Hello everyone and welcome back to a new chapter. Can't wait to go through this chapter. Without delay, let's begin.
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BOOK 1 CHAPTER 8: Aftermath of Change
"Shen! Slow down! It's going to be okay! Faster girl!"
Korra ordered Naga and the polar bear dog barked in obedience. Korra was chasing her boyfriend that rode off on his motorcycle at high speed towards his family restaurant. The news of his beloved home was set ablaze caused him to run out of the arena in a fit of frenzy.
He ignored his friends' cries and sped off home. Korra jumped on Naga while the rest took a ride in either Chief Beifong's or Detective Yaozun's car. Shen rode Machine Tornador as fast as its namesake. Zipping through the cars on the street, ignoring the honking of angry drivers.
In the business district, the fire spread to nearby blocks in a blink of an eye. When they thought they covered all grounds, the fire spread to a new part that they weren't fully prepared for.
"Get more water over here!" Shouted one waterbender to his colleague. More tanks of water were brought over and more and more water hydrants were used to combat the fire. They used water bending and ice bending to put out the fire but it still wasn't enough.
Firebenders tried to bend the fire enough to help their friends evacuate the civilians from inside the buildings. Some even absorb the flames but it's too much even for them to withstand.
Earthbenders tried their best to use their abilities to help to keep the structures from collapsing and potentially trapped anyone inside. But they couldn't focus on keeping the structure firm as the heat of the flames was too intense for them.
Civilians that already escaped the blazing building were horrified. They cried, screamed and some even couldn't get words out how their precious home and for some, the only piece of wealth they possessed, currently been slowly consumed by the flames.
"We got one over here." A fire bender bravely pulled a woman out of the burning building while his friend helped a man right behind the woman. They brought them to safety and to a medic team.
"What's your name, Miss?"
"Yu…Yuka." The woman told him her name.
"Miss Yuka, is there anyone else inside the restaurant?"
"I don't know. I seriously don't know."
Immediately, a tall figure loomed over them. It was Mao, one of the cooks at the restaurant. He was out of breath and few burned marks were present on his face. "Where's Talah and Bilan? The owner? The last time I saw them, they were helping the others escape."
Yuka's gasped as the thought of the two rushed into her mind. She grasped the man who helped her and burst into tears.
"Please. Help them. They might still be inside."
"Miss, don't worry. We will." He let the medic focus on the frantic Yuka as he gathered his team to rush back into the building. He headed back to the building to only be stopped by the others.
"Don't go. It's about to collapse soon."
"There are people in there. We need to get them out." He pushed on through but his colleague continued to prevent him.
"It might be too late now!"
"Let me through." The man tried to push his way in but the others wouldn't let him pass.
"Talah! Talah where are you?" Bilan ran through the hallway of their house on the second floor. The explosion in the kitchen took everyone by surprise. The force was enough to knock everyone off their feet and before they could comprehend what just happened, the fire spread through the place in an instant. He was busy helping those who had been trapped under the rubble to escape himself. He needs to make sure everyone is safe.
He was about to call out for Talah when he saw his wife ran back upstairs. He was perplexed why she would run back up and quickly ran after her. He could've run faster but the floor and the walls were flaming hot and he doesn't want to accidentally step on any hazard.
"Talah!"
"In here!"
Bilan reached the backroom of the second floor where he found Talah struggling to carry a large book in her arms.
"What are you doing?! We need to leave. It's dangerous." Bilan pulled her by the arm but Talah continues to hold firm on the book despite it's preventing her to run efficiently.
"Leave it!"
"No! It's the only thing my mother left me! I'm not going to leave it!"
Knowing how stubborn his wife is, Bilan grabbed the book and tucked it effortlessly under his arms. He shielded Talah's head from the falling debris and escorted her towards the stairs, which thankfully the fire didn't burn down completely just yet.
"Watch out." Bilan pushed Talah forward with the book before a large wooden beam crashed onto him, trapping half of his body.
"Bilan! Oh no! Please no!"
Talah tried to get the large beam off her husband. The beam might not be on fire but it's heavy and blazing hot due to the flames that burned it down earlier.
"Hold on." She tried her best to lift it but it was futile. She screamed as the palm of her hands was burning but she didn't give up.
"I'm sorry dear. This is my fault. I'm so selfish."
"Talah. Leave me. Get out of here. The building will collapse any minute."
"I'm not leaving you." He told him as her vision starting get blurry due to the tears. Bilan's eyes were also tearing up. Words choked at his throat at the sight of his wife trying to get the beam off of him. The crushing weight and the heat emitted from it was nothing compared to the pain brought by the prospect of leaving his wife and son behind.
"Please Talah. One of us must survive. For Shen."
"No! I'm not leaving you. We promise to be together forever."
"Talah. Listen to me. I know I kept saying Shen's a mature individual but he still needs us. But he needs you the most! Please! Leave me!"
"Help! Someone! We're still here!"
Talah cried out all of her might but no one came. She wept uncontrollably and lean down to give her husband a kiss, before hugging him.
"I'm staying."
"What? No…"
"Live and die, together."
Bilan tried to push her off but she held on strong. As the flames surrounded them and the building slowly burning itself apart, he accepted her decision. He hugged her back and she nuzzled her face into his shoulder.
At the same time, they thought of their one and only son.
'I'm sorry Shen. We couldn't be with you anymore. Please remained a good and kind-hearted man. That's your best trait. Please don't seek revenge on the ones that did this. We will always watch over you.'
Bilan closed his eyes.
'Mother will always love you. I'm sorry for leaving. I wish you and Korra a happy marriage and bless with lots of wonderful children like you are to us. Eat your meals on time and always protect those precious to you. We will always watch over you.'
As they began to lose consciousness, they heard voices. Shouting something they couldn't understand nor respond to. The last thing Talah saw was a flash of light and the color red.
Asami waited worriedly outside with Detective Shou and Detective Yaozun. Chief Beifong was talking with the benders to combat the spreading of the fire.
"They aren't coming out. We need to go in and get them."
"And what? Get trap in there ourselves?"
Chief Beifong stopped the two men from arguing. "Enough. Let's put our trust in them."
'Please be safe.'
As the situation worsens, everyone starting to lose hope. All of a sudden, the fire stopped moving. The raging flames that covered multiple blocks of the building stopped spreading in an instant.
"What is happening?" Asami asked. "Korra! Shen! Mako! Bolin!"
She ran towards the fire but was stopped by the two detectives.
"Miss Sato. It's dangerous, we must have faith in them."
Yaozun looked at the flames that stopped moving. What is going on?
'Come on Shen,'
Not only the flames stopped but they slowly flaked off the building like the dead leaves of a tree. It all traveled through the air and gathered towards above the restaurant.
"Coming through." Bolin and Mako came running through the front door with an unconscious Bilan and Talah and hurriedly get them in the hands of the medic on standby.
"Where's Korra and Shen? Why the flames gathering like that?" Asami pointed out.
Mako grabbed his girlfriend. "Asami. The most amazing thing happened. It's Shen, he's…"
"Controlling all of those flames. Like, all of it." Bolin finished the explanation.
Inside the building, Korra used all of her powers to control the flames from spreading further. She's maybe the Avatar but currently, she's only controlling a small portion of the flames. The rest were handled by the man beside her.
"Okay, just focus on the flames. Bend it with your will. Got that?"
Behind her was Agito but something was different about him. His armor was neither golden nor blue. It's a different color. His body was now bright red and equipped with a sharp shoulder guard on his right shoulder. The center of the Altering was bright red. In his hands were a longsword. Its blade was sharp enough to cut through even the hardest of material and clear enough to be a mirror.
"Shen?" Korra asked again. "You, okay? We need to focus here. We're not in the clear yet."
"I'm fine." Agito Flame said monotonously. He swung his sword and all the fire surrounding them flew off the walls and into the sword itself.
"Yeah. You're getting the hang of it." Korra was happy to see her boyfriend slowly mastering the element of fire, an element he doesn't have a liking to.
Agito Flame focuses more on his powers and energy. More flames being absorbed into the sword and he could feel the power of fire accumulating in the weapon. The flames steadily surrounded the blade of the sword. He could feel the flames were too intense for him to hold on to and need an outlet to release it.
ZHING!
A flash of images appeared in his mind and it shows the golden Mole Unknown from earlier stalking a drunken man walking on a sidewalk.
"Perfect timing. Korra, I need to handle an issue."
"Okay, stay safe. The fire's almost gone anyway. I could handle the rest." Korra leaned in for a kiss but Agito Flame didn't wait around and jumped up through the ceiling and onto the roof. Once there, he swung his sword and all of the remaining fire rushed towards his sword.
"That should be enough."
Agito Flame jumped down towards his parked motorcycle. His friends ran to him but keep their distance due to the blazing heat produced by the flaming sword in his hand.
"Shen, where are you going?" Mako asked.
Without answering, Shen sped off towards the destination.
The Mole Unknown stalked a drunken man in the street. He walked incredibly slow and was an easy target. It needs to prove himself to his superiors that it wouldn't fail like its comrade earlier. It made the hand gesture and ready to strike at its victim.
As it was about to dig underground, it heard the sound of an engine rumbling and a source of light behind it. Turning around, Agito on the Machine Tornado closing in on it. Agito Flame held a fiery red sword and jumped onto the seat of his motorcycle.
Too stunned to do anything, it just simply watched as Agito Flame jumped into the air. With the sword coated with fire both in his hands, he brought it down onto the Mole Unknown with great force, splitting the evil spirit in half right in the center, killing it in an instant in a giant burning explosion.
Agito Flame stood up and looked at his burning surrounding.
Fire.
A destructive element.
Fire.
Almost took the lives of his family.
Fire.
Meant to kill those he loved.
He hates fire. That's for sure.
Hardly anyone in Republic City got any soundless sleep that night as in every household, at least one member stayed up to keep an eye on the situation, afraid another disaster occurred near them and needed to evacuate.
The police patrolled the streets and ordered everyone to return to their homes. Those who didn't comply will be arrested. Things returned to a calming state in the morning but everyone was in a high state of alert.
At Republic City Hospital, a loud crash caught a few assistant healers off guard and immediately rushed to the lobby. One of them, a middle-aged woman shook her head at the sight in front of her.
"That boy again?" Another assistant healer asked the woman.
"Yes. Poor boy. He's been sleeping here all night."
The woman approached a snoozing Shen that had fallen off the bench he's been sleeping on. Wrapped in a blue blanket, he is now face-first on the floor, snoozing away. The woman shook him hard.
"Hey, wake up. I know we let you sleep here but it's almost visiting hours."
After a few shakes, Shen opened his eyes that were still red from a night of crying himself to sleep. He sat up and stared at the woman.
"What time is it? What's going on?"
"You don't remember? Your parents had been admitted here. When visiting time's over, you practically beg to let you stay here. You slept on the bench in this lobby." She gestured to the lobby they're currently in.
Shen turned to the bench and picked up a blue blanket off the floor.
"Whose blanket is this?"
"Oh, the Avatar briefly came by last night after you fell asleep and she put that on you. You're lucky to have her as a friend."
Shen looked hard at the blanket. Korra. He needs to talk to her. But first…
"Ma'am, how are my parents?"
She shook her head, "They are still unconscious. Their condition might be slightly more serious than we initially anticipated."
"What? We brought them out in a hurry. They weren't unconscious in the burning building for long."
"Yes, but there are more factors than just time or amount of smoke or toxic they inhaled contribute to severity. Age, health condition, they're all factored in. What we could do right now, is hope for the best and let the healers do their work, Mr. Xiang."
"Okay. Thank you."
The woman left Shen to his thoughts and returned to her duties.
Shen picked himself up and exited the hospital. He rode his motorcycle around the city. The fresh morning air truly does help him prepared for the day. He stopped by his family restaurant that was non-existence at that point, along with rows of other shops that were badly destroyed in the fire.
Held in his tears, he rode off to wherever he felt like at that moment.
Detective Shou finished his tenth cup of coffee to fight against the drowsiness that slowly creeping back in every half an hour since a few hours ago. He looked around the station. Officers come and go in a hurry due to last night's events. It's a miracle none of them crash into each other.
"Detective Shou."
Chief Beifong approached him. She looked tired as the rest of them but kept a strong presence.
"Yes, Chief?"
"Come with me."
Shou followed his boss to the armory where they mostly kept and maintain their weapons. They entered a private room and met up with Detective Yaozun with a large bag by a table in the middle of the room.
"Yaozun? What's up?" Shou greeted him.
After making sure the door to the room closed, she joined the two men.
"Detective, you may proceed."
Yaozun nodded and unloaded the content of the bag. Shou was surprised as Yaozun neatly arranged every part of the badly damaged G3 armor onto the table.
"Woah. What's all this?"
"So, this is the so-called G3 armor Amon created?" Cheif Beifong asked, while being borderline amused and not amused at the same time.
"Yes. That's what the guy stupidly bragging about before attacking us."
"What's this?" Shou picked up a hand-held weapon that shoots out explosives, which put Yaozun on high alert.
"Shou. Put that down. You don't know how it works."
Chief Beifong agreed. "Listen to him, Shou. He witnessed firsthand what it could do."
Shou scoffed and continue to fiddle with it, "Relax, I got this. Maybe we should pull this trigger?"
"Stop!"
BOOM!
Shou pulled the trigger and shot the wall in front of him. Pushing him back and left a huge hole in the wall where the shot hit.
"You idiot. You'll kill us all." Chief Beifong picked up the weapon and put it back on the table. "No touching without authorization."
"Understand Chief." Shou agreed, still shaken from the incident.
"As you can see, this is one of the many weapons that guy have on him. The others are the dagger, electric infused gloves, and a build-in flamethrower to say a few." Yaozun explained. "The armor is made up of almost pure platinum and other substances that are impervious to metal bending. It's thick enough to handle destructive blows and withstood strong impacts that otherwise could kill a man. But, looking at the damages, it might not be enough to withstand Shen's attacks if he gets serious."
"That kid continues to surprise us." Shou proudly admitted. "But, why bringing it here and not the weapon's department for more research? More importantly, why I'm here?"
"Good question, Detective Shou. Before sending it for more research, I wish to talk to both of you."
"About what Chief?" Yaozun asked while examining the badly damaged helmet of G3.
"I want one of you to wear it after we finished fixing it."
"What?" Both detectives couldn't believe their ears and Shou spoke up.
"Chief, are you listening to what you just said? We can't use the enemy's arsenal. We need to learn about it and dispose of it."
"I know, but we have no choice. If this one exists, who knows how many more there are out there, on standby, ready to be used. That's why we need to use it to our advantage. To the city's advantage. I'm was hoping you two could lend me a hand."
The two men looked at each other before nodding.
"Leave it to us, Chief." Together, the two packed up the armor pieces to get it fixed. Chief Beifong smiled at them but a frown appeared on her face.
'I'm a hypocrite.'
"He what?"
Korra was at the hospital looking for Shen but couldn't find him. She decided to ask one of the staff and was surprised he had left.
"Yes. After he woke up, he lingers a bit before leaving."
"Ok. Thanks."
Korra jumped on Naga and start looking for him.
'Shen. Where are you? Mako and Bolin. Maybe Shen went there.'
Korra arrived at the half-destroyed Pro-bending Arena, which was tightly guarded by the police. After getting approval, she rushed up to the attic where Mako and Bolin rented. Once up there, she saw the two boys packing their things in a gloomy atmosphere, reluctant to leave in a terrible predicament.
"Morning you two."
"Morning Korra." Mako greeted her. "How are things on your end? Me and Bo hardly slept with the attack, police questioning, and what happened to Shen's parents. By the way, where is he?"
"That's why I'm here. Shen's not at the hospital. I thought he might've come here."
"Nope." Bolin lifted a box of his belongings. "He didn't. Wished he did though. We were worried. He was like possessed when he just ran off to fight that evil spirit and also the time at the hospital."
"Don't worry, Korra. We'll find him."
"Thanks, you two. Oh, yes. I talked with Tenzin and he agreed to let the two of you stay at the Air Temple Island with us. Isn't it great?"
"What about Shen?" Mako asked.
"Shen? Of course, he'll be staying there as well. Boyfriend privilege."
Bolin crossed his arms. "Then what about Mako and me? Parasites?"
"Whatever you two. So, what do you say?"
Mako and Bolin looked at each other with a guilty expression.
"Korra. I don't know how to say this but…"
"Oh, Korra. You're here. I haven't heard you came in." Asami appeared behind Korra, caused the Avatar to get into a fighting stance.
"Sweet spirit Asami. Don't scare me like that."
"Sorry. Couldn't help it. Did you tell her Mako?"
"I was about to."
Korra turned to her former teammate, "Tell me what?"
"Well…"
Mako couldn't finish his sentence when Bolin interjects, "Asami offered us to stay at her place. The Sato Estate. Isn't that great Korra? Imagine living the high life."
Korra was dumbfounded. She turned to a smiling Asami and back to the two brothers, still couldn't believe what she just heard.
"What?"
"Imagine it Korra. A huge house with all the necessities you could ask for." Bolin added. Everyone could clearly see how excited he was.
"Why no one told me any of this?"
"Oh." Asami scratched her cheek sheepishly. "It was spur of the moment thing. I came here early in the morning to tell these guys and they gladly accept."
"I can't believe you guys."
Mako tried to calm the Avatar down. "Easy Korra. We were just as in shock as you are. Why are you so upset anyway? We didn't know you would offer us to stay at Air Temple Island. Obviously, we accepted Asami's offer."
"You're right. You're right." Korra calmed down and sat on a box. "I just thought that Shen might want some guy friends to hang out with, after all, after what had happened to him."
"We understand Korra." Bolin suddenly got an idea. "I got it. Why don't you and Shen come over? We'll have a sleepover or hanging out all day. Can we Asami?"
Asami smiled at the idea, "Of course. You and Shen should come over. Let's hang out. I'm sure we could get him back to his old self. Let him know that we're here for him."
"But where is he?" Mako wondered and the others agreed.
Near the Republic City's docks, the workers were working by organizing the shipping crates. They were almost done when a loud commotion was heard. One of them walked closer but was surprised by an evil spirit with the head of a jaguar being thrown above them and slammed into the shipping crates behind them, leaving a huge dent.
They were even more surprised when Agito Ground Form walked over with heavy stomps. The Jaguar Unknown summoned its bow and arrow and aimed. The arrow was released by Agito caught swiftly caught it.
The stunned Unknown wasn't able to react as Agito continue to pound it all over its body. The warrior grabbed the Unknown by the scarf and slammed it multiple times against the crate, causing the dent to get bigger and bigger.
One knee to the gut and Agito threw it over his shoulders.
SHING!
Agito's horns split open and the warrior curled up his fist. He ran towards the Unknown and land a solid punch to its face. After a few minutes, Agito retracted his fist.
"Hmph."
Agito scoffed and confidently walked away. The Unknown was still on its knees slowly fell forward and exploded when its body touched the ground.
Shen got onto his motorcycle when a hand landed on his shoulder. He turned to see Yaozun smiling at him.
"I finally found you. Been looking all over for you."
"You're looking for me? Why?"
"Korra and the others are worried about you. You left without a word. You should start telling where you're going. Especially in these times."
"Why should I tell them anything? Not they listen to me anyway." Shen put on his helmet.
Yaozun was surprised with the statement. He got in front of the motorcycle.
"What do you mean?"
Shen rolled his eyes behind the helmet's visor.
"I was against the final match from continuing, but did they listen? Of course, not. Korra convinced me that we can stopped Amon by proving ourselves but Amon never cares for that. He wants total destruction. Destroy the old, create a new image. If the match was canceled, I could be at home when the fire started."
"Wait Shen. Are you saying it's their fault your parents in this state?"
"Not entirely. The council and Chief Beifong also play a part."
Shen was about to leave when Yaozun yanked off his helmet and deliver a straight punch to his face. The warrior plopped to the ground and saw Yaozun looming over him.
"What are you doing, Detective?"
"What am I doing? What are you doing? Blaming others like this? None of us wants this to happened. Chief Beifong, Korra and everyone wants to show Amon that we are one. We are united. Even your parents, Shen."
"If the match was canceled…" Shen began to argue as he getting up.
Yaozun got into Shen's face. "…you can protect your parents, I know Shen. We all do. We want them to be safe as well. They are great people but I know they wouldn't like it to see their son being someone that points fingers."
"Don't you put words into their mouths!"
"Really?! Look me in the eyes, Shen. Look at me! Tell me that they love to put blames on other for their misfortunes without any solid bases."
Shen's eyes redden. He was about to let the detective have it but he couldn't find his voice. He hates being in this situation. How dare this man said that about his parents and what they would and wouldn't do.
He's wrong. He's wrong. He's wrong. He…was right.
Shen knew his parents were that kind of people. They might be righteous and just but they wouldn't blame others for their misfortunes. They would find the cause and try to fix it. Sure, there are times when someone truly at fault but, one must know whether its intentional or not and what kind of justice it deserves.
"What happened to your parents was unfortunate, but others also suffer. Not just you. If you think you're the only victim and has the right to moan about it then you couldn't be more wrong."
Yaozun's words slaps hard.
"You know what's going on Shen. You might have an idea who's behind it. But for most of them, waking up to raging flames in front of their eyes. Might be their last moments. Right now, we need to be strong Shen. For them. For your parents. For Republic City. We could not afford to be falling apart."
Shen was silent but something caught his interest.
"Detective. How many did…"
"There's no causalities. It was a miracle. All thanks to your red armor. You manipulate those flames like a firebending master. It was sight to behold."
They chuckled a bit but returned to a silent state.
"Shen. We couldn't control who got hurt or not. Your parents are safe. That's all that matters now. I bet when they wake up, they want to see their son safe and healthy. Right now, we need to keep our heads together to fight against Amon. All of us. Okay?"
Shen looked into Yaozun's eyes and could see how sincere the detective was. Shen looked down to see the detective offered a handshake. Shen smiled and shook it.
"Great. Let's get back to the police station. We got something to share with everyone."
"Okay."
Shen hopped onto his motorcycle and Yaozun got into his car. The two rode their respective vehicles to the station. Once arrived, Shen couldn't bring himself from going in the station for some reason. His feet slowly becoming noodles and couldn't stand up straight.
"What's wrong?" Yaozun asked.
"Nothing."
The two entered the station and Shen was ambushed by his friends. Korra first, second Bolin, Asami and Mako followed. They shared a hug and Korra kissed him on the cheek.
"Don't disappear on us like that. We were worried." Korra said as she glared at him.
"Yeah man. We thought you would go rogue and attack every Equalist in the city." Bolin joined in.
Mako crossed his arms, "Wouldn't be too far fetch. As they all say, 'Be careful of the quiet ones'"
Asami rolled her eyes and pushed Mako aside.
"Well, I'm glad it didn't come to that. Shen's too nice of a guy to be tainted by revenge." Asami fully embraced the warrior that she thought of like a younger brother.
As Shen hugged by the girl, he eyed Korra arguing something with Mako. He remembered the detective's words and try to take to heart for the betterment of the situation. He smiled and let go of the hug.
As the teens happily talked, Tenzin, Chief Beifong and the two detectives approached them with a sadden expression. The four adults looked at each other and a wave of guilt kicked in. Yaozun nodded and took a step forward but Chief Beifong stopped him before she herself approached the group.
"Shen."
"Chief. I hope things are, okay? Do you need my help with anything?"
"No, I'm good. Thanks for offering. How's your parents?"
"They're recovering. Still haven't woken up though, might need some time." He replied with raspy voice.
"You have my sympathy and I hope they have a swift recovery. The reason I gathered everyone here as there's something I wished to share."
Bolin's eyes widen, "Oh yeah. The detective told us that but he didn't say anything."
"That's because I asked them to keep a secret until now. We caught the one that started the fire, or at least an accomplice."
This caught everyone's attention. Shen almost launched forward if Korra and Mako didn't stopped him by gripping his hands.
"You caught him?"
"Yes," Tenzin spoke up. "We even questioned him. It wasn't as smooth as we planned but we didn't get anything out of it. That man refused to talk."
"Can I see him?"
"We knew you would ask that kid." Shou chuckled. "Usually we say 'No', but we decided to give you an exception. We owe you a closure. But, as a warning. Prepare for anything."
Shen nodded and they all made their way to the interrogation room. As they arrived, Chief Beifong opened the door and Shen peeked in nervously. Inside the room was a man handcuffed to the table with two other officers standing by. The man wore a simple white shirt and his long black hair covered his face.
"Hello Shen."
The man has a deep voice which took Shen by surprised. He recognized that voice. The man lifted his head, showing his face to the teen. He was skinny and supported a light beard. He smiled at Shen but Shen did not return it. He was loss for words. This man.
"Look who survived the fire. Good for you. Hooray." He mockingly cheered.
"Big Brother Kuay?"
"Yup. It's me. Did you miss me?"
"You know him, Shen?" Chief Beifong went on high alert. She was expecting an answer but Shen just stared at the culprit and ignored her.
"Shen?"
"Oh, look. He's in shock that he couldn't get a word out. How cute." The man continues to mock him. "Why don't you tell her who I am, Shen? It would be good to clear up our relationship."
"This is Big Brother Kuay. He's one of our waiters at the restaurant.".
Everyone was shocked by the man's status. Those who waited outside were in disbelief.
"Oh, what?" Korra almost stormed in but was held back by Tenzin. "Let me in Tenzin. I got someone to beat up."
"Easy Korra. This is between them. Let's not interfere until we have to. Lin is in there with Shen."
Inside, Shen stood motionless as Kuay just fiddling with his fingers.
"Look. This is boring. If this brat refuses to say anything to me, could I go back to my cell?"
"This can't be true. Why Big Brother Kuay? Why did you do it? I thought you called in sick."
"What are you? An idiot, Shen? I was lying. Alongside the others that didn't show up to work for the past week. How do you think we know the layout and the routes to set up the explosives without being caught? Seriously, you are an idiot. Just like your parents."
Shen greeted his teeth and curled his hands. Kuay realized this but knew he was never in any danger as he knows why.
"I see you're angry Shen. But I knew you couldn't bring yourself to hurt me to even defend your parent's honor. What a pathetic son you turned out to be."
"My parents took you in after you couldn't find a job with your former criminal status. They gave you a fair wage and they treat you like fair and kind. This is how you repay them?"
"They got what they deserved. I talked with them alongside the others to offer the restaurant as a base for the Equalists. We even had a nice long chat but those two old bats refused. Not every non-bender could strife in businesses and they were among the lucky few and they refused to help our brother and sister. I'm surprised they didn't turn us in."
Chief Beifong looked at Shen carefully. She worried the man's words would be too much for the teen.
"Shen. If you want to leave…"
"Do you want to know why they didn't say anything Shen?" Kuay continued.
"Why?"
"Because of you. They're afraid what you happened to their precious little boy if he knows his so-called 'Big Brothers' and 'Big Sisters' were Equalists. That's surely left a scarring impression on him. But I hope it does, you man-baby."
"Shen…" Chief Beifong called out.
"I hated how optimistic you three were about the relationship of benders and non-benders in this city. I wished I could just bash you and your parent's stupid heads with those pots and pans I'm forced to clean."
"Shen! Don't give in," Korra yelled and bashed the glass. Everyone just stood there with raging anger rushing within them, but showing it would only satisfy that psychopath even more.
"I knew you would never be on our side starting from the moment you brought that bitch Avatar home with you and being in a relationship with her is crossing the line!"
"Don't you dare badmouth her!" Shen lashed out.
"Really? What are you going to do? Beat me? Come on. Do it. Do it!" Kuay jumped on his feet and tugged on his chains. Edging Shen on.
"Enough! Officers!" Chief Beifong ordered her men.
The two officers restrained Kuay but the man kept on with his slur of insults.
As furious he was, Shen didn't raise a fist. He couldn't bring himself to. He was angry, yes, but why he couldn't do it?
"Hah! I knew it. You're just like your parents. Hey, Avatar! I know you're out there!"
Kuay screamed at the one-way mirror that separating them.
"Look how pathetic your boyfriend is. He didn't even fight in your defense. Couldn't you pick a better guy? I don't know what you see in him!"
"That's it!" Korra stormed in but before she could have her way, Shen stopped her by restraining her. It's unknown why he's stopping her from giving the man a piece of her mind. He deserves it but Shen couldn't allow it for reason he couldn't explain.
"Shen! Let me go!"
As the chaos continues, a big hulking figure entered the room pushed the couple aside before punching Kuay right in his mouth with such force, the man flung backward. Dragging and flipping the table alongside him as he was still chained to it.
The officers were able to get out of the way in time. Even if they did get caught in the crossfire, no one could blame the newcomer for his actions. Kuay deserved it. Everyone looked at the man and Shen recognized another familiar face, a friendly one this time.
"Big Brother Mao?"
Mao the cook was panting and out of breath, using his remaining willpower from beating his former workmate. He stomped forward and even the three police in the room wouldn't dare to stop him. He grabbed Kuay by the collar and by being a big strong guy, he lifted him effortlessly with one hand.
"You're a bastard Kuay. I should have known you're plotting something."
Kuay couldn't say anything as he was in a daze, his mouth was bloodied and even lose a few teeth.
"You brought problems and chaos more than the benders ever could."
Shen felt a pair of hands on his shoulders and turned to see a smiling Yuka. Her face was wet from tears but still smiling brightly, something she was always known for.
"Big Sister Yuka?" Shen whispered.
Yuka put a finger to her lips, asking him to keep quiet for now.
"Take him away, officers. I think everyone said whatever in their minds. Especially him." Chief Beifong eyed a bloodied Kuay as he was dragged out of the room.
After everything's sorted out, Shen, Mao, and Yuka talked in private and the four friends stood around waiting for their fifth.
"That's was tense." Bolin acknowledged.
"True that. I would have done the same thing to him if Shen didn't stop me." Korra crossed her arms as she eyed Shen talking to his parent's former employees.
"No offense Korra. It's more satisfying seeing him get beat up by his former colleague. We could see two different kinds of people." Mako commented.
"I hope Shen's okay. He's been slap around with one event after the other." Asami frowned. "First his parents almost died and now his parent's former employees wished for their demise? I'm surprised Shen still could keep everything in."
"I know what we could do." Bolin snapped his fingers. "Huddle up guys."
Bolin called them in for a quick discussion. Everyone's a bit skeptical when it comes to Bolin's 'plan' but the more he explained the more they feel it could work.
"I don't know if Shen's in the mood for such things but I'm down. I haven't been doing such things ever." Korra's getting excited about their plan.
"I'll make the preparations. I hope it will work." Asami said hopefully.
"We trust you, Bo." Mako confined in his brother.
"Relax. It will work. We know what Shen likes."
"Guys." Shen, Mao, and Yuka came over while smiling and look like the depressing accident never happened. "Guys, meet Mao and Yuka. They work at the restaurant as well. Or used to."
"Pleased to meet Shen's friends and girlfriend. I'm happy to meet you at long last Avatar." Yuka greeted them.
"I saw you once or twice. Glad to finally meet you as well." Korra returned the greetings.
Mako shook Mao's hands. "Would you like to join us for lunch? We're about to get some and put the whole accident behind us."
"We love to but we have a ship to catch," Mao replied.
Their eyes widen but Bolin was the first to speak up. "Wait. A ship? You guys…"
"Leaving the city, yes." Yuka finished his sentence.
Later, the gang was at the pier, waiting to say goodbye to Mao and Yuka. They were quite heavy-hearted to see them leave. Shen hardly has anyone else from the restaurant that he could keep in touch with. Most of them were on the run and some went their separate ways.
"Is there any way to convince you guys to stay?" Korra asked.
"Korra. It's fine." Shen assured her.
"We would love to stay in the city. We love this place and I owned everything to Shen's parents. But I feel it isn't safe for us. Escaping the fire was a blessing and who knew what our fate would be next time." Yuka smiled.
"I came here from the Fire Nation to be a theater performer but couldn't get any offers. One of the producers took pity since my savings were limited and offer me a part-time job at the restaurant until I could get a role but Shen's parents were so nice to me and I feel bad wanting to leave. So, I stayed until now and forget the whole theater dream."
Mao chuckled at Yuka's story, making the girl pouted at the man.
"Like your story any different, Mao."
"What's your story like?" Mako asked the man.
"Me? I was born here but my parents came from a small village in the countryside of the Fire Nation, so all of my relatives are over there. My dad wished to be a famous cook at a classy restaurant but got denied from lots of places. After he and my ma passed, I took on his ambition and I too failed to get a position at many restaurants. I guess my cooking wasn't up to standards."
"Big Brother Mao. Your cooking is amazing. As good as my father." Shen praised him.
"Thanks, Shen. Later I joined in a few cooking tournaments and cooking exhibitions. Didn't win any but I got second place once. A few days later, Bilan approached me and offer me a job at the restaurant. Being a cook at a family restaurant isn't my first choice but what choices do I have? I was tempted to quit a few times but seeing how happy the customers eat my cooking and I got a steady income, I just stayed."
"And you laughed at my life story." Yuka glared at the man beside her.
"You still mad about that Yuka?"
Everyone laughed at the two adults and the horn of their ship sounded for the first time, signaling it's time for departure.
"What are your plans after getting home?" Asami curiously asked them.
"Not sure," Mao answered her. "We plan on finding jobs there. I'm sure there are lots of places that require a cook and a waiter."
"Hey, don't sell yourself short," Mako assured them.
With a heavy heart, they finally said their farewell. Mao and Yuka boarded the ship and it sailed within a few minutes. Their eyes grew teary as the pier and city skyline slowly disappeared from their view.
"I'm sorry Shen."
Yuka apologized and wiped her eyes. She thought Shen as her younger brother and didn't want to leave him but she's too frighten to remain in the city. Mao awkwardly looked around, clearly don't know how to comfort the girl despite knowing her for years.
"Come on, Yuka. Let's check into your room. You should get some rest. It will be a long time until we reach our destination." Mao told her as he helped picked up their bags.
"My room? We share the same room."
DANG!
Mao dropped the bags in surprise. The other passengers looked at him with weird looks.
"What do mean, we share the same room?"
Yuka pulled out the ticket that she booked for them. "Oh, I forgot to tell you. There aren't any single rooms left, so we have to share a double room. If you're worried, I don't snore…loudly. So, you should be fine. Don't worry about snoring yourself either, I'm a heavy sleeper."
As the two of them stood there blushing for different reasons, the other passengers just walked past them, giving them weird looks.
"Go, Shen!"
Shen stirred his motorcycle slightly to the side to turn at one of many corners at the Sato's mansion's racetracks. Behind him was a speeding Satomobile driven by Asami. The girl steadily catching up to Shen.
They passed the stands where Korra, Bolin, and Mako were watching in amazement. Mako and Korra were cheering for Asami and Shen respectively for obvious reasons but Bolin had a hard time deciding who to root for.
"Go Asami. Go, Shen. Go Asami. Go, Shen. Go Shenami! Go both of them!" He cheered loudly as Pabu making Fire Ferret noises next to him.
The two racers were closing on the finish line but Shen got a little bit too comfortable which caused Asami to outtake him, thus reaching the finish first by a few inches.
Shen stopped his ride to shake hands with his opponent.
"That was amazing Asami. I thought I would've won back there."
"You weren't bad yourself, Shen. I don't know how it's fair for a Satomobile to race against a motorcycle but you certainly almost made me a run for my money. As a reminder, don't get too comfortable. Always finish strong or your opponents will get the advantage of you."
"Will keep that in mind."
After the race, they entered the mansion. Asami told them that it's almost lunchtime but instead of going to the dining room, they need to go to the kitchen first.
"Why are we going to the kitchen?" Shen asked them but received no reply. "Guys?"
He turned to Korra but the girl just walked forward. When they arrived, Asami opened the door to reveal a fancy kitchen with many raw ingredients prepared out for them. From varieties of fresh fruits and vegetables, different kinds of meats and fish, and an assortment of spices, sauce, and cooking ingredients, one could cook any dishes they wished.
"Wow. This is the nicest kitchen I ever set foot in." Shen was amazed and out of impulse, he grabbed the nearest bottle of spice. It's neatly wrapped in its packaging and the expiration date is still years away as if it's just store-bought.
"These are expensive brands. Like the ones used in high-class restaurants. Look at this fish. These are the freshest fish I have ever seen, not to mention expensive."
As they watched Shen acting like a child in a candy store, they couldn't help from smiling. They're glad the Shen they knew and love is still around and not letting the recent drama tainted his mind.
"Where are the cooks? Asami, are they all on leave?"
"No, Shen. I asked them, after hard convincing, to leave the kitchen to us for the afternoon. We're going to cook our lunch."
"Woohoo. Unlimited choices!" Bolin ran up to ingredients and grabbed whichever the closest to him.
"Is it okay for us to do this, Asami?"
"Shen," Korra walked up to him. "We were worried that you might not be handling this whole situation well and we thought that…"
Bolin rushed to them while holding a large assortment of ingredients in his arms, "…we thought that we should spend some time together. The five of us, doing something close to your heart."
"Cooking," Shen answered as a smile slowly presenting itself on his face.
Mako lightly punched Shen's shoulder. "There you go, buddy. Asami was nice enough to set everything up."
"Thanks, Asami."
"Hey, if you wished to thank me. Cook a great dish for all of us to eat. In fact, why don't we all cook a dish and share it with everyone? Shen will be the judge." Asami smiled as she told them of their 'little' afternoon activity.
"You're on." Korra raised a fist confidently. "I'll beat all of you."
"Ahem, other than Shen, I cooked for both me and Bolin for years. If anyone has an edge, it's me. I haven't seen Bolin cook a thing in his life, you two probably never picked up a cooking utensil in their life." Mako crossed his arms with a smug.
"That's not entirely true, Mister." Korra pointed a finger at the fire bender. "I had cooked at Air Temple Island when I'm hungry in the middle of the night."
"Was that the same time Ikki said you almost burned down the house?"
"Hush, Shen." Korra silenced him.
Asami blushed as it was true. She has servants doing everything for her and cooking was one thing that her father didn't think would be necessary to learn unlike business or self-defense. But she wouldn't let her boyfriend look down on her and hit Mako on the sides with her elbow.
Bolin wasn't amused either.
"Oh yeah, Bro? I picked up a few things watching you cook over the years. I've just haven't time to practice. We should let Shen decide which is best. Right, Shen? Shen?"
They turned to the cutting sound at one of the counters and saw Shen in full concentration cutting, slicing, and dicing tomatoes, onions, potatoes with the skin, and cucumbers.
"Wait for us, Shen." Korra followed as she went to her counter.
"No fair. You get a head start." Bolin wobbled over to his counter with the mountain of ingredients in his hands. That leaves Mako and Asami.
"So, loser wash all the plates?" Asami challenged him with a teasing smile.
"Asami, this is not about competition…"
"Ready? Go." Asami bolted to her station and putting on her apron. As she put it on, she stuck her tongue teasingly at her boyfriend.
Mako smiled at her teasing and quickly decided his dish.
The next hour was hectic in the kitchen with everyone running around getting things done. Shen almost finished his dish while the other still struggling to keep up. True to his words, Mako was doing fine. He finished a small side dish and decided to make another one. He prefers small side dishes rather than large ones.
"Bo, toss me some eggs. I need to make an omelet."
"Eggs up."
Bolin badly threw a few eggs at his brother, which was all over the place. Mako caught most of them but a few fell into the bowl and around it, cracking it open, leaving a mess on Mako's counter.
"Are you sure the shells are supposed to be in the bowl?" Bolin asked whether teasingly or genuinely was up for debate.
Mako answered with a glare and send Bolin packing.
"Hey, I'm just asking."
Korra forgot where she put her sugar and just yanked a bowl from Asami's counter which was directly behind her.
"Korra, I need that."
"I just need a pinch, and done." She turned around and clumsily passed it back to Asami. The heiress didn't fully grab the bowl as Korra pulled her hand away too soon. After a few minutes of a game of hot potato, she steadied the bowl, not before some sugar spilled on her.
"You're lucky we're doing this for Shen, Korra," Asami muttered to herself.
In no time flat, they all served their dishes on the large dining table in the dining room. Their eyes locked onto the dishes they cooked. Their mouths watered and their stomach grumbled. The rule that Shen would judge their cooking first was the only thing stopping them from gauging down.
"So, I better start judging. Mako, will you do the honor?"
With a smirk, Mako placed a plate consists of neatly cut grilled fishes resting on top of nicely cut vegetables alongside a serving of fluffy omelet. Shen took a bite and was astonished by the firebender's skill at culinary.
"This is good Mako…"
"Thank you." He replied while flashing a victory smile at the girls. Korra raised a fist but Asami holds her in place.
"…but there are eggshells in the omelet, so be careful while eating it guys."
"What? I thought I picked them all up." Mako grumbled but he heard Bolin snickered.
"Tough luck, Mako."
"Shut it, Bo. Why don't you present yours?"
"I will." Bolin placed a large bowl of soup in front of Shen and immediately everyone was taken back by the content.
"Bolin. What is this?" Shen asked his friend in fear.
"I called it, "Bolin's Beef Soup."
The content of the bowl was horrifying. The soup was almost black as if it was burnt but that couldn't be the case. In the soup were chunks of unevenly cut pieces of burnt meat. Some were even too big for a person's mouth. Not to mention all the grease floating on the soup's surface.
Shen stirred the soup with a spoon and a strong scent attacked his sinuses. Prepare for the worst, he took a sip of soup and bite into a small piece of meat.
"Bleurgh." Shen chocked on the soup but still swallowed it with force.
"Shen!" Korra gave him a glass of water to get rid of the taste.
"Whoops." Bolin took a step back. "Too spicy? I hardly add any chili."
Mako took a sip and immediately spat it out. "It's like you add a crate of black pepper and nothing else. Besides, why aren't there any vegetables?"
"I like black pepper, and I thought of doing something different since you guys already have lots of vegetables."
Putting Bolin's ghastly soup aside. Asami presented her dish.
"I'm sure mine will knock your socks off."
Asami's dish was very fancy for what it was. It was a salad with varieties of vegetables and small bits of fish in it. After a spoonful, Shen didn't show any expression, which the others couldn't determine whether the food was good or not.
"So? How was it?"
"It's good. It's maybe a normal salad but it's good."
"What do you think of my homemade dressing?"
"Dressing? There isn't any dressing."
"What?"
Korra took a closer look at the salad. "Sorry to break it to you Asami. Unless the dressing is invisible, there isn't any on the salad."
Asami looked horrified and pushed Mako aside to reveal a small bowl of white-colored salad dressing on the table.
"I forgot to put the dressing. I was so excited that I forgot."
"It's not too late. Let's put some in now." Mako picked up the bowl but Asami stopped him.
"No. I had my chance." She said as she tugged the bowl out of Mako's hand. "Korra. Your turn."
They could sense Asami's shaking tone of voice. She could cry at any moment but held it in. They proceed with the judging with Korra being the last one. The Avatar neatly placed a plate of fried noodles with meat and vegetables in it. A plain dish if she said so herself.
Shen took a pair of chopsticks and took a few strands. Once it was in his mouth, he was attacked with an assortment of flavors. Spicy, sweet, salty, it's all there.
He put down the chopsticks and stood up.
"The winner is…Mako."
"Yes! I've won!"
Mako cheered with Asami and Bolin groaned, knowing they will never hear the end of it. Shen was speechless. He turned to Korra, who was smiling at him.
"I hope you like it." She mouthed quietly, purposely so the others couldn't hear her.
"I did," Shen replied with the same tone.
After the little competition, they all enjoy a lovely lunch with Mako wouldn't shut up how he was the second-best cook of the gang. They avoided Bolin's soup at all cost, to which the earthbender couldn't argue against. Even he avoids eating it.
Shen's dish was the most popular. The son of former restaurant owners prepared them a heaping portion of fried rice consist of meat, fish, vegetables, and even seafood. While they were all eating, Shen decided to go to the bathroom.
While walking back, he heard someone called out to him.
"Shen, my boy. How are you? It's been a while."
He turned to see a smiling Hiroshi Sato walked up to him with an extended hand. Shen smiled and happily accepted. It was great to see his idol once more.
"Mr. Sato. I'm doing fine. I'm glad to meet you again. Thank you for having us at your mansion."
"Not at all my boy. Any friends of Asami are welcomed here. It's amazing to see Asami have good friends by her side. I never knew she could be any happier than she already was. Thank you."
Shen blushed a bit after getting a compliment from Hiroshi Sato himself.
"Shen. I've heard what happened to your restaurant and your parents. It's a tragedy. You have my utmost condolences. I wished them a swift recovery."
"Thank you, sir. That means a lot to us."
"If there's anything you need. Anything at all, you let me or Asami know. We citizens of Republic City need to look out for each other. Don't you worry my boy, I've already informed anything I knew of the attack both at the arena and your neighborhood to the police. The madman behind this will be stop no matter what the cost."
"Thank you once again, sir."
After another heartwarming handshake, Hiroshi Sato excused himself to his office. Shen's still smiling as he was walking back to his friends.
"You look happy."
He met Korra halfway in the hallway.
"Oh, Korra. The bathrooms down the hall if you're wondering."
"Thanks." Korra proceeds to her destination but Shen stopped her by trapping her in his arms when she was right beside him. "How did you know how to cook those noodles in that way?"
"I don't know what you're talking about. Plus, it wasn't even that good." Korra pretended to remain oblivious but didn't do anything to get out of his arms.
"I know. You still got a long way to go, but the noodles were prepared in a manner that only one person knows how to do it."
"Who?"
"My mother."
"Maybe it's a coincidence."
"It's her secret family recipe. Even my father and I don't how to do it. So, how come you know about it?"
Korra smirked and turned to him. "Your mother might have secretly given me the recipe. She said it was your favorite and I should learn how to make it. The late-night cooking I mentioned earlier, I was practicing. Still need it though. Lots of it."
Shen's eyes widen and let go of his girlfriend. He proceeds to chuckle to himself. "Oh mother, you gave your secret recipe to Korra but not your son?"
"Shen, I'm sorry."
Shen looked at Korra with a confused look. What was she sorry for?
"If the match was canceled, you would be at home and would be able to keep your parents safe. I was the one that convinced the council to let the arena open. I thought we could get a message across, but only Amon managed to do that."
"Korra…"
"I understand if you're disappointed in me…"
"Korra…"
"But I promised to do better…"
"Korra. It's fine."
"But Shen, your parents…"
"Whether or not this shouldn't or should happen, or what could be changed is not important right now. They survived and will recover. We should be happy for that and should be strong now for the people and the city."
Korra was stunned by Shen's words. She would never expect him to say those things. It was kind of attractive.
"Since when do you know how to give a speech?"
"We have Detective Yaozun to thank for that. He helped keep me straight on the path."
Korra rolled her eyes and leaped in to give Shen a tight and loving hug. Her boyfriend returned the hug with a tight and loving hug of his own. While in their private moments, Korra realized something.
"Let go of me."
"What's wrong?"
"Bathroom," Korra told him as she sprinted to her destination.
Shen laughed at her crazy antics. He shook his head and walked back to the dining room to join his friends.
TO BE CONTINUE…
That's all for this chapter. I'm sorry if the pace of this chapter is slow but it's something that I want to write and this is probably among the remaining few times left to write this before things really starting to get intense.
There isn't much for me to say right now, so please leave a comment, favorite and follow if you enjoy this chapter and the story overall. Stay safe and healthy everyone and I'll see all of you readers next time.