On this quiet day, Korra, Izuku, Mako and Bolin were in the gym, preparing for that night when they were going to participate in the championship final, their biggest match so far.
All four knew it wasn't going to be an easy match, as they were going to face the Wolfbats, who have been champions of the pro-bending championship three years in a row.
In Izuku's terms, it would be like they were facing pro heroes.
Bolin was throwing earth discs, while Mako was throwing fireballs and Korra was throwing water jets, oddly enough, at some hanging pictures of Tahno, which ended up shattered by the attacks.
All this while quietly listening to music on the radio.
"Great! Woo! Yes!" said Korra congratulating herself on hitting the bull's-eye.
"Well done, guys." said Izuku.
"Man, I got a good feeling about tonight. I don't care if we are the underdogs. We can take those pompous Wolfbats. " said Korra.
"It's going to be our toughest match ever, but I think you're right. " said Mako.
"Introducing your new champs, the fantastic Fire Ferrets!" said Bolin putting his arm around the shoulders of his brother and the Avatar.
"As much as I like to hear that, I don't think it's going to be that easy." said Izuku seriously.
"We know. That's what I just said." said Mako.
"No, it's not that. You see, after the last match, just when I was coming back from the bathroom…" began Izuku.
Izuku was walking through the halls of the arena, going to meet the others to rest and train the next day when he stopped near an open door as he noticed something out of the corner of his eye.
He looked through the door opening and saw a certain team in it.
Izuku opened the door all the way, revealing that the team in that room was the team that had just lost to the Wolfbats.
"Go away! We're not here to sign autographs!" said the team's waterbender.
"Hey, you're the Fire Ferrets' strategist." said the team's firebender.
"That's right. And you were the last opponents of the Wolfbats." said Izuku acknowledging the team.
"Unfortunately." said the team's earthbender.
"Hey, I know this might sound weird, but can you tell me everything you know about the Wolfbats. It might come in handy for tomorrow's finals." said Izuku.
"Do you want some advice? No matter what you do, you'll lose anyway." said the team's firebender.
"Why? Are they that good?" asked Izuku.
"Quite the opposite. They're the worst!" exclaimed the earthbender angrily.
"What do you mean?" asked Izuku curiously.
"No matter what we did, the referees were always in their favor. Even if they made dirty moves, if they cheated or even if we followed the rules, they supported them." said the waterbender.
"You mean they bribed the referees?" asked Izuku in surprise.
"How do you think they held their title as champions for three years?" asked the firebender. "Some of their opponents were extorted to surrender, others were provoked into fighting them to disqualify them. Even if you have the spirits on your side, they will have the referees on their side and that will decide everything."
That made Izuku worry.
Even if the Wolfbats weren't quite the best, they were cheaters, which could complicate things if they did that thing they said they did.
Without a doubt, the final was going to be utterly complicated to win.
After Izuku told that story to the others, the Fire Ferrets were shocked to hear that information.
Korra pounded her fist with her palm as she let out an angry groan.
"Champions? Crap. They're nothing but dirty cheats and cowards!" said Korra.
"If they've bought off the referees of our match, it'll be more complicated than I thought." said Mako.
"Then we should report them." said Korra.
"Even if we told everyone, we have no proof to show. It would be their word against ours." said Bolin.
"In that case, if they're going to play dirty, so are we." said Korra.
"No, Korra. If we do that, it will be bad only for us. If we want to beat them, it will have to be by playing fair." said Izuku.
"He's right. We won't stoop to their level. We'll win the way we've always won. By following the rules and working as a team." said Mako with a smile, which the others returned.
Suddenly, the music on the radio began to play statically and then a voice familiar to all present was heard.
"Good morning, citizens of Republic City. This is Amon. I hope you all enjoyed last night's pro-bending match, because it will be the last. It's time for this city to stop worshiping bending athletes as if they were heroes. I am calling on the council to shut down the bending arena and cancel the finals, or else there will be severe consequences." Amon said over the radio before it went static again.
"That guy's got some nerve." said Bolin frustrated by what the masked man said.
"You think the council will give in?" asked Mako to the Avatar.
"I'm not waiting to find out." said Korra.
"She's right. If we let him get away with it, he'll cause more fear among the city's inhabitants. We'd be giving him what he wants." said Izuku.
"Besides, we've tried too hard to let a masked coward ruin everything." said Korra.
"Well said, Korra." said Bolin.
"Then we need to get to City Hall." said Mako before the four of them ran off to avoid what could be considered a disaster in the world of sports.
Later, in the council room, the members were discussing Amon's threat over the radio and just then, Korra and her friends came through the door.
"Korra, you shouldn't be here. This is a closed meeting." Tenzin said getting up from his seat.
"As the Avatar and a pro-bending player, I have a right to be heard." said Korra.
"Listen, you can't cancel the finals." said Izuku.
"I know winning the championship means a lot to you. But as far as I'm concerned, we need to shut the arena down." said Tenzin with firm resolve.
"And what do the others say?" asked Izuku.
"Tarrlok, there's no way you're backing down from Amon, right?" asked Korra knowing that he was more willing to take down Amon than the others.
"Actually…" began Tarrlok before standing up. "Tenzin and I agree for once."
"The council is unanimous. We're closing the arena." said Tenzin.
"No!" said Mako.
"You can't!" said Bolin.
"I-I don't understand. I thought you, of all people, would take a stand against Amon." said Korra.
"While I am still committed to bringing that lunatic to justice, I will not put innocent lives at stake just so you and your friends can play a game." said Tarrlok.
"Pro-bending might only be a game to you, but think of what it means to the city! Right now the arena is the one place where benders and non-benders gather together… i-in peace! To watch benders..." began Mako defending the pro-bending arena.
"Beat each other up! In peace! It's an inspiration to everyone!" said Bolin.
"I appreciate your naive idealism, but you're ignoring the reality of the situation." said Tarrlok not giving in to their pleas.
"The reality is if you close the arena, you let Amon win!" said Korra.
"That's right. Amon wants you to close the arena so that people will see that even the council bows to him, which might cause panic among people or even encourage others to join the Equalists." said Izuku.
"I'm sorry, but our decision has been made. This meeting is adjourned." said Tarrlok picking up the gavel to end the meeting, but suddenly, a metal rope entered the room and shattered the gavel, much to the surprise of the waterbender councilman.
Everyone turned their gaze to the entrance to see that the metal rope belonged to the city's police chief, Lin Beifong.
"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I agree with the Avatar and the kid." said Lin.
"You do?" asked Tarrlok.
"Yeah, you do?" asked Korra surprised to hear that, as she knew the police chief didn't think highly of her.
"I expected this kind of cut-and-run response from Tenzin. But the rest of you? Come on, show a little more backbone. It's time that the benders of this city displayed some strength and unity against these Equalists." said Lin.
"We must prevent the conflict between benders and non-benders from escalating into all-out war! The council is not changing its position, Lin." said Tenzin.
"Now just a moment, Tenzin. Let us hear what our esteemed Chief of Police has in mind." said Tarrlok as Tenzin crossed his arms.
"If you keep the arena open, my metalbenders and I will provide extra security during the championship match. There's no better force to deal with the chi-blockers. Our armor is impervious to their attacks." said Lin.
"Are you saying that you will personally take responsibility for the safety of the spectators in the arena?" asked Tarrlok with a smile.
"I guarantee it." said Lin.
"It is hard to argue with Chief Beifong's track record. If she is confident her elite officers can protect the arena, then she has my support. I am changing my vote. Who else is with me?" asked Tarrlok raising his hand.
Soon after, the other council members raised their hands in support of Lin's safety, while Tenzin closed his eyes and lowered his head as he shook it in denial.
"The arena stays open. Good luck in the finals." said Tarrlok to the Ferrets.
Hearing that, the pro-bending team cheered in celebration for getting the final could happen.
"And good luck to you, Chief Beifong." said Tarrlok.
After that, Tenzin prepared to leave the room.
"A word please, Lin." said Tenzin as he passed her.
Later, Tenzin and Lin were in the hallways of city hall, talking about what happened earlier.
"Tarrlok's playing you and I don't want to see you get hurt." said Tenzin worried about his old friend.
"I know what I am doing and the risks that come with it." said Lin.
"In that case, I'm going to be by your side during the match." said Tenzin.
"You don't need to babysit me." said Lin as Tenzin rolled her eyes.
"It's for Korra and Izuku. I want to make sure they're safe." said Tenzin.
"Do what you want! It's not like I've ever been able to stop you before." said Lin angrily before walking away.
"Excuse me, Chief Beifong. I wanted to thank you for your help." said Korra appearing with Izuku.
"Yeah, it… really… means a lot…" said Izuku trying to thank the police chief, but she continued walking, ignoring them completely.
"What is her deal? Even when she's on our side, she's against us!" said Korra.
"I've known Lin since we were children, she's always been… challenging." said Tenzin.
"Is it that something happened with your father that made her hate the Avatar?" asked Izuku.
"She doesn't hate the Avatar. I'm afraid her issues… are with me." said Tenzin.
It was then that Korra understood and let out a small gasp of shock.
"Wait a second… it all makes sense now! You and Beifong, Beifong and you. You two were a couple!" said Korra with a smile.
"What?" asked Izuku in surprise.
"What?! How…?" asked Tenzin in shock that she had discovered his secret while making sure no one was around to hear. "Where'd you get that idea?"
"Well, Pema told us that before you were together, you were with someone, though I didn't expect that someone to be Chief Beifong." said Izuku.
"Criminy! I'll have to have a word with her." said Tenzin annoyed that they knew about his secret.
"So… Pema stole you from Beifong." said Korra crossing her arms with a cheeky grin. "I'm surprised our 'esteemed Chief of Police' didn't throw her in jail."
"Oh, she tried. Anyway, Pema didn't steal me, Lin and I had been growing apart for some time. We both had different goals in li… Why am I even telling you this? It all happened a long time ago and we've moved passed it." said Tenzin.
"Hm, apparently Beifong hasn't." said Korra with her cheeky grin.
"What do you… Of course she has! Anyway, this is none of your business!" said Tenzin very annoyed as he walked away.
"See you at home, Mr. Heartbreaker!" said Korra before she and Izuku shared a small laugh.
Somewhere in the city, in a sort of warehouse, several Equalist recruits were loading various boxes onto several trucks.
All of this was being observed by Amon from the upper floor and shortly after, the lieutenant approached him from behind.
"I just got word. The council defied your threat. They're keeping the arena open." the lieutenant said.
"Perfect. Everything is going according to plan." said Amon.
"Not that I distrust you, but is it safe to do so even knowing that boy, Deku, will be there?" asked the lieutenant.
"Don't worry about him, Lieutenant. It's true that he's strong and fast, but even he can't solve all conflicts." said Amon confident that his plans would work out.
Later in the evening, things were getting ready in the arena for the final as they were in case of an attack by Amon and his followers.
This was quite noticeable, as in the sea around the arena there were several ships and flying in the air, several airships.
All with lights pointing in all directions in search of any enemy intrusion.
Inside, several policemen were inspecting the stadium with flashlights looking for any hidden entrances or anything suspicious.
"All clear, Chief." said one of the policemen to the police chief after checking every inch of the interior.
"How is the security sweep going?" asked Tenzin standing next to Lin.
"Fine." said Lin.
"They've checked underneath the stands?" asked Tenzin.
"Yes." said Lin.
"And you have enough officers to cover all points of entry?" asked Tenzin.
"I have the skies, the bay, and every nook and cranny of this place covered. Now leave me alone and let me do my job." said Lin.
"Lin, with so much on the line it would be nice if we could help each other out, at least for one night." said Tenzin trying to calm things down a bit between them.
"Like old times?" asked Lin with a small smile.
"Like old times." said Tenzin.
"Okay, I'll try to be less abrasive than usual." said Lin.
"I would appreciate that." said Tenzin.
Meanwhile, back at the gym, the Fire Ferrets were preparing for their biggest challenge to date.
"It's finally here, huh? I never thought we'd make it this far!" said Mako.
"And it's all thanks to our new weapons. Our teammate, the Avatar, and our brilliant strategist, Deku." said Bolin.
"Thanks, guys, but even so, it still bothers me that those Wolfbats are going to cheat in the match and we can't do anything." said Korra frustrated by that fact.
"If we're lucky, maybe people will notice and try to stop the match." said Izuku.
"Maybe, but let's not take it for granted. All we can do is do our best and keep fighting." said Mako.
"Or as Izuku says, go beyond. PLUS ULTRA!" shouted Bolin raising his fist high, causing Korra and Izuku to laugh lightly.
"Well said, Bolin." said Izuku.
"Whatever happens in this match, we'll get through it together." said Mako extending his hand in front.
Soon after, the others put their hands on the firebender's.
"Fire Ferrets!" the four shouted before raising their hands.
A short time later, the moment many people have been waiting for had finally arrived, the final of the pro-bending championship.
"The anticipation is palpable as we are just moments away from the championship match. Will the Wolfbats' ferocity help them repeat as champs? Or will the underdog Fire Ferrets serve up a surprising bowl of smackdown soup?" asked Shiro.
"Now I know there's a big crowd but don't be nervous. You're gonna do great, I believe in you." said Bolin to the rest of the team.
"Bolin, don't worry. We have rehearsed many times and thanks to Izuku, we will make an unforgettable entrance." said Korra.
"Right." said Mako.
At that moment, the announcer came out through a platform lift located in the center of the ring.
"Introducing the challengers, the Future Industries Fire Ferrets!" said the announcer pointing to the side where Korra, Mako and Bolin could be seen on a platform leading them to the ring.
On a separate balcony, stood Hiroshi and his daughter, Asami.
Hiroshi greeted them as Asami blew Mako a kiss and winked.
Mako greeted her before blowing her own kiss.
Korra rolled her eyes along with a sigh of disgust at how cheesy that was.
Soon after, they climbed into the ring.
Mako began by extending his arms out to the sides as he launched a burst of fire that stopped at the edges of the ring.
He then began to spin around in circles rapidly, causing the fire from the blasts to swirl until it formed a huge tornado of fire.
By the time the fire tornado broke apart, it was revealed that Bolin had placed various discs of earth around the place in the shape of a spiral staircase.
Finally, Korra began to jump from disc to disc until she reached the highest one and once there, she took a leap, but in mid-air, she caught the water from the pool to create a column below her with which she cushioned her fall before causing the water to leap around and she landed in a heroic position.
"Everything's fine. Why?" asked Korra before rising up to flash a huge smile. "Because we're here!" exclaimed Korra as she flexed her muscles in a heroic pose at the same time as Mako and Bolin striking similar poses on either side of the Avatar.
Needless to say, the crowd erupted in cheers at the Fire Ferrets' spectacle.
Izuku was in the box, recording it all with his cell phone.
"Hehe. I'm sure All Might would have loved to see this." said Izuku.
After that, the spotlight illuminating the Ferrets went out.
"And their opponents, the three timed defending champions, the White Falls Wolfbats!" said the announcer before pointing to the other side of the ring.
The spotlight allowed the three team members to be seen wearing wolf bat masks and capes as wings.
Spreading their wings, they let out a howl before sparks leapt from behind them, small columns of fire as well as fireworks happened all over the arena.
Tahno took off his mask and cape, showing him that he still had that smile.
"I'm gonna knock Tahno's stupid hair off his stupid head!" said Korra.
"Good luck!" shouted Izuku.
The two teams got into fighting stance, awaiting the moment of the start.
"The champs and challengers face off at the center-line." said Shiro just before the starting bell rang. "And here we go!"
Just as the bell rang, Tahno lunged toward Korra and attempted to hit her with an uppercut with a water-wrapped fist without ever crossing the line.
Fortunately, Korra was able to dodge the blow by jumping backwards.
"Tahno tries to clean the Avatar's clock with some dirty water boxing." said Shiro as Tahno managed to hit Korra with a diagonal water wave.
Mako threw a fireball at the earthbender, but he dodged it with a leap before throwing two earth discs at him.
"Ming shakes off Mako's attack and returns the favor." said Shiro as the two discs hit Mako, along with a third disc, pushing him into zone two.
The two teams went back to throwing elemental attacks at each other.
Bolin threw a pair of discs at another opponent, but he dodged them by doing acrobatic leaps.
"Shaozu gets fancy, but Bolin ricochets a disk off the ropes and says 'No, thank you sir!'." said Shiro as one of the disks Bolin threw bounced off the side ropes, sending it toward the opponent and knocking him over and knocking him to the other side.
"They may be cheaters, but they're good." said Izuku.
Tahno advanced a bit before blocking a stream of Korra's water with his own water before jumping up and throwing it at Korra, but she dodged it.
"The waterbenders slug it out, looking evenly matched." said Shiro as Tahno combined two water drops before throwing a large water jet at Bolin, pushing him into zone three. "Tahno gets a little too worked up and unleashes a deluge on Bolin that would certainly elicit a foul."
However, the Wolfbats had the green light to advance.
"Or apparently not." said Shiro a bit confused.
"What's the big idea, ref? That was a hosing foul!" said Mako complaining, but the ref was sticking to his decision.
"And the Wolfbats advance despite Tahno exceeding the waterbending time limit. A questionable call by the officials." said Shiro as the teams proceeded to continue with the match.
Suddenly, the earthbender lifted a ground puck that was right under Mako's foot, causing him to stumble forward, something he took advantage of to hit him with a ground disk, sending him into zone three.
"Ming trips up Mako with another dirty trick!" said Shiro.
"Oh come on, refs! There was some funny business in that last play!" said Tenzin.
"Wouldn't have guessed you knew the rules of pro-bending?" asked Lin crossing her arms with a smile.
"I've been brushing up. That Wolfbat blatantly bent a disk outside of his zone." said Tenzin.
"Damn. They're already starting to use their tricks and as I was told, the referees are bought off." said Izuku.
"The Ferret brothers are backed up to zone three and the Wolfbats smell blood." said Shiro as Tahno threw a water blade that Bolin dodged with a leap, but Tahno froze the water blade, causing Bolin to slip when he landed, which the firebender took advantage of to hit him with a fireball, sending him out of the ring. "Looks like Tahno snuck in an illegal icing move but once again there's no call. I don't know what match the refs are watching but it's obviously not this one."
Meanwhile, Tahno and the earthbender launched a water jet and an earth disc that hit Korra, sending her into zone three.
"Oh… a splash-and-clash sends the Avatar to zone three as well." said Shiro as the opposing team advanced forward before launching a three element combo attack at the Avatar, but then, Mako got in the way and tried to block the attack, but to no avail and both he and Korra ended up outside the ring.
"NO!" shouted Izuku thinking they had lost the match.
That's when the bell rang for the end.
"It's a knockout! The Wolfbats win the championship for the fourth year in a... Hold on a second, folks!" said Shiro, as he had discovered that Korra was holding onto the ringside with one hand while holding Mako with the other.
"Scratch that! The Ferrets are still alive, but just barely." said Shiro.
Korra, with all her might, started swinging Mako around until in the end, she managed to throw him back into the ring, though that caused her to end up falling into the water.
As soon as Mako landed in the ring, he launched a fireball of a kick that hit Tahno in the back, knocking him down in the area in front of him.
Tahno stood up and shot a furious glare at Mako who responded with a smile.
"What an unbelievable move! These Ferrets aren't just bending the elements, they're bending my mind! The underdogs survive to see round two." said Shiro.
Izuku let out a deep sigh of relief that they would continue to play.
"Just as well." said Izuku.
Later, the Ferrets were on their side of the ring, huddled together for a private conversation.
"It's happening what Izuku told us. They've bought off the referees!" said Korra.
"True, but we've talked about it before. If we want to win, it'll have to be by playing fair." said Mako.
"It's not that much fun, but okay." said Korra.
"Round two!" shouted the announcer.
As soon as the opening bell rang, the two teams proceeded to launch elemental attacks at each other.
Tahno launched a jet of water that Korra dodged before launching another jet that Korra blocked with her body.
"The opening salvo is a brutal call as both sides give it their all." said Shiro as Korra attempted to throw a water jet, but then, found herself unable to move her foot and upon looking down discovered it was covered in ice due to Tahno's earlier attack.
"But once again, Tahno sneaks in a little ice to get the upper hand." said Shiro as Tahno took advantage of Korra's moment of distraction to hit her with a water jet and send her to the back area.
Bolin threw an earth disk that hit one of the opponents, sending him backwards and then the earthbender raised an earth disk that he used as a shield to protect himself from a fireball from Mako, but the resulting explosion sent him backwards.
Several fireballs were sent at Mako who easily dodged them before launching his own fireball.
"Wowzers! Those look like illegal head shots to me!" said Shiro as Mako leaned back to dodge a fireball heading for his head.
Just then, the bell rang for the end.
"Round two will be decided with a tie-breaker!" said the announcer.
The referee tossed a coin in the air and when he caught it...
"The Fire Ferrets win the coin toss. Which element do you choose?" said the referee.
"I'm taking this one." said Korra choosing water as their element. "Let's go! You and me, pretty boy!"
"Thought you'd never ask." said Tahno.
The others stepped back and the waterbenders got into position before the center circle rose a little.
The two opponents moved back and forth, waiting for their opponent's move.
"Come on, little girl. Give me your best shot." said Tahno trying to provoke her, but she remained serious and focused before throwing a bullet-fast stream of water at him which Tahno dodged, but then, another stream of water hit him under the chin, knocking his helmet off in the process.
However, that was just a thought of what Korra planned to do.
So she sent a jet of water at him from below, but he dodged it and as Tahno proceeded to throw a jet of water at her, Korra threw another one at him from below that hit him under the chin, knocking his helmet off in the process and causing him to fall off the central platform.
After that, the end bell rang.
"Hmph, chump." said Korra making the same gesture as Tahno.
"Round two goes to the Fire Ferrets!" said the announcer.
"Yes! Way to go, Korra!" shouted Izuku cheering his 'sister' on.
As the center platform came down, Korra rejoined the rest of the team.
"Nice one!" said Mako high-fiving Korra.
"That's the stuff. You are my herooo-ah!" said Bolin overjoyed at Korra's victory.
"We might actually win this thing!" said Mako hopefully.
"I think it's time to use it." said Korra.
"Oh, are you talking about that? I thought we'd never get to use it." said Bolin.
Meanwhile, the other two members of the opposing team were helping Tahno up, but he pushed them away as he got fully up.
"Let's send them to a watery grave!" said Tahno angrily and almost losing his mind.
"I can't believe your sweet-tempered father was reincarnated into that girl. She's tough as nails." said Lin slightly impressed by the Avatar's fighting form.
"Reminds me of someone else I knew at that age. You might get along if you would only give her a chance, you'd get along with her and maybe Izuku. After all, they are siblings." said Tenzin.
"Hmph." expressed Lin unable to find a negative in what the airbender said, before realizing something he said. "Wait, did you say siblings?"
"One round apiece: who wants it more?" asked Shiro just as the starting bell rang.
The next instant, the Wolfbats began to launch elemental attacks with increased ferocity.
"The Wolfbats fly out of the gates, swinging with bad intentions." said Shiro as Bolin dodged a jet of water before throwing an earthen disc.
"The challengers seem to be more focused on dodging than attacking. Could it be another one of Deku's strategies?" asked Shiro as Tahno climbed over the edge ropes to jump and dodge a dirt disk and a water jet.
"Don't you know better." thought Korra as she remembered when they planned that strategy.
"So, if the Wolfbats are going to cheat, wouldn't we need some ultra-good strategy to beat them?" asked Bolin.
"No, Bolin. Even if you did, they would have the referees on their side." said Izuku.
"So what do you suggest we do?" asked Korra.
"I had thought of using Mako's tactic." said Izuku.
"My tactic?" asked Mako.
"So far, from what I've found out, the Wolfbats have always won their matches in the first round with a knockout. However, if by some chance they were to lose a round and ended up making it to the third round…" said Izuku.
"That would make them very angry. Especially Tahno." said Korra beginning to understand her 'brother's' plan.
"That's right. Which means that in that round, they'll start attacking more savagely. Willing to even do damage." said Izuku.
"And since they'll have the referees on their side, they'll have no problem making any illegal moves." said Mako.
"Exactly. So what I had thought is…" began Izuku.
"Dodge and exhaust." thought Korra remembering that was what Mako did in the first pro-bending match they saw live.
"Can the Ferrets hang in there with the best, especially when the best are frankly getting a little help from the refs?" asked Shiro as the earthbender threw an earth disc at Korra that she was able to dodge.
"It's all down to this final round!" said Shiro as Korra threw a water jet at Tahno that he blocked with his arm.
"Mako is leaving it all in the ring but it looks like Tahno and Ming are up to more shenanigans!" said Shiro as Tahno crouched behind his teammate.
Said teammate lifted a disc of earth from behind him which he broke into pieces and then, Tahno caught the pieces in a large drop of water which he then split into three streams with stones which he threw.
Each stream of water with stones hit each member of the Fire Ferrets, sending them out of the ring.
"Oh, this has gone too far! That water had rocks in it!" said Shiro.
"Knockout!" said the referee before the end bell rang.
"Oh, come on! Those were illegal head shots! Open your eyes, ref!" said Tenzin, very pissed off at the referee's actions.
"Referee, I know you're bought, but letting that go too far!" shouted Izuku angrily, wishing he could go in there and reveal everything, but he knew that, without proof, he could do nothing.
"Well, folks it's a controversial call but the Wolfbats notch a nasty knockout to win the match!" said Shiro as said team waved to the crowd congratulating their victory. "For the fourth year in a row, they'll be crowned tournament champions."
"I barely broke a sweat!" said Tahno arrogantly as he removed his helmet. "Anybody else wanna scrap with the champs?"
Unnoticed, a spectator covered his mouth with a handkerchief bearing the Equalist symbol.
And he wasn't the only one.
Several spectators began to put on handkerchiefs with the symbol.
A sign that they were members of the Equalists.
Then one of those members stuck his hand in the popcorn bucket and when he pulled it out, it revealed that it was the hiding place for some kind of glove.
Tenzin was still pissed about how the game had ended.
When he calmed down, he noticed something out of the corner of his eye and when he turned his head slightly, he was shocked to see a member of the Equalists sneaking up on them.
"Look out!" shouted Tenzin, but it was too late, for when that guy touched Lin with his gauntlet, he threw an electric shock at her, causing her to scream in pain and knocking her down.
Tenzin hit the equal member with a blast of air, but an electric shock hit him and knocked him down, courtesy of another equal member.
The same thing was happening with the policemen, as before they knew it, equalist members approached from behind and hit each of them with their electrified gloves.
Fortunately, that was noticed by someone.
"Hey, what's going on?" asked Izuku noticing something strange on the stage.
Meanwhile, in the pit, Korra and the two brothers poked their heads out of the water to catch their breath and as they looked up, they saw electric sparks all over the stands.
"What?" asked Korra confused by what was happening.
That's when someone landed on a platform near the water and the three members of the Ferrets turned around to see the lieutenant, much to Korra's horror.
Before they could do anything, the lieutenant slammed his electrified sticks into the water, causing all three to scream in pain before falling unconscious.
"Folks, there is some sort of electrical disturbance in the stands. Metalbender cops are dropping like bumbleflies. There appear to be masked members of the audience wielding strange devices on their hands." said Shiro just as an Equalist member entered the room he was in.
"One of them is in the booth with me right now, folks! He is leveling one of those glove devices at me now and I believe he is about to electrocute me. I am currently wetting my pants." said Shiro before he was electrocuted.
Meanwhile, in the box, Izuku had heard everything the announcer said.
"Oh no! They're here!" said Izuku in horror as he realized that the Equalists were attacking.
At that moment, they heard footsteps of people approaching.
A pair of Equalist members entered the box, but before they could react, Izuku activated his Quirk quickly and, in a punch based on the moves of a firebender, launched a blast of wind that hit the two Equalist members, sending them crashing into the wall, knocking them down in the process.
"This is bad. If they're here, that means…" began Izuku knowing who would be among them.
Meanwhile, in the ring, the Wolfbats were starting to panic at how the situation was going.
Suddenly, several people could be seen climbing up the central ascending platform.
Tahno turned around and was horrified to see Amon and several Equalist soldiers in the middle of the ring.
The situation had become very bad in the arena.
The Fire Ferrets who were still unconscious were being pulled out of the water and the spectators were being held back by the Equalist members who were pointing their electrified gloves at them while Tenzin and Lin were still unconscious, but the worst was for Tahno and his group who were in the ring facing Amon and his soldiers.
"What's going on here, ref?" asked Tahno.
"I don't know!" said the referee.
Amon and his group began to slowly move forward, forcing them back slowly.
"All right, you want a piece of the Wolfbats? Here it comes!" said Tahno throwing a stream of water at the masked man, which he easily dodged before running towards them.
Tahno and his companions began to throw elemental attacks at him, but Amon positioned himself between Tahno and the firebender.
Amon grabbed the latter by the arm and spun around with him included before throwing him to the ground.
Tahno was trying to throw a couple of jets of water at him, but some bolas wrapped around his wrists before he fell.
The same thing happened to the last team member before another bola wrapped around his legs.
Now Tahno was on his knees, held by the arms by two Equalist soldiers and Amon in front of him.
"Wait, please don't do this! I'll give you the championship pot, I'll-I'll give you everything just please don't take my bending!" said Tahno very desperate to get out of that one, but Amon raised his hand and put his index finger on his forehead while he had a horrified expression on his face as he felt his power being taken away from him.
With the job done, the soldiers threw the Wolfbats into the water pit while posters with the Equalist symbol were hung all over the stadium.
Under the ring, the lieutenant was dragging Korra with the others who were still unconscious.
Korra opened her eyes for a moment before slipping into unconsciousness again.
It was then that she saw visions of the past again.
She saw Toph saying something with Aang beside her as she pointed at something, a mysterious man with Aang behind him, that same man rising up with a triumphant smile, Aang in the Avatar state in front of that man as he expelled a wave of wind and then she saw Aang coming out of the Avatar state with a face of fury.
Meanwhile, the lieutenant tied the three pro-bending fighters to a pillar with a very long rope.
Above the ring, Amon grabbed the microphone.
"Now I have your attention, masters of Republic City. Once again, the Wolfbats are pro-dominance champions. It is proper for you to celebrate the victory of these three cheaters who have won illegally because you daily threaten and crush your fellow non-master citizens, just as the Wolfbats have done to their opponents. They are supposed to be the best masters in the world, but it only took me a few seconds to eradicate their impurity," said Amon as the members of the Wolfbats partially climbed onto the platform before falling unconscious.
"I believe I have your attention, benders of Republic City. So once again, the Wolfbats are your pro-bending champions. It seems fitting that you celebrate three bullies who cheated their way to victory because every day, you threaten and abuse your fellow non-bending citizens just like the Wolfbats did to their opponents tonight. Those men were supposedly the best in the bending world and yet it only took a few moments for me to cleanse them of their impurity" said Amon as the members of the Wolfbats partially climbed onto the platform before falling unconscious.
"Let this be a warning to all of you benders out there: if any of you stand in my way, you will meet the same fate." said Amon, causing the spectators to gasp in horror and fear.
"Now, to my followers: for years the Equalists have been forced to hide in the shadows, but now we have the numbers and the strength to create a new Republic City. I'm happy to tell you that the time for change has finally come. Very soon, the current tyrannical bending regime will be replaced by a fair-minded Equalist government. You and your children will no longer have to walk the streets afraid! It's time to take back our city." said Amon.
As the masked one continued his speech, Korra and the others had awakened, only to find themselves bound and unable to break free.
"How are we gonna get out of here?" asked Mako.
Neither of them knew what to do until then, Bolin spotted something that made him smile, for it was Pabu, who was swimming towards them.
"Pabu!" exclaimed Bolin as the fire ferret climbed onto his knees. "Listen up, buddy." said Bolin before he started biting quickly, trying to give his pet a message as the other two looked on in confusion.
"Stop fooling around!" said Mako, not understanding what his brother was doing.
"I'm not! I'm trying to save us!" said Bolin before Pabu started biting at the ropes holding the Fire Ferrets back. "See? Pabu's not just a one trick poodle pony." said Bolin as the others smiled that they were going to be able to escape.
"Do you think Izuku will be okay?" asked Mako.
"This is Izuku we're talking about. He'll be fine. I trust him." said Korra.
Back in the ring, Amon continued his speech.
"For centuries, benders have possessed an unnatural advantage over ordinary people. But thankfully, modern technology has provided us with a way to even out the playing field. Now anyone can hold the power of a chi-blocker in their hand." said Amon.
"AMON!"
Amon had to stop his speech when he saw something jump from the box and land heavily in front of him and his troops.
When it rose up, it revealed itself to be Izuku, who had his Quirk activated.
"Ah, I see you have arrived, Deku. I was hoping to find you here again." began Amon before looking out at the crowd. "Citizens of Republic City, you're probably wondering why the mask I wear to hide my disfigured face is broken. Well, there's the one responsible." said Amon pointing to Izuku, causing the audience, even the Equalist members, to gasp in surprise.
"This boy claims to be a hero who wants to protect this city, but he doesn't hesitate to raise his hand against someone who wants to bring equality." said Amon.
"This looks like equality to you?! Holding these innocent civilians hostage?! This isn't equality, it's terrorism!" said Izuku.
"Equality. Terrorism. What does it matter? My followers and I will not rest until the entire city achieves equality, and once that goal is achieved, we will equalize the rest of the world." said Amon.
"I won't let you do it!" said Izuku before lunging towards him.
Some Equalist soldiers threw themselves against the green-haired boy while others threw their bolas with the intention of holding him back.
Izuku moved back and forth like an airbender to dodge the bolas.
A couple of Equalist soldiers approached him and tried to hit him, but Izuku kicked them down.
Then others tried to touch him with their electrified gloves, but Izuku jumped up before kicking out a wave of wind that pushed both soldiers out of the ring.
While Izuku was fighting against the equal soldiers...
"No matter what you do or how powerful you are. The revolution has begun!" said Amon just as a blimp with the Equalist symbol passed over the stadium and a few ropes were thrown towards the ring, breaking the glass ceiling in the process.
Amon, the lieutenant and the remaining Equalist soldiers grabbed onto the ropes, which had small platforms for support and the ropes pulled them up.
Just as Izuku took down the last Equalist soldier, he noticed the masked man running away.
"Amon!" shouted Izuku.
That shout was enough to wake Lin from her state and as she sat up, she saw the airbender wake up as well.
"Tenzin!" said Lin with concern.
The two adults watched in horror as Amon ran away.
Izuku was about to follow them, but then, a huge explosion went off in the ring, sending Izuku flying into the well, just as the Ferrets had broken free in time to see Izuku fall into the water.
"Izuku!" shouted Korra before jumping into the water to save him.
Once underwater, Korra swam over to the furry one, grabbed him and pulled him to the surface, where they gasped for air before carrying him to the platform where the two siblings were.
"Izuku, are you all right?" asked Korra with concern.
Izuku coughed a little before opening his eyes to give the Avatar a small smile.
"Ugh. I'm fine. Easy." said Izuku before getting up.
"What was that?" asked Bolin.
"Looks like the Equalists put a bomb in the ring and Amon is getting away." said Izuku.
"We can't let him do that." said Korra before running over and creating an ice rink in the water so she could see what was going on. "We're going after Amon!"
"Yes!" said Izuku going to Korra's side.
"Be careful!" said Mako as Korra and Izuku jumped into the water.
With waterbending, Korra created a water pillar with which she and Izuku propelled themselves to reach Amon's airship, but unfortunately, there wasn't enough water and the pillar eventually came apart.
The two began to fall, but then, Izuku embraced Korra as he flexed his legs.
After suddenly extending his legs, he released a strong wave of wind that propelled them like a rocket upwards.
The two reached high enough to reach one of the ropes leading up to the airship.
They hit the Equalist soldiers on the platform with Korra's firebending and Izuku's punch, before climbing onto the platform and grabbing hold of the rope.
The two exchanged glances with Amon and Korra began to hurl fireballs at him with her fist while Izuku threw blasts of wind from his fingers, but Amon managed to get inside the airship before those attacks hit him.
Seeing that they no longer had a target to hit, they stopped launching attacks, but that's when the two looked around to see to their horror that all the police ships and airships were on fire and down.
Lin climbed onto the roof of the stadium and threw a metal rope that grabbed an Equalist soldier standing on a rope platform intending to swing at them, and threw him to the ground.
A pair of Equalist soldiers came down the rope from the platform where Korra and Izuku were, and kicked them both down as they too fell.
Fortunately, there wasn't much height, so they managed to land standing on the roof next to the two soldiers.
Lin grabbed an ascending platform with her metal rope, but the lieutenant hit her in the back with his electrified sticks, causing her to scream in pain before falling to the ground.
The three Equalist soldiers ran towards them, but Korra knocked one down with a fireball to the back.
He tried to get up, but Korra stepped on his back to use him as a springboard and jump high into the air.
While she was in the air, she threw fireballs at the others, knocking them down in the process.
The lieutenant was about to finish Lin off with his electrified sticks, but Izuku kicked him away from her.
Knowing he didn't stand much of a chance against the green-haired boy, the lieutenant opted to retreat.
Korra and Izuku chased after him and when they caught up, he tried to hit them with a sweep of his electrified sticks, but Korra dodged them by jumping while Izuku ducked to avoid him.
Then, Izuku hit him with an uppercut that sent him flying before he fell to the ground.
Korra was about to hit him with a fire axe kick, but he rolled out of the way.
Korra started throwing fireballs at him, but the lieutenant dodged every attack as he advanced towards her to hit her with his electrified clubs, but the moment Korra stopped attacking, Izuku quickly stood in front of the lieutenant with a recoiling fist.
"Detroit Smash!" shouted Izuku punching the lieutenant in the stomach, causing him to gasp loudly before being thrown backwards.
Lin managed to wake up in time to see two Equalist soldiers charging towards the three combatants with their bolas ready.
So she threw her metal ropes at them, which tangled around them and tossed them to either side of the roof.
Then she spotted the airship and threw a metal rope that wrapped around the rope of a platform.
Retracting her rope back, Lin began to ascend toward the airship.
Meanwhile, Korra and Izuku prepared to continue fighting the lieutenant, who stood up with a groan as he held his stomach.
The lieutenant charged at them and tried to punch them several times, but they dodged every attack before Korra grabbed him by the arm and kneed him in the stomach before throwing him to the ground.
Izuku was going to hit him with an axe kick, but the lieutenant quickly jumped aside before trying to hit him with his electrified stick, but Izuku managed to grab the stick before throwing the lieutenant aside.
Korra threw fireballs at the lieutenant again, but he dodged them all.
Suddenly, as Korra took a horizontal kick to launch a fireball wave, which the lieutenant dodged, the lieutenant was about to take the opportunity to hit her with his electrified stick, but then...
"Delaware Smash!" shouted Izuku releasing his finger to launch a blast of wind that hit the lieutenant directly.
Despite struggling to his feet, the lieutenant looked ready to keep fighting.
Korra and Izuku charged towards him before Korra launched a fire wave while Izuku launched a wind wave at him.
Both attacks hit the lieutenant and knocked him off the roof.
For a moment, they thought they had the victory, but then, the glass on the roof below them began to crack and the two began to fall.
Lin saw this and began to debate what to do. Whether to save the Avatar and the green-haired boy or stop Amon, leader of the Equalists.
Finally, she made her decision and released the ropes that bound her to the airship, causing it to begin to fall.
Tying four metal ropes to the edge of the hole, Lin quickly propelled herself towards them.
She then threw a metal rope that clung to the wall and another that Korra and Izuku grabbed.
Lin swung them both up and all three landed on the bleachers, safe and sound, though Korra and Izuku rolled a bit on the landing.
"You all right?" asked Lin helping them up.
"We're fine." said Korra.
"Yeah, we owe you one." said Izuku.
"Don't mention it, kids." said Lin before the three turned their gaze upward to see Amon's airship flying away. "Looks like we lost this one."
"But we haven't lost the war yet." said Izuku.
At that moment, Mako and Bolin arrived, with the former hugging Korra.
"I'm so glad you're okay!" said Mako.
"Me too!" said Bolin giving them both a quick hug.
"I can't believe Amon did this. I played right into his hand." said Lin feeling disappointed with herself.
"He played us all." said Tenzin.
"It's true. Don't blame yourself for it. No one expected them to attack like that." said Izuku remembering when at the training camp, the villains attacked them by surprise and took Katsuki away.
"Republic City is at war." said Tenzin as they all looked at the destroyed ring.