"The anticipation is palpable as we were just a moment away from the championship match. Will the Wolfbat..."
Yuze was currently glancing at the crowd, looking for a certain woman in metal armor. Her foot tapping on the concrete, "Why does that woman take so long"
"Where is Lin?" a manly voice spoke beside her.
Yuze turned her eyes at the Airbending Master, "I don't know. She said she would go to the washroom but it's been fifteen minutes since she left and she still has not come back."
Tenzin's brows met in concern, "Yuze, go check, Lin. In a time like this, we should stay together. We don't know when Amon will attack."
Yuze nodded and turned around just in time for Lin to walk towards them.
"I'm here, you don't need to check on me," Lin said her voice a steel in them.
Yuze furrowed at the older woman's voice tone. There's something there but she couldn't point out what is it. All that she knows is something happened while she's gone. That's when she saw the redness in her boss's eyes and Tenzin must notice it too.
"Lin, are you alright?" the airbender asked worriedly, "What happened?"
Lin waved her hand dismissively, "I'm fine," though the two were not convinced as they saw how the Chief's shoulders seemed tense. Lin saw how the two looked at her and she took a deep breath, letting out the tension all over her body, "Really, I'm fine. Don't worry about me and focus on the game."
The two Masters knew something was up but they didn't push the subject and did what the earthbender said.
Yuze looked ahead to the platform where the game would happen but not without making eye contact with the older woman. Then Lin looked away after a few seconds leaving the younger woman confused.
Is that sadness and... longing in Lin's eyes? But longing on what?
Yuze pushed the thought aside as the game already started.
Lin tried to concentrate on the game but she couldn't keep her mind focused and it kept coming back at the thought of the woman just a few feet from her. It still feels like a dream to her. She couldn't believe it. All this time, her daughter was only staying at the Fire Nation.
She searched for her everywhere. Every district in this damn city. Every single village in the Earth Kingdom. Every place in the world. She even checked on the Fira Nation, but clearly not all. She didn't expect her daughter to be only training under the Firelords' wings and playing with the Prince.
How ridiculous and the universe may be laughing at her right now.
The Chief of Police's hands curled into fists.
If she— If she only asked the Royal family.
If she only went to them.
If she only just tried harder.
If she just—
"Lin?"
The said woman was startled as a hand was put on her shoulder. The Chief of Police turned her head and saw Tenzin and Yuze looking at her. The cheering of the crowd came back to her senses.
"Are you really alright, Beifong?" Yuze asked, concern was written on her face, "You've been getting distracted for a while now. It's not like you."
Lin crossed her arms as if covering herself from being vulnerable. She can't have it. Not while she has a job to do. Not while her daughter's eyes were on her, "I'm fine."
"Beifong, I'm not the person who minds someone else's business but—"
"Then don't mind."
"No. It's eating your mind and it clearly affecting your work right now."
"I said I'm fine! Now shut up!" she couldn't restrain herself from snapping and it was already too late to stop. She saw the subtle changes in the younger woman's expression before it disappeared.
"I'm sorry for being concerned."
Lin felt like something, someone was clawing at her heart. Tearing it apart. And stealing the air from her lungs as she saw her daughter's face closed off from her.
The Chief of Police wanted to apologize and explain herself to the younger woman but she couldn't. It is not her and the two would only question the changes in her attitude. But that didn't mean it didn't bug her.
The Chief of Police saw the disappointment in Tenzin's eyes making the guilt on her intensify. The airbender must see it to her eyes making its face soften.
Lin then realizes her walls have been let down during those moments. Every feeling was cleared at her face in an instant, raising the walls once more. She looked away and set her eyes ahead.
And though externally she seems like she doesn't feel anything. Internally, she is feeling everything. Her emotions and mind are in turmoil. Many questions and thoughts are running through her mind.
Does she already ruin the relationship she can have with Yuze?
Does the younger woman change her view of her?
Does she even deserve to be a mother if she couldn't even stop herself from snapping at her daughter?
Lin then stopped when she realized that Yuze was right. It has been eating her mind out. Yuze just didn't it was her that was boggling her mind.
The Chief of Police cleared her mind and pushed all those thoughts from the back of her mind for later. She has more pressing matters right now. And that matters are Amon and his damn followers.
The game continued and obviously, something was going on with the game.
"Oh, come on, reps!" Tenzin protested throwing his hand in the air, "There was something funny business on the last plight!"
Lin raised an eyebrow in amusement, "Who would have guessed you knew the rules of Pro-bending?"
Tenzin cleared his throat as he straightened his body, "I've been brushing up. That Wolfbat plainly bent outside of his zone."
Yuze snorted without looking away from the game, "Just admit you secretly like Pro-bending."
"I do not," Tenzin huffed.
"Yeah, yeah."
Two of the members from the opposing group team up to push Bolin out of the ring. But everyone saw that the waterbender from the Wolfbat cheated by making the water freeze and though the youngest of the Fire Ferrets managed to jump to avoid it, he couldn't avoid the attack of the firebender from the opposing team.
"Hmmm, definitely there is a funny business happening," Yuze nodded.
The game continued and the opposing team managed to pushed back Korra's team into the last line. The Wolfbat attacked the two simultaneously, overwhelming Korra and Mako, and making them knock out the ring. Or so they thought.
Yuze's hand leaned on the railing. Her eyes gleamed and her lips formed into a grin, "Yes, Korra! Show them what I thought you!"
Korra was hanging at the edge of the platform holding Mako's hand. Then she launched her teammate back into the ring, throwing fire attacks in the process.
Yuze clapped her hands, empress at the Fire Ferret's performance. She is really enjoying the game. Why did she never think to watch a game before?
While Yuze was happily enjoying the game, Lin was watching her from the corner of her eyes, with an almost non-existent smile on her lips before she went back to watching the game.
"Round two!" the announcer stated.
The game continued and the two teams attacked each other with the other team still going outside of the rules. But the ring bell signifying the time is up, leading to a draw and tiebreaker.
A tossed coin has been issued to see which team will decide the element that will be used in the challenged. The Fire Ferrets had won the tossed coin.
Korra stepped up punching her palm, and beckoned the waterbender from the other team. Though they are far from the ring, they could see the arrogant smile from the opponent team.
"I hate overconfident assholes," Yuze muttered under her breath which the other two heard.
Tenzin huffed, "Said the one who was."
"Hey, it's different for my case," Yuze raised her chin, "I could back up my claims. Not like that cheating pretty boy."
The match between the two waterbenders started. They could see the opponent was taunting Korra which the latter complied. She attacked and the member from the opposing team dodged but it was soon followed by the water uppercutting the opponent.
"Round two goes to the Fire Ferrets!"
Yuze motioned her hands towards the ring, "See? Overconfident," then she clapped her hands, "That's right, Korra. Show him who's the boss," then she wiped a tear that wasn't there, "Oh, I raised that girl."
The two older people beside her rolled their eyes at her antics.
"I can't believe your sweet-tempered father was reincarnated into that girl," Lin tilted her head, "She's tough as nails."
"Reminds me of someone else I knew at that age," Tenzin commented, "You two might get along if you would only give her a chance."
The firebender heard it and would have followed Tenzin's comment with her own teasing remarks if she was not still sour from what happened earlier.
The third and last round started at the cue of the ring bell. The two teams started attacking each other and all was going well until the opposing pulled another foul by putting a rock into the water. Though it was clear that it was a foul, the referee was still declared a knockout.
Yuze and Lin have been blasted by air from a fitting airbender, "Oh, come on! Those were illegal headshots! Open your eyes rep!"
"Psh, it's no use, Tenzin," Yuze groaned as she stretched her arms up and then put them behind the back of her head, "The referee has been bribed."
But the Airbender doesn't listen and continues complaining and ranting. Then Yuze became alert when she felt something changed in the air.
She stepped aside just in time to dodge a hand with a glove device. She grabbed the arm and flipped the person who tried to attack her. Once her attacker was on the ground, she kicked its head knocking out the person.
That's when she heard a scream beside her. She turned just in time to see her boss hitting the ground followed by Tenzin. Yuze was about to go to them when she screamed as another one attacked her.
The firebender gritted her teeth as she turned her body to face her attacker. She saw the person who ambushed her widen their eyes in shock as she was still standing and capable of withstanding the electricity.
Yuze reached the baton behind her back and swung it to the head of her assailant. Her attacker stumbles back from the impact, releasing her arm in the process.
The firebender fell to her knees as her body was still having aftershocks from the ambush.
"Damn it," Yuze spotted as she stand up to her feet. Then she caught what was happening below. Her eyes widened when she saw a man in a suit wielding batons come close to the water, "Korra!"
But it's too late as the Avatar together with her two friends has already been electrocuted. Just then she raised her baton to shield herself when she felt another one come to her, she glared at her attacker as she reached for her other baton and swung it. Her attacker did a black flip to dodge her attack.
Yuze twirled her batons, "Damn you, Equalist people."
Then the Equalist member rushed towards her. They exchange a blow and Yuze was the one coming on the top when a black spinning bolas came flying rounding her arms.
Yuze glared at the newcomer before she did a black flip to dodge the attack of her opponent, "Okay."
She jumped and blasted a flame to the other one then sent another one to the newcomer. But the two had managed to dodge it. Another flying bolas came to her from another direction and Yuze jumped, kicking a blue flame towards the newcomer mid-air.
Once she landed she saw that there were now five people surrounding her. Every each of them is either twirling bolas in their hand or stretching the glove device in her direction.
Yuze looked at her arms and tried to tug free but to no avail. She glanced up to the people who were slowly walking toward her, "Please, stop attacking the people," but the Equalists didn't stop and she swore she could hear them snickering behind their masks. Yuze sighed and closed her eyes. She didn't want to do this, "You left me with no choice."
Yuze opened her eyes. She inhaled and breathed a large stream of blue fire from her mouth. Her attackers's eyes widened in surprise before they stumbled back to avoid getting hit. Two out of five succeeded while the rest were screaming as their clothes were covered in fire.
From the platform, Amon who was about to take the bending of one of the Pro-bending athletes, turned his head to the direction where he felt a great heat. His eyes narrowed at the young woman causing it, "Blue flames."
Coming back to Yuze, the woman tried to take the time she had while the Equalists were recovering from the attack. She tried to take the risk and heated her arms. She was succeeding when another flying bolas came and spun around her legs. The firebender grunted as she fell to the ground and let out a scream when the bolas turned out as a device capable of electrocuting.
Yuze gritted her teeth as she wielded her body to lessen the effect of it but it was stopped when she felt a throb from her old scars. Her eyes widened and a scream tore out of her throat not because of the electricity but because she felt her chest burning.
The Equalists seeing her took this as an opportunity to take her down. Realizing their device was not used against her, they took out a hard metal and swung it to her head. Yuze fell to the ground.
The firebende's eyes opened slightly. Her eyes picked up Amon's announcement though she could not understand a word as Amon's voice was only echoing to her ears. Her eyes stared up when a shadow covered her form. She saw a blurred form of a masked person and for the second time, something hit her head blocking her out completely.
After Amon declared revolution, Lin slowly woke up. Her eyes opened and looked around to check everyone. Her eyes widened as the view of her daughter lying on the ground still unconscious greeted her. Adrenaline coursed through her veins as she got up despite her body still recovering from the attack. She runs towards the younger woman.
She felt a deja vu as she tapped the younger woman's cheek softly, "Yuze?" she called out the younger woman's name but there was no response, "Yuze?" her heart beat fast as she tried to wake up the woman.
Her hand shakily reached to the firebender's neck. Fearing she will not feel feel anything. Once her fingers pressed through the younger woman's neck, she breathed in relief as she felt a pulse.
She looked up and saw Amon and his followers fleeing the place. Then an explosion suddenly erupted from the ring. Lin automatically covered her daughter's body from the debris. Once she was sure there was no other explosion that would follow she glanced up and saw Korra making her way to the roof using the water to propel herself up, when suddenly her grip on the water faltered and began to fall.
Lin glanced down at her daughter and then at the Avatar. Her ears perked up as she heard a groan behind her. She stood up and shot her cable toward the ceiling and shouted as she propelled herself in the air, "Tenzin, watch Yuze!"
The earthbender managed to catch the Avatar with a cable. Lin did a spin and catapult Korra into the air, after the Equalist.
Lin followed after the teenager and landed on the roof. She shot the cable out to catch one of the Equalists riding the platform dangling from the airship and slammed them down the roof. She blasted her cable to the platform, intending to get to the ship but an Equalist attacked her losing her grip on the rope.
She saw another three coming towards her when Korra intercepted them. The Avatar fights the one with batons while Lin catches the other guys intending to help the one who fighting Korra and takes them down. Then she turned to the airship and once again attempted to get in the ship but she heard the sound of glass breaking followed by Korra's scream.
Lin looked down and saw Korra falling down. The earthbender released the cable on the airship and then shot her cables to the roof to slingshot herself faster. She shot her cables somewhere as the other one reached for the Avatar to grab. The two landed at the side, Korra roughly, while Lin perfectly.
Lin came over to help Korra up, "You alright?"
"I'm fine, thanks to you."
"Don't mention it, kid," the two of them looked at the retreating airship, "Looks like we lost this one."
Korra's teammate came over to check on her.
Mako embraced her, "I'm so glad you're okay."
Bolin followed his brother and hugged the both of them, "Me too!"
But the joy of being safe was shortlived as Tenzin screamed Korra's name, "Korra, get here in an instant!"
Everyone turned towards the Airbending Master who was still kneeling beside Yuze. The four of them ran and saw Tenzin applying his robe to the younger woman's head.
Lin felt her heart drop at the sight of darkening cloth, "What— what happened?"
Tenzin furrowed as he adjusted the cloth, "Yuze's head is bleeding."
Lin's blood ran cold as Tenzin said those words.
"We need to take her to the hospital," then Tenzin looked at the sole waterbender in the group, "Korra, I need you to stabilize Yuze while on our way."
Korra nodded as she reached for the water from the bellow and bent it to her former teacher's head, "Why is it always happening to you, Yuze?"
With the help of Mako and Bolin, they carry the older woman gently while Tenzin calls Oogi. The bison immediately came down from the hole in the roof to them and they got the firebender to the saddle.
Lin was about to come with them when Tenzin turned to her, "No, Lin. You are needed here, we got this."
'But my daughter needs me too!'Lin wanted to scream out but stopped herself. It will only complicate the situation. Instead, she curled her fist tightly as she nodded her head albeit stiffed, "Inform me about Yuze's condition."
Tenzin nodded, and then he propelled himself to Oogi's head. Lin watched as the bison flew away, where her daughter is just in time for the sound of her officer coming to her.
"... she is stable now," came from the other line.
Lin nodded though she knew the person would not see it, "Thank you for informing me, Tenzin."
She lowered the telephone, ending the call. Lin felt the exhaustion finally catching up with her body. She found herself leaning to her desk.
From finding out Yuze is her daughter to fighting Amon then her daughter having a head injury.
Spirits, that girl will give her a heart attack.
'What do you expect? The Beifong blood is coursing through her.'
Lin was brought to reality when the door to her office opened. She didn't check who is it just simply turned around and looked at the view from her window.
"You need to see me, Chief?"
"Yes. I need you to take my and Yuze's blood through a DNA test."
Lin could feel the person behind her pause, "What for? Are you suspecting she is—"
"Just do what I say," Lin said through her teeth before she took a deep breath and looked at the person over her shoulder, "Please, Jin."
Jin's eyes softened as he saw the vulnerability on his old friend's face, "Okay, I will."
Lin nodded before turning her head once again to view the City. That's when Jin knew he was dismissed.
The daughter of Toph's shoulder slumped as the tears she was keeping at bay fell through her eyes. Her hand reached for the locket on her neck. Her daughter's locket.
Though she told Jin she needed a DNA test, her whole being is hundred percent sure that Yuze is her daughter. She knew it. She could feel it. The DNA test will be simply the thing that will officialize it.
Lin closed her eyes and the memories of the day she lost her daughter play through her mind. That's the day she lost herself. But now she find it again.
Or rather her daughter found her way back to her.