Yes! Plan Winged Freedom worked! For just a prototype it worked perfectly. Now Varrick and Zhu li were soaring across the sky. Sure the circumstances weren't great; Giant spirit battle and everything. But if in his career he wasn't a risk taker, then he wouldn't be who he was.
"Zhu li, make sure you avoid that area over there" Varrick said as he gestured toward the spirit battle. Zhu li tightened her hold on Varrick, with a quick "Yes, sir!" The genius man then noticed something he had never seen nor heard from his assistance; fear. She was holding him tightly. At first he thought it was just to make sure he didn't fall. It would be bad business. But he noticed that his loyal assistant was shaking slightly. Same with her cut short voice. How could his cold war-machine be feeling fear?
Although with all this closeness, she didn't feel so cold; quite warm actually. WHAT was he thinking! He needed to deal with the problem at hand. If Zhu li freaked out from fear during this flight they would both crash and die. He needed to calm her down.
"Zhu li, remember when I hired you. Remember how we used to talk about what the different benders saw the world. Of course then it was to see how to market to them. We completely disregarded the air benders, with all there unearthly attachments and all. But, do you think this is what it's like for them?"
Zhu li, with the same clipped, shaking voice, noted "Well we did base this design off the air gliders, sir." "Yes, but now we get to see what it's like first hand. Imagine what other people would pay for this! It's thrilling! It's freeing! What are your thoughts Zhu li?"
Now she was more shocked than scared. Since when does Varrick ask for her opinion! As she was about to answer another load bang came from the fight. She was shaking worse than ever. Zhu li internally scolded herself. She was supposed to be brave and strong for her boss. Varrick then yelled over the din, "Come on Zhu li, I need you to focus. Now if you could choose any bending style, what would you choose?
"Fire bending, that way if I was ever cold just make fire. It would also make heating your bath easier, Sir." Varrick chuckled at that. "I could see that. Though I always saw you as more the earth bending type. Strong, bold, tough as the rocks themselves. A war- machine."
"I'm afraid I don't feel like such a war-machine right now. What would you bend if you could, Sir?" she was trying to distract herself now, the clever girl. Varrick smiled, "If it weren't for the giving up your possessions thing, Air nomad would be pretty great. Traveling around from place to place just 'cause, and you really can't beat this view!" Zhu li then smiled herself, "We already travel from place to place, Sir. Speaking of which, where are we headed next?"
Varrick looked thoughtful for a second, "Well we need someplace populated enough to market to. Someplace that doesn't look down too much on criminal, so that narrows it down. Someplace filled with new ideas and progressive thinking, where they will respect our ideas."
"Our ideas, sir?"
"Of course our ideas! I wouldn't have gotten half as far as I have without you by my side. Face it Zhu li, we're better together!" Zhu li was now mixed with more emotions than she has in a long while. Not since she was first hired by Varrick. He considered her contributions, he was helping her with her fear, and he actually cared about her.
"Well Sir, there is the metal bender city Zaofu. I heard that the Matriarch of the city was once a criminal herself. And the city is made of forward thinking people like you, Sir."
"Like us, Zhu li."
"Yeah like us"
They were losing altitude, any moment now and they would be touching ground. "Prepare yourself for landing Zhu li; this may get a little bumpy." And it was. Varrick took the brunt of the impact. Even trying to protect Zhu li as much as he can, she didn't leave without a few bruises.
As Zhu li took to the task of picking the gravel out of Varrick's skin, he couldn't of had a happier face. "So what do you think would be the quickest way to Zaofu? Sure flying like that would be a lot of fun but the landing is still a bit awkward. Guess I don't have the skill of an air bender, but wasn't it fun to pretend!"
"Yes, Sir; it also seems like the fight is over."
"Well then we lost our well needed distraction. Zhu li, let's get ready to move out."
"Yes, Sir," And just like that, they were on their way to new exciting places, gadgets, and hi-jinx. With Varrick being demanding and overzealous, he didn't seem to notice Zhu li's constant smile and skip in her step the whole way there. She was happy to be just the two of them. Them and their ideas.