Tenzin was having a serious conversation on the telephone when he heard multiple footsteps approaching his office. He lifted his head and blinked when he saw Lin, Yuze, and Korra's friends enter his office.
"I... have to go," the airbender looked at every person in the room, "Call me back the minute you hear anything," he ended the call and stood up, facing his old friend, "Lin? Wh—what are you... You should be on the hospital," then he pointed at the three teenagers, "And you three you should be in prison!"
Yuze wave grinning, "Hi, Tenzin—"
The Airbender Master pointed at the firebender his eyes narrowing, "And you! You should be taking a rest!"
"I'm fine," Yuze waved her hand dismissively, "It's been days, Tenzin, the concussion is fading."
Tenzin shook his head and was about to retort when Lin beat him, "I figure you could use our help finding Korra."
Mako stepped in, "Do you have any leads?"
The aribender's mood changes immediately at the mention of the missing Avatar. He rounded his table to approach the five of them, "I've been on the phone all morning but nothing yet."
"We need Naga," the oldest of the Pro-bending brothers suggested more like a statement, his brows furrowed, "She could track Korra."
Tenzin closed his eyes, looking somberly, "I'm afraid her Polar bear dog is missing as well."
"Then where do we start?" Bolin asked.
Lin stepped up, "My guess is the Equalists are hiding underground," she put her hands on her waist, "In the maze of tunnels beneath the city."
"Underground," everyone turned their head to look at Asami whose eyes were trained on the ground, her voice has pain and a hint of anger in them, "Just like my father's secret factory. Figures."
Yuze who was beside the younger woman put a comforting hand on Asami's shoulder. Though she barely knew the girl, heck, Yuze just met her today, she still sympathized with her. Not like hers obviously, but she knew the feeling of betrayal. Having your mother abandon you, even if you're just a baby, to her friend felt like a betrayal.
"Secret factory?" the young earthbender put his fingers on his chin, thinking, "Yeah, yeah, that makes sense," he pointed at the Future Industry's heiress, "When those chi blockers had me at their truck," he gestured with his hands as if explaining what he had experienced, "It sounded like we drove into the tunnel."
Mako's eyes widened when a place suddenly came through his mind, "I know where to start looking," then he gestured, running, "Come on."
The three older ones were left, watching the three teenagers. Lin looked at the other people, "Wherever Amon is keeping Kora, I bet that's where my officers are too."
Tenzin looked at his old friend, his eyes full of conviction, and promised, "Let's bring them all home, Lin."
The earthbender nodded and they began walking but stopped when they realized Yuze was not following.
They looked back and saw the firebender still standing in the middle of the office, looking in deep thought. The former Chief's brows knitted together in confusion, "Are you not coming with us?"
Yuze lifted her head as if she had just awoken from a dream. She shook her head, "Uh, no, I'm sorry. I'll just wait here on the island."
"Are your concussion acting up?" Lin asked, her voice changing in concern.
The firebender shook her head, "No, no, I'm fine," then she looked away, her arms crossing as if she was shielding herself and hiding her vulnerability, "It's just that—" Yuze sighed, couldn't get herself to explain the reason why, "Just go, bring back Korra and your officer, and be safe."
Lin's eyes traveled downwards and saw the younger woman's hand shaking. Her eyes lifted when Yuze noticed her gaze and put her hand inside her pocket. Now sensing something was wrong, the older woman stepped up to approach the younger woman but a hand stopped her.
Tenzin— who realized what got the firebender conflicted— has a frown on his face and eyes trained on Yuze, "Let's go, Lin."
"Tenzin—"
The airbender's eyes went to his friend and the look of silent plea made Lin's mouth shut. She looked at Yuze and nodded though hesitant. Both of them exited the office but not without Lin glancing at her daughter one more time.
The two walk in silence as they traverse the long hallway but Lin breaks it when they exited the temple, "Tenzin I know you know what's happening to Yuze," and asks, "Tell me what's going on."
The airbender sighed and stopped making the other stop as well. Tenzin faced his old friend, "Lin, I can't tell you—" he stopped when Lin's hand grabbed him.
"Please, Tenzin, tell me."
The Airbending Master was about to refuse once again but the look of plea on the woman's face before him made his face soften. After all these years, even though they have moved on with their lives, Lin still has power over him. She is his first love after all.
Tenzin sighed, "It has something to do with a rescue operation," he shook his head at the look of questioning on Lin's face, "That's all I can disclose to you."
Though Lin still has a question, she understands the airbender and nods. She smiled gratefully, "Thank you."
Both of them turned their heads simultaneously as Bolin shouted, "Hey, guys, what are you waiting for?"
Tenzin and Lin looked at each other before they continued walking. The five of them boarded Tenzin's sky bison and flew, while a certain firebender was watching them leave by the window at the Councilman's office.
Yuze took her hands from her pockets and stared as it kept shaking. She curled her hands into fists as a tear fell from her eye.
Tenzin, Lin, and the other three teenagers successfully infiltrate the Equalist's underground base and rescue the officers who were held captive. Lin is saddened that they are too late, as her officers' bending has already been taken away, but she is also grateful that they are still alive. Though the officers are in there, they don't see any sign of Korra, leading them to realize that Tarrlok lied and was the one who kidnapped the Avatar.
So after dropping the officers in safety, they went to the City Hall to meet with the other councils and the newly appointed Chief, Saikhan. They confronted Tarrlok but the latter denied the accusation until his assistant came in and testified he saw the councilman took captive the Avatar. It was also revealed by the assistant that Tarrlok is a bloodbender. Once Tarrlok's secret got out in the light, everyone tried to attack them only for the councilman to use his ability to stop them and knock them out.
Once they woke up, Tarrlok was already gone. They thought it might still be possible for them to pick up the councilman's trail to lead them to the Avatar.
The five of them boarded Oogie to look for the trail left by Tarrlok but then they heard Naga's howl. After following the noise they saw Naga walking down the street with Korra lying on her back. After they got down, Lin and Tenzin tried to question her only for Mako to interrupt them and pick up Korra taking her to the sky bison.
After some discussion on who's going to take Naga home, Asami volunteered on doing it with Bolin coming with her. All of them make it back to the island with Pema and Yuze— the kids already asleep— coming out of the temple to meet them.
Due to the time being late, Tenzin offered for Lin to stay for the night. The earthbender refused the offer besides her wanting to get home and lie in her own bed (she hated the bed at the Air Temple Island, it was so stiff), she could also feel the burning stare of Pema on her back. But Yuze chimed in and insisted for the older woman to stay at the temple. Lin tried to refuse again but the younger woman was already dragging her towards the dormitory, leaving Lin with no choice.
After Lin woke up, she went to the dining area where she found Yuze drinking tea while reading a newspaper.
The firebender looked up and smiled, "Good morning, Beifong! How's sleep?" then she gestured at the teapot, "Tea?"
The earthbender sat down at Yuze's right side and stretched her neck, "Yes, please."
Yuze nodded and began pouring tea into a cup and offered it to her boss who accepted it. Lin took a sniff and inhaled the floral aroma of the tea. She arched an eyebrow in question.
"Rosehip tea. Good for arthritis, improves your joint health, and pain relief. Reduces inflammation and is good for the heart. Fight skin aging," then she raised her own tea, "And the most beneficial of all, it keeps your skin glowing."
Lin nodded and was about to take a sip when she noticed all of the benefits of the tea. She furrowed, "Why it seems like all of the benefits are for old age?"
Yuze choked at her tea. Then she looked away, "I don't know what you are talking about."
The earthbender narrowed her eyes towards the younger woman who just whistled looking everywhere but Lin's eyes. Just that when Tenzin and the air kids came in from their morning meditation.
Save by the bell.
"Hi, everybody!" Lin shook her head and took a sip of her tea, she would let the younger woman pass for now, "Want some tea?" Yuze raised her teacup."It has great benefits, especially for you Tenzin."
Lin choked on her tea. She coughs several times both for having trouble breathing and preventing herself to laugh. She waved her hand dismissively when she felt everyone's eyes on her, "I'm okay."
Lin met Yuze's eyes and saw the mischief in it making the older woman shake her head while smiling, amused by the younger woman's antics, though there was also exasperation in it as she realized the similarity of Yuze and her father's quirks.
The combination of Lin's stubbornness and Hideo's quirks in one person?This will be tough.
As Tenzin and the kids sat down at the table, the teenagers — excluding Korra who was still resting in bed— entered the room one by one. Pema also came out of the kitchen with plates in her hand, to prepare breakfast.
After breakfast with a lot of chaos going on and teasing from Yuze to three specific people and having a conversation with Korra, and revealed that Tarrlok is Yakone's son. Here Yuze is sitting at the steps of the stairs gazing at the city and enjoying the peace even though there's a sense of war brewing in the air.
Unlike how she was so energetic and joking earlier, she was quite in here with her mind going anywhere. The past few days had been tough for her. She tried to mask it by being her usual self but she knew a few people had seen through it.
It was a lot for her and she felt the burden on her shoulders getting heavier every day. So many thoughts rush through her mind, these thoughts come with anxiety and have been bothering her for days and nights, that she seldomly has peace in her sleep.
These worries were mainly the thought of her mother who she still hasn't had a clue where she will start with and the great power inside her that wants to be freed.
She knew anytime in the future, the seal would come to fade and the power within her would be freed and she was not looking forward to it. Once upon a time, she was proud of it, her ability but now she came to despise it, curse it, and fear it. She doesn't want the accident to be repeated again but she feared it already has.
Her hand subconsciously reached the white strands of hair that had manifested that day.
Tenzin might not answer her question but she knew everyone that was around her in the fight a few weeks ago was already gone, and she knew it because of her.
Every day it haunts her. The people in her dreams have been added with the faces of her latest victims. And she's afraid her dream that night was everyone she loves had been hurt because of her.
Yuze doesn't want that. Perhaps she needs to distance herself and disappear from the world to make sure she will not hurt anyone. Even if Chyou will surely hate her for real this time, it may hurt her nonetheless it will ease her mind. Maybe she will do th—
"What's going on in your mind?"
The firebender was startled at the voice spoken behind her. She looked up and her eyes followed Lin as the older woman moved and let herself settle beside her. The earthbender looked at her, her eyebrows raising in question.
"Nothing," Yuze replied, her eyes looking back at the view of the city.
Lin sighed heavily, "For the past few days we have been together, I noticed the change in you. You may tried to hide it but I could see something is bothering you," her brows knitted together in concern, "Tell me, Yuze, what is it."
Yuze looked at the woman sitting beside her and was surprised at the amount of concern Lin was showing to her. She shook her head and looked ahead once again, "I just worried about the impending war and my mother, that's all."
Though Lin knew there was more to it, decided not to push it further. Even if she wanted to ask more questions about it, the blood of Beifong was coursing through Yuze's veins and she knew what would happen if a person kept prodding to a Beifong.
Instead, the earthbender nodded her head and also gazed at the view of the city she swore to protect.
A comfortable silence enveloped the two, each of them having their minds somewhere. Yuze with her concern about her power and Lin with her concern with her daughter.
Lin knew this war would take a toll on everybody and she feared the time would come when she would never have a chance to tell Yuze the truth. She thought of it carefully before she decided she would tell it now.
"Did you know I used to have a daughter?"
Yuze's head snapped at the older woman at her question, her eyes widening in surprise, her mouth fell open, "Wait, you have?" then she smiled widely, "Who's the father? Is it Tenzin? Is it Lieutenant Jin? And where is she?" then her smile fades when the use of wordings came dawn to her, "You saidused," then her eyes looked at her somberly, "Something happened doesn't it?"
Lin without looking at the woman beside her nodded.
"What happened?" Yuze asked softly then realized it was too personal, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry—"
"With my job being a Chief earned me many enemies."
Yuze fell silent not expecting the older woman to answer her question nonetheless she silenced.
"I thought I could keep my job from affecting my personal life" Lin's hands went and gripped the edge of the steps, "But I was wrong. One of my enemies took revenge on me and took my daughter away from me," she closed her eyes, the events playing through her mind, "I could still remember the day I realize I lost her. That day greatly destroyed me, and it didn't fade away. The guilt of not protecting her, not being with her, still there," she opened her eyes and gazed at the sky, and laughed bitterly, "I'm the Chief of the Police, my job is to protect the city. Many people admired me, being thankful for doing my job, but I can't take the compliment," Lin felt her eyes burn but she kept the tears at bay, "Cause I may have succeeded in saving and protecting countless lives, but I failed when my daughter needed me most."
Then Lin's hand reached for something inside the hidden pocket on her armor and handed it to Yuze who accepted it. The firebender looked down and saw it was a picture. A stolen picture of Lin gazing with so much affection at the baby in her arms.
Yuze's breath was caught on her throat as she saw how Lin looked in the picture. This was the first time she saw her face beaming and her body was so relaxed, far from the Lin sitting beside her now.
"That's my daughter," the firebender heard the affection and longing in the voice of the older woman, "She's the one who has saved me from despair and pieced together what was left in me."
Yuze's hand subconsciously reaches for the picture, her fingertips brushing the image, especially the baby, "She's beautiful."
"Yes, she is."
The firebender looked up from the picture, "What's her name?"
Emerald eyes met, "Yuze."
The firebender felt her heart stopped for a moment before she glanced at the picture once again.
Yuze. Same as hers.
"Why are you telling me all of this?" Yuze said in a silent voice, still in shock how the older woman chose to lower her guard and revealed the most personal thing in her life to her.
Lin took a deep breath, collecting herself before she continued, "The reason why I agreed to help you find your mother is because I thought maybe, if I reunited a mother and daughter I would feel... better," Yuze's eyes met with her own, "I'm telling you this because I have a lead about your mother."
Yuze felt her heart stop, her eyes searching at Lin's, a hope glimmering in it, "You did?"
Lin nodded then she reached for the folded paper inside her pocket. She took a deep breath to calm her raging heart. She felt the fear and anxiety coursing through her veins but she forced herself to give the paper to the younger woman, "All of the details about your mother are in this paper."
No turning back.
The earthbender handed the paper to the younger woman who received it with shaking hands. Lin's hand curled into fists waiting for what will be Yuze's reaction.
Lin saw how her daughter's brows scrunched in confusion as she read the contents, "W—why is this a DNA test? Why— why is your name and mine written on it?" then her eyes lifted up and saw the other woman looking at her with eyes glistening.
Then something came to Yuze's mind. She picked up the picture once again and took out her handkerchief. Her eyes came back and forth between the two objects in her hand, comparing them. Both of them have so many similarities on them. Both have the same color. Both have the same name embroidered on them.
Yuze.
"What's her name?"
"Yuze."
Yuze's eyes lifted, meeting Lin's, who had tears freely flowing down her cheeks now, "I'm confused."
Lin's hand reached and cupped her cheek, thumb wiping the tears Yuze didn't know were there, "I'm sure you are, bǎobèi."
Just then a bomb echoed from the city. Both of them turned their head and stood up as multiple explosions happened at different places in the city.
Lin wiped her tears and looked at her daughter who also turned to her, "We'll talk about this after all is settled," they both turned to the ship coming towards the Air Temple Island, "For now, we have a war to fight on."