Got it?"
"Please," Shang said, disinterested. "You're not intimidating me—whoa!"
Korra drove Shang headfirst into the railing. His head bounced off like rubber, and smacked into the cold ground with a dense thud. A trickle of blood flowed from Shang's lips. Ikki's clasped her hand over her mouth and staggered backwards. Jinora froze, watching with confusion from afar. Neither of them really understood what they had seen. Korra was emotionless as she picked Shang up by the head, and dragged him to the control board. She thrust him into it, and he collapsed, unable to support his own weight. She forced him to his feet, and met his distant gaze.
"You gave Asami a concussion, and broke her heart. You already have the concussion. Land the fucking airship, or I make it even."
Shang had no words left. Hazily, he activated the landing sequence of the airship, barely pressing each of the necessary keys. Jinora resumed her attempts to restrain Katarina, trying to rationalize Korra's brutality. Ikki stood motionless in the doorway. Korra spotted her in the corner of her eye.
"Ikki, lock the door and make sure no one comes in here," she ordered. Ikki nodded shakily, and slammed the doors shut.
Then, all of a sudden, there was a crack of thunder, and a massive shockwave ripped through the airship. It rolled sideways, sending the bridge occupants flying into the wall uncontrollably. Korra landed awkwardly on her shoulder, and she cried out as she felt the joint pop out of its socket. Vertigo took control of her senses. She realized that they were falling, and falling fast. Alarms blared louder than ever before, yet Katarina's nightmarish screams were the loudest of all. It took a few moments for Korra to come to a horrifying revelation: They were plummeting directly towards Air Temple Island, and there was no way to stop.
The bag was removed from Mako's head, and he could finally breathe. He barely inhaled before someone kicked him into the dirt and laughed in delight. The chamber was dark and damp, layered with grime from years of neglect. A long rope circled around him, acting as a barrier. Up above, dim lanterns flickered, and two balconies clung to the walls, loaded with crooked, jeering faces. The darkness ascended up into the high ceiling, seemingly going on forever.
"Welcome to Jackdaw's Den, kid."
On the opposite end of the arena, Jackdaw towered, grinning at the sight of the defeated detective before him. He was bare-chested and bare-footed, only dressed in a pair of grey slacks, displaying his lanky, oddly-proportioned figure to the crowd. What Mako's gaze, however, was the marking on his chest: a black, six-headed dragon, whose heads bit and snapped at each other as they traced across his torso and up his neck. It was the insignia of the Black Alchemists, the cult of deranged killers that slithered around the world ten years prior. It was a mark that Jackdaw wore proudly, and as he turned to the crowd of criminals that gathered in his house of madness, he puffed out his chest so that the visage was visible to all. His usual mask of calmness was gone; he was in his element, and he openly showed his love of every moment.
"It's been far too long, gentlemen! Tonight marks the night that Jackdaw's Den returns to its former glory!"
The crowd chanted his name, and he waved his arms, playing to their violent sensibilities.
"I know you are all eager to get started, but first I have to get some things off of my chest. For ten years, I've been under lockdown by the Republic City Police Department. They kept me shackled, held down in a pathetically small house in the middle of a rundown neighborhood. They did all they could to strip me of my dignity. But I never lost sight of what of really mattered: each and every single one of you. You men are like my brothers. You've always had my back, and without you and your constant support, we wouldn't be where we are today."
The men burst into a frenzied applause. Jackdaw silenced them, turning serious. "In my absence, this city has been taken over by a bunch of weak-willed, undeserving wastes of human life. Lin Beifong has expanded her power as Police Chief." A chorus of boos rained down from the balconies. "The Avatar has come back, and she's become so damn famous, they built a statue of her in the middle of the park. And, worst of all, our legacy has been stolen from us by a serial killer so ashamed that she had to hide behind a stupid, little codename."
He smirked. "Well, no more. I found the Hanzi Killer, and I bashed her fucking brains in!"
The crowd erupted into cheers, celebrating their mad king.
"Today marks the day that we return to form!" Jackdaw declared. "Today, we start a revolution. Today, we take the fight to them. No longer are we going to hide in the shadows like a bunch of scared little kids. We are going to show everyone that we run Republic City! Not Beifong. Not the Avatar. Not nobody but us. We are the ghosts they tell stories about at campfires! We are the monsters that hide under children's beds! We are the ones that the people fear! We are the ones that own the streets! We are brothers! We are monsters! And we are going to take back Republic City!"
The crowd exploded, set afire with Jackdaw's words. Their cheers and chants were deafening, and Jackdaw stood pleased in the center of the arena, absorbing the energy from his loyal followers. He grinned and pointed at Mako, a wicked glimmer in his eye.
"This, gentlemen, is Detective Mako," he announced. "He is Chief Beifong's favorite son. He's been hounding me for weeks, thinking that I was the Hanzi Killer. But this poor, stupid son of a bitch was too dumb to realize that the Hanzi Killer was the girl he was getting on top of every night."
On cue, the audience laughed, reveling in Mako's misery. Jackdaw rummaged his fingers through his greasy hair and continued.
"Detective Mako here has intruded on my life one too many times. I think that, as punishment for his incompetence, we give him the standard treatment for all pigs that wander into Jackdaw's Den."
"Fight to the death!" the crowd chanted in unison. Jackdaw reached into his pockets, and pulled out two switchblades. The flipped open with ease. The flawless steel glistened in the glow of the flames. Holding one in each hand, Jackdaw beckoned Mako forward.
"Come on, boy," he taunted. "It's been a while since I've had any fun. You and me. One-on-one. One walks out. One drops dead. Let's give these people a show they'll never forget."
Mako rose shakily to his feet. The rioting of the crowd attacked him from all angles. There was nowhere left to run. No one knew where he was. No one was coming to help him. He was alone against the man who took down ten senior officers without breaking a sweat, a man considered by Lin to be one of the most dangerous fighters in the world. Even if he took down Jackdaw, there was no guarantee he would make it out alive.
But he refused to let that pit be his grave. He swallowed his fear and his inhibitions. Jackdaw had tormented him for weeks, kidnapped him, and tortured Sy. It was time to put an end to the madness. He would not be deterred any longer. He had to win the fight, for his brother, for his sister-in-law, for the innocent girl that was lying broken in his apartment. Mako let the anger fuel the fire within him, and without holding back, he charged.
Mako took two steps forward before a blade jammed into his hand, and Jackdaw effortlessly snapped his arm in half.