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Mako
Korra paced nervously up and down the corridor as Asami, Wu, and Mako looked up at her. She looked at the verge of bursting.
"Why's he chosen now?" She whined. "Doesn't he know we've got places to be?"
As soon as Asami had landed the plane back on the carrier, she had been greeted by a radio message summoning her, Korra, and Mako to a meeting with the newly re-elected President Raiko. None had been very happy about the timing.
"Maybe he's going to offer us assistance," Wu asked hopefully. Korra turned to look at him for a second, shook her head and resumed pacing. A second later, the doors opened and Lin stood there stiffly.
"The President will see you now," she said. The three of them stood up and entered the Presidential office, a spacious room with three walls embellished in wood and a fourth made up of an enormous window with a view of the Republic City skyline and Yue Bay in the distance. Sat in front of the window was a chair, and sat in that chair was President Raiko, glowering at them.
"Avatar," he said. "I'll get straight to the point. I'm sure you've heard the news about Xaofu."
"Yes!" Korra exploded. "Our friends are being attacked by Kuvira! As soon as we're finished here, we're going straight there to help!"
Raiko paused for a moment.
"No, you're not," he stated firmly.
"What?"
"You are all associated heavily with this nation," Raiko explained if he was talking to five year olds. "So if you were to go and pick a fight with the new Earth Empire, that could lead to a war."
"So you want us to do nothing?" Mako demanded.
"Yes!" Raiko stood up. "You're a policeman. You're employed by the state! How will that look? And you!"
He pointed at Asami.
"You develop weapons for our navy and air force! How do you think it'll go over if you attack Kuvira's army with United Republic Weapons? She'll be bashing down our doors within the week!"
Lin folded her arms.
"I can go," Wu declared. "It's my country."
"Oh no, you can't!" Raiko told him. "We're taking enough of a risk granting you asylum as it is! And what will you do, anyway? You're not even an Earthbender!"
Wu raised his hand to argue, but then stopped.
"Good point," he mumbled.
"So however this ends," Raiko told them, "You are not to interfere in any way. I, as President of the United Republic and as your boss, order you to remain here. The peace between ourselves and our neighbours depends on it."
He turned to Lin.
"Lin, can I trust you to make sure that these three stay here?" He asked. The Police Chief nodded, her face made of granite.
"And if they try to run, lock them in the cells," he added. "I don't care who they are."
He waved his hand at them, indicating that the meeting was now over. The four of them glared at him, and then filed out, followed by Lin. She closed the door after them, and then followed them down the corridor as they took in the conversation they had just had. They ducked down an empty corridor, checked that nobody could hear them, and then the argument started.
"Unbelievable," Korra threw her hands up. "Does he not care?"
"I'm sure he does care," Asami pointed out. "He just doesn't want to start a war."
"Then why did he stop me from going too?" Korra countered. "I'm the Avatar, dealing with this is supposed to be my job!"
"Now, you're not thinking of going anyway?" Lin appeared behind them, and folded her arms.
"I was ordered not to," Mako stated.
"Well, now I'm ordering you to go," Lin replied.
This took all of them by surprise.
"Hold on, didn't Raiko order you-"
"Damn what Raiko thinks," Lin thundered. "Duty's one thing, but that's my family in that city. That's my sister, and no President is going to order me to stand by and watch them be attacked!"
"Great!" Korra said. "So what do we do?"
"First, we act normal," Lin said. "We leave this building and go back to your mansion as if nothing is wrong. And then we take some airships to Xaofu."
"We have flying machines," Asami offered. "And they're faster."
"Is there anywhere to land one of those in Xaofu?" Lin wondered. "Doesn't matter. Every flying machine in the city belongs to the United Republic Air Force. Using those would definitely be seen as an act of war. If we use privately owned airships on the other hand, Kuvira may not connect it with the United Republic."
Asami nodded, and that was that; together, the five of them slipped out into the main corridor and continued to make their way out to the entrance. A couple of policemen shot suspicious looks at them as they exited the building, but Lin's presence with them seemed to calm them down.
"Shall we take my Satomobile?" Asami offered. "If we're quick we should have airships ready in-"
"Mako!" A voice called. "Hey, Mako!"
Mako stiffened. He knew that voice.
They whirled to find a group of about 15 men in various red clothes running towards him, their amber eyes wide with excitement. Their leader threw him into a hug.
"You abandoned us!" The man who had hugged him admonished him playfully. "You just got up and ran off to play policeman with the Avatar the first chance you got!"
He shrugged.
"Can't say I blame you though. Not all of us could escape that power station."
The others crowded around him, shaking his hand, until Lin intervened.
"Who are these people?" She asked sternly. "Old friends?"
Mako sighed.
"Yes," he said. "This is Kei." The leader grinned at that.
" I would have thought you'd be more enthusiastic," he said.
"Maybe he's embarrassed!" Another man shouted.
"Shut up, Haru," Kei replied good-naturedly. He turned his attention to Mako's friends.
"Who are you hanging around with now?" He asked. "Apart from the Avatar of course. Pleased to meet you!" He abruptly bowed to her.
"This is Lin, my boss, Asami, my friend, and Wu, the exiled King of the Earth Nation."
"You have gone up in the world," Haru said, impressed. "What Avatar business is this then?"
"You don't have to tell us," Kei added hastily, drawing a disappointed "awww!" From his companions. But Lin spoke first.
"Power station did you say? So does that make you lightningbenders?"
Kei puffed out his chest. "Of course! Someone needs to keep the lights on." He held up a finger and a flash of blue electricity flickered from it for a moment to demonstrate.
"And Mako won't do it!" Another voice drifted from the back of the group.
Lin seemed deep in thought for a few seconds. Then her face settled into a look of determination.
"If you're so interested in our Avatar business," she said, "how about you help us with it?"
Kei exchanged a look with the others. There was a collective shrug.
"Fine," he said. "It is our day off after all. What do you need?"