AUTHOR'S NOTES: And this commences the beginning of the end—not of the story by any means, but of the innocent and sheltered Korra. Sokka might be going slightly senile, but he's still fairly brilliant just as he was in the old days. He's definitely picked up a few eccentricities over the course of his old age though, and it is what it is.
Happy Reading!
BOOK ONE: POWER
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR: THE WARNING OF WANG FIRE
A hunched figure appeared in the doorway of Suite 461 before silently closing the door behind him. He squinted in the darkness, although remembered a moment later that he had swiped a pair of night-vision goggles from one of those masked hooligans that sometimes ran around the city's back-alleys. A quick glance around the room revealed a sleeping Nakkoa as well as a snoring Kwan, and near the entrance to the room on a slightly smaller bed was Avatar Korra, spread-eagled and tangled in her sheets, her left leg bent towards her body, and her right leg where her pillow ought to have been. Her right arm was tangled somewhere in her sheets, her left arm dangled off the side of the bed, and her head was nestled into the crook of her left shoulder. Really, it was an almost comical sight, and today Wang Fire learned that the Avatar was a very active sleeper.
As much as he did not want to wake her, he did what he had to, gently tapping her awake. Korra gasped, struggling in her sheets for a moment before catching her breath. Fortunately, Wang Fire had removed his mask before she had seen it.
"Who are you?" She mumbled, squinting as her eyes tried to adjust to the dark.
"It's none other than the master of stealth and spy-mastery himself… Wang Fire!" the old man introduced himself in little more than a whisper. "Follow me."
Whether she trusted him or it was too early for her to realize the risks, Korra slowly climbed out of bed, her right arm still tangled in a jumble of sheets that dragged to her side as they stepped out of the room. Korra winced at the dim hall lights, and whimpered in complaint.
"Is it important?" she mumbled.
"It is a message from Wang Fire, so of course it's important!" Wang Fire handed her a small red box. "This belongs to you. Take it, and know that you are in great danger. Worry not though—you have the protection of your parents, former Fire Lord Zuko, Airbending master Tenzin, and of course… the great Wang Fire himself!"
"Isn't Wang Fire just Sokka though?" Korra mumbled, scratching her butt with her left hand since the sheet around her other arm effectively turned her hand into a cloth-shaped club. She had heard a great many things about the legendary Wang Fire in her day, both from Katara and also from other urban legends, many of which were tied to Sokka's tale. "And I'm not going back to that prison compound thing, but thanks for the tip."
"That's a mystery for you to learn on your own, Avatar." Wang Fire waggled his finger in Korra's face. Korra was still completely out of it, and only took the box from Wang Fire once the itch on her backside had dissipated.
"'Kay," Korra mumbled, smacking her lips. "Whatever you say, dude. Goodnight."
With that, she before stumping back inside, closing and locking the door behind her, tossing the small package onto the nearby nightstand before just slumping unceremoniously back onto her bed and falling back asleep immediately.
As eccentric as that meeting had been, it had actually been useful for Wang Fire, who was of course, in fact Sokka. His trail of the Avatar in Republic City had gone cold for 548 days, and he only had a lead after he had heard the Probending matches on the radio. With Nakkoa and Kwan, however, Sokka had a few theories as to where all of this was leading, and much to his dismay, none of it looked good.
He took this information and telephoned Tenzin right away. He could pass the word on to Tonraq and Senna, as well as to (former) Fire Lord Zuko, if needs be. He had a shrewd theory that Korra was in grave danger, and he hoped to help foil the schemes before they came to fruition.
His first order of business was to contact Tenzin. The morning was still fairly young, but fortunately for him, Air Temple Island was busy this time of morning.
"Hello?" not to say that Tenzin was cheerful and peppy this early in the morning, especially not with three young children to deal with.
"Master Tenzin," Wang Fire's wacky voice came over the other line, "Apologies for the earliness of the hour, but I call with dire news regarding the Avatar."
"Dire news?" Tenzin was suddenly slightly more awake. Sokka might have become an eccentric man in his later years, but he was honest and he was reliable—not one to lead people on like this unless it was serious. "Is she okay? What happened to her?"
Tenzin did not listen to the radio much, but some of the staff on Air Temple Island did, and he overheard some of the raving about the Avatar being spotted at a Probending match, which in turn meant he knew Korra was in Republic City. All the while Korra's closest connections had believed she was in the Northern Water Tribe, but Unalaq telephoned Tenzin shortly after Korra's appearance in Republic City to clarify that 'The Avatar had earned a vacation day'. However, Sokka had done a lot more digging, and had unearthed the connection between Nakkoa, Kwan, and the Red Lotus.
"She's safe… but only for the moment," Sokka replied, his wacky tone dissolving completely, "I did a bit of snooping like I so often do, and came to the conclusion that all of us: you, me, my sister, Korra, her parents… everyone… have been duped."
"Korra," Tenzin gasped, "where is she?"
"5th Nation Hotel," Sokka answered, "Suite 461. You and I can't get to her alone though; we need backup—the usual suspects. I don't think Korra will come willingly, and if we start a scene, the sisters attack, and Korra either fights with them, fights against them, or runs off to wherever the rest of the Red Lotus are hiding. It's too risky to pluck her from the suite."
"Right, right," Tenzin shook his head, "but how were we fooled? Who did it?"
"Nakkoa and Kwan," Sokka replied, "After a bit of snooping, I discovered compelling evidence that leads me to believe they are both Red Lotus sleeper agents."
"No…" Tenzin muttered softly, "After all these years…"
"The catch," Sokka warned, "is that Avatar Korra has put her full trust into them. I was at the Probending Arena when I saw them. Barring that they made an incredible and undefeated team, I don't think there's a nice way to break it to her that she's in the hands of the Red Lotus."
"Then we need to act," Tenzin asserted, "we need to learn where they're going, when they're going, and how to corner them."
"Don't worry," Sokka promised, "I'm on it."
Fortunately for Nakkoa and Kwan's efforts, Korra remained heavily asleep since her rest had been disrupted last night by Wang Fire's (Sokka's) sudden appearance. While neither of the sisters were aware that he had picked the lock last night, they took advantage of Korra being asleep by making an important telephone call as well.
"Unalaq," Nakkoa warned, "I think we're being followed."
"Followed?" Unalaq's voice came up on the other line, "Tell me, where is Korra?"
"It's 7AM." Nakkoa retorted, "Take a guess."
To comically prove her point, she extended the receiver over Korra's mouth, letting Unalaq hear his niece's snoring in full detail for a few seconds before returning.
"So who is following you? What have they done?"
"When we first got to Republic City, there was an old man named Wang Fire on the boat with us. We didn't think much of him, but apparently he's still here 549 days later, and he found us. I think he suspects us."
"Then it is imperative that you return as soon as you are able," Unalaq warned, "We cannot jeopardize the Avatar."
"Should we wake her up now then?" Nakkoa narrowed her eyebrows.
"Nothing so drastic," Unalaq almost chuckled, "if you rile her up and get her hair standing on edge, she will be volatile. Keep her calm, let her wake up on her own, and then politely let her know it's time to go back to the compound. Buy her some candy or something if you must, but make sure she is here by 4PM, and not a moment later."
"Right then," Nakkoa muttered, "Until then…" she hung up, glancing at Kwan.
"Sister," she ordered, "you know what to do."
"I always pay though," Kwan complained.
"That's because you're so good at it" Nakkoa teasingly kissed Kwan's forehead, "now get moving, baby sister! We've got work to do."
"Hey," Kwan noticed something different about her sister, "is everything alright?"
"Of course," Nakko ruffled Kwan's hair, "what makes you think otherwise?"
"You being happy like this," Kwan frowned, "like it or not, it ain't common. You're not contemplatin' suicide or anything now are ya?"
"Kwan, of all the stupid things to suggest, I'm actually insulted by this one," Nakkoa scoffed, "I'm a little nervous about the whole being followed thing, but I'm not about to do anything suicidal or anything that stupid."
"Good," Kwan smiled, "Look, I know we sometimes clash and everything, but… if you ever need to talk; if you ever need to just let somethin' out… I'm here. You come before the Red Lotus, you come before the Agni Kais… and as long as she doesn't provoke ya or anythin' of the sort, I'll even put you before Korra."
"That's not something I hear every day." Nakkoa shook Kwan's hand, "consider it done then."
"Good," Kwan sighed in relief, "because believe it or not you were stressin' me out with all that talk about killin' the poor kid. Remember: she's the prize not the target. Now let's just do what Unalaq told us to and get this all over with."
Instead of warning his comrades about Wang Fire, however, Unalaq came up with a different idea. He needed the Avatar alive, and ideally, in his grasp for the inevitable approach of Harmonic Convergence. This would require him to sever his connections with the Red Lotus lest he get framed as well. He wouldn't be able to get the Avatar to open the portals if he was in prison.
A devious plan of backstabbery flowed through his mind at that moment, as he once again picked up the receiver.
The Southern Water Tribe Palace was restless after Tenzin's warning, but Tonraq and Senna had barely gotten through talking to him when the telephone rang once again.
"Hello, brother," Unalaq's voice was clear as day.
"Brother," Tonraq grunted, "What is this about? Do you have word of my daughter?"
"I do, as a matter of fact," Unalaq's lip curled into a smirk that he was glad no one could see. There was a smug sense of satisfaction for him, knowing that he had been teaching his niece right under her father's very nose. "She is in the hands of Red Lotus sleeper agents, and will be transported back to a compound in the mountains above Republic City by 4PM today. If we have the aid of you and your wife, we can not only assure your daughter's safety, but also apprehend these wanted criminals all at once."
"Sleeper agents, you say?" Tonraq gave pause. "And who might they be?"
"You might know them as Nakkoa and Kwan," Unalaq smirked, "but the Republic City Justice Records know them as Shenzi and Ikiza: former Triad members, and Red Lotus sleepers."
"NO!" Tonraq slammed the receiver down, inevitably hanging up on Unalaq, who was not even bothered by it as he heard his brother's reaction.
"After all these years…" he fumed, turning to face Senna, "Nakkoa may have been shady… but Kwan too? They played us for fools, and now they have our child!"
"Then let's go and fix that, shall we?" Senna raised her eyebrow. Raising Korra had honed her into a mellow and patient woman, but there were times like this when she pulled out all the stops and became as protective as a mama bear. When it came to the notion of Korra being in danger, she couldn't care less whether her daughter was the Avatar or an ordinary nonbender without a hint of her mother or father's waterbending skills. What mattered to her was that this was her child, and she was in the hands of known terrorists and/or terrorist conspirators.
"I couldn't agree more," Tonraq put an arm around her, "we need to move, and fast."
Fortunately, such were the perks of being the Chief of the Southern Water Tribe after Sokka had stepped down. Tonraq and Senna took an airship and beelined it for Republic City, knowing full well that each minute that passed put Korra at a higher and higher risk. What they did not know, however, was how well they were playing right into Unalaq's hands.
Former Fire Lord Zuko, who Tenzin had contacted immediately after talking with Wang Fire, had also played right into Unalaq's ploy, which he had thus far also managed to keep away from the ears of the other Red Lotus members. He was going to wash his hands of this event, and turn his focuses to Korra after all of this mess was sorted out and the criminals had all been properly placed into prison(s). As far as anyone else was concerned though, nothing unusual was going on here, and there was nothing to see.
It was around noon when Korra finally woke up for the day. She had been out late, and had had the weirdest dream about some old guy giving her a box and telling her about some evil plot against her. It was only after she went to the bathroom and poured water on her head to wake herself up, that she realized maybe it had not been a dream. A small red box sat haphazardly on her nightstand, and when she opened it, she was not sure what to make of the contents.
"A Wang Fire beard?" She looked at the comical prop beard which looked uncannily like the one the real Wang Fire had, except it was brown instead of white.
"Oh," Nakkoa was the one to interrupt Korra's thoughts, "you're finally awake. As much as I'm sure you're enjoying your excursion in Republic City, we still have work to do, and you've still got an Avatar State to master."
"So soon?" Korra complained as she haphazardly started getting dressed without regard to whether or not Nakkoa and Kwan were watching, "the Avatar State isn't going anywhere, but I'm only a kid once."
"And Republic City isn't going anywhere either," Nakkoa laughed, "it'll be here when we come back, and I can tell you already, it's not likely to be another year and a half."
"Good," Korra sighed in relief as she tied her headband back over her tattoo, "not that I didn't enjoy and appreciate all the things I was taught, but it's nice to be able to actually socialize more with people who aren't my stern teachers."
"Well then," Nakkoa raised her eyebrows, "All the more reason to get that under your belt, wouldn't you say? Get packing though—we need to head out soon."
Korra's late sleeping habits had allowed a great many things to happen around her. Tonraq and Senna had made it to the Republic City Police Station, where Chief Lin BeiFong gave them the briefing of the situation.
"Would that I could drop everything and go with you," Lin sighed, "but Republic City's binding me much tigher than it should be right now. Fortunately, we have the coordinates on the Red Lotus' target location, and my accomplice here can provide you a way to get there. Give the others my regards, if possible."
"That seems a bit soft for the notorious Lin BeiFong," Toniraq couldn't help but quip.
"The Avatar's safety is at stake," she reminded him, "Even I am concerned, believe it or not. We can discuss pleasantries later though. First and foremost, make sure your daughter is safe."
They didn't need to be told twice, and within a few minutes, they had met Lin's "accomplice": a young but cunning metalbender named Kuvira, who briefed them on what the others intended to do once they raided the compound.
"We need to rendezvous with Sokka, Zuko, and Tenzin, in order to help subdue the Red Lotus criminals," she explained, "obviously we anticipated that one or both of you would go after the Avatar to pluck her from the inevitable chaos that will ensue."
"I'll go," Senna volunteered, "Tonraq's much more the fighter, and so his skill would be much more integral to the success of the others."
"Right then," Kuvira nodded, as they reached a small obscure location just out of sight of the compound. "Then at this point, we wait for our cues before moving in. As soon as the truck carrying the Avatar arrives, we need to strike."
True to Kuvira's words, Tenzin, Zuko, and Sokka were waiting for the moment of truth as well, and had secured themselves so carefully that not even Zaheer or Ming-Hua, as hyper-aware as they often were, knew of their presence—or that Unalaq had already vacated the premises. Naturally, this meant that Nakkoa and Kwan had no clue what kind of trap they were driving into; and Korra, who was once again in the back of the truck with Naga, didn't suspect a thing.
As such, after she stepped out of the truck, she was quite surprised when there was suddenly a huge commotion, with Nakkoa, Kwan, and the Red Lotus attacking unknown assailants, two of which looked like her parents from a distance. Before Korra could get a closer look, however, there was a ringing pain in her forehead; which made her see stars, and then see black.