thenewprime721: Man, I love your writing. I'm so happy to get a tie in for the last book AND a new chapter of the next in the same day. Those notifications actually reminded me that I really want to reread the Whole First Book again now that it's complete. I have never done that before for a story like this, and I hope you understand how much of a credit that is to your writing style and skill.
Re: I always love to hear when someone binges my story; doubly-so after the first go-around~
Sultan Asil Arslan-Hiatus: I feel like I am missing something with this mechanist thing… how does that apply to blood bending?
Re: That was Zhu's way of asking whether they wanted an "Enemy" or an "Ally". Bloodbending isn't always inherently "Evil", same way that Airbending isn't always inherently "Good".
Wink.
Onxio: I like this story alot because feminine male but I'd assume like astolfo feminine because others assumed he was a woman
Re: Zhu is like a foil to Korra, being more-feminine than her, while Korra is more conventionally masculine than him. That's part of what makes them so-different from one another in an "opposites attract" sorta fashion; that they can meet in the middle and better one another is part of their arc together.
What we didn't really see a lot of in the Canon when she and Mako were dating, was how they grew together as people. Most of it was "teen drama", and they could get away with Aang having to worry less about that because he was "12" and it was sort of a War Drama…
MrSir17: I think my only reservation so far is that Zhu and Korra go straight to betrothal. Skipping right past the dating phase. I'm worried that'll blow up in their faces especially if Korra is as immature as she was in canon book 2. Otherwise I love this story and can't wait to see where this sequel goes
Re: It was a bit of a whirlwind romance, I admit, but they did go through a civil war together. And that notwithstanding, youth can be impulsive, but in Water Tribe terms, betrothal at that or even younger ages is perfectly normal.
Of course, I imagine in the modern day, while a Betrothal Choker means a woman is "off the market", if the courtship stage "falls through", she might cease wearing it and be back "on the market". It probably isn't like in the old days where a parent would decide for their children and "that's it"; if a courtship falls through, a woman probably can unilaterally cut things off.
It probably isn't like that in the North per-se, but I'm sure outside the northern capital, that Water Tribe culture has changed as it homogenized to other regions of the world. Water is the most-flexible of the elements, after all.
To these and other people who've left such great Reviews, thank you all, and I hope you enjoy the upcoming chapter!
*RECONSTRUCTION*
When Zhu made his proposal to Tenzin regarding what to do with the former Equalist Lieutenant and his most-loyal followers, the Airbending Master patiently listened through to its inevitable conclusion.
Once that presentation was concluded however…
"ABSOLUTELY NOT!"
"Getting that red-faced over some random guy? You're going to make Gran Gran jealous~" Zhu chuckled good-naturedly. "Also, dial back on the blood pressure. Little Rohan was barely born more than a week ago. Isn't that wight, widdle Wohan~" Zhu cooed as he waggled a finger in the baby's direction, the baby's eyes wide as he started yanking on the Bloodbender's hair like it were the most-fascinating thing he'd ever seen.
Given he was scarcely more than a week old, that was a distinct possibility.
"Councilman Tenzin, if I may-"
"YOU MAY NOT!" Tenzin shouted at Lee before he went through some breathing exercises, getting his pulse rate, and the coloring of his face, back under control. "Zhu, do you realize what you're asking of me? Of Republic City?"
"If you mean the Republic City now finding itself at a deficit of manpower to lawfully protect the streets when the United Forces eventually leave, yes, yes I do," Zhu replied. "Honestly, I thought you of all people would recognize what I'm trying to do here without being told in big, broad strokes."
"Would you care to enlighten the rest of us?" Lin questioned from her own place in the meeting.
"When the Earthen Fire Refinery in Cranefish Town was under threat by Business Councilwoman Liling's 'Bending Supremacist Uprising', it was Suki and the Chi-Blockers she trained that helped turn the tide," Korra stated, Zhu having briefed her in-depth on the way back so she could meaningfully contribute to the proceedings; throw a little weight around without making a fool of herself. "History has a way of repeating itself, especially in its ugliest facets, and Amon's whole Equalist Movement was simply an inversion of Liling's hatred towards new technologies rendering the Bending arts 'obsolete' in her diseased, narcissistic mind."
"Anyone can learn to Chi-Block with enough time and effort, while only a portion of the Earthbending population can bend Metal; and very few outside Zaofu can hope to reach the mastery Republic City has become so-dependent on for its law enforcement arm," Zhu continued. "Suki herself was pivotal in ending the Hundred Year War despite not being a Bender, and honestly, it amazes me that Chi-Blocking security forces were phased out the way they were… Sure, there are things Metalbenders can do that machinery can't replicate, but Amon and Hiroshi both have proven that Bending isn't the be-all end-all. And the sheer devastation through Republic City once all the Benders were gone, is proof as well that non-Bending isn't a be-all end-all either."
"Besides, don't we need to make inroads between Benders and non-Benders, especially now?" Korra asked. "Amon was a fraud, sure, but he wasn't wrong about the larger systemic issues. Republic City gave too much power to Benders, without allotting non-Benders adequate protections to ensure their own quality of life in comparison. Re-establishing Suki's Chi-Blocking Corps is the first step in granting non-Benders the representation in city affairs they've been crying out for all this time."
" . . . You have a point," Tenzin admitted, proud that Korra was participating alongside Zhu, realizing oncemore that the Bloodbender truly did bring out the better parts of her, as did she to him. "Lin?"
"I personally have never had a problem with non-Benders in law enforcement, but I do agree, non-Benders have been pushed off the streets and into purely logistical roles as time went by. I can understand why they think they aren't represented, only ever seeing Metalbenders working the beat. It's going to be very, no, extremely controversial, but until we can get new Metalbenders up to snuff to replace the ones we've lost, or that Amon took from us, adding Chi-Blockers to the police force just makes logical sense."
"Of course, you'll have to make due without your little 'Shock Gauntlets'," Korra chimed in. "There's too many bad memories associated with that tech. Not to mention what Cabbage Corp is going to try and pull now that Lau Gan-Lan has been acquitted. Hiroshi played the entire police force and everyone in Republic City for a bunch of suckers, and I doubt anyone's going to forget that any time soon."
"Also, it's too easy to kill someone with those things by accident, let alone on purpose," Zhu spoke up. "Making muscles seize up is one thing, but a lot of people forget, the heart isn't an 'organ', but another 'muscle'. It's why Firebenders working at the powerplants have to be so careful when they're throwing lightning around. One stray arc across the heart and *thbbbt*, you got a dead man on the cutting room floor."
"Bolas on the other hand are perfectly acceptable," Lin stated. "There's a reason those things have been used for thousands of years, but you can be sure our insurance premiums are going to jump every time one of those things hits someone's car or flies through a storefront window."
"Not to mention the uniforms," Tenzin chimed in.
"So, is this everything you ever dreamed of?" Korra whispered as Tenzin, Lin, and Zhu all talked about what could stay, what had to go, and what had to be changed just a little.
"The road to redemption was always going to be a long one," Lee conceded, bowing his head. "I am merely grateful to be given the chance to atone."
"Yes, well… I'm more-worried about the ones who didn't come around to your way of thinking," Korra hummed as she crossed her arms.
*RECONSTRUCTION*
"Who ever thought we'd end up be back here again?" Korra hummed as she and Zhu sat aside one another in the "honeymoon suite" of the very same passenger liner they'd taken to Republic City the first time around; the Aurora.
"Paraphrasing what the Air Nomad scrolls say; the universe has a great sense of humor, you just need to know when to laugh," Zhu hummed as he lit a scented candle and hugged Korra across the back.
"Yeah, I guess it is pretty funny," Korra chuckled as she leaned into her partner's chest, enjoying the cozy, intimate setting. " . . . Did we ever reimburse these guys?" she blinked after a moment.
"I had it taken care of before we departed," Zhu said patting the fat stack of Yuans in his breast pocket. "Honestly, I'm amazed they gave us this suite for free this time around."
"I'm sure they'll make this suite a 'historical landmark', or something," Korra hummed. "Or 'seamark', as it were. 'Boatmark'?"
"It would make sense. Everything Aang touched turned to gold," Zhu nodded. "They actually have global tours following the Avatar's path from Wolf Cove to the end of the war in exacting detail. Monumentally expensive if you run the entire gamut start-to-finish. The Jasmine Dragon has huge blowouts when some rich fat-crococat goes the whole way."
"Well, I'm pretty proud for this cabin to be known as 'Avatar Korra's Honeymoon Suite'~" Korra giggled before pressing a kiss to Zhu's cheek. "Even if everyone else did have to pay common fare~"
"I'm just hoping Tenzin and Lee are behaving themselves," Zhu hummed, wondering what the two of them were up to at the moment.
*RECONSTRUCTION*
"Mako… If I don't make it… give Pabu all my stuff…" Bolin gasped dramatically as he hung his head and shoulders over the railing.
"Don't be *urp* such a drama queen…" Mako groaned, barely any better.
"It helps if you focus on a single point in the horizon," Asami said stroking the Bending Brothers' backs. This was hardly the first time she'd been on a boat, but it was certainly the cheapest.
It was also becoming one of the most-fun, all memories with her father now irreparably tainted.
Elsewhere, Ikki and Meelo were running laps around the deck on their Air Scooters, causing no end of mayhem for Tenzin and Lee whom had been conscripted into "kid patrol".
"It's been ages since I've been on a boat like this," Pema sighed as she looked out at the sea, Rohan in her arms and Lin at her side.
"I'm not really much for water," the ex-Metalbender hummed brusquely. "Still, how come we're going the slow way home?"
"I prefer to think of it as 'the scenic route'. That, and it gives Zhu and Korra a chance to enjoy their honeymoon suite for real this time~" Pema giggled, remembering the first time she'd heard that story.
"As far as whirlwind romances go, I guess she could do worse," Lin shrugged. "You know, it's funny. This is the same boat they stowed away on the first time they came to Republic City, and now they're making their return trip in it."
"The cosmos works in mysterious ways," Pema nodded before turning her attention toward the railing in front of her. "Jinora, are you enjoying yourself?"
"Huh?" the eldest Airbender child blinked. "Oh, yeah, sure."
"Don't worry, I've been there too," Lin said walking forward and patting her on the shoulder.
"B-B-B-Been where? I don't know what you're talking about!" Jinora squeaked, face reddening.
"Kiddo, I don't need a Seismic Sense to know what you're feeling right now," Lin said as she leaned forward on the railing. "It's perfectly normal, and Zhu is quite the prize. I'm amazed Korra was smart-enough to snatch him up before some other girl did."
"I'm happy for them, I really am. It's just…"
"Jinora, you can still be a good friend to him," Pema said walking up to her firstborn. "You still enjoy reading and learning, do you not?"
" . . . Yeah, I still do," Jinora conceded. "Is it always this hard? Losing out on your first love?" she asked with a blush.
"It's never easy," Meifan said coming into the conversation. "Sea sickness pills?" she asked holding up a bottle.
"Wait, you loved him too?" Jinora squawked.
"Who's to say?" the medicine girl shrugged. "He didn't stick around long-enough for me to find out, but as far as best friends go, you can't get more-lucrative than a mover & shaker like him."
"Yes, speaking of which… what did you sell Varrick on?"
"You'll only need to worry about that when you're older~" she replied mussing up Jinora's hair before walking over to the Bending Brothers. "Sea sickness pills? I have them at competitive prices!"
*RECONSTRUCTION*
" . . . It hurts to see the port like this," Korra hummed as she and Zhu looked out from the Aurora's bow, not in any real rush to depart.
When first they had arrived in Republic City, the port was positively throbbing with life. Sea-faring vessels, great and small; Fire Nation, Earth Kingdom, Water Tribe; steam, sail, or even beast-powered. People and goods from the world over; rich, poor, prince, pauper, came and went freely.
Now however, it was as if someone had drained the color from the very air itself. The United Fleet vessels were moored prominently off in the distance, but even now, that the civil war had been concluded, there was barely any sea-faring vessel in sight. Not only that, but the city was quiet itself, the streets home to a paltry few, whereas before you could barely walk a yard without knocking elbows.
"It'll fade, in time. Though admittedly, the steps that the ruling council take to reconcile with its non-Bending constituents, will play a big part in how-swiftly, or how-slowly, the process takes," Zhu hummed.
"You really think the council will go for your plan? A Chi-Blocking police force?"
"I don't see why not. Suki was pivotal in helping maintain peace while the names changed. This civil war showed what Republic City is like at its ugliest, but I hope the ruling faction will be smart about this, and not just rehash what Tarrlok did wrong."
"That is a low bar…" Korra hummed. "Come on, let's disembark in style."
"WHOA!" Zhu yelped as Korra scooped him up in her arms, vaulting the railing before summoning a cyclone around herself with a twirl of her feet.
Unfortunately, they wound up listing sideways and falling into the bay.
" . . . I meant to do that…" Korra said bashfully as they came up for air.
"Sure you did," Zhu hummed as Naga leapt off the loading ramp and swam up beneath them.
*RECONSTRUCTION*
"Tenzin, I trust your sabbatical in the South has been productive?" the Fire Nation councilwoman greeted.
"As well as can be expected."
"What news do you bring of the Avatar?" the Earth Kingdom councilman cut in.
"Korra, is in good health, though nothing could be done in regards to her Bending," Tenzin answered tensely.
"Hm. Disappointing," the Southern Water Tribe representative hummed, the seat of his contemporary still-vacant.
"How fares Republic City?" Tenzin inquired forcefully, not a fan of their flippant tones in regards to his charge.
"The United Forces, in tandem with the Zaofu Guard, have both rooted out much of Amon's former dissident elements," the Fire Nation councilwoman answered. "And while the Metal Clan are allies to Republic City, I don't recall asking for their aid."
"Grand Lotus Zhu, using his own inroads, called for their aid when it came to sending refugees away from the city," Tenzin answered. It was one of the many subjects they had all talked about during their respite in the South.
"Ah, yes. The Bloodbender," the Earth Kingdom representative spat.
"As I recall, he was one of the few to actively contribute to the counter-offensive," Tenzin snapped back.
"A counter-offensive that came too late. Our Bending was taken from us; a fate, I notice, has not befallen you," the Southern Water Tribe councilman huffed indignantly.
"Blame Amon for wanting to make a spectacle of it."
"That and the Air Nomads monopolizing the Avatar's allegiance," the Earth Kingdom councilman huffed.
"This meeting is about neither of those things. It's about what Republic City will do moving forward," Tenzin said as he took his seat. That the North was so-slow to react to Tarrlok's fall from grace was surprising, but then again, the North did live up to all the "hype" as Zhu framed it.
"What we need to do, is get everything back to the way it was," the Fire Nation councilwoman stated firmly.
"No, you don't," a voice echoed in from the cracked doorway, which was suddenly kicked in by a figure in full White Lotus regalia, long ribbons of crimson-colored hair billowing around him. "Noatak may've been a fraud, but his message rung true. The then-current system was always going to inspire war between Benders and non-Benders. He just brought it about early instead of waiting for it to fester for another generation or two."
"What is he doing here?!" the Earth Kingdom councilman demanded.
"Grand Lotus Zhu, former Police Chief Lin Beifong, and myself all discussed potential means of bridging the gap between Benders and non-Benders alike during the delicate stage of reconstruction," Tenzin stated as Zhu boldly strode up to the stage.
"I'll be making my formal announcement later today in front of the Police Academy. You can either get behind this, or get out of the way. Your choice."
"Who do you think you are to speak to us like that?" the Fire Nation councilwoman demanded angrily.
Zhu, raising his hand, caused the three now-non-Benders to recoil in fear, a chuckle leaving Lin's lips as the Northerner proceeded to make a show of tucking red tresses behind one ear.
"Someone who will draw crowds. Noatak wasn't the only one making a monumental spectacle of himself that day at the arena," Zhu answered as his hand returned to his side. "I trust you have things well in hand, Councilman Tenzin?"
"For as much good as it does us," the Airbending Master replied. "Still, how do you intend to keep the people focused on reforms and not…?" he asked gesturing to Zhu's hair.
"Snuggling with my new betrothed wasn't all I did on the boat ride back," Zhu hummed thoughtfully.
*RECONSTRUCTION*
"Geez, the Equalists left their stuff everywhere…!" Bolin groaned as he and the others helped the returning White Lotus and Air Acolytes clean Equalist traces from the island; mostly posters and paraphernalia. The equipment that had been abandoned was being set aside for possible use by the Chi-Blocking Corps, assuming Zhu was able to get it off the ground, while the posters, books, and pamphlets were going to be burned for heat.
Same as was happening all across Republic City, apparently. The giant "ego mask" that Amon had put over Aang's face was the first to go, stripped for parts, but it was pleasant to see that the Equalist banners from Aang's staff had also been taken down. The Amon and Hiroshi Specials had also been taken off the Pizza Palace menu, and all of the seized airships had been painted over and put back to work now that the war was over.
"I'm just happy our home is still standing," Pema sighed as she held Rohan. "I shudder to think what the Equalists would've done to the place if they'd held on for much longer."
"As far back as the first Earth King, Peasant Uprisings have been fairly common," Meifan said as she weeded the flower beds. "Between the fifty-three ruling monarchs there have been, there's been forty-six Peasant Uprisings. That Republic City has only had two to its history… That's fairly impressive, despite it being such a young nation."
"Honestly, I'm amazed Ba Sing Se is still standing, knowing what I know, now," Bolin hummed. "We've got family living there, you know. Think there's going to be a forty-seventh Peasant Uprising?" he asked worriedly.
"It wouldn't surprise me," one of the Air Acolytes, clearly of Earth Kingdom descent, replied as he swept the ground. "The current Queen… well, let's just say with someone like her in charge of things, the celibate lifestyle of an Air Acolyte, doesn't really seem so-bad. No offense."
"None taken. You wouldn't be the first who chose a simpler life over trying circumstances," Pema said giving the man a winning smile. "Still…" she said as she looked out into the city, one of the larger Equalists banners falling free from a high rise and falling to the ground in the distance. "You'd have thought people would've learned by now, but I guess history always will repeat itself."
"Aang probably could've kept things together," Korra sighed as she swept.
She'd tried doing as such with her Airbending, but the results were… mixed… so she decided to slow her pace a bit, do it the old-fashioned way.
For perspective, as Tenzin would put it.
"Perhaps, but Aang is no longer here. That's your job now," Jinora hummed as she brought everyone tea. "And just like grandfather, you have trusted confidants around yourself to bear the load when the weight of the world becomes too much for you alone."
" . . . Yeah, I suppose you're right~" Korra beamed happily, her fingertips going to the choker around her neck.
"Everyone! Everyone! Zhu's on the radio!" Ikki squealed eagerly, drawing everyone to the gazebo; the very same from so-long-ago that Korra had tried eavesdropping the Pro Bending game, off of, in fact.
*RECONSTRUCTION*
At the same time in front of the Republic Academy Police Academy…
"Citizens of Republic City, lend me your ear!" Zhu spoke into the podium-mounted microphones before him, Suki's commemorative statue, clad in Kiyoshi Warrior regalia, looming prominently over his back.
At the moment, there was no shortage to his listening audience. Not only were the media in attendance, but so were many of the returning Benders from Zaofu, some of the Metal Clan themselves, and many former Equalist supporters who'd had their eyes open and had no clue what to do now. By now the stories surrounding Zhu from Amon's failed "Equalizing" had had ample time to mutate beyond all recognition, so when Zhu had earlier announced over the radio that he was hosting a press conference in a "State of the Republic Address", most had dropped whatever they were doing to attend.
The choice in venue itself drew its fair share of attention, since most assumed the Council Building as the center of power in Republic City. The Police Academy itself had for a long time become the unspoken territory of Metalbenders, or just Benders in general. Now however, with Amon (or Noatak as the legend spread) having "Equalized" many of the Metal and potential-Metalbenders in Republic City, the institution's future seemed uncertain.
"Situated behind me is the Republic City Police Academy. While the police force in of itself is more-readily associated with Toph Beifong, world's greatest Earthbender and First Metalbender, what's fallen to the wayside over the intervening decades is that it was actually Suki of Kiyoshi Island who helped nurture the Republic City police force in its infancy, back when this area was still known as Cranefish Town," Zhu began, setting the scene. "Why am I bringing this up, you might be asking? It's because with the rise and fall of 'Amon', history has thusly come full circle and repeated itself."
Most in the crowd didn't know to what the "Spirit Touched" was referring, whereas those who were mere children during Aang's time recalled stories told to them by their parents.
"Long, long ago, Business Councilwoman Liling attempted an uprising; one meant to turn Cranefish Town into a fiefdom of Benders and Benders alone," Zhu continued. "Similar to 'Amon' as he rebranded himself, Liling narcissistically believed that the 'other half' was responsible for all that was wrong with the world. A sentiment that Noatak and his Equalist faction were more than capable of taking advantage of in the present day. The back of the Equalist faction has been broken, but the damage remains, and now, more than ever, we need to make inroads between Benders and non-Benders alike. Noatak may've built a cult of personality around himself, but the message about systemic corruption rang true, which is why today, I announce the reformation of the Chi-Blocking Corps in memory of Suki of Kiyoshi Island."
The front doors to the police academy swinging open, at the head of a dozen men and women was who some recognized as Amon's primary lieutenant. However, instead of being clad in Equalist leathers, he was instead garbed in a more-streamlined version of the non-Metalbender police uniform; leather knee-high boots, dark pants, a gray coat with gold buttons and a Republic City police badge, the collar being a light shade while the shoulders were a darker shade of gray with yellow lines running across, and a matching brimmed hat. Without their once-iconic leather masks and green-tinted goggles, the dozen men and women forming ranks alongside Zhu's left and right, could've come from anywhere in Republic City.
"While it is true that many used the Equalists as a platform to loot and pillage like common bandits, some taking personal vendettas out on Benders once they had been 'Equalized', the men and women I present before you, are all men and women who believed in equal justice and dignity for non-Benders and Benders alike. Though the Equalist faction is no more, it is up to former-Equalists and Republicites alike to raise Republic City back up into its next golden age. Until such a time as the previous Metalbending Corps is able to be brought into action, it'll be up to men and women like these, and of you in the crowd who want to fight for your homes, to safeguard law and justice once the Metal Clan and United Forces leave. Now, any questions?"
At this, many hands went up, frantic murmurs leaving the lips of reporters and citizens alike.
"Is it about the hair?" Zhu asked curtly, many with raised hands going quiet. "Lee, if you would?"
"Ahem…" Lee coughed into the mic as he stepped up to the podium. "Grand Lotus Zhu will be fielding questions pertaining to he and himself, at a later time this evening or the next. For the time being, please only make inquiries about law enforcement in Republic City and ongoing reforms. Thank you."
"Yes, you there, in the front?" Zhu asked pointing to a reporter who'd bent himself a stepstool from the cobbles.
"Is it true that during the civil war, you had chosen to take justice into your own hands?"
"Well, who else was going to enforce law and order? The Equalists, when they weren't raping and murdering indiscriminately?" Zhu replied with a smirk, cowing the man who attempted to demonize his present based on past efforts.
"Will the Chi-Blocking Corps be open to everyone?"
"The Chi-Blocking Corps never stopped being open to everyone. Fact of the matter is, as Metalbending paraphernalia became more and more advanced as Toph Beifong refined her craft in pace with advancing manufacturing techniques, non-Benders in law enforcement willingly ceded the beat to their Metalbender counterparts. There was never any official policy of non-Bender exclusion; any departure from law enforcement was purely voluntary, and it is my hope that as we all come together to rebuild, that we endeavor to create a world that benefits all people, be they princes, paupers, Benders or non-Benders, factory workers and businessmen alike."
"How can we trust these guys?! They're Equalists!" a man from the crowd demanded; while Lee remained stoic, those under his more-direct purview shifted uncomfortably.
"Don't forget, the Equalists only came to power because the non-Bending constituents abandoned all means of critical thinking. The damage that's befallen Republic City, is as much a fault of the short-sighted non-Bending populace as it was the current Bending-dominant hierarchy," Zhu returned. "What you people did was accept a handout instead of building the future you wanted for yourselves. Both sides are to blame for the current state of affairs, and it's up to both sides to bridge the divide. Without the aid of the people in Dragon Flats Borough, we wouldn't have been able to save anyone from the Equalists' tyranny."
"EQUALITY NOW!" someone from the crowd shouted as they ran up onto the stage, brandishing a knife and causing a litany of cries to sound from the crowd.
Before the knife-wielding maniac could get at Zhu, who'd made no effort to defend himself, four of the former-Equalists tackled the man to the ground, one of them kicking the knife out of reach while another hog-tied his limbs with a bola.
"Thank you for that," Zhu nodded gratefully. "When Lee first came to me, he was a broken man. He'd dedicated his life to the idea of 'Amon'; to a 'cause'. He dreamed of a world where non-Benders would have the same dignity and quality of life as those with supernatural abilities. The only thing he did wrong, was backing the wrong ostrich-horse. That he was willing to bend the knee to me, a Bender, a Bloodbender with the same power as the man who'd deceived him for so long, shows that what he valued more was equality for all, not 'equality for Amon'."
"Don't listen to him! It was all a trick!" the knife-wielder struggled against his captors. "A conspiracy! Long live Amon!"
"Which brings me on to my next point. Accepting reality…"
*RECONSTRUCTION*
"Well that went out-of-hand for a minute there," Bolin hummed as Zhu continued his lecture between fielding questions.
"I wonder why Zhu didn't stop the guy himself…" Korra hummed worriedly.
She'd wanted to attend, but Zhu had asked her to stay back so her mere presence wouldn't turn the whole thing into a discussion about 'The Avatar'. There was a time for the Avatar to grandstand, and at present… this wasn't it, as he'd said.
"As a sign of trust, maybe?" Jinora asked. "It's one thing to say he's trusting former Equalists to uphold the law, but to actually show it… It was only one man with a knife, but I'm sure by the end of the week, the story will mutate to include mecha tanks."
"Still, how-many Equalists do you think are still out there?" Asami asked worriedly. "Just because they lost their figurehead, I don't think they're just going to up and quit. Not all of them, anyway…"
" . . . Guys, I'm going to sign up," Mako suddenly spoke up.
"For what?" Bolin asked.
"For the Republic City Police," Mako answered. "It might not be perfect, but Republic City is still our home, and it's like Zhu said. Right now, Benders and non-Benders alike need to come together or things will never improve."
"But what about your job at the power plant?" Asami inquired, given that was how they'd met.
"Right now, this city needs police more than it does walking generators," the Firebender answered. "Part of why things got so bad is that everyone got so… factionalized… drawing imaginary lines in the sand. 'Firebenders belong in the fire brigade. Waterbenders belong in the coastguard. Earthbenders belong in the police.' If we thought less like that, maybe so-many people wouldn't have gotten duped so-badly by Amon."
"Noatak," Bolin hummed.
"Same difference," he huffed. "Besides, I'm sure out of all the Benders in Republic City, Zhu's going to have it the worst of all."
"What do you mean?" Asami asked worriedly, the background noise of the radio giving way to-
"Alright, I've covered all I came here to, so I have time to field one, maybe two personal questions before I take my leave of you," Zhu said from the microphone. "Yes, you in the back row with the hat. Come on down."
The sound of a parting crowd just barely coming across on the radio, after several moments the man asked.
"I don't mean to offend, I really don't," the man said nervously, "but if you're a Bloodbender, why're you helping police reforms when you could just take over the Triads? Like Yakone did?"
This prompted the crowd to mutter nervously, the 'man with hat' seemingly brave-enough to voice what was on many of their minds.
" . . . Come on up here. I want to show you something."
The questioner paused, reluctantly but by the sound of boards creaking, the man was-in-fact stepping up onto the stage to meet him.
"Here, catch."
*SQUISH*
"GLUUGH! What the heck is this thing?!" the 'man with hat' cried as the sound of something sloshy landed in his hands, sounds of unease spilling out of the crowd.
"A moo-sow stomach filled with blood and bones on-the-tendon," Zhu answered. "That, more or less, is what it feels like on my end when I Bloodbend people. It isn't like Water or Earthbending where you're moving something that isn't actually alive. There's a ton of bones and squishy guts getting in the way of Bloodbending; part of why all the victims had jerky, puppet-like movements. In the same way that Waterbenders can't fully bend industrial runoff or Earthbenders can't fully bend lava, Bloodbending has its own drawbacks."
"So then… you don't actually like Bloodbending?" another in the crowd, a woman, called out.
"Do you wanna try holding the blood ball?"
"NO THANK YOU!" the woman in the crowd squeaked.
"To put it frankly, just like I said when I dressed up as an 'Old Bloodbender' for Amon's big rally, more on that later," Zhu coughed, "every great tragedy in my life has centered around Bloodbending. The stigma associated with that, as well as being a 'mud blood', cost my parents their lives in the Northern Water Tribe. Since then, I've only ever viewed it as a tool to get rid of. It's why I studied the Bending arts so much. But now that I've been able to do something truly good with it, maybe I can do more for the world than frighten people," he projected loudly into the crowd. "Lightningbending used to only be the purview of the Royal Family, a tool for smiting one's enemies; but now it can be harnessed, used to light up the city streets and turn night into day. Amon may've only been covering his own ass when he told me in my old man disguise that there was something 'only I could do' with what the Spirits have given me, but he was right in that the Spirits gave me this power 'for a reason'. It just… took me a long time to really accept that…" he said sounding hesitant; maybe to play on the crowd's sympathies.
"No further questions," Lee spoke into the mic as Zhu stepped away, floorboards creaking. "If you want to hear more, please keep an ear to the Pro Bending channel on your radios. Thank you."
The sound of frantic chattering sounding as the press, citizenry, and former-Equalists all tried to wring 'one more question' out of him, those listening returned to their work.
"Honestly, that could've gone a whole lot worse," Bolin hummed.
"Yeah, at least they aren't coming at him with torches and pitchforks," Mako nodded.
"And I'm sure there's plenty of people who want to know what makes a Bloodbender tick," Pema hummed thoughtfully. "The only other Bloodbenders have been Hama, Yakoke, Tarrlok, and Noatak, and none of them have really been amenable to talking about it. Not like with Toph who opened entire schools for Metalbending."
"But what about that guy who tried to attack him?" Asami asked worriedly.
"There's bound to be those that would rather double down instead of seeing reality," Mako answered. "So many people would rather someone else do the thinking and the moving for them, that there's bound to be those that'd react… poorly to Amon's unmasking."
"I guess… but it was really the only way to beat him without turning him into some sort of martyr," Asami replied. "Of course, how-many people will actually believe that Noatak took his own life?"
"Zhu's as much a master of 'the spin' as Korra is in the Pro Bending floor. I'm sure he already has a reply ready for that particular question," Mako chuckled.
Now that he didn't feel as-embittered by Korra passing him over for Zhu as he did before, he could admit to himself that he genuinely did like the guy. Despite his age, Zhu was as-mature as most adults he knew if not moreso, and it was easy to talk to him about serious issues. The fact that he was spearheading the reform of law enforcement to reintegrate non-Benders, was also a part of why he wanted to do his part as well.
He didn't want to be left behind as Republic City rebuilt itself, and at present, he was trying to think of a way to tell Bolin he was probably going to quit Pro Bending.
Assuming they rebuilt the arena in a timely matter; the city did have bigger priorities, after all.
*RECONSTRUCTION*
"This is completely humiliating..." Tarrlok said in the back of the private car Lin was driving away from the Police Academy, shedding the dress he'd worn as Zhu's 'plant' in the crowd.
It was only a single question he'd asked, but one that conferred tremendous power over the populous, now that they had a Bloodbender unobtrusively in their midst.
"Oh like you've never asked your Page to cross-dress."
"I haven't," Tarrlok said bluntly.
"Oh? Well alright then," Zhu shrugged.
"The Council's going to have your head for this, you know," Lin hummed from past the divider.
"Oh please, the Council doesn't have any power without the Metalbending Police around," Tarrlok huffed. "As soon as the Republic Forces and the Metal Clan leave, they won't have a leg to stand on. And without their Bending, most if not all of their backers will abandon them."
"Which is why it's important to start the recruitment drive earlier rather than later," Zhu said as he ran his fingers through his hair. "The people of Republic City, all of them, need to feel like they have a stake in the rebuilding process."
"And the Q&A section later on Pro Bending Radio?" Tarrlok asked.
"A way to get in front of the rumor mill and steer the narrative," Zhu hummed. "I'll of course have to confess that my fits of 'Spiritual Possession' were all an act to throw Noatak off his game, but that lie only lived in the short-term. Your brother's entire spiel lasted for years, maybe a decade, and he incited the people into full-on rebellion. All I used my lie for was exposing an even greater lie; a lie I myself am confessing to."
"So a form of transparency you control. Like deciding which window the people look through."
"That, and people want to feel like they're a part of their favorite celebrity's lives," Zhu hummed. "The places that Pro Benders ate, where they hung out, what they've worn and what they've bought; they've always been popular for that very reason."
"Not to mention all the mythology surrounding Bloodbenders," Lin hummed. "In general, people can count the number of known Bloodbenders on a single hand. That's how-rare the talent for it was."
"That, and I'm sure the people knowing I'm betrothed to 'the Avatar' will assuage any worries they might have about me turning into another 'Yakone'," Zhu hummed. "Korra didn't exactly make any sort of effort to hide the betrothal necklace I gave her, and the Aurora's crew were all in the know, so I'm sure the rumors are spreading already."
"A power couple if I've ever seen one," Tarrlok hummed idly. "You think this revival of the Chi-Blocking Corps will really work out?"
"Either it will or it won't," Zhu sighed. "But that's ultimately on 'the people' to decide. It's why I won't personally intervene with the eventual resurgence of criminal gangs unless absolutely necessary. The people need to feel like 'they' can accomplish great things on their own; not just wait for 'the Avatar's entourage' to do the heavy lifting for them."
"Then that leaves only one major obstacle in our way," Lin huffed. "Getting everyone's Bending back."
"I had the Air Acolytes search the quarters that Noatak made use of top to bottom. There were no notes or clues about how he messed with a person's Chakras to take their Bending away without killing them, so I'll more or less have to reverse-engineer the process from scratch," Zhu said rubbing his forehead. "Fortunately, Noatak did an excellent job of containing all the 'research material' I'll need."
"The death row inmates and other criminals my brother 'Equalized'," Tarrlok said knowingly. One of the few good things to come out of the whole debacle.
"For the time being, even former-Benders are still movers and shakers within Republic City, so I'm sure if I present my plans to the Council, even if Tenzin is opposed on sheer principle alone, that I'll be able to secure all the bodies I need," Zhu nodded.
"Between you and my brother, I'm not sure who I'm more frightened of..."
"Be more frightened of me. I'm still alive."