The Legend of Korra - Book Two : Spirits

by pavop

Continuation of Book One. Korra, Patrick and their friends are going to the South Pole to celebrate the Glacier Spirits Festival, only to face the Harmonic Convergence. They will be referenced and mentioned other characters, places and events outside ATLA/LOK Universe and even they will appear in the story.

4. Peacekeepers

"Raise!" X called, tossed a credit chip toward a small pile of the other credit chips in the center of the table, and waited to see how his three poker teammates would react.

He was currently located in Universe 4852 in Multiverse 502, on the orbital station at the moon TK-45. More precisely, that station was a restaurant named "Syxxlik's Diner", a part of a large chain of restaurants across the Multiverses.

Its design was modeled after restaurants from the 1950s. It had a squared floor in blue and green colors, a blue ceiling, several round tables, booths with leather seats and robotic waiters and waitresses in dark blue uniforms with embroidered names.

On X's left sat the owner of the restaurant, Syxxlik Danzar, wearing a dirty t-shirt and large pants with an apron. He was a typical Borishan, one of the many races that the Tribunal vassalized; he was large and very fat. He was brown and similar in appearance to a snail, but without tentacles, with one large eye in the middle of the forehead, two hands with seven fingers, and four legs. The Borishans had a very particular ability — each of them was able to share their memories with other versions of themselves in other Universes.

Syxxlik used this ability and along with his other versions, of course with blessing from the Tribunal and with the help of their technology, opened this chain of restaurants for all travelers through the Multiverses as well as for the locals. Inside, there was a neutral zone, but he was forbidden to serve the individuals that the Tribunal labeled as undesirable, and he also had to mandatorily serve the Tribunal's soldiers, officers, and officials for free along with the annual fees.

Syxxlik looked carefully at the cards in his hands and then, with his right hand, reached for a credit chip from his pile to toss it toward the pile in the center of the table. "Call!" he announced with his deep voice.

It was now the turn for the remaining two players at the table.

Opposite X sat a human man who had short black hair and blue eyes. He was wearing a green shirt with a dark blue vest, green pants and brown shoes. From the right corner of his mouth was sticking a smoking pipe. Its stem had a dark red color and from its chamber inside the green bowl, smoke was coming out of the lighted tobacco. His name was Azzarik and no one knew who or what he was. The only things that were sure were that he was able to travel through the Multiverses naturally without using any technology or magic and do impossible things. From what X has seen so far, he could compare Azzarik to the being known as the Beyonder.

Azzarik studied his cards and then looked in front of him to find out that he had no credits to bet. His gaze then shifted to the other players. "Can I bet a thing instead?" he asked them as he pulled out his smoking pipe and exhaled out a small puff of smoke.

"No problem," X replied.

"Yes, but first show what kind of things you could bet," Syxxlik said and rubbed his fat chin.

Azzarik leaned to his right and pulled from the floor a small bag, which he placed on his knees. He then placed his cards face down and, with his other free hand, started searching through the bag.

"Well, in the meantime… I call," the last remaining player said and tossed his credit chip to the others.

X looked to his right and saw a man in his thirties sitting casually in a chair with both feet on the table. He had dark skin, a bald head and stubble on his face. He was wearing a cheap long leather jacket, black leather pants and heavy shoes. Many would say that this man was a human, but the pale purple eyes that allowed their owner to see in all spectrums of light, even in pitch black darkness, were telling that this man was one of the Reenans, one of the three founding races of the Tribunal. His name was Jelkon Dravvik and he was formerly a discharged officer of the Tribunal. Now he was making a very lucrative living as a smuggler.

Besides their pale purple eyes, the Reenans differed from normal humans by having a heart in the middle of their chest, protected by two layers of thick ribs, and the biological ability to stop aging at a certain age, with a lifespan of centuries. This biological ability, along with their culture, which was based on authority, gave them roles in the Tribunal of commanding officers and officials.

Now the eyes of all three players were on Azzarik, who was still searching through his belongings for something to bet on. A few seconds later, he pulled out a scroll in a golden case.

"What about the Elder Scroll?" Azzarik asked as he presented the item to them.

"And it works?" Jelkon asked.

"No," Azzarik replied.

"And for what good is it then if it does not work?" Syxxlik asked a little bit angrily.

"You can read it whenever you want. Or do you want to get blind or get insane?" Azzarik answered with a smile.

Syxxlik sighed and waved his hand over it. "What else have you got?"

Azzarik placed the Elder Scroll on the table and went back to searching the bag. "Let's see… Yes, this!"

He pulled out a red rod with a gold chain on its end.

"An Agiel?" X asked surprised. "How the hell did you manage to get it?"

"I have made a bet with the trio of the Mord-Sith that they had a whole month to make me feel pain and if they fail, I will take the Agiel," Azzarik explained, smiling as he recalled. "I have to say, those girls tried hard."

"And it is working?"

"Of course not. I got rid of its magical power at the exact moment I got it," Azzarik replied. "It pretty much pissed off Lord Rahl from that Universe."

"Unbelievable," X whispered and shook his head.

"This is the second thing you pulled out, and it does not work either, so it also has no value!" Syxxlik said with frustration.

Azzarik turned his head toward him. "And you really want to feel pain every time you touch that thing?" He sighed as he placed the Agiel beside the Elder Scroll. "Alright, I will find something else."

"And it better be something really valuable in any condition or working; otherwise, you are done playing," Syxxlik proclaimed.

"What is the rush, Syxxlik?" Jelkon asked.

"I have a business to run. I am quite busy," Syxxlik replied.

Jelkon looked around. The restaurant was quite empty; just a dozen living beings were there: aliens, some of whom looked like overgrown bugs or had fur, and humans, while the robots were running around. The reason they were playing cards in the left corner from the side entrance and not in the kitchen was due to the emptiness of the restaurant.

"It is almost empty here," Jelkon remarked.

But Syxxlik just grunted instead of replying as he focused on the cards in his hands.

"By the way, what are the members of the Order of Asan doing here?" Jelkon asked and motioned to the other side of the restaurant.

Syxxlik and X turned their heads in that direction and saw that in one of the booths of the restaurant was sitting a pair of men, and what made it obvious that they were part of a magical order was that among the aliens and humans with futuristic clothes and cybernetic implants, they were wearing medieval robes.

"They paid in gold," Syxxlik answered and turned his attention back to his cards. "And I never say no to paying customers."

"It seems they are disciples," X remarked.

Jelkon rubbed his eyes. "How can you be so sure of that?"

"Do you see how surprised they are looking at everything? The gullibility in their eyes? This is probably the first time they have left that floating fortress of their Order."

Jelkon looked at them carefully. "Yeah. They seem like perfect victims for a con."

"Can we please go back to the cards?" Syxxlik requested and then turned his head toward Azzarik. "And you should have something to bet —"

"Got it!" Azzarik interrupted him. He pulled out a small helmet with wings on both sides and placed it on the table. "This could do, right?"

"Asterix's helmet? How did you get this one?" X asked.

"I won it in the game of riddles," Azzarik answered. "Is that enough, Syxxlik, or should I look for something better?" he asked the restaurant owner.

"That helmet and that scroll will do," Syxxlik replied. "And now, gentlemen, show your cards!" he added in the tone of someone who expects victory any second.

All four laid down their cards. X won the game with a full house.

"Fuck!" Syxxlik screamed and it looked like he was about to flip the table over in anger.

X smiled with satisfaction as he pulled the pile of the won credit chips along with the helmet and scroll toward him. "See, guys? I am lucky today!"

"So, another game?" Jelkon asked and looked at his fellow teammates.

"Do not look at me. Syxxlik would lose his temper if he had to wait for me to find another thing to bet on," Azzarik said.

"Ha, ha, very funny," Syxxlik replied with a fake laugh and then looked at Jelkon. "Of course, another game."

X silently nodded while arranging his winnings.

But before Jelkon, who had his turn as dealer, could deal the cards, a robotic waitress walked over to the table.

"Boss, the Delton-class corvette is quickly approaching," she announced through a synthetic voice.

"Delton class? That seems like an inspection, Syxxlik," Jelkon replied vigilantly.

Syxxlik turned his head toward the robot. "Did they send the codes?"

"Yes, they are active codes of the Tribunal," she replied.

Syxxlik ponderously stood up. "I had better go meet them." And with his robotic waitress, he headed to the entrance of the restaurant, which was also serving as an airlock that connected the station with the incoming ships.

Azzarik twirled with his index finger and an ashtray materialized on the table. He then emptied the tobacco from his smoking pipe into it and, in the next second, filled the chamber of the smoking pipe with new tobacco from a small pouch he pulled out of his pocket. He snapped his index finger and thumb. A small flame came out of his index finger, and with its help, he lit the new tobacco. And with the waving of his index finger, he put out the flame.

Jelkon, on the other hand, with a quick motion, activated a hologram around him that changed his appearance into a freckled ginger with long hair and green eyes.

"I thought you and the Tribunal parted in a good way," X remarked on Jelkon's attempt to hide his identity.

"Let's just say that my departure from the Tribunal was not peaceful at all and I would like to avoid showing my face," Jelkon replied in a changed voice.

Azzarik puffed from his smoking pipe and returned the Agiel to his bag. X also decided to hide his winnings from the possible inspection of the Tribunal.

The doors of the entrance opened and four persons entered the restaurant. One Reenan, dressed in a dark gray uniform. One Aoan dressed in the same way. And two Dallans, one dressed in white uniform and the other in red.

The Aoans, the second of the founding races of the Tribunal, were amphibious beings that closely resembled octopuses. They had a head with seventeen long tentacles; instead of fingers, they also had tentacles that were one meter long, but they had normal human toes. Their gender and age were determined by the color of their skin. Girls had red skin from the birth, which changed to a dark red in adulthood, and when they were old, it changed to a brownish red. Boys, on the other hand, started out with an azure color, which changed to blue in adulthood and turned teal in old age. The main ability of the Aoans was that they were able to learn any possible language just by listening or reading, so their primary roles in the Tribunal were diplomacy, intelligence and science.

The Dallans, the last of the founding races of the Tribunal, were reptilian humanoids; their average size was two meters. Their skins were completely covered with strong scales, twenty centimeters thick, which they gained thanks to their inhospitable home world. Also, they had no teeth at all, so their food had to be completely crushed and sipped. But around ten percent of their population requires a very specific chemical to be added to their food; otherwise, their stomach will reject it. Their main ability is great reproduction, when one pair is capable of giving birth to over 800 offspring. This ability, coupled with the fact that they are able to survive harsh environments, determined their roles as not only the backbone of the military but also as colony builders, who are sent to very difficult to inhabit planets to build homes and environments for the other two races.

"Malvark Dregton…" Jelkon said when he spotted the commanding Reenan.

"You know him?" X asked.

"We served together," Jelkon replied. "A good man and soldier, but… he can be quite fanatical when it comes to following the rules. But it is nothing for Syxxlik to worry about, if he paid the annual fee."

Malvark Dregton was tall and slim, with a shaved face, pale skin and brown hair combed back. The way he was looking around with his pale violet eyes suggested that he was already looking for anything that he could reproach the owner of the restaurant.

"Welcome!" Syxxlik said with a great smile. "Welcome, Captain…"

"Malvark Dregton," Reenan said and clicked the heels of his boots at attention. "This is my liaison officer." He motioned to the Aoan behind him, who made the same gesture. "This is my main medical officer," he said as he motioned to Dallan, dressed in a white uniform. "And this is my chief engineer," he added as he motioned to the last member of the group. Both Dallans repeated the same gesture. "The rest of my crew will come here shortly. I hope you have enough seats."

Syxxlik turned around to see if there was enough empty room in the restaurant for the crew of the corvette and indeed there was. "Yes, but if not, you can be assured that I will bring extra tables and chairs," he said as he turned back.

"Good and do you have a valid license for this establishment here?"

"I have, but it is in my office." Syxxlik turned his head toward the robotic waitress. "Go bring the license here," he ordered.

"Yes, boss," the waitress replied and she went to the other side to the door behind the counter that led to the kitchen, where past it was Syxxlik's office.

Malvark's eyes then turned in the direction of the table where Azzarik, disguised Jelkon and X were sitting. His gaze shifted to the deck of cards in the middle of the table.

"I see that you have been killing time by playing," Malvark proclaimed.

"Well, yes. You see, it is pretty quiet and boring here now, so me and my friends played a few rounds of poker."

"I see… But for this activity, your office is a much more appropriate place than a public area in the restaurant while it is open," Malvark said. "I hope you will remember it for the next time," he added with a tone that indicated the ability of Syxxlik's race.

"Do not worry; I will surely remember that," Syxxlik replied nervously.

For a short moment, it seemed that Malvark was about to ask Syxxlik about the other players at the table when his attention was drawn to the two disciples of the Order of Asan sitting in a booth to the right side of the entrance, who were looking at him nervously.

"You are hosting two members of the Order of Asan?" Malvark asked as his gaze returned to Syxxlik.

"Yes, but they are harmless."

"Of course…" But before Malkvark could continue, a robotic waitress returned with a hologram projector in her hand. "Ah, thank you," he said as he took the projector from her hand and handed it over to his liaison officer. "Verify it."

The officer activated the hologram from the projector and then activated another from his bracelet. For a few minutes, he was looking at the data from both, and then he deactivated them. "Everything is alright," he announced clearly, despite his mouth being covered with tentacles, and returned the projector to the waitress.

"In that case, let me lead you to my best table and refresh you with my specialty. I strongly believe that you will not have to use that legendary spice jar of yours," Syxxlik said and made a welcoming gesture toward the area of the restaurant behind him. He then led Malkvark and his officers to the table in the center.

"I think there will be no more poker for the rest of the day," Jelkon said as he stood up.

"Leaving already?" X asked.

"Yes, and so should you." Jelkon turned his head toward Azzarik. "And you…"

Azzarik puffed his smoke pipe. "Do not worry; those dandies from the Tribunal cannot hurt me."

"Yeah, of course. Tell Syxxlik I will send him the money later, as always." He then walked over to the wall behind where Syxxlik had been sitting a moment ago, where there were consoles with displays on them.

These consoles, equipped with teleportation technology, served as a one-way exit for the customers of the restaurant who had their ships connected to the restaurant's network. They were usually used in cases where a large ship was using the air lock or the restaurant was overcrowded. Of course, in order to prevent anyone from leaving the restaurant without paying, a password was required, which was randomly generated and given to the customer after payment on the receipt. But unlike the others, Jelkon had a secret agreement with Syxxlik, who gave him a permanent password.

Jelkon, on the display of the console, found his ship, and in the next second, a bright light surrounded him, and he was gone.

"Do you think there is a warrant on him?" Azzarik asked as he emptied the tobacco from the chamber of his smoking pipe into the ashtray.

"Definitely. An institution like the Tribunal would not let someone as capable as Jelkon walk away from them freely." X stood up and inserted the won credits, the helmet and the Elder Scroll into a compartment in his cybernetic leg.

"And where are you going?" Azzarik asked.

"To have some chat with those disciples," X replied.

"Why?"

"Why not. I am just curious what they are doing here."

"And you think they will tell you?"

X gave him a wide smile. "I can be quite persuasive. After all, I learned it from the guy who convinced three Mord-Sith to make a bet with him." And he turned around and headed to the booth where the mages were, quickly passing the table where Malkvark and his officers were seated, listening to Syxxlik's compliment as the robotic waitresses served them their food.

"Do you think they are here because of us?" the disciple asked the other one, who was sitting opposite him and had a better view of the newcomers.

"I… I… do not know…" the other disciple replied nervously.

"Do not worry, they are here just for the inspection and to eat some food," X said, who overheard their conversation as he approached them.

Both disciples looked at him surprised.

"May I join you?" he asked them.

"Why?" the disciple to his left asked.

"Why not? Perhaps I could give you some good travel advice and you could do the same," X replied.

"We would rather just be left alone and finish our food."

"Come on, Nolan. He looks like he is more experienced in this, and perhaps he could help us. Especially after what happened last time," said the other one to X's right.

Nolan sighed. "Good then."

"Thank you, Nolan," X said and sat down beside the disciple who was welcoming him. "Name's X."

"I am Nolan," the disciple pointed at himself and then motioned to his friend, "and this is Olmrik."

"Nice to meet you," Olmrik added. "Are you a Khajiit, if I may ask?" he asked after a second of silence.

"No, not at all. Honestly, I have been called a Khajiit several times, but I am a human being like you."

"Really?" Nolan asked with disbelief.

"Yes," X replied and pointed at his cat part of the body. "I got this from one failed experiment, and this…" he pointed at his cybernetic parts of the body, "from the subsequent explosion. No magic was involved at all."

"Magic?" Olmrik asked surprised.

"Of course, you two are members of the Order of Asan."

"How do you know?" Olmrik asked in shock and started looking around in a panic.

"Easy there," X replied and raised both his hands as a sign that everything was alright. "I have met a few of your members before. Plus, when guys like you wear medieval robes inside a space station, it is quite obvious that they are not using any ship or teleportation technology." He paused for a moment. "Let me guess: Grandmaster Ta'kam commended this place to you."

"Yes, and we would not be here if, because of someone, we did not lose our supplies," Nolan said and looked at Olmrik.

"It is not my fault that the crab monster attacked us and took our supplies!" Olmrik argued.

"And I told you we should have gone after that monster and forced it to give us back our supplies."

"Grandmaster Zalakar is saying that every animal and even monsters are acting according to their nature and we should respect it."

"Keep telling yourself that when you will be in the stomach of some monster," Nolan replied sarcastically.

"Zalakar? How is that old spider doing?" X joined the conversation.

"Quite well," Olmrik answered. "You know him?"

"I do."

The Order of Asan was not a classical order; more specifically, it was a grouping of several magical races and individuals who wielded magic, and even though the magic was taught within the order, the main goal was the protection of the Multiverses and the preservation of any kind of magic itself. But unlikely the Tribunal, which solved the problems with its might and by showing itself in public, the Order of Asan was using magic and concealment. This approach had a darker side in that they mostly just watched the threat and pondered whether or not to intervene for the common good of the other Universes, which quite often resulted badly for the Universe in question.

The Order of Asan was led by a group of eight Grandmasters, each representing an associated race or a specific kind of magic that they had mastered, from basic magic to runic magic to necromancy.

"And where do you travel to?" X asked.

"We should not answer that question," Nolan rejected.

"Come on! Do I look like some kind of magical threat to you? Perhaps I could persuade the owner of this establishment to give you some extra supplies for your journey and show you the best way to your destination, with no monsters stealing the supplies."

"Nolan, he seems like a good man and we could also use some advice," Olmrik said.

"Good then. We are traveling into the Uncharted Universe," Nolan replied.

The Uncharted Universes, or the Uncharted Multiverse, was a label of the Order of Asan that served as the counterpart to the Tribunal's label, the Black Zone. The paradox was that the Order of Asan knew much more about the Universes in the Black Zone than the Tribunal. Much more.

"For what?" X asked.

"To observe and report about one phenomenon that is going to occur very soon in that Universe. I do not know what you know about that Universe, but locals are using the four basic elements, such as air, earth, fire and water. And there is one individual who can control all four. From our recent information, that individual is now some girl."

That quite peaked X's interest. Nolan just described the Universe Patrick was in, according to what Patrick told him.

"And what is that phenomenon?" he asked the disciple.

"It is called Harmonic Convergence," Nolan answered.

Meanwhile, in the Universe in the Black Zone, Varrick's ship has docked at the harbor of Republic City. All on board a few hours ago thought they would never reach the shores of the city, with Bolin's now ex-girlfriend Eska, who was pursuing them across the sea. Luckily, Varrick was right when he said that his ship was pretty fast, plus Eska had probably abandoned the pursuit rather than face the army of the United Republic of Nations.

When Team Avatar with Varrick and Zhu Li, who had finally abandoned their hiding place inside the stuffed Platypus Bear, got onto the pier, there was waiting Chief Beifong, who a few minutes ago oversaw the arrest of several criminals from the Southern Water Tribe. The news about Unalaq's invasion had quickly reached the city and the local criminals originating from the South quickly realized that they had a duty to their tribe, which from their perspective justified their attacks on the rival gangsters or some other residents of Republic City that were from the Northern Water Tribe.

Beifong walked over to them. "Welcome home, Avatar. Thank you so much for starting a war," she said sarcastically to Korra.

"Well, technically, we all started the war," Patrick corrected her. "But the real culprit is Unalaq."

Korra pointed her thumb at Patrick. "As he says."

"You know, I really missed you," Beifong replied to Patrick in a frustrated tone and turned her head toward Mako. "Mako, I want you back on the beat. There is going to be a Southern Water Tribe peace march tonight. I need you there to make sure things do not get out of hand."

"I am all yours," Mako said as an obedient soldier.

"I will go too. The people of the South need to see that the Avatar is on their side in the fight against the Northern invaders," Korra said.

"Me too," Patrick said. "My presence at the peace march might also help."

Korra turned her head toward him and smiled. "Thank you."

"Great…" Beifong remarked sarcastically. "That should calm them down with you two." And she turned around and went to her vehicle.

"Truth be told, I was kind of missing her in the South," Patrick said.

But Mako was ignoring his comment as he turned to his girlfriend. "Maybe you should sit this out."

Korra looked at him shocked. "What?"

"I just think having you there blatantly supporting one side will only make things worse. You could at least try to seem neutral," Mako explained.

"Mako, I do not know if your recent memory is working well for you," Patrick said with a little bit of amusement over Mako's reason why Korra should not participate in the peace march, "but several hours ago we all, including you, freed the rebels from the prison of the Northern Water Tribe. We are not neutral anymore."

"Patrick is right!" Korra added. "The only reason I am here is to get Republic City to send soldiers to help the South."

"Zhu Li has already scheduled a meeting for us with President Raiko tomorrow," Varrick joined the conversation. "We will get him on our side," he added with confidence.

"Whatever, I will have to go to work," Mako replied and walked away.

"I better go check on my factory," Asami said and walked away.

"I am going to find out about this peace march," Korra announced and walked away with Naga.

"I am going to check the basement," Patrick added and walked away.

"And I am dying for a pedicure," Varrick mused and he also walked away while Zhu Li, who was carrying luggage, was following him.

The only one who remained on the pier was Bolin, with Pabu on his shoulder. "So, um, what should I be doing?" he asked his departing friends because, unlike them, he had nothing to do.

"I do not know, Bolin. Figure something out," Mako answered, not even bothering to turn his head toward his younger brother.

But Varrick stopped, and with a quick movement, he approached Bolin. "Say, Bolin, have you ever seen Republic City at night?"

"Sure, I live here," Bolin answered quickly.

"Have you really seen it?" Varrick asked with emphasis.

"Y-no?" Bolin replied nervously.

Varrick laughed. "That was what I thought." He placed his hand on Bolin's shoulder to lead him. "Come on!"

Please do not let me save Bolin from another Varrick's "masterful" plan, Patrick thought as he overheard their conversation. He wanted to use the check of the basement on Air Temple Island to get some sleep because he had not slept at all in the last 24 hours.

Meanwhile, in the South, in the Royal Palace, in the war room, Unalaq, in the presence of several of his commanders, including Captain Danrok, discussed the situation.

"Tonraq and the rebels are holed up here in the hills outside of the city," Captain Danrok said and he pointed with a pointer at a part of the map of the area that was unfolded on the table. "And with the escape of the chieftains and the elders, we can expect that the other settlements will join them, so their numbers will be —"

"Leave them," Unalaq interrupted him. "My brother and his friends are no threat to us up here. Increase the security around the portal. Keeping it safe is our number one priority."

Danrok glanced over at the other commanders and could see that none of them was about to protest against this strategy. "But, Chief Unalaq, if the other settlements join the rebels, our position in the South will be difficult." And he did not even mention that, according to the reports, the Avatar and Varrick had escaped, and they were surely already seeking out help from the other nations.

"I am taking that into consideration, Captain. But my orders still stand. Secure the portal at all costs," Unalaq replied.

"But —"

"That is all for today. You are dismissed," Unalaq interrupted him and turned his back toward his commanders.

"Yes, sir!" Captain Danrok said and, along with the other commanders, put his hand to his hearts and bowed. Then they left the war room.

On their way out, the doors of the war room opened and revealed Eska and Desna. While Desna was dressed as he normally was, Eska had a purple bridal gown and smudged make-up. Still, both twins kept their neutral expressions.

Danrok and the other commanders passed them by and continued through the hallway, while the twins entered and closed the doors behind them.

"I have a bad feeling about this," one of the commanders remarked on their way through the hallway.

"Oh, really?" Danrok asked sarcastically. "It was nice of you to share it back there."

"It is not that easy in front of him, Danrok!" the commander replied.

"Forgive me, Vasro; I forgot you got that cushy rank from him."

Vasro grabbed Danrok by the shoulder to stop him. "I was working hard to get that promotion, just as you did!"

"In that case, it should not stop you from criticizing his orders," Danrok replied and he removed Vasro's hand from his shoulder.

Both commanders now looked into each other's eyes, each prepared for the strike from the other.

"Knock it off, both of you!" the other commander whispered and looked around to make sure no one was watching.

Captain Danrok was the first one who turned his gaze away as he sighed. Right now, they had to be unified if they wanted to hold their position at the South Pole and not to fight among themselves.

"Have you heard the reports from the soldiers who are protecting the portal?" another commander asked.

Danrok turned his head toward him and nodded. "Yes. That the Dark Spirits are coming out of that portal, but they are not attacking our soldiers."

"For now," the commander corrected him. "The whole thing about unifying both tribes and that portal… Something is not right; I can feel it."

"Me too," Danrok replied.

Back in the war room, Eska and Desna approached their father.

"I need you two to go after the Avatar. She is the only one who can open the Northern spirit portal," Unalaq ordered them. Time was running out and the other portal had to open, but unfortunately, Korra, according to Eska, was already in Republic City, out of his reach. He could not send an army to get her because such an act would declare war against Republic City, and he had not enough men to fight on two fronts, so his two children had to be enough for this task.

"I will find her," Eska said in anger. "She stole my husband."

That did not calm down Unalaq at all. He would prefer that his daughter be emotionless again because, in anger, she would do something that would jeopardize everything he was hard-working for. "I need her alive," he said with emphasis on the word alive.

Eska sighed disappointedly. "All right."

Meanwhile, Patrick teleported himself in front of the main building of the Air Temple Island and was greeted by a group of Air Acolytes who were standing outside.

"Greetings, Patrick. It seems that you have come back from your journey to the South Pole. Is the Avatar in the city right now?" one of them asked.

"She is," Patrick replied and he went to the building. "Anything happened during our absence here? Anything strange?"

"Not at all," the Air Acolyte answered.

"That is great."

"And please, when you see the Avatar again, can you please tell her that our prayers are for her and her people?"

"Of course. Nothing will solve a civil war like a good prayer," Patrick replied with a sarcastic tone and went inside.

He headed to his room, deactivated the security system, went inside, and closed the doors behind him. He then opened the hatch and went into his basement to check on his things. Even though he had what some considered a perfect security system, Black Cat, Catwoman, Sly Cooper and many other famous thieves from across the Multiverses taught him that almost nothing was impenetrable and a small inspection would not hurt.

After several minutes, he was done with the things in the basement. The next thing was to check if somebody had sent him any messages and then have some sleep before the peace march. And after the peace march, he will start developing weapons against the Spirits.

He activated the hologram display on his bracelet and saw that X had sent several messages asking him to call him and that it was urgent.

Patrick did not waste any time and called him. A few seconds later, the blue light from the hologram manifested the X in front of him.

"Hey, X, what is it?" Patrick asked.

X nervously scratched his left cat ear with a cyborg arm. "I just want to make something clear… You are in the Universe where they are using four basic elements, and that girlfriend of yours… Korra, she is the Avatar who can use all four at once, right?"

Patrick sighed. "First of all, Korra is not my girlfriend. And secondly, yes, she is the Avatar. Why do you ask?"

"Well, there is something you should know…" X replied and then told Patrick everything he had learned from the disciples in Syxxlik's Diner.

"Harmonic Convergence?" Patrick asked after X had finished. "What is supposed to be that?"

"I do not know and neither of them do. You know the Order of Asan; they will not tell everything to their disciples, who are sent out to observe, in case they misuse the information or make things worse," X replied. "But from how they described to me how the Grandmasters sounded when they gave them the assignment, it sounded like Harmonic Convergence could be a very bad thing." X then noticed that Patrick was thinking about something. "What?"

"Korra's uncle, Unalaq, has invaded her home and wants her to open a portal at the North Pole. He has already managed to make her open a portal at the South Pole. Now I know the reason why now, because of the incoming Harmonic Convergence, but what for?"

"I just want to tell you that the Order of Asan will be watching, so you should be careful not to reveal yourself to them here. Otherwise, Viirtax —"

"Viirtax will do nothing unless the other Grandmasters decide otherwise. Even though he has the greatest killer instinct of them all, he will respect their decision." Patrick paused for a moment as he was about to end the call. "Anyway, thanks for the warning."

"You do not have to thank me; just take care," X said and Patrick ended the call.

So, Harmonic Convergence. That is the thing that is pressing you, Unalaq, but what is the ultimate prize? Patrick thought as he headed for the ladder.

In the night, in front of the Southern Water Tribe Cultural Center, a large number of the citizens of Republic City gathered to witness the peace march that the members of the Southern Water Tribe were organizing. In front of the citizens were barriers, and for even greater security, there was Beifong with her men standing by the statue of Sokka in front of the building, waiting for any sign of trouble.

Korra, atop Naga, was leading the peace march. Patrick walked beside them and behind them were Southerners holding lit candles on paper lotuses or signs.

"Thank you for participating in the peace march. I really appreciate it," Korra said to Patrick.

"You do not have to," Patrick replied.

"Tensions are running up high outside of the Southern Water Tribe Cultural Center," the voice of the reporter sounded from the radio. "The Avatar, alongside the Smartest Man in the World, is leading a group of Southerners in a peaceful protest against Chief Unalaq, but the Northerners have come out in droves in support of their leader."

What the reporter meant was that as the peace march went through a road lined with barricades and people on both sides, it got to a section where there were members of the Northern Water Tribe and they were not sparing the shouting against the peace march.

"Boo! Get out of here!" sounded from them.

"Do not mind them," Patrick said to Korra in case she decided to react.

"I will. Thank you again for being here and keeping me in check," Korra replied and focused on the road before them.

But the Northerners kept shouting. "Boo! Get a real job! Get out of here!"

"But honestly, they should come up with something better than this," Patrick remarked.

Meanwhile, in the back of the Southern Water Tribe Cultural Center, Mako patrolled the area and thought about what was happening in front of the building. He should be there to support Korra, but if he wants to be a proper police officer, he should keep his neutrality.

Unbeknownst to him, two suspicious men came out of the back entrance of the building and tried to stealthily get away. But after a few steps, one of them stepped on a can, which made a loud noise. In that moment, the duo started running away.

Mako turned in the direction of the sound and saw two men dressed in red coats running away from the building. "Hey! Stop! Republic City Police!" he yelled.

But the men kept running when one of them pulled something from his pocket. Mako decided to run after them, but in the moment when he was close to the building, the building exploded. The fire from the explosion was about to consume him when he quickly reacted and, with his Firebending, controlled the spread of the fire around him.

Meanwhile, citizens, police officers and participants of the peace march, along with Beifong and Korra, watched in fear and shock as the building exploded and was consumed by fire. None of them expected that the peace march would end this way.

Only Patrick was keeping his nerves under control while preparing for the next possible explosion. So, bomb attacks… Great.

Mako, after getting out of the flames created during the explosion, continued pursuing the pair of men through the back alleyways. He finally saw them running toward the prepared Satomobile. By the time he got within range, one of them had already entered the vehicle, so Mako decided not to waste any time and immediately launched several fire blasts at the other man.

But the running man quickly reacted by using his Firebending to block Mako's attacks; unfortunately, it was not enough, and he was quickly knocked off while dropping the thing Mako saw him use before the explosion.

The man quickly crawled into the Satomobile and the vehicle quickly drove away, while Mako, in his futile attempt to stop it, shot a few fire blasts at it.

When they were gone, Mako quickly ran to the strange thing that the man had dropped. He picked it up from the ground but could not make any sense of what it was. He had never seen anything like this before. Luckily, he knew someone who could tell him something about that thing.

Korra quickly climbed down, and with several Southerners who were able to do Waterbending and volunteered to help, she pulled out water from a nearby fountain and started extinguishing the fire.

When the fire was a little bit under control and with the sound of the sirens of the incoming fire trucks, she noticed that Mako approached her.

"The Northern Water Tribe is out of control!" she commented on the situation.

"I saw a Firebender running away from the blast. The North might not be responsible for this," Mako replied.

"Of course, they are responsible," Korra insisted. "Who else would it be?" But she did not want to discuss it right now because she saw that a fire truck had arrived and with the intention of helping to save the building, she ran over to it.

Mako turned his head toward the burning building and started thinking about what had happened in the back. He wanted to show Korra that thing he had picked up, but she had already run away.

He then noticed that Patrick was standing beside him. "You also think the Northern Water Tribe is responsible for this?"

"Honestly, Mako, I think not. A bomb attack is not Unalaq's style at all." He then noticed that Mako had something in his hand. "What do you have?"

Mako handed that thing to Patrick. "Do you know what this is?"

Patrick took a quick look at the device. It was a black block with a rounded end at the top that had a red indicator light in the middle, an antenna, and a small lever on the side. He knew immediately what it was. "It is a remote control."

"Remote control?" Mako asked surprised.

"It is a device we are using in my Universe to operate electronic devices. This one is working over short distances and on radio waves." Patrick turned his gaze to Mako. "Where did you get it?"

"Well… I was on patrol at the back of the Cultural Center when I heard some noise. Then I saw two suspicious men running away, so I pursued them. One of them, who was a Firebender, pulled this out of his pocket and then…"

"He pushed it and a second or two later, an explosion happened, correct?"

"Yes…" Mako turned his gaze to the burning building. "Do you really think this was what caused it?"

Patrick returned the remote control to Mako. "I do not think that, Mako. I know."

The following day, Korra, Patrick and Varrick arrived at City Hall, which now served as the official office of the President of Republic City.

"I hope President Raiko listens to us," Korra remarked when they were standing in front of the entrance.

"Do not worry, he will; after all, he cannot decline the Avatar, the Smartest Man in the World and one of the richest men," Patrick replied.

"Exactly! We three are the strongest combination for any politician!" Varrick said. "And he will listen to us; after all, I was a big contributor to his election campaign! Him and the other one. You have to hedge your bets."

So, you basically bought the President in advance, Varrick, Patrick thought as the trio entered the building.

"But I must say, I did not expect that Raiko would crushingly win the election. It was like every citizen of Republic City was voting for him," Varrick added as they made their way up the stairs.

With this statement, Patrick had to agree because, according to a poll, more than 95% of citizens of the United Republic of Nations voted strictly for Raiko and during the elections, his election program was not much different from his opponent's.

Raiko's office in City Hall was a large room in bronze colors with ornate patterns on the walls. On the other side of the entrance, where the trio entered the office, were large windows lined up in a row. On the tiled floor were two red carpets; one was in the middle of the room with a small conference table, two chairs and a bench. On the other rug, which was located to the left of the entrance to the office, was a working table with a chair and table lamp in silver colors.

Raiko welcomed his visitors in the company of his bodyguards and a reporter, and as soon as the trio entered, he approached them with an extended hand.

"Good day, Mr. President," Korra said as she was shaking hands with Raiko. "Sir, the Southern Water Tribe —"

"Just a second," Reiko interrupted her with a raised index finger. "Keep smiling." He gestured for her to turn her head in the direction of the waiting reporter, just as he had.

Korra, at that moment, was not sure if she should smile for the camera because this moment reminded her of the incident with reporters at the gala that had been organized by Tarrlok several months ago.

Patrick, who was with Varrick standing behind her, noticed that Varrick had slightly extended his hand with an extended finger to probably poke Korra and forced her to do some grimace for the camera. Patrick quickly grabbed Varrick's finger and made him lower his hand, so Korra only made a bland face before the photo was taken.

When all the formalities were over and the bodyguards and the reporter had left the office, Raiko sat down with the trio at the conference table.

"So how can I help the Avatar, the Smartest Man in the World and my most generous supporter?" Raiko began the conversation, but it was evident from his voice that he knew why they had come to visit him.

Korra, who was sitting opposite him while Patrick and Varrick occupied the bench, answered, "Unalaq's soldiers have invaded the South. We need you to send the United Forces to help."

"I am very concerned by what is happening down there," Raiko replied and paused for a moment. "But I do not think it is the Republic's place to interfere with internal Water Tribe matters."

Of course, a populist, Patrick thought but he did not hold it against Raiko. The whole conflict between the North and South began shortly after his election and several months after the situation with Amon and his men. Plus, the whole government of the United Republic of Nations was undergoing a complete reorganization when it had a President instead of a Council. So, it was no wonder that he was reluctant to force his voters to participate in another conflict.

But Korra was not able to understand the political difficulties of what she was asking Raiko to do. "Unalaq is not even the rightful ruler of the Water Tribe. He lied and killed his way onto the Northern throne."

"Mr. President, the Republic City is already involved in this conflict. The North attacked our cultural center last night," Varrick joined the discussion.

That caught Patrick's attention because, from what he knew so far, the investigation of the explosion was only at the beginning and there were no suspects yet. But Varrick, with great confidence in his voice, like he already knew, labeled the Northerners as the culprits.

Raiko turned his head toward Varrick. "Believe me," he said as he turned his gaze back to Korra, "we are doing everything we can to bring the people responsible to justice."

"The people responsible?" Korra asked puzzled. "Who else would it be but the Northerners?"

"Now, I know that when you are young, it is hard to keep perspective —"

Oh no, Patrick thought as he prepared himself to stand up and intervene because Raiko just said the type of reply that will surely anger Korra.

"You are the one who has lost perspective!" Korra interrupted Raiko and stood up, fully angry at how that man could not understand the situation in the South. "I am trying to save my tribe and you are just taking pictures."

"Korra, calm down," Patrick said and stood up. "How long has it been that Amon and his men have taken the city?"

Korra looked at him confused. "What has it to do with what is happening in the South?"

"Answer my question. Please."

Korra sighed as she realized the meaning of the question. "Several months…"

"Yes, and Mr. President has not been in office for a month," Patrick said and motioned toward Raiko.

"Even though I cannot send soldiers, I can assure you that I will do my best and work with Unalaq and the South for a diplomatic solution." Raiko stood up. "I am sorry, but my mind is made up. This meeting is over."

Although Korra understood Raiko's position, the flame of anger over not getting help for her family and people rekindled within her. "My family and people are going to be wiped out and it will be on your head for doing nothing about it!" she yelled and stormed out of the office with Varrick following her.

Only Raiko and Patrick remained in the office.

"Thank you for your support in this matter. You really do honor your nickname," Raiko said to Patrick.

"Do not thank me," Patrick replied as he watched Korra and Varrick leave down the hallway. She was angry and thus capable of doing something stupid.

A few hours later, Korra was in Bolin and Mako's apartment, pacing around the room in an attempt to somehow release her built-up anger from powerlessness. Mako was sitting on the couch and watching his angry girlfriend.

"I cannot believe the President is doing nothing! He does not even care!" she said.

"I am sure he cares, but he cannot just tell his people to go fight a battle at the South Pole that has nothing to do with them," Mako replied over the whole situation.

Korra stopped pacing around the room and turned her head toward him with disbelief. "How could you take his side?" she asked in exasperation.

"What is it with you and sides? Why do you always think I am working against you?" Mako replied with a question.

"Well, you are not helping me! I am trying to get soldiers to the South. What are you doing?"

"I am doing my job!" Mako answered angrily and stood up.

"Well, excuse me, officer. Do not let me stand in the way of you writing tickets," Korra said with a sarcastic tone. "I am just trying to save the world."

"Well, you would not have to if you did not keep messing it up!"

"I cannot talk to you when you are like this!" she yelled, headed out of the apartment and slammed the door on the way.

Mako angrily sat back down, and after a few seconds, he yelled, "You are the one who is like this!"

After a few steps across the hallway, Korra encountered Patrick. "Great, now you are here too…" she said with frustration. "This day just keeps getting better and better."

"I am here just to make sure that you do not do anything stupid right now," he replied.

"Does it look like I will do something stupid?" Korra sighed. "I will go see Varrick because it looks like he is the only one who can help me right now!" And with those words, she passed by Patrick, not even bothering to tell him not to follow her.

In the part of the harbor where Varrick's ship was, Asami was slowly walking across the pier and studying for at least the tenth time the contract she was about to sign with Varrick. In that moment, she was cut off by Korra, who, at swift speed and without paying attention to the surroundings, headed toward Varrick's ship. Patrick was a few steps behind Korra.

"What is up with her? The meeting with Raiko did not end well?" she asked Patrick, who had stopped by.

"Not at all," Patrick replied. "She is just frustrated that she is not able to somehow help her people and probably wishes that she was at the South Pole fighting." He paused for a moment. "You want to talk to Varrick, too?"

"Yes," Asami replied, and they and Korra, who had finally stopped at the ramp leading to the ship, headed to find Varrick.

They went up the stairs when Patrick noticed something very strange at the top. He saw several arrows embedded into the wall of the room. And after a few more steps up, he noticed more arrows in the railing of the staircase, plus he saw a huge red target hanging on the wall.

Green Arrow was here, or Legolas? he asked himself and then in that moment he heard the sound of a fired arrow coming toward them. He quickly reacted by grabbing Asami, who was in front of him, and, with a swift movement, pulled her away from the trajectory of the arrow that hit one of the circles of the target.

The trio turned their heads in the direction from where the arrow had come and they saw Varrick holding a bow with his eyes blindfolded, along with Zhu Li, who did not show any emotions, and Bolin, who looked horrified at what had almost happened to his friend.

Varrick removed his blindfold. "Oh, hello!" he said with a smile and then turned his head toward Bolin. "See? I told you I could do it," he said to him like he won some bet those two had made between them.

"Sorry I ever doubted you," Bolin replied.

The trio approached the other trio.

"We cannot wait for the President to act. We need those soldiers now," Korra proclaimed.

"And my company is about to go under. I have to find a way to make some sales," Asami added.

"Right, alright. Got it. Idea storm!" Varrick replied and turned to his assistant. "Get the supplies!"

Zhu Li, who took the bow from Varrick's hands, quickly disappeared into the back of the room.

"You are about to get an inside look at how Varrick Global Industries stays at the forefront of imagination and innovation, or how do I call it "imagivation"!" Varrick proclaimed with pride. "And it is trademarked," he added in a much more quiet and calm tone. He then placed his hand on Patrick's shoulder. "And what about if we both had an Idea storm? With our two great minds, I am sure we can together come up with something incredible!"

"No," Patrick replied and pulled Varrick's hand away from his shoulder.

"Suit yourself," Varrick reacted.

Zhu Li, meanwhile, brought into the room a half rack along with the heavy white braces with hooks. In that moment, Patrick knew how Varrick's Idea storm would work. But what he did not expect was that Zhu Li also brought a plate full of chili peppers, which she offered to Varrick.

"Brainwork requires increased circulation," Varrick explained. He took one of the chili peppers and ate it. A second later, his face completely reddened and he started to cry a little. "Let's do this!" he announced and quickly put the braces on his legs.

Asami, Korra and Patrick exchanged unsure glances with each other, while Varrick, with the help of the braces, hung himself upside-down. Zhu Li took a notepad, knelt down, and prepared to write down everything that Varrick would come up with. And Bolin was watching it all with great admiration.

"Alright, here come the ideas! Fast and furious!" Varrick yelled. "Pink mint lemon tea. Radio for pets. Uh, hand shoes..." he enumerated the ideas with great struggle.

For fuck's sake, Patrick thought as he witnessed the reason for Varrick's success — crazy ideas caused by driving the blood into the head and eating hot peppers. It did not matter that most of those ideas were unrealizable; Varrick only needed one to get customer's attention.

"Hold on a second!" Varrick continued. "We do not need Raiko to go to the South. We just nee —"

"We need the soldiers themselves to go to the South," Patrick interrupted him and he waited for everyone to turn their attention to him before he continued. "We can simply convince some high-ranking officer to take a ship or fleet on patrol or organize training maneuvers in the area of the South Pole. So, if they encounter a hostile Northern fleet and it attacks them, the United Forces will have to defend themselves. And we know one officer who will probably be willing to take this risk: General Iroh."

There might have been a much better way than convincing the officer to act behind his government's backs, but to do that, it would have required the use of Tarrlok's book, which Patrick had obtained after dealing with him and his brother, but with the now completely different government of Republic City, that book was now likely worthless, and using it would raise several questions about its origin.

"Of course," Korra replied with enthusiasm that they had finally found a way to help her people in the South.

Patrick then turned his gaze to Asami. "And you could also sell your Mecha Tanks to the rebels. We just have to ship them."

"That is a great idea!" Korra added to Asami. "You will be making money for your company and helping to defeat Unalaq."

"It is true," Varrick joined the discussion. "If you cannot make money during a war, you just flat-out cannot make money." Still hung on a half rack, he turned his head toward Patrick. "See? With our two great minds, we can do anything!"

Patrick decided not to respond to that at all.

Asami, who, in the meantime, was thinking about the suggestion that she would supply the rebels with her father's inventions. It sounded good, and she would help her friends, but the sea was not entirely safe lately, and she would take a big risk by doing so. "It is dangerous on the seas right now, but I am willing to try if you are," she said finally.

"It will be crazy risky, but I love crazy risky!" Varrick replied. "End storm!" he announced and then he swung himself upright, and with a spin, he landed in front of the trio like he was in some circus. He turned his head toward his assistant. "Zhu Li, get those other ideas to research and development. I want prototypes by next week," he ordered her.

"I do not understand why it is so hard to get Republic City to support the South," Korra remarked. Since yesterday, when they arrived back in the city, she has noticed that the other citizens, except for those from the North and the South, do not care about what is happening in her homeland. Like if they forgot that without Katara and her brother Sokka, there would be no Republic City.

"Do not worry, I am already working on that," Varrick replied and he went over to a small wooden stand where the projector was and in front of it hung a screen. "As soon as people see this, they will be lining up to fight Unalaq. Zhu Li, do the thing!"

Zhu Li, with an extended hand, activated the projector and the light from it projected onto the screen a group of soldiers from the North in formation.

"Do not freak out. It is not real," Bolin whispered to Korra and Patrick.

While Korra, with a little bit of amazement, watched the moving pictures, Patrick gave Bolin an expression that was saying: You know who you are talking to, right?

"I had a film crew documenting the entire Northern invasion," Varrick explained the origin of the footage they were watching.

Then, on the screen for a short moment, Eska appeared, and Bolin screamed in fear while covering his eyes, nearly startling Korra and Patrick, and Pabu, who had been sitting on his shoulder the whole time, jumped down.

"Ahhh! Sorry. I keep doing that," Bolin apologized after he quickly calmed down.

"So, you want to make propaganda films against the North, if I am not mistaken?" Patrick asked Varrick.

"Exactly!" Varrick answered with a smile.

And who will be the poor soul who will wear the colors of Republic City or the Southern Water Tribe and who will punch the imitation of Unalaq at least a hundred times? Patrick asked another question in spirit.

"We are going to cut this footage together with scenes we shoot of our superstar Bolin here playing a Southern Water Tribe hero," Varrick changed his tone to dramatic, "battling the evil Unalaq. No one will root for the North after they see "The Adventures of Nuktuk: Hero of the South"!" And he made a grand pose that presented Bolin, who raised both arms and flexed his muscles.

"I am Nuktuk! What do you think?" Bolin asked his three friends.

Asami, Korra and Patrick gave him unamused expressions over this idea.

Patrick recalled how he had read in the newspaper this morning that Bolin, who accompanied Varrick into the Arena last night, had quickly become the people's favorite after his interview with Shiro Shinobi. Bolin as a movie star and influencer, may God or whatever in this Universe have mercy on us all.

An hour later, in Bolin and Mako's apartment, Bolin was telling his older brother about the news that he would become the main star of Varrick's moving pictures, but Mako was frankly ignoring him because he was sitting on the couch and looking through the book containing pictures of all the criminals in Republic City in hopes that he might find those two he had encountered at the Southern Water Tribe Cultural Central.

"Oh, you should have seen Varrick today," Bolin continued. "That man is a genius… including Patrick, of course."

"Uh-uh," Mako reacted, not caring at all.

"Patrick, as always, came up with the idea that Asami could sell those Mecha Tanks to the South; of course, Varrick came up with the same idea at the same time, and Patrick also helped Korra with the problem with Unalaq by convincing General Iroh to fight Unalaq without President Raiko ever even knowing."

This has now gained Mako's attention. "What? That is a terrible idea!" And he thought that the Smartest Man in the World would actually show some wisdom.

But Bolin clearly ignored Mako's remark as he continued his boast. "I cannot wait to play Nuktuk!" He then imitated Varrick's voice as he flexed his muscles. "He is a man of action but he has a heart of gold. He was born in tundra." And it looked like Bolin could talk about Nuktuk all day.

"Look, I am trying to do something that is actually important here," Mako replied, slightly annoyed.

"Oh. Oh, sorry. Uh, sure. What is it?" Bolin asked and sat down beside his brother.

"Something does not make sense about this bombing. I just do not buy that the Northern Water Tribe was behind it," Mako explained and for a moment he took his gaze away from the book that lay on the conference table. Bolin took advantage of that, picked up the book and turned the page. Mako quickly turned his gaze back to the book and saw a picture of a familiar face. "Wait a second!" He pointed at the picture. "That is the man who attacked the center! I have to show this to Beifong!" Mako quickly took the book and, with it, headed out of the apartment.

"Glad I could help," Bolin proclaimed as Mako closed the door behind him. "Nuktuk saves the day again!" he added in a victorious tone.

An hour later, in the Police Headquarters, in Beifong's office, President Raiko honored Chief Beifong with a visit in the matter of the bombing of the Cultural Center.

"How did this attack happen right under your nose? And why have you not arrested the people responsible yet?" he asked.

"We are working on it, sir," Beifong replied.

"Well, work harder! If you do not get any results soon, I will find someone who can."

Beifong did not reply to it at all; she just sighed in spirit. She really missed Tenzin and the other members of the Council right now.

Meanwhile, Mako, in his uniform, was making his way through the common room, where the detectives and the officers were working behind their desks, heading to Beifong's office in the back. Unfortunately, near the door to the office was a desk occupied by Lu and Gang.

Gang was a tall man with raven hair and a long mustache and goatee, wearing a brown detective uniform with a green shirt underneath.

Lu, on the other hand, was much shorter and obese than his partner, with a short raven afro and a very thick, long mustache. He was wearing a grey detective uniform with a dark green collar with a green shirt underneath.

These two were in the whole Police Headquarters infamous for not taking their jobs very seriously and mocking, teasing and playing pranks on the gullible newest members of the police and now Mako was their newest target.

Still, those two were assigned to the case of the attack on the Cultural Center and every possible lead had to go through them, so Mako had to respect the chain of command.

"I got a breakthrough in the bombing case. I identified the man I saw at the scene," Mako said to them when he approached them.

"That is great, Mako," Lu replied.

"You should better run that in to Beifong right now," Gang added.

"You think?" Mako asked surprised because, for the first time ever since he got here, those two were being helpful.

"Sure. You are going to be a hero!" Lu answered.

So Mako, with great confidence, quickly marched toward Beifong's office. Behind his back, the pair of detectives silently laughed, made their signature handshake and turned their heads to watch the upcoming entertainment.

The other detectives and officers present in the common room just shook their heads, and instead of somehow intervening, they focused on their tasks.

Mako quickly knocked at the door of Beifong's office and entered. He was welcomed by the surprised looks of President Raiko and his bodyguards. Only Beifong was looking at him with anger.

"What makes a rookie beat cop think he can interrupt my meeting with the President?" she asked Mako.

Lu and Gang started laughing, and Lu banged the desk with his hand due to laughter.

"I am sorry, I just…um," Mako replied nervously and he was trying to find the right words to explain his arrival. "I found something out about the bombing."

Lu quickly styled his hair as Mako had and imitated him while his partner was doing his best not to laugh out loud.

"Well, give it to Lu and Gang, you moron!" Beifong ordered. "Now get out!"

Lu quickly styled his hair back as Mako turned around and closed the door behind him. "Sorry. Was she busy?" he asked as he and Gang were keeping their straight faces.

But Mako quickly realized that it was another one of their pranks. He placed the picture of the suspect on their desk. "This is the man I saw sneaking out of the building right before the explosions. He is a member of the Agni Kai Triad. Someone must have hired him to make it look like the Northerners attacked the Cultural Center."

Gang took the picture and looked at it briefly. "Hmmm," he said before he opened a drawer on his desk, dropped the picture into it and closed it.

"Did you learn anything about that remote control I found at the scene?" Mako asked. "It should be the key to finding out who is really responsible."

"Listen, it was the Northern Water Tribe, alright?" Lu replied.

"Yes, give it a rest, Super Cop," Gang added.

Mako sighed in spirit. There was no way to talk with those two normally, so he turned around and headed toward his desk while being accompanied by their smug smiles.

He sat down and started to think about what to do next when Beifong's office opened and President Raiko, accompanied by his bodyguards, headed out. Mako expected that he would walk past him when, to his surprise, Raiko made his way over to him, so he quickly stood up.

"I have heard good things about you. You have made some big Triad busts for a rookie," Raiko said.

"Thank you, sir," Mako replied.

"And you are dating the Avatar, right?"

"Yes, sir."

"I am concerned that she might be getting some bad advice from Varrick or that she is ignoring the advice from the real Smartest Man in the World, Patrick. You would not happen to know if she is plotting anything that might compromise the security of Republic City, would you, officer?"

Mako averted his gaze with unease. He knew about something that Korra was up to, and it was that she wanted to persuade General Iroh to attack the Northern Water Tribe behind the President's back and that it was all Patrick's idea.

"Let me remind you that you have sworn an oath. You are a man of the law before anything else," Raiko continued and waited for Mako's reply.

"Yes, sir," Mako said.

Raiko nodded. "Well, keep up the good work." And he and his bodyguards turned around to leave.

As the trio were departing from him, Mako had pricks of conscience. He was a police officer of Republic City and it was his duty to protect its citizens and Korra was now about to do something that would endanger them. Plus, this might make Beifong listen to him in the matter of the attack on the Cultural Center and Lu and Gang would finally have some respect for him.

He sighed as he began to speak, "Wait, there is something you should know."

Raiko stopped and turned to him.

In the part of the harbor where the fleet of the United Forces was docking, Korra made her way to the deck of the battleship that was commanded by General Iroh to meet him.

"Thank you for seeing me, General Iroh," she said to him.

"What can I do for the Avatar?" he asked.

"The South needs military support before Unalaq wipes them out completely but the President is refusing to give the order. So, I decided to come to you directly. Actually, it was Patrick's idea. He spoke about the training maneuvers or a patrol in the area of the South Pole and when you happen to encounter the hostile Northern fleet or get attacked by them, you would have no choice but to defend yourself."

"I see," General Iroh replied and placed his hand on his chin while thinking. "He really thought about everything, did he? Tell him when you meet him that I could offer him a position as an adviser," he added with an affirmative tone.

Korra smiled. "I will tell him about your offer and thank you." She was now happy that she finally managed to get support for her people in Republic City and nothing would stop it now.

"Swapping old war stories?" Raiko's voice interrupted her joy.

She and General Iroh turned and saw that President Raiko had come aboard.

General Iroh saluted. "Mr. President."

"I hope you are not planning to take any military action without an order from your commander-in-chief?" Raiko asked.

"Of course not, sir," General Iroh replied.

"Good. Because if a single vessel leaves this harbor without my say-so, you will be court-martialed. Am I clear?"

"Crystal, sir."

Raiko turned his head toward Korra and crossed his arms. "Your activities here are bordering on insurrection. The Avatar does not command the military of the Republic." He pointed a finger at her. "Do not go behind my back again!" He turned his head back toward General Iroh. "As you were, General Iroh." He turned around and was about to leave when, after a few steps, he stopped. "And tell your friend Patrick that he is no longer invited to the gala." And he and his bodyguards left the battleship.

Korra, who watched them leave, was so full of anger that she had to keep herself under control and not use any of her elements on the departing Raiko.

"I hate him!" she said to Iroh.

"I am sorry about this, but my hands are now officially tied," General Iroh replied in an apologetic tone.

"It is alright; I understand that. Thank you anyway," she said with a little bit of disappointment that the quickly gained help for her people quickly vanished.

"But if I may suggest, you should talk to the Fire Lord. My mother and grandfather have always been good friends with the Avatar and the Southern Water Tribe. I am sure they will be willing to help."

"Thank you, General," Korra replied. So, when all possible means of helping her people, except the Mecha Tanks from Asami, had run out, it was perhaps time to look for help elsewhere.

Meanwhile, Bolin was on Varrick's ship, dressed in a very revealing Water Tribe outfit that showed off mostly his muscles. Behind him was a backdrop depicting the frozen tundra, and in front of him was Varrick with his employers, prepared to film.

"Would not I be cold wearing this outfit in the snow?" Bolin questioned the choice of his outfit.

"Ah, Nuktuk is never cold," Varrick replied while making a frame with his hands.

Then she walked past Bolin.

Her name was Ginger, and he noticed her when he and Asami met Varrick for the first time during the Glacier Spirits Festival. She was tall and svelte, with red hair and the most beautiful face he had ever seen, except for Asami's. Usually, she wore an elegant blue dress with a fur shawl on the shoulders, but now for the filming, she also wore a revealing outfit, which was a fur top with a choker and a fur skirt.

The moment Bolin spotted her, his blood was instantly pumping through his veins. "Ohh. Hey, Ginger," he said in a flirting tone.

But Ginger was ignoring him as she continued on her way to Varrick to stand beside him.

"How about that, huh?" Varrick introduced her as if she were some sort of product. "It is the latest product in my Varri-manageable Hair Line: Varri-dye! We get some shots of her using it before Unalaq kidnaps her; I guarantee we sell a million cases in one week."

In that moment, Korra rode into the room on Naga's back. "Bolin, I need you to watch Naga while I am gone," she said as she climbed down and then she paused for a moment. "Actually, I will ask Patrick to watch Naga."

"What? Where are you going?" Bolin asked.

"The Fire Nation," she answered. "I am going to try to get them to help the South." She turned to Varrick. "I need a boat."

"What happened with General Iroh?" Varrick asked.

"He was going to help us, but then President Raiko showed up. Someone must have tipped him off, but I cannot figure it out. No one knew about it except me, you, Asami, Bolin and Patrick."

"And Mako," Bolin added.

Korra turned her head toward him with an angry expression. "Mako?"

"What? There is no way Mako would have told," Bolin remarked with confidence but it quickly changed into doubts. "Right?"

But Korra did not wait for Bolin to realize it and she quickly ran out of the ship to see her boyfriend.

Mako was peacefully working on some reports at his desk when suddenly he was interrupted from his work by someone kicking the door open. He, as well as the other officers and detectives present in the common room, turned their heads to see who it was. It was Korra and she did not look happy at all.

"You ratted me out to the President?" she asked fully furious as she approached him.

"Korra, let me explain," Mako replied in his attempt to calm her down.

"Explain why my boyfriend stabbed me in the back?" Korra yelled as she leaned against his desk.

"Look, the President of the Republic asked me a direct question. What was I supposed to do?"

"You betrayed me and my family!" Korra put all her anger into one strong kick that, along with the Airbending, tossed Mako's desk toward the door of Beifong's office.

"Enough!" Mako reacted. "Look, I have a job to do! I cannot constantly be worrying about keeping you from making another huge mistake!" In that moment, Mako had a bit of understanding for Patrick when he was watching over Korra during the training for the Pro-Bending Tournament.

"Well, I have a job to do too and I thought that Patrick was always the one who was standing in the way of me getting it done! But in reality, it is you!"

"Well, then date him, because if we are both putting our jobs first, maybe there is no room for our relationship!"

Then both looked at each other in complete silence, thinking about what Mako had just said.

Korra's anger was very slowly turning into sadness. "So, what? Are you breaking up with me?"

Mako averted his gaze while replying to her in the same mood, "Yes. I guess I am."

"You know what the sad part about this is? Patrick has helped me and my family so many times, like you should have…" And with those words and tears in her eyes, Korra left.

Mako watched her leave and thought about going after her, but in the state those two were in, it was perhaps not a good idea.

Beifong opened the door and was about to yell at whoever had caused such a ruckus when she spotted Mako's desk thrown away in front of her office.

"What the flamey-o happened here?" she asked her subordinates.

"I…I broke up with the Avatar," Mako answered with sadness.

Beifong smirked. "You got off easy. You should have seen what I did on the Air Temple Island after Tenzin broke up with me!"

Patrick was walking through the streets of Republic City, fighting the urge to use his bracelet to find Korra through Naga. Korra had promised him before noon that she would tell him if General Iroh would help the South, and then they would plan their next course of action. He also wanted to share that he is developing weapons against the Spirits but several hours had passed and Korra still did not show up. So, with fear that she might get into some trouble, he went to look for her. He planned to start his search from the harbor when he suddenly spotted Korra aimlessly wandering toward the harbor.

"Korra!" he called at her but she did not respond. So, he ran after her. When he was close enough, he tried it again, "Korra!" He placed his hand on her shoulder.

Korra finally turned to him and it was obvious that she had cried a few minutes ago. "Hey, Patrick…" she said with tiredness.

"What happened?"

"Nothing…nothing…"

"And what about General Iroh and the fleet?"

"I managed to get them but Raiko intervened. So, the South has no support from Republic City at all."

He intervened? That means he knew about it. But who told him? Patrick thought. Asami would never talk. Varrick also wants to gain help for the South, and by warning Raiko, he would not get it, and Zhu Li is loyal to Varrick. But Bolin likes to talk… He then noticed that Korra was not crying over the denied help to her people. He saw this sadness in his sister and in Amelia and Olympia. It was the sadness of being betrayed by a loved one. Mako, you are dumbass…

However, Patrick decided not to speak about it and instead he chose to focus on the reason why they had returned to Republic City. "So, what do you want to do now?"

"Well… I want to go to the harbor where Varrick's boat is. I have to go to the Fire Nation for help," she answered.

"Do you want me to go with you?"

"No, I have to go alone… I just need some time alone…" She paused for a moment and waited for Patrick to argue but he did not say anything. "You are not protesting?"

"Honestly, I do not like the idea that you will sail there alone, but it seems… you have had enough arguing for one day. I would suggest that you wait until you are in a better mood, but time is pressing, so let me at least walk you to the harbor."

"Thank you…"

Then they both walked to the harbor in complete silence, walking side by side.

After a few minutes, Korra decided to break the silence. "Could you please keep an eye on Naga while I am gone? I left her with Bolin on Varrick's ship, but you are much more responsible."

"I will; do not worry," Patrick replied. "Has Varrick started making that propaganda?"

"Yes."

"And how does Bolin look as Nuktuk?" Patrick asked with emphasis on the name of the character that Bolin will be playing.

"Horrible…" Korra replied with a little bit of a laugh, but still, the sadness of what happened between her and Mako strongly remained in her. "But if it will get people in Republic City to support my people against the North, so be it.

Several minutes later, they arrived at the pier where Varrick's boat was docked.

Korra turned to him. "Thank you for that idea with General Iroh; by the way, I have to let you know that if you would like a job in the army, you should knock on his door."

Patrick shook his head. "No, I cannot imagine myself in the army. I feel much better as a civilian." He turned his gaze to the waiting boat. "Still sure about going to the Fire Nation alone?"

"I am."

"In that case…" Patrick reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, smooth metal plate with a small blue button in its center. "Take this." And he handed it over to her.

"What is it?" Korra asked while studying that thing in her hand.

"It is simply a locator. It was becoming quite tedious to track you down through Naga, so this will help me find you. But do not worry; I will not watch your every step. Just press the blue button and it gives me a signal that you need me."

"Thank you," she replied and she put the locator in her pocket.

"Still, I do not think it is a good idea to head to the Fire Nation alone." Patrick looked around over the empty ocean that surrounded the harbor of Republic City. "Eska could still be around and waiting for you to leave the safety of the city."

"I know, but I have to somehow get help for my family and people."

Patrick extended his hand to caress her face, wiping away a nearly dried tear under her eye.

Korra, who felt the warmth of his hand, let herself be carried away by the moment and let her head fully rest on Patrick's hand. The betrayal by Mako still hurt and she now needed someone. But time was pressing on her, and if she did not go to the Fire Nation now, she would never. So, she gently pushed Patrick's hand away and stepped into the boat.

As she started the engine, Patrick decided to ask her about something. "Korra, do you know what Harmonic Convergence is?"

Korra looked at him with uncertainty. Those words were saying something to her, but she could not figure out what, even though she was trying hard. It was like a very distant memory that was protected by a very thick fog in her mind. "No… Why do you ask?"

"It is just something I found in one of Jinora's books. I guess after Tenzin and his family return, she will explain to me what it is," Patrick answered and paused for a moment. "Be careful out there."

Korra nodded. "I will." And she took control of the boat.

Patrick watched her sail away until she and the boat became a dot on the horizon. He then sighed and sat down on the pier to think while looking at the open sea.

A few hours later, Korra continued steering the boat toward the Fire Nation while sorting out her thoughts. She was trying to think of what to say to the Fire Lord Izumi, daughter of the famous Zuko. There was a possibility that she would, like Raiko, refuse to help the Southerners, so the other option was the Earth Queen. But if that option fails as well, then that leaves only Tenzin, but he does not have an army. In that case, there would be no choice for Korra but to join her father and the rebels in fighting directly. These thoughts were helping her not to think about her break-up with Mako and what had happened between her and Patrick in the harbor.

Suddenly, she felt like the boat had hit something. Then again and again. She looked around and spotted that right behind her were Eska and Desna, riding jet skis, attacking her and the boat with their Waterbending.

"You ruined my wedding!" Eska yelled and launched a stream of water at her.

Korra quickly, with the boat, dodged the attack. Just great, she thought. She partially stood up, so she could defend herself much more easily with her Bending. She used her Waterbending to shoot two large streams of water at her cousin's jet skis, which she successfully destroyed.

But that did not stop the twins, as they both continued to pursue her while gliding on the surface of the water with the help of their Waterbending. They both quickly caught up with her; Eska was on the left side and Desna on the right.

"No one steals my Bolin!" Eska continued in her rage and jumped while sending a water arc at the boat, successfully destroying it.

Korra, who a second ago, with her hand on Patrick's locator, was thinking of calling for help, landed underwater. But she quickly reacted by returning to the surface on the cyclone with her on its top. As soon as she was able, she started sending fire blasts at them, but the twins were dodging her attacks and sending water streams at her that Korra was also dodging. However, her luck was short-lived because one of the streams from Eska hit her and dispersed the cyclone.

Korra quickly regained her balance by using her Airbending, and in the following second, she created another cyclone. It was time to end this fight, so she started expanding the cyclone as much as she could to trap her cousins in it.

As Eska and Desna were trying to get through the cyclone, they both noticed that something massive and glowing was swimming underneath. They exchanged glances, as they knew what it was. A Dark Spirit. And unlike their father, they had no idea how to deal with it.

Korra noticed that Eska and Desna were retreating. They might have finally given up. So, she descended with the cyclone to the surface of the ocean while observing them.

Then something emerged from the depths of the ocean behind her. She quickly turned around and saw that it was the Dark Spirit.

The being immediately started attacking her with its tendrils and she was doing her best to dodge its attacks. She successfully managed to dodge most of its attacks but the last one knocked her back into the water.

But Korra was not about to give up as she entered the Avatar State to emerge from the ocean and start to purify the Spirit, just like Unalaq had taught her. For a few seconds, it seemed that she was successful, as the being went back into the water, but only for a moment until it resurfaced and launched itself at her.

Korra launched a fire stream at the Dark Spirit, but it swallowed her and disappeared with her into the depths.

Eska and Desna, who were watching it all on the ice floes created by them, exchanged glances before deciding to retreat before the Dark Spirit would attack them as well. As they headed back to the South, they knew for sure that their father would not be pleased with this turn of events at all.