If you always give in to threats, you will never be truly free.
Tournament time. The pro-bending tournament had arrived. The Fire Ferrets, made up of the brothers, Mako and Bolin, and Avatar Korra were on a roll heading into the finals. However, Korra decided to confess her feelings for Mako, bringing discord between them. Fortunately, with the help of the former Padawan, Ahsoka Tano, and the droid, Kaxey, they were all able to work things out and earned a spot in the finals, where they would face the Wolfbats who turned out to be better than they could have imagined.
It was another quiet day in Republic City.
At that moment, Korra, Ahsoka, Mako, Bolin and Kaxey were in the gym, preparing for that night when they were going to participate in the tournament final, their biggest match so far.
All five 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 tournament three years in a row.
In Ahsoka terms, it would be like padawans facing Jedi masters.
Bolin was throwing earth disks, 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.
"Right in the face!" said Kaxey.
"Good accuracy, guys." said Ahsoka.
"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.
"We present to you the new champions, the fantastic Fire Ferrets!" said Bolin putting his arm around the shoulders of his brother and the Avatar.
"Introducing your new champs, the fantastic Fire Ferrets!" said Bolin putting his arm around his brother's shoulders.
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." said Amon 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 togruta.
"It's possible. If Amon keeps his threat, there could be innocent victims, so the council won't hesitate to agree to his demands." said Ahsoka.
"I'm not waiting to find out. We need to get to City Hall." said Korra.
"Can you talk the council out of it?" asked Ahsoka.
"I have to. We haven't been training hard to let one masked man spoil everything." said Korra with determination.
"Well said, Korra." said Bolin.
"Yes, they need to hear our opinion." said Mako.
"And if in the end, they decide to shut down the arena, I'll talk some sense into them." said Kaxey slamming her fist into her palm.
"Eh… We better leave it as a last resort." said Ahsoka before they all left to talk to the council before it was too late.
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. You can't cancel the finals." said Korra.
"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? 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.
"It's weird. From what I'm told, no one else besides you is more dedicated to taking down Amon." said Kaxey.
"While I am still committed to bringing that lunatic to justice, I will not put innocent lives at stake just so the Avatar and her 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.
"She is right. Amon's goal is to sow fear and doubt among the benders and non-benders. If you shut down the arena, people will be nervous to know that even the council bows to him. It might even encourage more people to join his cause. You will be giving him what he wants." said Ahsoka.
"I know you will have your experience from the war you were in, but this is different. 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." 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.
"Say yes, old woman. Let them know who's in charge here." said Kaxey.
"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.
"And what about your blaster pistols? We could see that your armors are immune to them." said Tarrlok.
"That's why Kaxey and I will help her. My lightsabers can repel plasma fire." said Ahsoka.
"And I'm not exactly an easy droid to take down. I'm not afraid of your new little toys." said Kaxey.
"With our additional help, we'll mean more security for the people in the arena." said Ahsoka.
"They won't be able to with a combined force." 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 and miss Tano's track record. If she is confident her elite officers, as well as her special skills, can protect the arena, then she has my support. I am changing my vote. Who else is with me?" asked Tarrlok by raising his hand.
Soon after, the other council members raised their hands, supporting Lin, Ahsoka and Kaxey's assurance, 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 and Miss Tano." said Tarrlok.
"Don't forget about me, human." said Kaxey.
After that, Tenzin prepared to leave the room.
"A word please." said Tenzin as he passed Lin, Ahsoka and Kaxey.
Later, Tenzin, Lin, Ahsoka and Kaxey were in the corridors of the town hall, talking about what happened earlier.
"Tarrlok's playing you and I don't want to see you get hurt." said Tenzin worried about them.
"I know what I am doing and the risks that come with it." said Lin.
"We do this for everyone's sake." said Ahsoka.
"Besides, what's the worst that guy can do to us?" asked Kaxey.
"Lin could lose her job, Ahsoka could end up in prison and you would be deactivated." said Tenzin.
"I dare you to try." said Kaxey.
"I understand your concern, master Tenzin, but we have already made up our minds." said Ahsoka.
"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. I want to make sure she's safe.." said Tenzin.
"Do what you want! It's not like I've ever been able to stop you before. I'll see you later, Tano, droid." said Lin angrily before walking away.
"Same to you, chief." said Ahsoka.
At that moment, Korra arrived.
"Excuse me, Chief Beifong. I wanted to thank you for your help. It… really… means a lot…" said Korra trying to thank the police chief, but she continued walking, ignoring her completely.
"What is her deal? Even when she's on my side, she's against me! I thought we were getting along after that chase." said Korra.
"I've known Lin since we were children, she's always been… challenging." said Tenzin.
"What did your father do to make her hate the Avatar so much?" asked Korra.
"My father and she got along well. I'm afraid she has a problem with me." said Tenzin.
"Well, it's understandable given the history you two have." said Ahsoka.
That made Korra realize something and she 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?! 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?"
"It was obvious to you from the first moment." said Ahsoka with a smile.
"It was obvious even to me." said Kaxey.
"Besides, Pema gave us a slight hint." said Korra with a grin.
"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 she didn't throw her in jail for it." said Ahsoka with a cheeky grin of her own.
"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.
"You did, but she clearly didn't." said Kaxey.
"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 Ahsoka shared a small laugh.
Somewhere in the city, in a sort of warehouse, several Equalist recruits were loading various boxes onto several trucks.
All this was being observed by Amon and the boy from the upper floor.
The lieutenant approached them 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.
"Yes, I think the time has come for them to make my presence known as well." said the boy.
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 arena 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've checked a couple of times" said Ahsoka standing next to them along with Kaxey.
"They would have to be the size of womp rats to get in here without us knowing." said Kaxey.
"So 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.
"Well, Kaxey and I are going to go join Korra and the others. Have fun just the two of you." said Ahsoka with a small smile.
"Let us know if anything needs to be hit." said Kaxey as she and Ahsoka left.
A short time later, the moment many people have been waiting for had finally arrived, the final of the pro-bending tournament.
"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 that was with Ahsoka and Kaxey.
"Relax, Bolin. We've been practicing." said Mako.
"Exactly. I'm sure everyone will gasp when they see our entrance." said Korra with a smile.
"Compared to ours, the Wolfbats' will be a mere children's show." said Kaxey.
"Well, are you ready?" asked Ahsoka.
"Ready!" said the others at the same time.
At that moment, the announcer came out through an elevating platform 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.
Then, Korra used the waterbending to make water vapor come out of the slits in the field and cover their area with a mist.
BBZZZMMM
Suddenly, in the midst of the fog, two green and yellow lightsabers could be seen, each carried by a different person.
When the fog cleared, Ahsoka, with her yellow sword, was seen on one side and Korra, with the green sword, on the other side.
In the next instant, the two lunged at each other and clashed their lightsabers together before they began to move and fight as if they were fighting but at the same time dancing.
Every time one dodged a lightsaber slash, she did so with grace and elegance while every time the other attacked, the attack was easily blocked.
Then, Kaxey jumped onto the field and lowered her hands, allowing Mako and Bolin to climb onto them before propelling them upwards like a trampoline.
While they were in the air, Mako launched a fireball with a kick while Bolin threw an earthen disc.
When both attacks impacted, they caused an explosion just as Ahsoka and Korra stood with their lightsabers crossing upward.
Soon after, Mako and Bolin each landed on one side while Kaxey appeared between the two girls with outstretched hands.
Needless to say, the audience erupted in cheers for the spectacle of the Fire Ferrets.
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 across 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.
"May the Force be with you." said Ahsoka going to the box with Kaxey.
"Don't worry. I have full faith in you." said Kaxey.
Moments before the game.
At the betting booth, Kaxey stood in front of the attendant.
"Can I help you with anything?" asked the attendant normally despite the fact that he was talking to a droid.
"I'd like to bet it all on one team." said Kaxey putting down a bag full of coins.
"For the Wolfbats?" asked the attendant.
"No, for the Fire Ferrets. Well of course it's for the Wolfbats." said Kaxey.
The two teams got into fighting stance, awaiting the moment of the start.
"The champs and challengers face off at the center-line." began Shiro just before the starting bell rang. "And here we go!"
Just as the bell rang, Tahno lunged toward Korra and tried 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 discs Bolin threw bounced off the side ropes, sending it toward the opponent and knocking him over and knocking him to the other side.
"I have to admit they are very skilled." said Ahsoka.
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." began 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 an earth disk that was right under Mako's foot, causing him to stumble forward, which he took advantage of to hit him with an earth 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.
"This is really weird." said Ahsoka.
"Something smells fishy and I don't need olfactory sensors to tell." said Kaxey.
"The Ferret brothers are backed up to zone three and the Wolfbats smell blood." began 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."
"Okay, it's clear that they have bought the referees." said Ahsoka.
"Ah, no. I won't stand for this. I'm going to give the referee a piece of my mind." said Kaxey ready to go to the field.
"Hold on, Kaxey. If you do, you'll get Korra and the others disqualified." said Ahsoka standing in front of the droid.
"Better that than letting those cheaters win." said Kaxey.
"I'm still confident they'll win, so let's just stay and see what happens for now." said Ahsoka trying to keep her from doing something crazy.
"Agh. Okay, but things go wrong, I don't respond." said Kaxey.
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 she ended up outside the ring.
That's when the bell rang for the finish.
"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 on to 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.
Ahsoka was relieved to know that they were going to continue, but she was still worried, as it seemed that things were going in favor of the opposing team due to their tricks and traps.
Later, the Ferrets were at their side of the ring, huddled together for a private conversation.
"What's wrong with these refs?" asked Korra.
"They've been paid off; it's the only explanation. Someone wants us to lose." said Mako coming to the same conclusion as the togruta.
"If the Wolfbats are gonna fight dirty, then so should we." said Korra.
"No we can't! The refs have it out for us. If we're gonna win this thing, it has to be fair and square." said Mako.
"Argh, that's no fun but… all right." 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 water jet 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 disc that hit one of the opponents, sending him backwards. Then the earthbender raised an earth disk which 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 final bell rang.
"Round two will be decided with a tie-breaker!" said the announcer.
"I hope they pick water. That way Korra would teach that guy a lesson." said Cera.
The referee flipped a coin, 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." began Korra choosing water as their element. "Let's go! You and me, pretty boy!"
"Thought you'd never ask." said Tahno.
The others backed off and the waterbenders moved into position before the center circle rose slightly.
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 him, 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 final bell rang.
"Hmph, chump." said Korra making the same gesture as Tahno.
"Round two goes to the Fire Ferrets!" said the announcer.
"Yes!" said Ahsoka.
"Good hit!" said Kaxey.
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.
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 and maybe the kids a chance." said Tenzin.
"Hmph." expressed Lin unable to find a negative in what the airbender said.
"One round apiece: who wants it more?" asked Shiro just as the starting bell rang.
The next instant, the two teams began to launch elemental attacks at each other, with the Wolfbats attacking the most ferociously.
"The Wolfbats fly out of the gates, swinging with bad intentions." said Shiro as Bolin held back a stream of water before throwing an earthen disc.
"The challengers are showing a lot of heart but the champs are really starting to find their rhythm now." said Shiro as Tahno climbed over the edge ropes to leap and dodge a ground disc and a water jet.
"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 who was able to resist with her body.
"It's all down to this final round!" said Shiro as Korra threw a water jet at Tahno which 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 dirt 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.
And he wasn't the only one.
"Let go of me! Let go of me, I'm going to rearrange that guy's ocular systems by punching him! Let go of me!" said Kaxey wanting to go to the field, but Ahsoka tried to stop her with much effort due to the droid's strength.
"As much as I want you to, you can't!" said Ahsoka as she kept her thrust on the droid.
"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!" began Tahno arrogantly as he removed his helmet. "Anybody else wanna scrap with the champs?"
Without anyone noticing, a spectator covered his mouth with a handkerchief bearing the egalitarian 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 to the policemen, as before they knew it, Equalist members approached from behind and hit each one with their electrified gloves.
Fortunately, that was noticed by someone.
"What's going on?" asked Ahsoka noticing something odd on the stage.
"I don't like this at all." said Kaxey.
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, Ahsoka and Kaxey had heard everything the announcer said.
"Are they here already?" asked Ahsoka.
"How the hell did they get past security?" asked Kaxey.
"We'll figure it out later. We have to find the others and stop them." said Ahsoka.
At that moment, the door to the box opened and a pair of Equalist members entered with blaster pistols which they used against the togruta and the droid.
Fortunately, Ahsoka was able to activate her lightsabers in time to repel the plasma shots and then, managed to repel a couple of them so that they hit the two Equalist members in the shoulder and leg, falling to the ground as they groaned in pain.
"There must be several all over the arena." said Ahsoka.
"Good. Then you go about your business." began Kaxey as she walked over to the Equalist members and grabbed their guns. "That I'm going to kick some meaty ass."
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 arena.
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!" began 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 Ahsoka and Kaxey will be okay?" asked Mako.
"Ahsoka can handle herself and Kaxey is tougher than she looks." 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. As well as a technology provided to us by our benefactor who, like your beloved alien, also comes from outer space." revealed Amon to the horror of the onlookers.
"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 Ahsoka with her lightsabers activated.
"We meet again, Ahsoka Tanto. Though I had hoped it would be on… better terms." said Amon.
"You've gone too far this time, Amon. Kidnapping triad members to snatch their powers is one thing, ambushing my friend is another, but taking a building and holding the citizens inside hostage is stooping low. You claim to be a leader bringing equality, but now what you are is a terrorist." said Ahsoka.
"What does it matter how people see me? 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 Ahsoka before rushing towards him.
The Equalist soldiers started shooting their blaster pistols at her, but Ahsoka dodged some shots while others she repelled them with her lightsabers.
Soon after, she managed to get in front of Amon and was about to hit him with her lightsabers when, suddenly, someone positioned himself in front of her and blocked the swords with an electrified object.
Ahsoka was so surprised that she couldn't avoid being pushed back by the guy who defended Amon.
Looking over, she discovered that the protector was none other than the boy who had tonfas that released sparks at the tips.
"It's nice to finally meet you, padawan." said the boy.
"Who are you?" asked Ahsoka.
"My name is of no importance now. What you should know is that you won't stop Amon and I from accomplishing our goal. And with the help of the gifts I gave you, it won't take long for us to achieve it." said the boy.
That made Ahsoka's eyes widen in horror.
"You! You're the benefactor!" said Ahsoka in complete surprise.
"You got it right. Congratulations," said the boy.
"Who are you really? Where did you get all that from?" asked Ahsoka wanting answers.
"Just like my name, it doesn't matter now. What matters now is that I will finish you" said the boy before lunging towards the togruta.
Reacting quickly, Ahsoka lunged towards the boy as well and when the two met, they began a duel between lightsabers and electrified tonfas.
Meanwhile, the Equalist members kept their gaze on the spectators as they pointed their electrified gloves and blaster pistols at them.
"Cu-Cu."
A pair of Equalist members turned their gaze to the entrance to see Kaxey pointing her blaster pistols at them.
"Look at the birdie." began Kaxey before shooting two stun blasts that hit the two Equalist members, sending them tumbling into the water. "Not bad for the first time." said Kaxey making a gesture of blowing off the tip of the gun.
After that, she went to where the other Equalist members were standing who didn't hesitate to shoot at the droid with their guns.
Kaxey proceeded to quickly dodge the shots as she moved forward until she reached a pair of them, grabbed them by the head and slammed them into each other, knocking them down in the process.
She then reached another pair and threw them into the water of the moat.
An Equalist soldier managed to touch her from behind with the electrified gauntlet, causing her to let out a groan of pain before turning to look at him with a frightened expression as she saw that it wasn't having much effect.
"You just made a mistake, little buddy." said Kaxey before grabbing the member by the gloved hand and throwing it towards another incoming Equalist member, causing them to touch each other with the glove and fall unconscious after the shock.
After that, Kaxey turned her gaze to the onlookers who were looking at her in fear and amazement.
"What are you waiting for? An invitation? Get out of here right now!" said Kaxey.
In the next instant, the entire audience quickly ran out of the arena to escape the chaos.
Ahsoka continued to fight against the boy who had shown great skill in being able to block or dodge Ahsoka's attack attempts.
It was then when, finding an opening, she shoot a Force push at him that pushed him backwards, something she took advantage of to jump towards him with lightsabers at the ready, but the boy stepped aside to dodge it before trying to hit Ahsoka with his electrified tonfas, but Ahsoka was able to block it with one of his lightsabers.
After parting from each other, they went back to attacking each other, only to end up blocking each other as they looked at each other.
"No matter what you do. You won't be able to stop us from bringing equality to this planet and once we've achieved it, next will be the rest of the galaxy." said the boy to Ahsoka's horror which he used to push her away from him.
"He's right. It doesn't matter if you and the Avatar team up against us. The revolution has begun!" said Amon just as a blimp with the Equalist symbol passed over the arena and a few ropes were thrown into the ring, shattering the glass ceiling in the process.
Amon, the lieutenant, the boy and the Equalist soldiers grabbed onto the ropes, which had small platforms for support and the ropes pulled them up.
Just then, Lin managed to come out of her unconscious state and when she sat up, she saw the airbender wake up as well.
"Tenzin!" said Lin with concern.
The two adults watched in horror as Amon escaped.
Ahsoka was about to follow them, but then, a huge explosion occurred in the ring, sending her flying towards the edge.
Fortunately, she was able to grab onto the edge in time before she fell into the water.
"Ahsoka!" shouted Korra drawing the attention of the togruta who looked down to see the Fire Ferrets released from their bindings.
After swaying a bit, Ahsoka darted over to where they were.
"Are you okay?" asked Korra with concern.
"I'm fine, but Amon is getting away." said Ahsoka.
"We can't have that." began Korra before running over and creating an ice rink in the water so she could see what was going on. "Let's go get him!"
"Yes!" said Ahsoka going to Korra's side.
"Be careful!" said Mako as Korra and Ahsoka jumped into the water.
With waterbending, Korra created a pillar of water with which she and Ahsoka propelled themselves to get to Amon's airship, but unfortunately, there wasn't enough water and the pillar eventually came apart.
The two began to fall, but before they could fall any further, metal ropes wrapped around Korra and Ahsoka, managing to stop them from continuing to fall.
The cause of this was Lin, who was using the metal ropes to balance both herself and them and with a very strong pull, launched them both 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 a Force push from Ahsoka, before climbing onto the platform and grabbing the rope.
The two exchanged glances with Amon.
Korra started throwing fireballs at him with her fist, but Amon managed to get inside the airship before those attacks hit him.
Seeing that she no longer had a target to hit, she 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 arena and threw a metal rope that grabbed an Equalist soldier who was 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 Ahsoka 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 in 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 Ahsoka threw a Force push that pushed him away from her.
Knowing he didn't stand much of a chance against the two of them, the lieutenant opted to retreat.
Korra and Ahsoka 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 Ahsoka ducked to avoid him.
Then Ahsoka gave him a leg sweep on his legs, knocking him 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 sticks, but the moment Korra stopped attacking, Ahsoka quickly stood in front of the lieutenant and blocked the sticks with her lightsabers before pushing him backwards.
Lin managed to wake up in time to see two Equalist soldiers charge towards the three combatants with their bolas at the 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 on a platform.
Retracting her rope back, Lin began to ascend toward the airship.
Meanwhile, Korra and Ahsoka prepared to continue fighting the lieutenant.
The lieutenant charged at them and tried to hit them several times, but they dodged every attack before Ahsoka grabbed him by the arm and kneed him in the stomach before throwing him to the ground.
Korra was going to hit him with an axe kick wrapped in fire, but the lieutenant quickly dodged to the side before trying to hit her with his electrified stick, but jumped to the side before throwing fireballs at the lieutenant, but he dodged them all.
Suddenly, as Korra kicked horizontally to throw a fire wave, which the lieutenant dodged, the lieutenant was about to take advantage of it to hit her with his electrified stick, but then…
Ahsoka threw her green lightsaber at Korra, which she used to block the stick.
Although she managed to block the attack, the lieutenant had enough force to push her back.
Korra and Ahsoka charged towards him before Korra launched a wave of fire while Ahsoka threw a Force push 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 togruta 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 one metal rope that clung to the wall and another that Korra and Ahsoka grabbed.
Lin swung them both over and the three landed on the bleachers, safe and sound, though Korra rolled a bit on the landing.
"You all right?" asked Lin helping them up.
"We're fine." said Korra.
"We owe you one." said Ahsoka.
"Don't mention it, kids." began Lin before the three of them turned their gaze up to see Amon's airship flying away. "Looks like we lost this one."
"But there are still more battles to fight." said Ahsoka.
At that moment, Mako, Bolin and Kaxey 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.
"He's right. We were overconfident and he used that against us. We may have managed to save the civilians, but I'm afraid now Republic City is at war." said Ahsoka as they all looked at the destroyed ring.
