Loyalty ,Equality and Prejudice.

The Fire Ferrets were just finishing their training for the championship, with Kora complaining that it was the worst. Mako threw a ball at Korra and caught it. He explained that she was a rookie and needed to train early and had the worst time slot.

The door to the gym opened. A well-dressed man in a top hat entered.

"There are my little hard-working street urchins." He walked up to the group and put a hand on Korra's shoulder. "It's an honor to finally meet you, Avatar." The man said it in a business-like tone.

"And you are?" Korra questioned the man.

The man took off his hat and gave a light bow, "Butakha."I ran this whole pro-bending shebang. Here are your winnings from the last match." as he handed some cash to Mako. He then started to talk about fees. "Not so fast; first, you owe me for the avatar's new gear. Gym and equipment rental last month. Rent on your apartment and a personal loan for your groceries." Butakha took bills out of Mako's cash stack until there was nothing left. Mako glared at his younger brother.

"What? I'm a growing boy." Bolin excused himself while rubbing his belly.

"Oh, one more small business detail. The Fire-Ferrets need to pay a total of 30,000 yuans in order to compete in the tournament."

"30,000 yuans!?" Bolin shouted.

"Sorry kids, but you need to come up with the dough next week or else I'll have no other choice but to kick you out of the tournament," the man said before leaving.

Kora then looked over to Mako and Bolin, who finished talking to the arena owner. Both walked over to see what the gloomy-looking faces were for.

Bolin turned to Korra with hope in his eyes and said, "You wouldn't happen to have a secret Avatar bank account overflowing with gold, would you?"

Korra pulled out her pockets and said, "I got nothing." I never really needed money. I've always had people take care of me." She said.

"Then I wouldn't say you've had nothing." Mako said bitterly.

"Sorry, I didn't mean..."

"No, it's alright. It's just… Ever since we lost our parents, we've been on our own." Bolin said it with sadness.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't know."

"Sorry for your loss," Minato said somberly.

"So anyway, how are we going to come up with the money?" Mako changes the subject.

"Here I have 1500 Yuans," Minato gave the cash to Mako, knowing Bolin would probably use it for something else.

"I don't want your charity." Mako didn't want to accept such charity.

"Think of it as an investment; if you win the championship, you can payback with interest if you want it." Minato wanted to make Mako accept his contribution.

"Come on, Mako, just accept it," Bolin pleaded.

"Fine, so we were short 15,000 Yuans." Mako said with a sigh.

"Hey, it's still better than nothing," Korra was happy.

"Or, we can have Pabu perform a circus trick! I've been training him for a while." Bolin said in excitement as he held up the fire ferret. "Now people would pay good money to see that."

"Come on, Bolin. We need serious ideas." Mako was annoyed.

"I was serious."

"Don't worry about it; I'll figure something out. I always do." Mako left the gym.

"Come one, come all!" Bolin called out as he sat on a thin carpet at the base of Zuko's statue, wearing a robe and a fake mustache. "See Pabu the fantastic fire ferret as he crosses the Ladder of Peril upside down!" When nothing happened, he looked at Pabu, who was wearing a shirt and a hat. "Psst, Psst!"

The fire ferret got the hint and started the trick, walking on his front paws across the ladder.

"Big finish, little buddy. Stick to the landing." When Pabu got to the other side, he flipped off and landed on one paw. "Ta-da!" One of the many people passing by threw a coin into the donation can. "Thank you ladies and gentlemen! You are too kind! Seriously, you're too kind! You can come back and put money right in this—" He picked up the can and shook. "Okay, that's fine, that's fine." He looked down at the one coin in the cup. "One yuan down, 14,999 to go."

Just then, a Satomobile rolled up the curve. Bolin tensed at the sight of it. The window rolled down, and the driver stuck his head out the window. "Hey, Bolin, is that you?" he called out.

"Oh, hey there, Shady Shin," Bolin said in greeting, albeit nervously. He had known Shady Shin back when he was a kid, during his and Mako's troubled youth.

The Triad member stepped out of the vehicle and walked over to the Earthbender. "Heard you're a big-time pro-bending player now. Not bad."

"Uh, thanks?"

. "So listen. I got an offer for you. Lightning Bolt Zolt is looking to hire some extra muscle."

"I don't know, Shin? Mako told me to stay away from the Triple Threats." Bolin is feeling a little more nervous.

"Your brother isn't the boss of you. It's just a little security work. Nothing crooked." He reached into his coat, pulled out a large wad of cash, and threw it into the can. Bolin looked at the wad in both shock and surprise.

"You game?"

Minato was with Asami testing the new race car that future industries finish testing, as right now he is racing against Asami on a race track.

"Eat my dust!" Asami was in front of him and she was in the zone.

"We will see about that."

As both drivers were reaching the curve, Asami slowed down, but Minato didn't as he sped up and broke, making a drift that passed Asami and quickly put the pedal to the metal and won the race.

"I won," Minato declared with a little pride.

Asami wasn't offended but impressed. "No way, how did you do that?"

"I don't know. Something in my head told me to do it," he confessed.

"Is this about your amnesia?" Minato felt like he could trust Asami, so he told her about his condition: that he has amnesia and can't remember who he was or where he was from.

"Yes, sometimes I could remember hits and pieces that I learned from my previous life."

"It must be hard not knowing who you are." Asami could sympathize with Minato, as memories of her mother were fading and she was afraid she might not remember her anymore.

"It was hard, but if I keep mopping and despairing, it won't come back. I need to move forward." Minato knew that if he just wailed and did nothing, it wouldn't get his memories back.

"I'm sure you will remember who you are one day." Asami caressed Minato, showing that everything is fine, and her mother used to do it to ease Asami when she had trouble. Minato felt calm and happy knowing he could talk to someone about his problems.

They are things Miato didn't want to confess to Korra, as he didn't want her to be worried about him as her responsibility as an Avatar was already weighing on her.

"Excuse me, miss, am I interrupting?" The Butler came.

"Ah no." Asami quickly jumped away from Minato's embarrassment. "What is it, Tanaka?"

"Master Hiroshi will be late tonight as he has an important meeting. He wanted to leave a message for you, young mistress," the butler said.

"Thank you, that's it be all," the butler bows and leaves.

Asami sighed. "Father seems so busy lately, but I don't blame him. After Mom died, he tried to help in any way I could, and he would focus on future industries as well to help fill the void in his heart."

"I'm sorry about what happened to your mother; she must be a good mom."

"She was the best." Asami smiled sadly.

Minato decided to change the subject to "Anyway, I thought what if we use these race cars to start something new, you know, a race using Sato Mobile?"

"I'm listening." It got Asami interested.

"Imagine a race track similar to this one using the Sato mobile to race, and not only that, they can modify it however they want as long as it's not illegal."

"I got it if they wanted parts they had to buy from us." She liked the idea.

"Exactly, not only that, even benders and non-benders can participate in the race as long as they don't use any bending or they will be disqualified." Minato explained the rules.

"I like the idea of competition on equal terms, unlike pro-bending something that could work." Asami wasn't ignorant of the situation in Republic City; she knew about those who weren't benders being prosecuted by benders, especially criminals. She believes that a race on equal terms would help Republic City.

Mako was working part-time at a generator factory that provided electricity to the city, and after finishing his job and returning back to their apartment, he found his brother was missing, which was weird.

Minato had already finished his part-time job and was now sitting and watching Korra practice air bending.

"Okay, I'm ready!" Jinora and Ikki bent the air around them and blasted it at the gates.

Once they started spinning, Korra moved through them. Instead of just charging right in this time, she actually moved with the movements of the gates, turning away at the meeting of resistance and always spinning. What had eluded her at first was now completely easy to do. "How did I think this was hard?" she asked herself.

'Probably because Tenzin's teaching finally reaches your head.' Minato whispered quietly.

"Good, light on your feet!" Jinora called out to her as she moved through the gates, soon coming out the other side.

Jinora and Ikki saw something interesting. "Ooh, he's cute, Korra; is that the handsome Firebender boy that drives you crazy?"

"Huh?" Korra thought as she stopped. "Handsome firebender boy."

She quickly looked over her shoulder and saw Mako coming her way.

"Does he make you crazy in a bad way? Or does he drive you crazy like you like him? What about Minato, isn't he?"

The Avatar quickly bent the earth beneath them and sent them flying.

"Korra, did you just?" Minato was surprised that she earth-bent, sending the two into the air.

"Not now," she warned Minato. She turned around, coughed, and looked at the visitor. "Oh, hey, Mako," she greeted him, trying to act cool.

"You seen Bolin?" Mako asked

"Nice to see you, too. And no, I haven't seen him. Think something's wrong?"

"I don't know." Bolin has a knack for getting into stupid situations, and despite what he might think otherwise, he turned around and started walking away. "See you later."

"Wait, I could, uh, help you look for him."

"Nah, I got it."

She grabbed him by his elbow, finally making him stop. "Hey, cool guy, let me help you. We can take Naga."

"Who's Naga?"

"My best friend and a great tracker," she answered proudly.

XXX

"Your best friend is a polar bear dog. I thought it was Minato," Mako remarked as he rode behind Minato on Naga as Korra was in front; it was a bit crowded. They were padding down a street in the city, and they were riding an animal that was large. "Somehow, that makes perfect sense."

"I'll take that as a compliment, city boys," she told him, making them both smile.

"And I feel offended, Korra, aren't I?"

"Shut up, Minato, you know what I mean."

The rest of the ride was silent as Naga made her way down the street and to Central City Station.

They soon found Central City Station and headed for the statue of Zuko. "So, do you see them?" Korra asked her passenger.

"Well, this is Bolin's usual hangout." Mako looked around the crowd of people in the plaza, not seeing his brother. "But no, I'm not seeing them."

His eyes found a couple of street kids horsing around nearby. Without saying anything to Korra, he climbed down from Naga and went over to the kids. "You guys seen my brother around here today?" he asked them.

One of the kids stepped forward, obviously the leader. "Perhaps my memory's a little foggy. Maybe you can help clear it up." He held out his hand like he was expecting something.

"You're good, Skoochy. Humph, a real pro," Mako passed some cash into the kid's hand.

Yeah, I saw your brother."

"When?"

"About noon."

"What was he doing?"

"He was performing some kind of monkey-rat circus. And then…" He held out his hand again.

Mako rolled his eyes but handed him another yuan. "And then what? Why did he leave?"

He leaned in and held his hand up to the side of his mouth. "Shady Shin showed up and flashed some serious cash. "Bo took off with him in his hotrod. The Triple Threats? The Red Monsoons? The Agni Kais? All the triads are muscling up for something real big. Now that's all you're getting out of me!"

He turned away and then ran away back to the rest of the kids. "What's he talking about?" Korra asked Mako.

"Sounds like there's a turf war brewing, and Bolin is about to get caught right in the middle of it."

"This isn't good as a turf war during the uprising, equalists; it was a three-front war between the triads, equalists, and police in Republic City."

"Agree this city would be a war zone." Mako knew the consequences of the Turf War.

The trio climbed up onto the back of the polar bear dog. "So where are we headed?" Korra asked

"The Triple Threat Triad's headquarters. Hopefully, Bolin is there and nothing's gone down yet."

"The Triple Threat? Me and Minato beat up some of those yahoos when I got into town. But why would Bolin get tangled up with—" Her mouth snapped close when Naga suddenly shot forward, having found something interesting to eat. "Whoa, Naga!"

Naga didn't hear her as she turned left onto a different street, still chasing something interesting. Climbed up a lamppost that she stopped at, and her riders were able to see what it was. "That's Pabu!" Mako exclaimed.

Korra pulled hard on the reins. "No, Naga! Pabu's a friend, not a snack."

Pabu got off the street sign and then slid down the pole until he was at the same height as Naga. The two animals sniffed at one another. After that was done, Pabu leapt off the pole, across Naga's head and back, and onto Mako's shoulder. "We gotta hurry!" Bolin never went anywhere without Pabu.

The polar bear dog started running, and they arrived at the headquarters of the Triple Threat Triad, which was revealed to be a restaurant.

"Perfect hiding spot in plain sight nobody would suspect." Minato could see why the police had a hard time finding them.

"It's how they were able to hide from the authorities; nobody would suspect it. Something's not right," Mako climbed down from Naga and approached the entrance. "There are usually thugs posted outside. We better be cautious."

"Agree, I'll go first." Minato went first, followed by Mako.

He snuck up to the doors and peered inside. Once he saw that no one was on the other side, he motioned for Korra to come up. She just kicked the doors.

"Korra!" Minato shouted

"What I hated about the whole sneaking." Without missing a beat, she walked into the place, and the others followed her.

The restaurant looked like a mix of a fight and a disaster had struck. There were tables thrown up against the wall with porcelain all smashed and broken on the floor.

"Bolin? You in here?" called out Mako.

"Someone's been here and something happened like a fight, but whom was the question?" Minato looks around.

The sounds of engines roaring to life are coming from the back door. The three of them raced towards the back alleyway. At the end of the alleyway were several motorcycles and a single van all driving off; the back door of the van flapped open, revealing Triad members bound and gagged in it, along with Bolin.

"Bolin!" shouted Mako at the sight of his brother. He, Korra, and Minato started running forward, only to stop when two motorcycle riders threw a grenade each at them. The grenades landed on the ground and began to emit a green smoke, making the three start coughing and obscuring their vision.

. "Naga, come!" Korra shouted at the polar bear dog, which came to her side instantly.

The three of them climbed on, but it was a little uncomfortable since Naga was running. So when she started going after the kidnappers, he felt every bump and turn.

"Ah! Ow! Ouch! This! Was! A! Horrible! "Idea!" Mako shouted with each bump.

"Just shut up and hold on!" Korra told him while also thanking the Spirits that she had the good sense to put Minato between her and him.

As they got closer to the kidnappers, Mako blasted fire at them. But the motorcycle riders just swerved away and between the blasts, avoiding them completely. Korra lent support by trying to crash one via earthbending, but the rider just used the jutting stone like a ramp and landed back down easily.

"Wow, that was so cool." Minato was impressed by the stunt.

It was only when they came out of the alleyway and into an open area that the kidnappers fought back. One of them threw a bola at the polar bear, at the legs. It struck and wrapped itself tightly, making Naga stumble and then fall hard onto the ground. Her passengers were sent flying and hit the ground just as hard.

As Korra, Mako, and Minato got their bearings back, the riders, who were wearing a dark green uniform along with a helmet that covered their faces, leapt into the air with high flips and came right at them.

"We've got something incoming!" Minato shouted as he scrambled back to his feet.

"We can see that!" Korra told him, also getting back on her feet. She bent a blast at the kidnapper coming right at her, who avoided it by flipping past it and coming right at her. She tried to fight back with her firebending, but the kidnapper kept deflecting the blasts by using his hands and arms to move her out of the way.

He quickly jabbed a series of points at her, and without any warning, she lost all feeling in her right arm. But she still could use her left arm.

But it proved to be the most difficult, and she wasn't the only one having trouble. Mako fared just as poorly against his own opponent.

Minato, however, was able to parry every attack and Jab as the rider tried to jab him. Minato palmed, struck at his chat, staggering his attackers, and quickly jumped and kicked him in the face, sending him flying. Minato was force trained by Tenzin and Tonraq on how to fight since he was a non-bender.

Besides learning martial arts and Taijitsu, he already knew one weakness of benders and that they are weak at close quarter combat. Benders rally too much on their bending to be able to shoot from afar like a bow and arrow. So if you attack in close combat, they can't use their bending easily and would get themselves hurt or miss their target.

But the problem was Mako and Korra had lost control of their bodies and could not fight back.

The kidnappers started moving forward, swinging bolas towards Minato, seeing him as a threat. Knowing they haven't faced none bender before.

Naga broke free of her bonds and leapt for the kidnappers, making them leap back. She roared at them, and Pabu added his own screech. How cute.

The kidnappers shared a look between the two of them and leapt away, throwing a smoke bomb to cover their escape on the motorcycles.

The polar bear dog helped her back onto her feet. She tried bending a firebomb but got nothing. "Ugh, I can't bend," she tried again. "I can't bend!"

"Calm down; it'll wear off," Mako told her.

"Who were those guys anyway?"

"My guest, Equalists," Minato said.

But those words made no sense to Korra as to how a group of protesters was able to fight like pros. "Huh?"

Mako explained. "Those guys were chi-blockers. They're Amon's henchmen."

"That anti-bending guy with the mask?" she asked.

"Yeah, he's the leader of the Equalists." Mako said.

Minato wonders, "What do they want with the Triple Threats?" I doubt it will be sent to the police for peacekeeping and vigilantism."

"Whatever it is, it can't be good." He looked at the alleyway that the Equalists had escaped through. He groaned softly. "Can't believe Bolin got himself into this mess!"

Korra went over to the Firebender and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Mako, we are going to save your brother. I promise you that."

"Still, I'm impressed that you managed to hold up against one of them," Mako was glaring at Minato.

"I had to, being a non-bender meant I needed to use everything to fight benders one day." Minato just glared back at Mako. "I know that look. You think I'm an equalist spy".

"Are you?" Mako asks, accusing Minato of being a spy.

Korra quickly mended the situation before it got worse. " Stop! Enough pointing fingers won't save Bolin."

"I'm sorry," Mako apologized.

XXX

They rode throughout the city, trying to find Bolin and the other kidnapped Benders. But unsuccessful "We've been out all night," "No sign of him."

"We've gotta keep looking. But where?" asked Mako.

"Are there any places we haven't looked?" Minato asked, sounding just as tired as they were.

"No, we've been to every place we can think of."

. "I have an idea!" she told the two of them.

they had reached the water fountain,. "The first day me and Minato got into town, we ran into an Equalists protester over there," Korra finally explained to Mako.

"And you think they'll know where Bolin is?" Mako asked her.

"It's our only lead right now."

"We'll just have to wait then," Minato said.

Naga rested against the tree herself while Pabu rested on the saddle. Korra and Mako sat in front of Naga's side while Minato went to get dinner for them from one of the stalls. "So, why is Bolin running around with the Triple Threat Triad, anyway?" she finally asked Mako.

"Well, we…we used to do some work for them back in the day," he answered.

she was completely surprised by those words. "What?- Are you some kind of criminal?"

"No!" Mako told her fiercely. "You don't know what you're talking about. I just ran numbers for them and stuff. We were orphans out on the street; I did what I had to do to survive and protect my little brother."

She looked away in shame. "I'm sorry. It must have been hard." She had been raised in comfort and security, not on the streets like they had been. "Can I ask what happened to your parents?" she asked.

"They were mugged, by a Firebender. He cut them down right in front of me." His eyes held sadness in them as he spoke those words. "I was eight."

"Mako…" She didn't know what to say. She was the Avatar and she didn't know what to say.

Minato hearing what happen to Mako empathize how he felt, he knew that was one of the main problems in republic city corruption inside the city that not even the law enforcemt could do anything especially benders. It's one of the reason none bender flock to Amon for guidance and Korra is not ready to become that Beacon.

But he clutched the red scarf he always wore tightly. "Bolin's the only family I have left, If anything happened to him…"

"We'll find him," Minato told the Firebender. As he gave them each one of them steam buns. The trio eat quietly.

Mako decided to break the ice "What about Minato what relationship you with him"

"Oh his my childhood friend and the only person I can trust looking my back and reliable in every way"

" Geez Korra your making me blush" Minato felt embarrass .

"Oh that explained" Mako understood.

"Come on we need to rest for tomorrow" Minato suggested as they were all very tired and need some rest.

"Agree" Mako said as the trio sleeping waiting for tomorrow.

With the light of the sun hitting his face, Minato woke up.

Korra and Mako were still asleep, but they looked like they were going to wake up anytime soon. It was the way they were sleeping, however, that amused Minato. Korra was sleeping with her resting right on Mako's left side shoulder.

Minato decided to get them breakfast.

"Morning guys." Minato called them when he came back as Korra and Mako slowly opened their eyes. "Did the two of you sleep well?" he asked, unable to keep a straight face.

Slowly opening her eyes, Korra finally woke up. She felt well-rested and very comfortable for some reason.

"Getting a little bold, aren't we Korra?" Minato teased.

That was when Korra finally realized what was happening. "D'aaaaaaaah!" she shrieked while crawling away from the Firebender.

Minato quickly interrupted the awkward moment. "Here is a sweet bun and coffee for both of you. I thought a good breakfast was needed."

"Thanks, Minato." Korra took the sweet fried bun and coffee.

Mako also took food. "Thank you and sorry for yesterday."

"I get you were lost and afraid of what happened to Bolin."

"Still you make a great butler and great friend for the Avatar." Mako drinks his coffee.

"Yes, it's the best." Korra ate her bun, followed by Minato.

. "Equality now! Equality now! We want equality now!"

Mako, Minato, and Korra turned around to see an Equalist protestor holding a megaphone and screaming at the top of his lungs. "That's the guy." Korra pointing

"Wait, let me be the one talking to him; you both stay here." Minato stops both of them before they do anything stupid.

"What can I get that guy to talk about easily?" Kora was already cracking her knuckles.

"No, I don't want you two hotheads to cause trouble; beside, there are other ways to get information."

"Korra, stop. I think Minato might have an idea," Mako knew from his experience.

"Fine,"' Korra Grumpy agreed.

Minato approached and greeted, "Hello, good sir, I'm interested in what you do for the people you see." I'm a no-bender and was harassed by those benders."

"Then you are welcome, Brother. You see, we none-benders should stick together, especially for Revelation tonight at 9 o'clock."

"What's that about?"

He whispered, "I do not know the details, but I heard it would put all benders on equal terms."

"So where can I find his place?"

"The answer is on the flyers," as the protesters wink at him.

Minato got what he wanted and decided to leave. "Thank you, Brother. I will be there to witness it."

"Non-benders of Republic City, Amon calls you to action! Take back your city! It's time for the protestants to keep ranting about equality and to fight back.

As they reach further away from the park.

"I'm impress" Mako praises Minato's cunning

"It's all about how you talk to them; the clues are in the flyers," Minato said, showing them the flyers.

"This image is right here; this is the dock on the western end of the city." Mako showed the image to the other two. Mako took the paper and looked at the other papers, flipping some over to see the backs. "There are four different images on these things."

"So, it's a puzzle?" Korra asked.

"Yeah, of a map," Mako put them together to make the map. Taking notice of the official map of the city next to the bench, he stood up and started using the makeshift map to find where the location was. "Bingo, that must be where it's going down."

"Then what are we doing just standing around here?" Korra asked.

"We can't just walk right in there," Minato told her. "Odds are we're going to have to be sneaky on this one."

"You mean like disguises?" Korra said.

"Yeah, I guess," Mako said.

"Cool." It sounded like something out of her favorite series of novels and radio drama.

Korra wore a coat and a hat since her face is recognizable; she also borrowed Mako's scarf to make it look better. Mako bought a hat as well, and Minato wore a black vest, making him look a little like a newspaper boy.

By the time they got to the place shown on the hidden map, night had fallen. They found themselves in an area that was nothing but warehouses and factories.

They hid in an alleyway and watched as other people walked towards a particular building, the only one that had a guard out front. "This is the place."

"Remember stealth," Minato reminded Korra.

They all put on their hats and game faces and started walking forward.

"This is a private party," the guard told the three of them as they came closer. "No one gets in without an invitation."

"Uh, invitation?" repeated Korra.

He looked at them with suspicion at those words, until Korra pulled one of the papers. "You mean this?" she asked, holding it up.

The guard smiled at the three of them. "The Revelation is upon us, my brothers and sisters." He stepped out of the way, and they walked through the door.

"That was close," Minato said under his breath as they entered the building. "Nice thinking, Korra."

"Thanks,"

They followed the sounds of people talking to a large room that had a stage at the other end. Hanging on the back wall of the stage was a poster of Amon and two banners that held the symbol and sign of the Equalists, one on each side of the banner.

"I know that a lot of people hate Benders, but I've never seen so many in one place," Mako said as the three of them looked down at the large crowd of people. 'There were enough there to make up a small army!' Minato whispered, "This isn't a protest rally; it's a revolution".

"Keep your eyes out for Bolin," he told Korra and Minato before they went down the nearby stairs and into the crowd.

As the lights blended, they came to life and shined down on the stage. "Please welcome your hero, your savior... Amon!"

A light shone down on Amon specifically, and Korra got a good look at him. His face was covered by a mask. High on his forehead was a red circle, like the ones on the masks of the Equalists.

"My quest for equality began many years ago. When I was a boy, my family and I lived on a small farm. We weren't rich, and none of us were benders. This made us very easy targets for the firebender who extorted my father. One day, my father confronted the man—that Firebender took my family from me. Then he took my face."

The implications set in and made everyone gasp in shock. "I've been forced to hide behind a mask ever since. As you know, the Avatar has recently arrived in Republic City. And if she were here, she would tell you that bending brings balance to the world. But she is wrong!"

"The only thing Bending has brought to the world is suffering. It has been the cause of every war in every era." He pointed at the crowd to emphasize his point, making Korra grind her teeth in anger.

Minato knew it was bending the cause of conflicts throughout history, as kings and queens used armies of benders to conquer other nations. One example is Chin the conqueror and fire lord Sozin, who initiated the hundred-year war.

He placed the microphone back. "But that is about to change. I know you have been wondering, 'What is the Revelation?' You're about to get your answer. Since the beginning of time, spirits have acted as guardians of our world and have spoken to me. They say the Avatar has failed humanity and that the Paragons have failed to correct this."

Those words drew fury from Korra, and Minato held Korra's hand to help calm her down, and it worked. "That is why the spirits have chosen me to usher in a new era of balance. They have granted me a power that will make equality a reality. The power to take a person's bending away. Permanently," he declared.

Amidst the gasps of surprise in the crowd, Korra's eyes widened in horror at the thought. "That's impossible."

"This guy's insane," Mako agreed.

"But what if he can do it?" Minato was suspicious because this entire event was like a show, and he proclaimed it might be true.

"Now, for a demonstration."

A group of people bound in rope were forced onto stage. "Please welcome Lightning Bolt Zolt, leader of the Triple Threat Triad and one of the most notorious criminals in Republic City."

The man with gray hair sneered at the booing crowd. "Ah, boo yourselves!".

Her eyes were focused on the stage, where the other bound people were being forced to kneel down. "There's Bolin," she pointed at the further.

This time, she was the one who tried to move forward only to have Mako grab hold of her. "Wait, we can't fight them all. We need to be smart about this."

"Then come up with a game plan, 'Team Captain,'" she told him pointedly.

Amon announced for all to hear. "Zolt has amassed a fortune by extorting and abusing non-benders. But his reign of terror is about to come to an end. Now, in the interest of fairness, I will give Zolt the chance to fight to keep his bending."

"You're going to regret doing that, pal!" Zolt shouted as he fired a couple of fireballs. Amon dodged them with ease, getting closer and closer with every step. Zolt then threw a lightning strike, but Amon simply ducked and quickly grabbed his hand to evade the attack. Before the Triple Threat Triad leader could react, he was forced to his knees with Amon behind him.

Amon then placed his thumb on Zolt's forehead. After a minute, Amon released the man. Zolt threw a punch in an attempt to bend fire against the Equalist leader, but nothing happened. "What... What did you do to me?"

"Your firebending is gone. Forever," Amon declared, drawing gasps of surprise and awe from the crowd. "The era of Bending is over. A new era of equality has begun."

The crowd began to cheer and clap while another bound Bender was selected and pushed forward.

"Any ideas yet?" asked Korra, looking at Mako.

"I think so," he answered, looking at the wall. "See those machines? They're powered by water and steam. If you can create some cover, Minato and I can grab Bolin without anyone seeing. Then, we can duck out of here."

"I will give you the time you need, Korra," Minato said.

"Works for me," Korra understood. "Good luck to you two."

"Same for you," Mako told her. He and Minato moved forward into the crowd, getting closer to the stage.

She found the machine that controlled the water and steam pressure. Quickly reading the warnings on the wall above the machine, she grabbed hold of the big red wheel and spun it around, releasing the pressure. But only a little pressure was released. "It's not enough."

"Hey, you," the voice of the door guard said, prompting her to turn around and look at him.

"Is there a problem, my brother?" she asked him innocently.

"What are you doing back here?"

"Uh… looking for a bathroom?"

She cracked a smile, but he didn't buy it. He pulled out a wrench and started swinging at her. She dodged him. He hit the machine and the pipes more than her while she avoided even getting hit.

She pulled Mako's scarf off her neck and held it out. When the guard's wrench came swinging, she caught his hand with the scarf and used his own momentum to throw him into the pipes coming out of the machine. "Thanks," she told him as he fell unconscious to the ground and a lot of steam came flowing out of the broken pipes. "This should be enough."

Mako and Minato could only wait while the second-to-last Bender was struck down by Amon. The last Bender left was Bolin, and they still couldn't move in. "What's taking her?"

"Um, hello, Amon, sir," Mako's brother began talking as the masked leader of the Equalists turned to face him. "I think there's been a big misunderstanding."

"Brother Amon, please wait!" Minato shouted that all focus was on him.

"What are you doing?" Mako said.

'Buying time' Minato whispered, "Yes, I felt like that bender buffon should confess his sins before you take his bending so that he could be equal in peace." Minato is making an excuse.

"Do you all approve of such things?" Amon looked at the crowd.

Everyone shouted approval, knowing the benders had it coming.

"Very well, bender scum, confess what your sins are so that I can take your bending in peace." Amon agreed.

Bolin, knowing his going to lose his bending and a chance at the pro bending championship, might as well confess, "All right, the truth is the money I used wasn't for groceries. I used a new hair conditioner for Pabu, and I know my brother won't approve, including his clothes, and when you say that I ate the last cake Mako, it was me. I blame it on Pabu, and one time I dropped your toothbrush in the toilet and put it back.

Mako felt disgusted. "I was using that toothbrush; no wonder my breath smells like toilet."

An explosion came out of the nearby wall, rocking the room with the sound. As steam began to fill the room, people started screaming and running in fear. Soon, they could barely see what was in front of their faces.

Amon let the smoke engulf him and disappear from sight of the crowd.

Meanwhile, Bolin was stranded in the smoke with no idea what to do. Out of nowhere, he felt someone grab hold of him and try to pull him away. He yelled in surprise. He turned and saw Mako standing there and throwing the Equalist who had held him into the air. "Bolin, are you all right?" his brother asked.

"Yes! Mako! "I love you!" moving forward for a hug. Instead, Mako grabbed hold of him and dragged him off the stage.

"Come on, we need to get out of here, and you have a lot of explaining to do, especially with the toothbrush!"

"Wait! I saw an exit just behind the stage before they brought us out! Follow me!" Mako did follow his brother through the smoke to the door. The sight of the city was a relief to their eyes once they were outside on a platform with a ladder, their only option to go down on.

"We need to get down there!" Mako told his brother, seeing the ladder. Bolin climbed down the ladder first and he followed. But as they climbed, an equalist appeared.

Before either of them could do anything, he drew his clubs and struck the ladder with them. Lightning coursed through the clubs and onto the ladder, electrocuting them. They both screamed in pain and released the grip, falling to the ground below.

The lieutenant leapt down from the platform with his clubs raised to strike, aiming for the Bending brothers. But they recovered enough to leap out of the way and get back on their feet. "Bolin, get out of here!"

"No way! I'm not leaving you, Mako!"

Both brothers fought, but the lieutenant was too strong for both of them until Korra managed to send him flying with her earth-bending with Minato with her "Come on, we've got to go!"

"Wait, Naga can't carry the four of us. If she tries to, she'll get exhausted quickly, and the Equalists will catch us. You go with Mako and Bolin; I'll catch you later." Minato argued.

"What? I can't leave you here?" Korra asked, concerned.

"You must. Don't worry about me; just get Mako, Bolin, and yourself out of here, okay?"

Korra was silent for a moment. "Fine. Just... be safe, alright?"

He placed both hands on Korra's shoulders and looked her straight in the eye. "Hey, don't worry. I promise I'll be safe. I'm just a non-bender," he said with a reassuring smile. Korra looked at him and smiled as she trusted her childhood friend.

As the trio finally escape, Minato quickly blends into the crowd and acts naturally, as nobody suspects anything at all.

"The Avatar," the Lieutenant told the other Equalists as the polar bear dog got further away. "That's her!"

"Let her go," Amon commanded from atop the platform, making them all stop. "She's the perfect messenger to tell the city of my power."

Air Temple Island

Tenzin was worried about Korra, having not seen her for the past few days. He was consulting with the White Lotus on how to find her when she came walking up to him with Naga.

"Thank goodness, I was about to send out a search party. Are you alright?" Korra shook her head and looked away from him and towards the city. "What happened? Did you find your friend?"

"Yes, but..." she began to say. "We were at an Equalist rally," she told Tenzin, looking at him. "We saw Amon."

"What?" Tenzin was surprised by the news.

"He can take people's bending away for good."

"That's…that's impossible. Only the Avatar has ever possessed that ability." He had seen his father use it a few times, especially on dangerous criminals.

"But I saw him do it."

"I believe you and this is concerning, and where's Minato?" Tenzin didn't see Minato with Korra.

"We got separated at the rally; he told me to escape first." Korra felt guilty, leaving him behind.

Tenzin wouldn't say anything, but he approved the Minato method to prioritize the avatar's safety: "Don't worry, knowing him, he would be back at dawn." Tenzin reassured Korra.

"So what now?" Korra felt lost and didn't know what to do.

"Now we are prepared for what's to come." Even Tenzin could feel something was coming.

Korra finally meets Amon and is afraid of his abilities while the republic will and the world will change. Minato was able to go toe-to-toe with the equalist as being a no-bender. Republic city is like shanghai beautiful from the outside but corrupted from the inside.