The haze of the morning sun streamed through what was left of Mako's glasses and onto the kitchen counter where it made prisms on the smooth surface.
"So that's the whole story Jinora. I'm taking the kid and leaving the city," Mako explained over the phone as he leaned against the kitchen wall. His mug of coffee was within easy reach and he used his tail to sneak gulps in-between the conversation. Fortunately, this was the last in the series of calls he had to make this morning.
"Are you sure that's a good idea Mako? Maybe we should take him to the White Lotus. Their job is to serve and protect the Avatar," Jinora replied.
Mako's tail snapped, his anger at that recommendation almost audible over the phone. His personal hatred of the White Lotus aside, he had other reasons for not trusting them.
"The White Lotus is currently serving Bian who was found by Shouma. Who knows how many of them are in his pocket. I don't want to risk it," he stated. "Besides, even if I thought for one second that the White Lotus could protect him, to them he would just be the Avatar. The kid has a right to decide who he wants to be."
"Mako…The world needs the Avatar," Jinora argued.
"The world has its Avatar Jinora," Mako countered. "Most people don't know that he's a fraud and, outside of us, those that do, don't care. Bian can keep his title until Ryu is ready to take it, if he wants it. Then Shouma will finally pay for everything." He still had a score to settle with the weaselly assistant to the Earth President.
"Okay," Jinora conceded. "When are you leaving?"
"Soon." Mako glanced at the note paper with a name scribbled on it: "Zenosuke." "I just have some loose ends to tie up at the precinct."
"Alright. Be careful. And if you need anything from me, be sure to call."
"I will. Thanks Jinora."
Mako walked outside into the late morning sun with Ryu. As usual, the iguana parrot was glued to the boy's shoulders. It glared and growled at him behind Ryu's back. It was obvious he wasn't going to be making friends with the bird anytime soon. Although, after the other night, he was pretty sure he didn't want to either.
"Here Kid." He tossed a set of keys to Ryu who caught them in his cupped hands. "Why don't you drive."
"You're letting me drive your car!" Ryu spouted excitedly.
"Not exactly." He lead Ryu to the dented cruiser. The boy's mood visibly sank.
"Oh…" he moped, the disappointment clear on his face.
"Still alive in there?" Mako knocked on the trunk where he'd left the Metalbending officer. A loud thump was his only answer. That was sufficient proof. He climbed into the passenger seat, carefully tucking his tail to the side, while Ryu hopped behind the wheel.
"Wait. Isn't this illegal?" Ryu asked. The boy narrowed his eyes at him like it was some kind of trick.
"I'm the Chief of Police and I am giving you special dispensation," he replied. "Just this once."
"Awesome!" Ryu fired up the engine.
"And let's turn the sirens on so you can drive as fast and as recklessly as you want." Mako spoke loud enough for the man in the trunk to hear. Panicked yells came from the trunk almost completely muted by the wail of the sirens. He was half-spirit after all and not entirely above enacting a little spirit vengeance on the mole.
Mako pressed into his seat, his hand griping the cushion, as Ryu tore through the city streets. Juji was in a similar position except the bird was pressed against his chest. Their dislike of one another was temporarily forgotten as their desire for self-preservation took precedence.
Ryu swerved through cars and intersections with near reckless abandon. It was a good thing other cars were acknowledging the sirens too because the boy ran through traffic lights like they didn't exist. When he had told the kid he could drive as recklessly as he wanted, he wasn't expecting it to be so literal.
He clenched his teeth, sure he was going to break a fang, when Ryu whipped the car into the precinct garage at break-neck speed. He was still glued to the leather when the car came to a screeching halt.
"Not bad huh?" Ryu proudly grinned.
Mako thought for sure his heart was going to explode out his chest.
"Kid…You're going to have to tell me where you learned to drive like that," he said as the air slowly returned to his lungs. He peeled the still terrified Juji off his chest and dropped the bird on the boy's head where it clung to his hair.
Several minutes later, a black sports car, driven by Shizuku, entered the garage. Mari and Koji waited in the back as she stepped out of the vehicle.
"Got it from here?" he asked as he met her by the car.
"O, Of course Chief," she replied as she handed him the keys.
"I'm going to miss you." He gazed down into her blue eyes.
"I'm going to miss you too." The pair shared a kiss for several moments.
Ryu made a gagging motion, unseen by the pair, which made Koji chuckle. The couple stopped when they realized they were probably being mocked. Mako brushed it off while Shizuku just giggled. Kids would be kids.
"Alright. Let's get going," Mako said. "We still have several stops to make."
"Can I drive?" Ryu asked, his eyes wide with hope.
"No." Mako firmly stated as he climbed behind the wheel. Cracked arm or not, after what he had just witnessed, he wasn't about to let the boy drive his car.
Ryu pouted a moment before seating himself in the passenger side.
Shizuku watched them drive away before tending to her own matters. Time for a reckoning.
The entire precinct watched as the petite woman marched through the building dragging a Metalbender Officer behind her. She stopped at a booking desk and dumped her load in front of a very stunned officer.
"He's to be charged with reckless endangerment, destruction of private property, resisting arrest, attacking an officer of the law, attempted homicide, and, and insubordination…Just for the fun of it." Shizuku rattled off the list.
"I don't think the last one is actually a chargeable offense ma'am," the booking officer said.
"Well it should be! And someone might want to get him a doctor before he dies from shock," she finished before marching away. The booking officer stared at the Metalbender. His eyes were glazed over and his face was white as a sheet.
After seeing the condition of the Metalbender dragged-in by Captain Shizuku, Corporal Zenosuke rushed to his locker. He frantically tossed items aside as he searched the small space.
"Looking for something Corporal?"
He went stiff when he heard his superior's suspiciously sweet voice behind him. He slowly turned around and saw her with two other officers. In her hand was a file with "Ryu: Age 14" written on the label.
"I'm pretty sure I left this in the Chief's office," she said calmly. "Funny how it ended-up in your locker."
"It was an error ma'am. I was going to retu—"
"Don't even think about lying to me right now!" she snapped with a cold scowl across her face.
The room fell quiet.
"You were there that day. You're the officer that brought me the iguana bird. What did you think you heard? Speculation! Zero concrete evidence! You put two boys' lives in danger on a hunch and conjecture!" It wasn't a complete lie. While they had Ryu at the precinct, they had never once said that the boy was the Avatar—only speculated. The file didn't even contain that little tidbit of information, but it did list Koji as one of Ryu's "associates."
The other officers in the room shrank away as she verbally dressed-down the man. A scolding like this would normally be taken to an office but Shizuku was never one to stand too firm on professionalism. Plus, she wanted to make an example of the officer.
"And now your career is gone too." She motioned to the two other officers who immediately grabbed the suspect. He hung his head as he was hauled away. Shizuku followed them out of the locker room into the main precinct.
Other officers warily watched as the Corporal was hauled to the booking area. Then, Shizuku climbed onto an officer's desk. The officer seated there had to quickly collect their papers from beneath her boots as she pulled everyone's attention.
"As of today, I am interim Chief. Let what happened to those two men be a warning to anyone else who thinks they can betray the integrity of this precinct! I will have no mercy on any crooked or dirty officers! My suggestion is to get out now before I tear you out like the weeds you are! Now everyone back to work!" The officers immediately scuttled back to their duties while Shizuku hopped off the desk and went straight to the coffee pot. Her stern façade was instantly replaced with her normal, cheerful demeanor. She grabbed two mugs, filled one of them, and went into the Chief's office—their office. She placed the file in the desk drawer, locked it tight, then took her normal spot in the chair on the far side of the desk. Despite being interim Chief, she wouldn't sit in his seat. She placed the empty mug in its usual place in front of his stool and took a sip from her own cup.
"Don't worry. I, I'll keep this place running like I always do," she told the empty stool. Despite the rumors of nepotism that floated around her, she had worked hard to earn her position. She was second-in-command for good reason. "It'll be j, just like you never left."
The next stop on Mako's list was Koji's parents. It would be up to them to decide whether or not he would be allowed to travel with his friends. They all sat together in his living room while they discussed the matter.
"…And this will be for how long?" Koji's mother asked.
"I honestly don't know ma'am," Mako replied. "It could be several years. I plan on traveling to some of the more remote places of the world."
"Traveling with—Is it proper to call you The Fetchling?"
Mako nodded. He wasn't a fan of the title but he had long since accepted it.
"It seems so strange…" the woman finished.
"It's going to be fine Mom," Koji interjected. "I'll get to travel the world, learn about the spirits. You're always saying I should stop watching movers and get outside more."
They couldn't let anyone know that Ryu was the Avatar, so the excuse was that Koji had been recommended to Mako by Ryu to join them on a spirit expedition. The boy was going to be traveling with The Fetchling, not the Avatar.
"Yes, but we didn't mean around the world, and for years," the boy's father added. They had every right to be concerned. They were sending their teenage boy away with someone who was essentially a stranger and half-spirit. The only thing in their favor was him being Police Chief as well.
"You promise to bring him home safe?" his mother asked.
"I promise that I will do everything in my power to protect him," Mako answered. It was the best he could do. Things had already proven dangerous. It was possible that Koji might not make it back unscathed. Even under his watchful eye.
"Alright. You can go," his father stated. "An opportunity like this only comes once in a lifetime."
The trio of teenagers shared an excited grin.
"But…you have to stay in-touch," his mother added. "Call. Write. He will be able to do that right?"
"Of course ma'am," Mako replied. "I'll make sure we stay in-touch and if you ever need to get a hold of me, you can call this number." He handed the couple a card with his home number on it. Shizu knew how to get a hold of him no matter where he was in the world.
Koji raced to his room and returned several minutes later with an over-stuffed suitcase at his side. Mako carried the bag outside to the trunk of the car while the boy exchanged goodbyes with his parents. His mother in-particular, excessively fawned over him; worried about her only child.
"Be safe. Do as your told. And if you want to come back home, call and we'll come get you no matter where you are okay?"
"Okay, okay. I will Mom, sheesh," Koji groaned as he hung in his mother's grasp. She gave his head one more kiss before finally letting him go. Once freed, he raced to the car and hopped in the backseat with Mari.
"Take care of our boy!" the father shouted. Mako nodded in response and climbed behind the wheel. Koji gave his parents one final wave as they drove away.
"Are you crying?" Ryu asked when he spotted Koji through the rearview mirror.
"What? No! I'm not crying!" Koji snapped defiantly, but a sniffle betrayed him.
"It's okay to cry," Mari said. She took a handkerchief from her purse and handed it to the boy. "It's hard leaving your family."
Mako watched through the rearview as Koji took the handkerchief from her and blew his nose. He was pleased with what a sweet girl his granddaughter was growing up to be. He also noticed Koji scooting closer to her. Maybe it was his imagination, but he'd be keeping a close eye on the boy.
The third stop was the tea house.
"What are we doing back here?" Ryu asked. "Are we going to have another secret meeting?"
"Not exactly," Mako replied.
They entered the shop and were instantly greeted by Hayato.
"Back so soon Chief," he said. "And three kiddos today. What'll it be?"
The teens cringed at the word kiddos.
"Nothing today. I have a favor," Mako said.
"Anything. What do you need?"
Mako turned to Mari.
"Do you have the box?"
"Yes, Papa. It's here in my purse." Mari rummaged for a bit until she found the small box. It was only slightly larger than a ring box and held something even more precious. The barista seemed to recognize the box and immediately dashed out the rear of the shop. He returned a short while later with a small planting pot ready for seeding. A white ball with dark eyes and a wide grin, was painted on the front.
"What's that for?" Koji whispered to Mari. They watched as Mako opened the box to reveal a single dandelion seed. He carefully tucked the seed into the fresh soil.
"You know what to do from here," Mako told the barista.
"Of course. I shall water him every day." The barista bowed. Then, he placed the pot on a sun-soaked shelf behind the main counter.
"Okay. Let's go. We still have one more stop," Mako said as he lead the teens back outside.
"No, really? What was with the pot?" Koji repeated as they exited.
"Yuku is a dandelion spirit that's been friends with Papa since before I was even born," Mari began. "If something…bad happens to him, he'll always come back as long as we have one of his seeds to plant. We bring it here because the spirit that lives in the furnace keeps the shop constantly warm." They all climbed into the car where she continued. "The only thing is, after he comes back, Yuku doesn't remember anything that happened before. Not even his friends. We have to start all over every time."
"So, it's a different Yuku?" Koji asked as he tried to wrap his head around it.
"Well, no. It's the same Yuku because it's always one of his seeds," Mari replied.
"But if he doesn't remember anything and it's a different seed every time. Then it has to be a different Yuku," Koji countered.
"But all the seeds are part of Yuku so it's the same Yuku. And he always acts the same when he comes back."
The discussion was getting a little heated. And deep. Koji was apparently the philosophical type.
"It doesn't matter if it's a different Yuku or the same Yuku," Mako interrupted. "The important thing is that he comes back to friends and family that care for him. Let's leave it at that." The two teens clammed up. With the debate effectively ended, he shifted the car into gear and pulled into traffic, off to their next destination.
The final stop was a large factory in the industrial area of the city. Mako rolled up to the security fence and stopped at the guard station. The guard didn't ask for additional identification as one glance at his horns was enough for them to open the gate. He slowly drove the car through and parked in front of one of the large warehouses.
"Where are we now?" Ryu asked. All three teens had their eyes plastered to the windows.
"I did tell you I know the owner of Future Industries," he answered with a smirk.
Ryu's face lit-up. He couldn't believe that the man had actually kept his word.
An elegant looking woman, with long grey hair and crow's feet at her green eyes, soon emerged from the building. A smile creased her face as she approached them.
"Mako. It's so good to see you. It's been too long," the woman said.
"It's good to see you too Asami." The pair exchanged a brief hug. "Ryu. This is the owner of Future Industries, Asami Sato."
"It's a pleasure to meet you Ryu," she smiled.
Ryu stood slack-jawed, star-struck in the woman's presence.
"He's a real talker I see." Asami smiled. That snapped the boy out of his stupor.
"It's just…I've always wanted to meet you. Your work on the PR852 model was amazing. Zero to sixty in less than a minute. And it's decibels quieter than its predecessor. Such a smooth ride." He rotated his fists in the air as he drove the imaginary vehicle.
It was Asami's turn to be stunned.
"Aren't you a little young to be driving?" she finally asked.
"He actually drives better than me," Mako remarked.
Asami stared at the teen who flashed her his proudest grin.
"Then maybe you'd like to see our test track?" She suggested.
"Would I!" Ryu exclaimed. Juji squawked on his shoulder, sharing his excitement.
Ryu watched excitedly from behind the safety fence as the cars raced around the track. Mari and Koji weren't as excited but stayed with him. While the teens were distracted, Mako and Asami chatted together in the observation booth overlooking the track.
"So he's the Avatar? The real Avatar," Asami repeated after hearing his summary of the last couple of days.
"Yeah. I guess he's already used Airbending, and he used Waterbending to heal Shizu. He's even gone into the Avatar state. And his spiritual connection…" Mako paused as a shiver went up his furred spine at the boy's aptitude. "He's already made some contact with Korra."
A dour expression covered Asami's face as she clasped the medallion on her betrothal necklace. She was still wearing it after all these years.
"I miss her Mako," she said sadly.
"Me too…" he replied. They looked reverently down at the boy who was the reincarnation of the woman that had meant so much to both of them. Mako's tail suddenly twitched when he remembered Ryu's visions. Specifically the ones that involved him. "Maybe you shouldn't mention to him that you and Korra were together," he said. "He already knows more about me than he…uh…should."
Asami smiled.
"Oh? You mean like how you were two-timing me and Korra." She jokingly bumped his hip with hers.
"You're still holding on to that?" Mako huffed and stuffed his hands in his pockets. "How many times do I have to apologize?"
"At least once more I think," Asami joked. She was as ruthless as Shizuku.
They shared a laugh and thought back to those early days after they had all first met.
They spent the rest of the day with Asami who gave them a full tour of the business. Ryu beamed, taking in every car part on the assembly line, as she escorted them through the factory. It was a dream come true for him. As evening approached, Mako decided it was time to leave. Ryu excitedly carried-on as they walked back to the main entrance.
"…The cars on the track were the best! They must have been going at least a hundred miles an hour!" he exclaimed while Juji flapped merrily on his shoulder.
"I guess cars aren't my thing," Koji shrugged, his fingers knit behind his head.
"Me neither, but I'm glad you had a good time Ryu," Mari added with a warm smile while her tail swung happily behind her.
"I'm glad you enjoyed it too Ryu. You're welcome to come visit anytime," Asami finished with a pleasant smile.
"Really?! Thanks Asami!"
Mako noticed the slight frown on Asami's face at the casual use of her name coming from the boy.
"Watch your manners Kid," he stated, hoping to alleviate her discomfort. "That's Ms. Sato to you."
"Don't worry about it Mako," she said, hiding her grief. "He can call me Asami."
The expression on Ryu's face told Mako that the boy didn't quite understand what had occurred. He didn't need to either.
They emerged into the evening air to find Mako's car missing from its parking spot.
"Someone stole your ride Chief," Ryu stated. "And it wasn't me."
"Take it easy Kid. No one stole my car," Mako replied. "I just figured that if we're going to be traveling all over the world, we're going to need something a little more…all terrain."
Asami lead them to a large garage. Parked in the middle was a modified cross between a jeep and a motor home. Ryu's eyes went wide as he ogled the vehicle.
"This will take you over sand, rocks, and even through rivers as long as you don't submerge the engine," Asami said as she introduced them to the vehicle. "It also runs in extreme temperatures so you should be good in heat or snow. Don't overdo it though. The engine will seize if you go from one extreme to the next." She handed the keys to Mako. "Otherwise, everything is packed and ready to go. If you have any problems, you know how to contact me," she finished and gave him a knowing wink.
"Whoa! This is way better than your car!" Ryu exclaimed as he took in every detail.
"Watch it Kid," Mako grumped. He was going to miss his car. "Everyone over here."
Mari was the first to come to attention with the boys taking a moment before following her lead.
"Before we get going. There's going to be some rules," he stated, and paced in front of them as if he were addressing his officers. "First, you boys will address me as Mako, Chief, or Sir. No more of this 'freak' nonsense understand?"
The boys exchanged guilty glances while he continued.
"Second, and Mari understands this, if I give you an order I expect it to be followed—Without question. And keep in mind there's a difference between when I tell you to do something and when I order you to do something."
"And how will we know what the difference is sir?" Ryu sassed.
The question was answered by Mari.
"An order is generally a matter of life or death," she replied.
The grim answer instantly cowed the boy.
"That's correct. I'm responsible for all of you so I expect you to listen when I speak." He flicked his tail as he turned on his heel. "Third, if we come across that Fetchling again, you run. Period. I don't want any of you tangling with him. Let me handle it. That's why I'm here."
All three teens nodded.
"And the fourth rule." He lorded himself over the boys. "If either of you even think about messing around with Mari…"
Both boys nervously gulped, Mako's expression clear that, if they tried anything, he'd cook them alive. Mari intervened and gave him a good shove.
"Papa…" she chastised him. "Stop it."
"Alright, alright," he said, surrendering to her scolding. He was only half-kidding. "Everyone get in."
The teens scrambled into the vehicle which gave him one more moment with Asami.
"You're going to have your hands full," she said with a smile. "Sure you can manage?"
"Not entirely. That kid's already given me more grey hairs in a few days than I've had in my entire lifetime," he huffed as he ran his fingers through the swath in the lower half of his hair. "But I have no choice when Shizu's right. And she's always right. She'll tell you so herself," he finished with a lopsided grin.
"I'll drop-in on her to from time to time make sure she's doing okay," Asami said. "Be careful out there."
"I will."
They exchanged one last hug before he went to the vehicle. The driver's seat needed to be adjusted for his tail which was easily done by pulling up on the backrest. Even the backseat had a gap for tails. Asami had thought of everything for them despite the short notice.
She waved after them as the vehicle roared to life and pulled away, off to parts unknown.
"We should give this thing a name!" Ryu said once they were on the road.
"Yeah! Like The Beast! Or The Crusher!" Koji added.
"The Tigerdillo!" Mari suggested.
"What about The Dragon!" Koji said.
"No." Mako firmly stated, immediately shutting down that option. Because of his appearance, people often compared him to actual dragons. He wasn't a big fan even if they were true, so it made him reject any references to the animals.
"I know! The Rampage! Because it can travel over anything!" Ryu exclaimed.
"Yeah!"
"I like it."
Mako rolled his eyes. Leave it to a fourteen year old boy to come up with a name like "The Rampage."
"What do you think Mako?" Ryu finally asked.
The boy was excitedly looking at him, clearly proud of the name.
"It's…a good name," he replied. No sense hurting the boy's feelings over a name. "I think it suits her."
Ryu grinned from ear to ear and settled into his seat with Juji. The teens chatted on, excited about the adventures awaiting them, while Mako drove into the night.
