After the massive attack by the Equalists, Republic City was no longer a peaceful place for all benders and non-benders.
Equalist airships were flying all over the city, there were several mecha tanks parked everywhere or roaming various areas, but the worst thing was that they had put an Amon mask on the face of Avatar Aang's statue.
Now the benders lived in hiding and fearful for fear of being captured by the Equalists and having their powers taken away by Amon.
"It is a glorious day, my Equalist brothers and sisters!" began Hiroshi giving a speech in the park with several people in front to hear him.
"Amon has torn down the tyrannical bending government! He has declared bending illegal, and he has the Avatar and Deku on the run. Our great leader has a vision for the future. One day soon, bending will no longer exist and we will live in a world where everyone is finally equal! The United Forces are on their way right now to try and stop that dream. But we will prevail!" said Hiroshi to applause and cheers from the onlookers.
Behind the audience, there were three Equalist soldiers.
One of them nodded to the others before they left the scene.
They passed some bushes as they looked around in case of any spies and as they approached a rock, one of them moved it with the ground control, revealing a hole under the rock.
The three soldiers entered the hole before the rock returned to its original place.
The three soldiers, who were walking through a tunnel, turned out to be Korra, Izuku and Mako who had disguised themselves to infiltrate the crowd without arousing suspicion.
"Can you believe Hiroshi?! 'The Avatar and Deku are on the run'. I'm not running from anyone! Let's go back up there and knock some heads; they'll never know what hit 'em." said Korra in frustration, slamming her fist into her palm before turning around to head back.
"Korra, if we do that, we'll only give those people more reason to support Amon." said Izuku.
"He's right. Besides, General Iroh's coming with an entire fleet of battleships. Then Amon will be the one who's running." said Mako managing to make the Avatar stop.
"I hate this 'being patient' stuff." said Korra in frustration before walking back in the direction from before.
"That's something you have to learn sooner or later." commented Izuku.
The three of them arrived at a refugee area where Bolin and Asami stood up as soon as they saw them arrive.
"You two were gone a while." said Asami crossing her arms.
"We were doing reconnaissance." said Mako.
"Whatever." said Asami looking away from the firebender with a frown.
"Welcome back!" said Gommu appearing on the scene by surprise. "Hope you worked up an appetite, 'cause dinner is served." said Gommu pulling Korra and Izuku into a side hug.
Later, they all gathered in one area to eat a stew that Gommu had prepared.
"Thank you so much for letting us hide out with you these days." said Izuku.
"Honored to oblige." began Gommu as he served them the stew in a bowl for each of them. "My associates and I heartily oppose Amon's so-called 'Equalist' policies. We got benders and non-benders living together down here, but do you see us fightin'? No siree; we've figured out how to harmoniously co-exist."
Izuku smiled as he looked around.
They may not have had much, but that place was certainly a lot more peaceful than it was in the city.
If the people supporting the Equalists could see that, they would surely change their minds about their view of equality.
"You are a wise and noble Gommu." said Bolin before tasting a spoonful of the stew. "Mmmm. This is the best-tasting street gruel I've ever had. Seriously!" said Bolin having liked the food served by the Gommu.
"I culled it from the finest dumpsters the city has to offer! " revealed Gommu.
Hearing that, Asami's face turned green as she puffed out her cheeks before returning to the bowl what she put in her mouth and then handed her bowl to Pabu who ate it with pleasure.
Izuku was left with a green face and puffy cheeks at the mention of what the food he was taking was.
In light of the fact that he couldn't seem rude to the person who selflessly welcomed them, he swallowed what was in his mouth.
"Ugh." said Izuku with his tongue hanging out, as he wished he hadn't known the origin of his food.
Soon after, everyone was sleeping peacefully, except for Korra who was leaning against Naga.
"Can't sleep either?"
Korra turned her head to the side to see Mako approaching her.
"No, I have this awful pit in my stomach." said Korra as Mako sat down next to her.
"Me too." said Mako.
"It's so crazy. A few months ago I was in the South Pole practicing for my firebending test, and now I'm in the middle of an all-out war." said Korra.
"I know, we didn't even know each other then. And now, I can't imagine my life without you in it. You're the most loyal, brave, and selfless person I've ever known." said Mako, bringing a smile to the Avatar's face.
"I think you're pretty incredible too, but… you already knew that." said Korra lowering her gaze in slight embarrassment.
Both the Avatar and the firebender just stared at each other with a smile.
"I should probably try to get some sleep." said Korra looking away from him.
"Me too. Good night." said Mako getting up and leaving.
"Good night." said Korra as she stood watching the firebender walk away.
"Still not coming clean?"
Korra startled as she turned to the other side to see Izuku giving her a smile before sitting down next to her.
"I hope I don't go through something like that." said Izuku.
"Oh yeah? We'll see what happens when you want to confess to that girl that you like her." said Korra with a smile, causing the green-haired boy to blush.
"T-That has nothing to do with it." said Izuku nervously, making Korra giggle a little.
"Thank you, Izuku. I needed that." said Korra with a smile before it was wiped away. "It's just, with what's going on now, both in the city, and between Mako and Asami. I don't feel unable to talk about it."
"Well, considering the situation, it's understandable, but as far as Mako and Asami are concerned, you can't blame yourself for it. It's simply that the love circumstances between you two have ended up like this." said Izuku.
"Do you think everything will work out?" asked Korra.
"I don't know, but what I do know is that no matter what, we'll be in this together." said Izuku.
"Like siblings?" asked Korra with a smile.
"Like siblings." said Izuku with a smile.
Soon after, both 'siblings' shared a hug.
"Thank you, Izuku. I don't know what I would do without you." said Korra.
"Same here. If it wasn't for you, I would have been alone and lost in this world." said Izuku.
After they parted, Izuku got up to go to sleep.
"Good night, sister." said Izuku.
"Good night, brother." said Korra before leaning against Naga's back and closing her eyes to sleep while still smiling.
Meanwhile, on the Air Temple Island, the lieutenant was leading a bound and blindfolded policeman, whom he forced to kneel in front of Amon and three Equalist soldiers.
The lieutenant removed the blindfold from his eyes of the policeman who looked in horror at the masked man, who walked towards him.
"You will now be cleansed of your impurity." said Amon placing himself behind the policeman and, with the same procedure, snatched the policeman's powers of bending, causing the policeman to fall unconscious.
"Next." said Amon as the lieutenant turned his gaze to a line full of White Lotus policemen and sentries, all of them bound and blindfolded, being led to their end.
The next morning, the rest of Team Avatar met up with Mako who was looking out over the fog-shrouded ocean from a tunnel entrance.
"Coast is clear." whispered Mako as he and the others emerged from the tunnel to the outside.
They climbed to a higher level where they crouched by a fence in case there were enemies in sight.
Bolin used a spyglass to scan the surroundings for the United Forces, but for the moment, the sea was calm.
"Once the United Forces arrive, we need to be ready to help in any way we can." said Korra.
"They're here!" said Izuku pointing to the horizon.
They all turned their gaze in that direction, though Bolin used the spyglass backwards for a second before realizing this and putting it in the correct position.
They all saw that, out of the fog, the fleet of United Forces ships was emerging.
"Hmm… Amon had to know we were coming. So why aren't we meeting any resistance?" asked General Iroh II suspicious of the eerie quietness of the place.
"It's quiet. Too quiet." said Izuku.
"Yeah, where are the Equalist airships?" asked Korra getting up and looking at the sky, only to find it clear.
Mako grabbed the spyglass and moved to the side to take a look at the side of the harbor.
"I don't see any mecha tanks, either." said Mako finding the harbor empty.
"If the Equalists haven't put up a line of defense, it can only mean one thing." said Izuku with a panicked expression as the meaning was something really alarming.
What they didn't know was that under the water was a bomb floating upwards.
"Something's not right." said General Iroh II suspiciously.
BOOM
Suddenly, an explosion hit one of the battleships that was sailing through an area filled with bombs that exploded on contact.
"It's a trick!" shouted General Iroh II realizing the situation.
From Team Avatar's vantage point, Team Avatar watched in horror as the ships were hit by the many bombs around them.
Without a second thought, Korra jumped into the water and used waterbending to swim quickly toward the area of the ships.
Meanwhile, General Iroh II was trying to combat the situation.
"Water and earthbenders, detonate those mines!" ordered General Iroh from the PA system.
Suddenly, they began to hear some sort of buzzing sound.
"What is that sound?" asked General Iroh II coming out of the room to find out the cause of the noise, as did Korra who turned her gaze to the city.
Mako used the spyglass to scan the city for the cause of the sound.
"What now?" asked Mako before spotting the cause of the noise which was a group of biplanes.
"It's biplanes!" exclaimed Izuku as he saw the Equalists having better air support.
"Where does Hiroshi find the time to keep inventing new evil machines?!" asked Bolin.
"They're in trouble!" said Izuku before running into the water.
"Izuku, wait!" shouted Asami trying to stop the green-haired boy, but he already jumped into the water.
Once inside, he activated his Quirk and used it in such a way that allowed him to quickly propel himself through the water.
One of the biplane pilots, who turned out to be Hiroshi, pulled a lever that opened a compartment underneath the biplane where several bombs were stored and dropped on the ships, exploding on impact with the water.
Some of the bombs hit the ships, causing large explosions.
One biplane shot two bombs which, after falling into the water, went straight ahead.
Korra, who was underwater, saw the incoming bombs and quickly dodged them, but the bombs ended up hitting a boat, causing an explosion that pushed her backwards.
As Korra swam to the surface, another biplane dropped a bomb that sailed directly into another ship.
"Incoming!" shouted a crew member as the bomb hit the ship, setting off a loud explosion.
A pair of firebenders used a cannon and their bending power to fire at a biplane.
Korra and Izuku popped their heads out of the water to catch their breath and review the situation.
It was then that Korra noticed the presence of the green-haired boy.
"Izuku? What are you doing here?" asked Korra in surprise.
"I came to help." said Izuku.
"Get out of here! This is too dangerous!" said Korra not wanting her 'brother' to be in danger.
"I won't leave as long as there are people who need…!" started Izuku refusing to leave when…
"Look out!" shouted Korra pointing to the side.
Izuku turned to that direction to see a biplane approaching them and quickly put pressure on one of his fingers.
"Delaware Smash!" shouted Izuku releasing his finger and launching a blast of wind that impacted the biplane, destroying it in the process.
After that, Izuku turned to his 'sister'.
"We'll talk later. We have to help these people." said Izuku before getting into the water.
Seeing that she couldn't convince him, Korra decided to listen to him and went into the water.
An earthbender tried to hit a biplane with earth disks, but a nearby explosion knocked him down.
Fortunately, the earth disks he threw hit a wing of the biplane, causing it to fall into the water, although its pilot survived by jumping with his parachute.
Meanwhile, General Iroh II and a firebender were shooting through a cannon, managing to at least hit a small plane.
Seeing that, Korra decided to lend a hand and generated a tornado of water she was standing on and then erected from the ocean water an ice stalagmite right in front of an incoming biplane, causing it to crash and fall into the water, but in the process, it hit Korra's tornado which was undone in the process, causing the Avatar to fall into the water, just as a bomb was heading towards her.
Suddenly, Izuku stepped into the middle of the path and shot a blast of wind from his finger that hit the bomb, but the resulting explosion was so close to him that he was pushed violently until he crashed into one of the ships.
Korra let out an underwater scream at the sight and swam quickly towards the green-haired boy before grabbing him and pulling him to the surface.
"Izuku, are you all right?!" asked Korra with concern.
"Yeah, take it easy. I can still go on." said Izuku pulling away from her. "You go that way, I'll take care of this one."
Despite her earlier concern, Korra gave him an earnest nod before swimming off in another direction just as Izuku spotted a pair of biplanes flying nearby and about to drop their bombs.
"Delaware Smash!" shouted Izuku shooting a pair of blasts of wind from his fingers that hit the bombs just as they were released, causing the resulting explosion to hit the biplanes, destroying them in the process.
On the other side, Korra saw a biplane release a missile into the water that propelled towards her, but she used waterbending to make the missile spin around her before launching it back towards the biplane, destroying it in the process.
Meanwhile, General Iroh II climbed to the highest area of his ship and began launching fireballs at any nearby aircraft.
Suddenly, he spotted three biplanes flying towards him and proceeded to throw fireballs at them.
He managed to shoot down two, but the third was able to dodge his fire attacks and, when it was close to the general's area, dropped a bomb.
General Iroh II intended to neutralize it with his firebending, but the resulting explosion was so powerful that it sent him into the water.
He could have sunk to the bottom, but Korra and Izuku arrived in time and grabbed him before pulling him to the surface, where he could breathe easy.
"It's all right, we've got you." said Korra.
"You're safe now." said Izuku.
"Avatar Korra? Deku? You saved my life. Thank you." said General Iroh II.
After that, Korra used waterbending to propel them all back to the harbor, leaving the sea battlefield behind.
Back at the shelter, the Team Avatar assembled in one part while Korra healed General Iroh II's wound with waterbending.
"I was prepared to deal with Sato's mecha tanks, but not these new high-speed aircraft." said General Iroh II.
"I know. Every time we think we have an advantage, Amon outsmarts us." said Korra with slight frustration.
"No matter what our plan is, he always has a better one." said Izuku.
"Amon is winning so far, but we're not out of the fight yet." said General Iroh II unwilling to give up.
"I like this man's confidence!" said Bolin with a smile. "So, how are we not out of the fight?"
At that moment, Korra stopped the healing process before the general stood up, still holding his wounded arm.
"A second wave of reinforcements is on the way, but I need to warn them. Do you still have a way to get a message out?" asked General Iroh II.
"I know just the man for the job." said Korra with a smile.
Shortly thereafter, the team and the general encountered Gommu who was standing in front of a communications system.
"And who is the recipient of this top-secret message?" asked Gommu.
"Commander Bumi. Second division of the United Forces." said General Iroh II.
"Tenzin's brother?" asked Izuku with surprise, as he had heard stories of the airbender's brother from his sons.
"Yes. Bit of a wild man, but the bravest commander you'll ever meet." said General Iroh II.
"Ready, sir." said Gommu ready to send a message in Morse code.
"Fleet ambushed and destroyed by Equalist aircraft. Retreat to Red Sand Island until my signal. Do not approach city until you receive the all clear." said General Iroh II as Gommu communicated the message in morse code.
After sending the message, the group left for another area to discuss their next step.
However, along the way, Korra grabbed Izuku by the arm and led him to an area away from the others, where Korra looked at him with a frown on her face and her arms crossed.
"What's wrong, Korra?" asked Izuku in confusion.
"Don't give me 'What's wrong, Korra?' What the hell were you thinking jumping into that battle?" asked Korra.
"The general's troops were in danger. I couldn't just sit by while they were attacked." said Izuku looking at her with a frown.
"You may be right, but did you even consider the terrain you were on? I was fine because I'm a waterbender, but you were at a disadvantage. Don't you remember the hit you took from that bomb? You were lucky I was there." said Korra.
"It's true that I was in trouble at the time, but if it comes to protecting someone, I'm willing to take more damage." said Izuku.
"Are you kidding? Did you forget about your arms? One more overexertion and you'll never be able to use them!" said Korra.
"If it means saving someone's life I'm willing to lose my arms!" began Izuku. "Even my life if it does…!"
SLAP
Izuku's head turned to the side, and he placed a hand on his now sore cheek.
He quickly turned back to Korra, who still retained the same expression as before, only now it was mixed with one of pain and sadness.
"You're an idiot! How can you even think of wasting your life like that? Are there not people in your world waiting for your return? How would your friends feel if you died? How would your mother feel? How would I feel?!" asked Korra with small tears peeking out of the corners of her eyes.
Izuku's eyes widened in realization.
He had been so focused on saving people, on suffering any injury for the sake of doing so, that he hadn't even thought about the most important people, like the people in his world who were still worried about his disappearance and most of all, his 'sister' who had helped him every step of the way since he came to that world and trusted her so much that he trusted her with his biggest secret.
Izuku lowered his head with a regretful expression.
"You're right, I'm an idiot!" said Izuku closing his eyes while showing small tears at the corners of his eyes.
Before he could get to crying, Korra wrapped him in a comforting hug, putting his face on her chest as she rubbed his back.
"No, you're not. It's fine that you want to save people like the hero you want to be, but you should also think of yourself. After all, you won't be able to help more people if you get seriously injured or worse. You said it yourself last night. That whatever happened, we'd be in this together." said Korra with a loving smile.
Izuku understood at that moment that Korra was right.
This war wasn't being fought by him alone, there was also Korra, Mako, Bolin, Asami and even General Iroh II.
He wasn't just an apprentice hero, he was part of a team, Team Avatar, and together they would fight Amon's forces to protect the city and its inhabitants.
He broke away from the embrace, wiped his tears with his arm and lifted his head to give the Avatar a smile.
"Thank you, Korra. I had forgotten about that." said Izuku.
"That's what siblings are for, right?" asked Korra with a smile before the two 'siblings' laughed a little. "But don't forget. You're not alone in this fight or ever, understood?"
"Yes, I understand very well." said Izuku.
"Let's go with the others. We have to prepare the next move." said Korra.
"Right." said Izuku before both siblings went where the others went.
Later, the team and the general were around a table on which was a map of the city.
"Now comes the hard part. We need to ground those aircrafts. Otherwise, Bumi's fleet would never be able to retake the city." said General Iroh II.
Mako walked over and pointed to a spot on the map.
"They flew in from this direction. The airfield must be somewhere over this mountain range." said Mako.
"Everyone get ready, we leave at dawn." said General Iroh II, receiving a nod from everyone before they left the meeting room.
"It's time to take down my father." said Asami very seriously since, if they went to the place where the biplanes came from, she would probably meet its creator.
When they all left the room, Korra stood at the entrance while she thought about something and when she made her decision…
"Wait." said Korra making everyone stop. "I'm sorry, but I'm not going with you tomorrow." said Korra very seriously.
"What?" asked Mako.
"Why not?" asked Izuku.
"I'm sick and tired of hiding from Amon. It's time I face him." said Korra.
"That's not a good plan. We need to stick together." said General Iroh II.
"That's why I won't do it alone." said Korra before looking at Izuku. "Izuku, I'm not waiting for him to hunt me down. My guts tell me it's time to end this, on my terms. That's why I want you to come with me to help me. Are you in?" asked Korra.
Izuku stared at the Avatar as he thought about what he had decided.
The first time she decided to face Amon, she ended up in an ambush from which he ended up saving her, but now she was recognizing that she didn't want to face him alone and was asking for his help.
On the one hand, facing Amon head on was crazy, but on the other hand, if they fought together, they could finish him off and stop that war.
"I'm in. Where you go, I'll go with you." said Izuku seriously before approaching his 'sister'.
"Korra, Izuku, this is not a mission you should be handling alone." said General Iroh II.
"They won't be. I'm going with you." said Mako as she approached the Avatar, much to Asami's surprise.
"You don't have to do that." said Korra worried for her friend.
"Yes, I do." said Mako, causing Asami to lower her head in sadness.
Izuku put his hand on her shoulder, getting her attention.
"The more the merrier." said Izuku, knowing they might have an advantage with numbers.
"Hmm… My grandfather would respect the Avatar's instinct. So will I." said General Iroh II.
"So what shall we do? Look for Amon all over the city?" asked Mako.
"They are most likely on Air Temple Island. When we went outside in disguise, I could hear from a couple of chi-blockers that Amon and the lieutenant were there organizing the situation." said Izuku.
"Then it is decided. Bolin, Asami and I will go to the mountain range to stop those flying ships while you go to the island to find and stop Amon. If we accomplish those two objectives, we will have the situation in our favor." said Iroh II, receiving a mutual nod from the others.
The next morning, everyone prepared to leave for their respective missions.
Bolin approached his older brother, who was disguised as an Equalist soldier, and the two embraced.
"Love you, little bro." said Mako.
"Love you back, big bro." said Bolin before breaking away from the hug and turning to the Avatar, who was also disguised as an Equalist. "Korra, Amon is a nasty dude. Be careful."
"I will." said Korra before she and the earthbender shared a hug. "Good luck." said Korra before separating from the hug.
Bolin then turned his gaze to the green-haired boy, who was disguised as an Equalist.
"Izuku, I know you're very strong and smart, but be careful too." said Bolin before sharing a hug with the green-haired boy.
"Thank you very much, Bolin. Likewise." said Izuku before separating from the hug.
It was then that Korra pointed to her animal guide.
"If you're going into the mountains, you should bring Naga." said Korra before hugging her animal friend's head. "Take good care of Bolin for me." said Korra before Naga gave the earthbender a lick, which made her smile.
"Asami." said Mako catching the attention of the engineer who turned to look at him. "I'm sorry things got so messed up between us, but whatever happens today, I want you to know how much I care about you."
"I care about you, too." said Asami before giving him a kiss on the cheek and walking away from him with a sad expression.
Asami rejoined Bolin, Naga and Iroh II and they rode off, leaving behind the Avatar, the firebender and the green-haired boy who went another way.
Asami climbed onto Naga's back along with Bolin and the general before they departed on a different path than the other group.
"Good fortune and success to you, valiant heroes." said Gommu.
The first group of three went outside and walked to the water, where Korra used waterbending to form a protective bubble for them as they made their way to Air Temple Island.
Later, they reached a cliff on the island and the three donned their masks.
They climbed up the slope until they reached the top of the island, where they could see the temple and an airship hovering above the highest tower.
Then they saw Amon get on the airship.
"There's Amon." said Korra as Amon entered the airship which took off shortly after.
"We need to get into the temple." said Mako.
"That way, when they come back, we'll surprise them and catch them off guard." said Izuku.
Wearing their disguises, they walked quietly around the place.
Everything seemed to be going very well until…
"What are you three doing here?" the three of them turned to the side to meet the lieutenant.
"Uh, we were just transferred." said Mako.
"Well, you're getting transferred again. Amon wants extra security at the arena today." said the lieutenant swallowing his disguise.
"The arena? For what? If I may ask." said Izuku with curiosity and a bit of nervousness.
"The rally. You should've been briefed about this." said the lieutenant.
"We'll be there, sir." said Korra with a bow.
The lieutenant turned and walked away.
When he was far enough away, Korra nudged the other two.
"I know another way in." whispered Korra before walking to the side slowly so as not to attract the lieutenant's attention.
The three of them gathered in a corner of the temple where Korra looked both ways to make sure no one else was around before pulling up a hidden entrance in the wall they entered through before closing it.
"Let's hide in the attic." said Korra as she and the others climbed the stairs to go upstairs.
But when they entered the loft.
"Uh, we're not alone up here." said Mako for across from them, in a cell, was Tarrlok.
"Tarrlok?" asked Izuku surprised to see the former bloodbender as he and the others removed their masks.
"I don't suppose you're here to rescue me." said Tarrlok.
"We had no idea you were here." said Korra as the three of them stood in front of the cell.
"Are there any other prisoners on the island?" asked Izuku curiously.
"No, I'm the only one." said Tarrlok.
"And what makes you so special?" asked Korra.
"I'm Amon's brother." said Tarrlok, causing all three to gasp in utter surprise. "Amon is from the Northern Water Tribe. He's a waterbender and a bloodbender, just like I was."
"What? I-It can't be." said Izuku shocked by the revelation.
"Did you know this all along?" asked Mako.
"No, not until after he captured me." said Tarrlok.
"How did your brother end up becoming Amon?" asked Korra curiously.
"It all began with my father, Yakone." said Tarrlok when shown events from the past.
Flashback
"With the help of his former gang, he escaped prison and underwent surgery to change his appearance."
Yakone lay down on a hospital bed and a couple of doctors proceeded to perform an operation.
After that, they removed the bandages from the criminal's head, revealing a completely different face.
"He assumed a new identity, and settled down in the Northern Water Tribe. That's where he met my mother, a warm, caring woman. Before long, they started a family together."
Yakone, with his new face, met a woman in the tribe and sometime later, they married and had two sons.
"Amon was the firstborn, under the name Noatak. I was born three years later. Noatak was a good-natured kid, always looking out for me. Those were the good years. Before my brother and I discovered we were waterbenders."
On one night, in the middle of the snowy field, Yakone could be seen watching his sons as they managed a water drop with their bending.
"At first we were excited by our new abilities, but our training brought out a different side of my father."
During the training, Tarrlok had trouble with his water drop.
"Tarrlok, you'd better shape up or you'll be out here in the cold all night until you get it right." said Yakone very strictly.
"I'm trying, but… " began Tarrlok.
"Try harder!" exclaimed Yakone, causing Tarrlok to undo his gout of water from fright. "Your brother was never this sloppy." said Yakone causing Tarrlok to burst into tears.
"Dad, he'll get it. He just needs time." said Noatak (Amon) defending his little brother.
"Don't talk back to me, son! Ever!" said Yakone.
"Even back then, my brother wanted everyone to be treated fairly and equally. When I was seven, my father took me and Noatak on a hunting trip far away from our home. He told us his true identity was Yakone, Republic City's most notorious crime boss, and that he was once a bloodbender of rare skill."
Yakone led his sons deeper into the snowy tundra and, when they stopped at a place to rest and warm themselves, Yakone told them the story of his past.
"What's bloodbending?" asked Tarrlok.
"The most powerful and feared form of bending in the world. It was declared illegal thanks to that coward, Katara. Our family has the strongest line of bloodbenders in history. You boys have this power inside of you, and I will teach you to master it." said Yakone.
"What happened to your bending, Dad?" asked Noatak (Amon).
"The Avatar stole it from me. That's why I brought you out here, to learn your destiny. You two will become bloodbenders of the highest order. When the time is right, you will claim Republic City and you will destroy the Avatar. You must avenge me. That is your purpose in life." declared Yakone.
"The good days were behind us."
One night, Yakone took his sons to an area where some buffalo were grazing.
"Every full moon, our father took us on another supposed 'hunting trip', where he secretly trained us in bloodbending. We kept the truth from our mother."
Noatak (Amon) was the first to start the training and used bloodbending on one of the buffalo, causing it to get up on two legs as it moaned in pain.
"Stop! You're hurting it!" said Tarrlok.
"Toughen up, Tarrlok! You'll need a thicker skin for this." said Yakone before getting up and approaching his eldest son, who released the buffalo from his grip. "Very good, son, very good." said Yakone congratulating him as he put his hand on his shoulder.
Sometime later, Yakone took his sons, now grown, to an area full of wolves.
"A few years later, our father taught us to bloodbend anytime, without the need of the full moon. We practiced constantly, and I hated every minute of it."
Yakone gestured for his youngest son to begin and, with a weary sigh, Tarrlok got up and stood in front of the wolves, who began to growl and bark at him.
The wolves began to advance towards him, but Tarrlok used bloodbending to stop them, make them stand on their hind legs and then move them from side to side.
Needless to say, the wolves were terrified as they groaned from the pain of it and Tarrlok couldn't stand it, so he ended up releasing them from his control.
"I had no stomach for manipulating helpless animals. My brother, however, seemed to revel in this newfound power."
As the wolves fled, Noatak (Amon) stood beside his brother and used his bloodbending on the wolves to drag them back, without even moving his hands.
"He was a prodigy, mastering my father's psychic bloodbending technique by the time he was fourteen."
Noatak (Amon) had the wolves stand on their hind legs and made them turn around.
Then he lifted them into the air, to Tarrlok's horror and his father's joy and pride.
Finally, Noatak (Amon) lowered them down and made them bow to him.
"That's the way it's done. That's what you need to strive for." said Yakone to Tarrlok before leaving with his eldest son.
"Even though Noatak was my father's favorite, it wasn't any easier for him. He carried the burden of all Yakone's expectations and demands. Something changed in Noatak over the years; the loving brother I once knew became cold and detached."
One day, Yakone took his sons to a place in the middle of a snowy desert in the middle of a storm, with each son standing opposite the other.
"Our father pushed us to extremes, and one day, he made us bloodbend each other."
"Noatak, go!" said Yakone kicking off the fight.
Noatak (Amon) took a deep breath before using bloodbending on his own brother, causing him to groan in pain as he felt his body paralyzed.
Tarrlok tried to resist, but was unable to. Noatak (Amon) forced him to his knees and leaned back as he continued to groan in pain.
"Excellent." said Yakone with a smile before turning his gaze to the eldest son which was signal for him to release his grip on his brother, who gasped for air. "Tarrlok, your turn."
"No. I won't do it." said Tarrlok refusing to comply with his father's order.
"Bloodbend your brother, Tarrlok!" demanded Yakone.
"That felt awful. I don't want to do that to anyone. I never want to bloodbend again." said Tarrlok.
"You're a disgrace, a weakling. I'll teach you a lesson, you insubordinate..." began Yakone before he began to groan in pain.
The reason for this was that Noatak (Amon) who stood in front of his little brother protectively, was using bloodbending on him.
"Stay away from him." said Noatak (Amon).
"How dare you bloodbend me?!" asked Yakone angrily as Noatak (Amon) forced him to lean back.
"What're you gonna do about it? You're the weak one." said Noatak (Amon) as he forced his father to his knees before bowing him backwards. "You always say bloodbending is the most powerful thing in the world, but it isn't. The Avatar is. He took your bending away. What could be more powerful than that?"
"I made you what you are. You're mine." said Yakone angrily as he continued to groan in pain.
"We're your sons, not your tools of revenge." said Noatak (Amon) before turning around to see his brother without losing his grip on his father. "Let's go. We can run away from him. Forever."
"Run away? But what about Mom? We can't just leave her." said Tarrlok.
"He was right about you. You are a weakling." said Noatak (Amon) before throwing his father and running away from the place, leaving his younger brother behind.
"Noatak! Don't leave! Please! Noatak!" shouted Tarrlok trying to stop his brother, but he kept running until he was lost on the horizon.
"My father and I searched for days, but we never found a sign of Noatak. We thought he perished in that storm. My mother was never the same after the loss of my brother. My father stopped training me. With Noatak gone, his hopes for revenge withered. And he passed away, a few years later."
"That's one of the saddest stories I've ever heard." said Korra feeling sorry for the former bloodbender.
At first, Izuku took Tarrlok as a politician who only sought power until he reached the top, but as soon as he heard that story, a certain person crossed his mind.
Shoto Todoroki.
A classmate whose father was the professional hero, Endeavour.
For years, Endeavour wanted to take the number one hero position, but he knew he couldn't surpass All Might, so he arranged an arranged marriage with the intention of having children strong enough to surpass the number one hero.
When Shoto was born, his father forced him to train hard.
Not only that, but he treated his mother badly to the point where she went crazy and attacked her son, which left that scar on his face and caused Shoto to loathe his father to the point where he refused to use his fire side.
He had never imagined that Shoto and Tarrlok were so much alike.
He even wondered if Shoto had a brother similar to Amon.
In his original world, a certain villain with blue fire power and a body full of burn scars let out a sneeze. As if he sensed someone thinking about him.
"Avatar Korra, Deku. I am truly sorry for all that I did to you. I thought I was better than my father, but his ghost still shaped me. I became a soldier of revenge, just like he wanted me to be. And so did my brother. The revolution may be built on a lie, but I think Amon truly believes bending is the source of all evil in the world." said Tarrlok.
"You may both be trying to do what is best for the world, but the paths you take aren't the right ones." said Izuku.
"How did you figure out Amon is your brother?" asked Mako curiously.
"When he took my bending, the sensation was somehow familiar. I later recognized it as my brother's bloodbending grip." said Tarrlok.
"So, he somehow uses bloodbending to take people's bending." said Korra.
"I don't know how he does it, but then again, I've never encountered a bender as strong as Noatak." said Tarrlok.
"How could we defeat him?" asked Korra.
"We can't. Any attack could redirect it with his power and even stop us in the act. That's why he defeats all the benders." said Izuku.
He may not have faced a bloodbender before, but from what he could see Amon do, he could tell he was an agile and powerful opponent.
"So much for our ambush. If we stay here, we're toast." said Korra walking to the side.
"Wait, there might be another way to beat him." said Izuku with a smile.
"How?" asked Mako curiously.
"All this time, Amon has always been one step ahead, but now we have an advantage, we know his secret. The truth about his powers." said Izuku.
"And if we prove, at the rally, that he is a bender in front of his followers, people would stop following him." said Korra with a smile.
"We will undermine this whole revolution!" said Mako with a smile.
The three of them smiled at each other, happy that they had a plan to take Amon down for good.
Then, they turned their gaze to Tarrlok.
"Thank you, for your help." said Korra, receiving a nod from the former prisoner bloodbender.
Mako prepared to leave, but...
"Wait, we can't leave him here." said Izuku.
"Go. Amon can't know anyone spoke with me." said Tarrlok as he stood up and gripped the bars of his cell with a scowl. "Defeat him. Put an end to this sad story."
Korra and Izuku nodded at his request and the two of them and the firebender left the loft, ready to end this for good.