Her boy was sitting on a bench outside City Hall as the arrests were being made, he was just blankly staring at the blood on his blade as a paramedic checked him over, and bandaged him up. She watched him as Mako filled her in on what happened before Korra went into the Avatar State and air blasted the mob, and her, away from their group. He apparently turned around, and there Tarrlok was, holding a knife at him, but there Bolin was too, with his blade in Tarrlok. With a wound like that, it wasn't a surprise that he barely made it to the ambulance before passing away.

Why he tried to kill Mako, Lin didn't know, and she didn't care. He tried to stab someone in the back and got what he deserved. She couldn't cry over that, especially when it was one of her boys that he'd tried to murder. Really, the only thing that bothered her was that Bolin had to be the one to deliver the blow. Of all the people there, why did that gentle boy have to be the one to land a kill shot? But there was no time to curse the universe. Someone had to tell the boy, and as his mother the duty fell to her.

"Wait here." she told Mako. He wasn't happy about it, but he didn't argue. "Hey, Kid." She didn't get her son's attention, but she did get the attention of the paramedic, who was given a slight signal to leave. As he scampered away, Tǎoyàn took his place and nudged Bolin's left hand with his head only to be pushed away.

"Not right now, Tǎo." He said sadly, not even bothering to take his eyes of his right arm.

"Bolin." He jumped when she retracted his blade and took it off his arm, "Are you alright, Boy?" Dumb question, but it might be best to ease into this. In his reply, the young man mumbled something that she couldn't make out over the commotion of the place.

"I didn't catch that." She told him with a gentle a voice as she could muster.

"I'm not the one you should be worrying about." His voice was so monotone, it was unnerving even to her, "Is Mako alright?"

"Not a scratch on him, thanks to you." Lin shooed the sealhound away and took a seat on the bench. She hunched over and clasped her hands together, "You saved his life, Bolin."

"Yeah, I did." From his answer, with not even the smallest amount of relief for Mako or hatred for Tarrlok, it was obvious that the gravity of the situation hadn't hit him just yet, and that made it a horrible time to break the news. She waved over Asami, who was getting a few patches of her own, and Mako who was still lurking in the same spot she'd left him in.

"Girl, take him home, clean him up and get him to eat. Mako, you go with them. And don't talk about this, I'll be there as soon as I can." She couldn't be able to do anything until he snapped out of it, but maybe in that time Asami could at least get some food in him, he'd need a full stomach when he did find out the truth. And meanwhile, she would just have to get focused and do her job.

"Alright, Lin." She nodded, grabbing Bolin by the hand and leading him away to her car with her boyfriend. Lin stayed behind, it wouldn't be another minute before the media bloodsuckers were at her, "The equalists stormed City Hall while the jury was deciding Noatak's fate.

No, their motives are unclear at this time.

Tarrlok's condition remains unknown at this time.

A full statement will be released once the investigation is closed." four questions, and then she moved on, much to their disappointment. But they had to get over it, she still had to go to the hospital and check up on the wounded officers, see if there were any widows/widowers that deserved to have their spouses' superior explain what went wrong. If they were fortunate enough not to have any fatalities, then she got to head back to her house where hopefully her boy would be coherent enough to speak with.

…...

Luckily, no families would be getting a visit from her tonight, that alone was a miracle given how haphazard the equalist attack had been. Now if only there would be another miracle that would turn her into Katara for the rest of the night so she could break the news to her boy in a patient, motherly-like way. The very idea made her scoff bitterly, her being soft and nurturing. Like that was ever going to happen.

Coming home, she found all three of her kids in the kitchen. The meal sat uneaten on the table, which was disappointing, but not unexpected. At least they managed to get Bolin showered and put into an old pair of training pants that most likely got left in the basement when they moved. And at least his head was beginning to clear up a bit, judging by the fact that he was clinging to his big brother like his life depended on it. She probably should wait for the boy to let go on his own, but she didn't know how much longer Mako could survive the decrease in oxygen. Last thing the boy needed now was to add the guilt of a family member passing out because of him.

The sound of metal flying off her body alerted them all to her presence. Asami jumped from surprise as she poured her tea, Mako and Bolin frozen in place. She put her uniform in the corner for now and went over to the stove. Filling two cups of the brew, she got right down to business, "Mako, Asami, wait here. Boy, come with me."

"Okay, Mom." He wasn't ready for this, she knew. Unfortunately, he never would be ready, and this wasn't something she could sweep under the rug. He'd find out from her tonight from her, of from the papers tomorrow. So, with no time to waste, the mother sat him down in the library, and handed him his cup.

"Mako almost died." The boy said disbelievingly as he stared at the liquid, "Why would Tarrlok do that?" He sniffed.

"Because he's a lowlife bastard." She growled without thinking, then mentally kicked herself 'Nurturing Beifong, you gotta be nurturing on this one', "I don't know, Boy. He w-I gave you that to drink."

"I'm not in the mood for tea." He frowned.

"I didn't ask you if you were in the mood. Drink it." She ordered, and he ignored, "Drink it all. Right. Now." Alright this whole thing didn't scream sensitivity, and he'd never thank her, but he would be grateful she forced him to down the fluid. The talk wouldn't begin until he had finished the whole thing. "I need to talk to you about something."

"This isn't going to be good, is it?"

"No." she took in a breath,

"Who got hurt?" He was close, she'd give him that.

"Tarrlok, Boy. He's dead." 'Damn it, Beifong! That was real sensitive! Why didn't you just call him a killer while you were at it?'. All the mother could do is sit by her son and watch his body stiffen, go pale and start to shake. Just when thought she couldn't endure it anymore,

"W-what?" He wanted to believe he'd heard that wrong, but she couldn't tell him that.

"He died, Bolin."

"After I-," he his stomach started to turn.

"Here." She handed him a small waste bucket which he emptied the tea into, and put a hand on his back while he repeated the process. At least he wasn't trying to throw up on an empty stomach. Not that it was a great comfort, but still, "Here," she handed him another cup, "take a swig, wash it out."

"Mom, the room is spinning." And he could barely see the drink she offered, much less grab it. His blood was rushing, and he was getting lightheaded as a result.

"It's normal, Boy, just lay down." She got up so he could spread out and not a moment too soon. He fainted not long after that. The effects didn't last long, just long enough for her to get a damp cloth to his forehead.

"Mom? Was that a dream?"

"'Fraid not, Boy." She said as softly as she could. His eyes started welling up with tears, which turned into sobbing very quickly. Lin wouldn't be able to speak to him until he could calm down enough to listen to reason, so she had to endure it without a word.

"Chief Beifong," The Police Force's bearer of bad news dared to come in uninvited or even announced. Bolin tried to stifle his cries, years of habit overrode grief, it was instinct to be silent as the grave when a cop talking to his mom, but he only and was only half successful.

"What?" She barked from her spot on the edge of the couch cushion. The woman was smart enough to know that now was a good time to panic, but apparently it was too late to turn back now. Her voice came out with forced steadiness,

"The City Council, and the presidential candidates, request your presence at City Hall." Great. Just what she needed, right now of all times, those politicians had to have her show up. It was like they lived to be a pain in her ass.

"You can-can go, M-Mom." and what he said didn't matter, because he said it with a shaking voice and that look. That damn heartbreaking look that she'd thought she'd seen the last of when Mako came into the picture. She couldn't leave him now, he needed her, even if she was only mucking things up. Besides, she'd made herself a deal when it came to her kids, if they were hurt, or sick or needed her, then the job had to wait, it was that simple. So, it looked like she was going to be the pain in the ass who stopped work from getting done this time.

"Tell them I'll be there in the morning."

"The meeting's in a half hour, Chief." And Lin didn't have to reply, she only had to glare, "I'll tell them you'll speak with them in the morning." she backtracked in her words and in her steps until she was out the door

"And tell Captain Lee he's in charge until I get there!" She shouted in afterthought before the messenger could get out of the house.

"M-mom?"

"What is it, Bolin?" He didn't answer, he just rose up at lightning speed and wrapped his arms around her, laid his head on her shoulders and started crying full force again. Lin just let him cry, what else could she do?

"Su." The Captain of the guard pulled her away from her meeting with the other city leaders to speak with her in private, "There are bounty hunters at the city gates." That was not unheard of, not common, but it happened. It drove Su completely up the wall, they'd come there claiming to be looking for justice but they were only looking to collect on someone who was trying to change their ways.

"Kuvira," why was she even wasting their time with this? She knew the laws, but then again, this was probably the first one she'd ever had to deal with personally, "you know bounty hunting is illegal in Zaofu. Send them away."

"They say they want to speak to whoever's in charge. They say the man they're after is dangerous."

"Aren't they all?" Su almost rolled her eyes, that's what every bounty hunter said. Kuvira gave her a light shrug, "Tell the border guards to tell the bounty hunters that they are not welcome in my city. And if they still insist on entering, tell them that they may have free room and board at the jail."

"Alright." Kuvira left to radio the message to her underlings, and Su went back to her meeting. The incident was forgotten before dinner.