Chapter 27

"Keep it short. Your father was very clear about there being no visitors," the dark-haired fire Sentry said to the two girls he had guided to the door.

"Thank you again, Lee. We really appreciate it," Jinora said, a sympathetic smile on her face as she added, "And I hope your eye heals up soon."

"Thanks. I'd ask one of the other Water Sentries to heal it, but she's sworn to do the same to them after doubling down on me," he said with a nervous grin, wincing a bit as he felt it throb. To say she was in a bad mood was an understatement, but Lee had the unfortunate luck of being on guard the night she was confined to her apartment. To give her credit, she was doing well with the escape and hadn't injured anyone up until he got involved.

Though it would be easy to attribute her attack on him as personal, Lee was more understanding than that, knowing that this was just Tula lashing out because of her worry for Essa. He couldn't blame her since he knew he'd probably react the same for any of his siblings.

"Good luck," he added with a smile, giving the two a nod before turning and heading back out. Jinora turned to Jun who had lifted her hand and started knocking.

"Who is it?" the resident called grumpily. Neither girl was surprised though.

"It's Jun and Jinora," she replied. "We- "

"Need to go away. Both of you. I'm not in the mood," Tula said dismissively as she walked away from the double bolted door to lay on the couch of her shared apartment. Her home already felt less cheery without her sister here, as if all feelings of joy and familiarity had been taken along with her. Tula couldn't help the knot in her stomach as she worried if she and the kids were alright as well as anger at the Equalists for all of this.

The two girls looked at each other, Jinora not sure of what to do or say. This had been Jun's idea, saying that she knew the loneliness of being a twin and "missing your other half" and asked if she could speak to Tula. The other Sentries weren't sure of the idea, but it was Lee who had agreed in hopes of getting her out of the funk she was in while they kept up the search.

The Sentries had been assigned in shifts to guard her and keep her from taking off on her own. Extra soldiers had been stationed around the Island as well on the constant lookout for any danger. Others were sent out into the city to search for any clues that they could find but were told to stay together and to not put themselves in unnecessary danger.

Jun grumbled as she stared at the door. Well, this certainly wasn't going the way she had hoped. Knocking again, she said, "Listen, I get it. The world…feels empty without her. It's like you're missing half yourself because…well, you are. But we'll find them. I believe that, and- "

"Unless you've got some news for me on the search efforts, I'm gonna ask you again to leave, Jun," Tula said, burying her face into the couch cushion. She was going stir crazy just sitting around and it was taking everything she had not to jump out of the window and risk breaking her ankles in the fall. The silence that followed had her believing that they had finally gone until she heard Jun again.

"I've been asking the other Sentries about it. They said they haven't found anything yet and without a clue, they basically have to comb the streets until they do."

"I overheard Korra and my dad talking; Councilman Tarrlok was threatening her and the others last night when they stopped a group of Equalists. He said that they're interfering with the police," Jinora added, looking at the ground sadly. "Dad is on the way to the council meeting at City Hall and hopes to compromise with him, but who knows if he'll agree to anything."

Tula sat up, gripping the edge of the seat. Councilman Tarrlok was trying to keep them from looking? But why? Didn't he understand that their loved one's lives were in danger? Was this a game to him?

"I'm not gonna let that pompous jerk stop me from looking for my friends if push comes to shove," Jun said before turning around and joining Jinora as they started to walk away. "We'll let you know if we hear anything else."

"And I'll talk to my dad. I promise, you'll be out of here soon," Jinora said, making the Waterbender smile for the first time in days.

"Girls," Tula said, making them both stop and look back at the door. "Thank you."

"Republic City stands as a beacon of freedom, but the Equalists are using that freedom to tear it down," Tarrlok declared as he stood before the other council members. "The law I have proposed would make it illegal for anyone to be a member of the Equalists or even be associated with them. It also puts into effect a curfew, ensuring all nonbenders are in their own homes by nightfall."

"This is going too far, Tarrlok!" Tenzin protested as he stood up from his seat. "You can't punish all nonbenders for the actions of a few!"

"That kind of cowardice will cause our city to fall right into Amon's hands," he retorted. "We must pass this law. All in favor?"

As Tarrlok held his hand up, much to Tenzin's dismay the other members also raised their hands. It was unanimous. With an unhappy sigh, the Airbending master took his seat while Tarrlok smirked at him.

Tenzin was relatively quiet the rest of the meeting, waiting for everyone to break for the day before approaching Tarrlok alone.

"Tarrlok, a word?" he asked quietly, brow furrowed.

"Of course, Tenzin. What's on your mind?" he asked as the two walked a bit away from the others as they packed up their things to leave.

"Do you not see that you're only going to divide the people of the city more?" he asked him crossly.

"These are dangerous times we're in, Tenzin. The people may not like it, but it is for their own good, and that includes Avatar Korra. Though things would be easier if we could see eye to eye, it's become clear that resolution is not possible."

"So, you refuse to be reasonable, knowing that Korra will oppose you?"

"I don't understand what more you expect me to do, Tenzin. I've tried to work with Korra, but she simply refuses and is insistent on doing things her own way. I understand her feelings on the matter given the stakes, but this issue is bigger than her, and I will put the needs of the city before the whims of a single person. Avatar or not."

"Let's cut the pleasantries, Tarrlok. I understand you have your personal issues with Korra, but this is going too far. You and I both know she won't stand quietly by while you do this."

"Then perhaps the Avatar should learn to stay in her place and not involve herself in matters she's clearly not ready for," he said, all the fake cheeriness leaving him.

"Tarrlok, this issue isn't just about you and your pride. The city is in danger and Amon has made this very personal with kidnapping Sota. There must be a compromise that can be made."

"The Avatar has made her choice on the matter, and if she refuses to work with me, then she won't be working at all. Have a good rest of your day," Tarrlok said before turning and leaving Tenzin watching him in contempt.

Team Avatar lounged on their Satomobile, eating dinner quietly as they waited for some action to go down. Though they'd only been at it for a day, their vigilante efforts had been successful in helping apprehend a few Equalists, but to both Korra and Asami's dismay, they'd gotten no closer to finding their loved ones.

Asami couldn't help the frustration she felt as she held her food in her hand. This was all her father's fault and yet, she still couldn't believe that he would do something this awful to people. Especially her cousin who was probably scared out of her mind. And then there was Jun, who'd barely slept in the last two days, which was one of the reasons she'd refused to let her join them tonight.

"I know I'm not very good in a fight, but maybe my Seismic Sense can be of some kind of use to help find them," Jun stubbornly tried to reason as she watched all the older kids loading up into the car.

"And it will be, I promise, Jun," Asami reassured her with a caring smile as she placed a hand on her shoulder. "But until we get a lead, it's probably better for you to stay here where it's safe." Noticing the bags under her eyes, she also said, "Plus, you still haven't gotten much sleep, kiddo."

"You know why I can't sleep…" Jun mumbled quietly as she looked away, her cheeks turning a slight pink.

"I know. And I swear, we won't be out too late," Asami said.

"You said that last night too and then you guys didn't get back till almost dawn," Jun said, still mad at her for that.

Asami gave her a guilty smile; she had a point and if she were being honest, she was still pretty tired herself. After they got back, Team Avatar only had time for about three hours of sleep before they made quick work of breakfast and got on with their day. Jun had tried to sleep after her talk with Tenzin and Jinora, but after a couple unpleasant dreams, she'd given up and decided to try again later.

To say that she was irritable for the rest of the day though was an understatement, threatening to bury anyone who got on her nerves in a landslide. Though she doubted she actually had the ability to do so, Asami couldn't help the smile she had when Jun threatened her as hearing her speak of her bending with so much freedom made the heiress happy. If there was a silver-lining, at least the girls didn't have to hide that part of themselves anymore.

"I'll make you a deal" Asami said before taking off her watch and handing it to Jun. Pointing out a time, she said, "We'll be back by then, ok? I'll come find you, and then I swear, you and I will sleep in all day tomorrow."

Jun heaved a sigh but nodded her head in acceptance. "Fine. I'll be waiting," she said before turning and walking away with Jinora at her side.

Asami was thankful for the little Airbender being around to help keep Jun company. Having heard about Jun's mini panic attack the previous night, she was reluctant to leave her and had considered staying home as well. It was only after the insistence of Jun that she agreed to still go. "Mai-Ling needs you more than I do right now."

The crackle of the car's radio caught their attention, prompting them all to listen in as a dispatcher relayed the message to nearby officers.

"All available units, please respond to the 5600 block of Dragon Flats Borough. Equalists have taken to the streets. Consider them armed and dangerous. Proceed with caution," the man said before ending the call.

"I call front!" Bolin said enthusiastically as he hopped off the hood of the car and over the window into his seat. Asami dropped the rest of her food as she jumped into the driver's seat while Mako and Korra made their way to the back.

Stepping aside and offering a hand, the firebender helped his friend into the car as Korra used the wheel as a step. "After you."

"What a gentleman," she replied with a smile as she took the hand and hopped into her seat behind Asami. "Thanks."

Asami ignited the engine before adjusting her rear-view mirror, seeing the two in the reflection. As she watched her boyfriend and the Avatar locking eyes, she couldn't help narrowing her own involuntarily. Pushing it to the back of her mind, she shifted the gear and punched the gas, sending them taking off down the icy road with their tires screeching.

It didn't take them long to reach the district and as they drew closer, they could see numerous police airships above.

"Why is the power out?" Korra asked out loud while they pulled around a corner and parked. As they climbed out, they could hear murmurs and shouts from citizens as a group of them had lined up behind a row of police barricade.

"Wait a second, these people aren't armed or dangerous," Asami said sadly.

"Sure doesn't look that way," Korra replied unhappily as they approached. Their attention turned to the sound of a loudspeaker as Chief Saikhan stood on the largest of the patrol cars.

"All nonbenders, return to your homes immediately," he said into the mic he held in his hand.

"Yeah, as soon as you turn our power back on!" a man shouted at him.

"YEAH!" the crowd around him agreed, many shaking their fists in protest of the police.

"Disperse, or you will be arrested," Saikhan threatened them.

"You benders can't treat us this way," a dark skinned woman said as she cradled her infant son while her daughter stood next to her. The girl looked around the crowd before seeing Korra behind the barricade and immediately began pulling at her mother's sleeve.

"Mommy, look. It's the Avatar," she said as she pointed to her. Her mother looked, spotting her as well before pulling her children to the front of the barricade.

"Please, help us. You're our Avatar too," the woman pleaded. Korra looked at the distressed crowd of people in concern before pushing past the officers in front of her to address them.

"Everyone, please stay calm. I'm gonna put a stop to this," Korra said before turning around and heading further into the police sanctioned area. Saikhan looked at her in displeasure before adjusting his hat and continuing to watch the crowd.

Team Avatar started to make their way around before stopping as Korra spotted a well-lit tent, Tarrlok standing at the entrance speaking to one of his taskforce members. Korra narrowed her eyes before strutting over in that direction, ready to put a stop to all this.

"Tarrlok," she called out, causing the man's mood to sour as he turned to see her and her team walking over to them. "You need to turn the power back on and leave these people alone."

"Avatar Korra, you and your playmates have no business here," he replied, looking down on her.

"We're not going anywhere. You don't have the right to treat these innocent people like criminals."

"This is an Equalist rally," he declared as he pointed to the crowd of citizens on the street. "There's nothing innocent about it."

"They're not Equalists," Asami said as she moved to stand next to Korra. Her patience had run thin with Tarrlok and she'd be damned if she was going to keep quiet now. "They're just normal people who want their rights back."

"They are the enemy," he continued to pontificate to her before turning to the police and commanding them, "Round up all these Equalists."

Multiple officers marched forward toward the crowd, stomping in unison as they collectively bent the metal barricades toward the people. The crowd began to panic as they were forced together to stand in tight bundles, unable to run as the police stomped again to bring them all up on floating platforms of earth. The ones who hadn't been caught took off immediately, disappearing into the darkness of the surrounding streets.

"Stop!" Korra commanded, jumping into action. Running forward, she stomped her own foot, bringing down two of the bundles of people back to the ground to prevent the police from trying to stuff them into a car. Tarrlok growled in frustration as two of his taskforce members walked up to him, watching people escape before he turned his head to Asami.

Fine. If that's how the Avatar wanted it…

Whipping out a small amount of water, Tarrlok bent a tenacle around her wrist, causing Asami to gasp as she felt herself get jerked in that direction before attempting to struggle against him.

"Hey! Let go!" she said as Tarrlok yanked her toward them, nearly knocking her over.

"You're under arrest!" he shouted.

"What? You can't do that!" Mako said, pointing an accusatory finger at him.

"Actually, I can," Tarrlok said smugly as he pulled her to him, allowing his taskforce members to grab and cuff Asami. "She's a nonbender out past curfew and her father is a known Equalist conspirator."

"Let her go," Mako demanded, getting more upset, though this only brought more of a smile to Tarrlok's face.

"Arrest him and his brother."

Before either could protest, the Ferret brothers were restrained as they were each wrapped in metal coils from two of the officers. Both groaned in discomfort as they tried to fight the bindings to resist but it was no use, and both were soon taken down.

"Tarrlok!" Korra shouted in an assertive tone that made it clear she meant business as she swept her arms out and held them over her head. Two large, flat boulders came up as well, and Korra found herself standing off with against Tarrlok, his taskforce, and a few officers. The councilman narrowed his eyes, refusing to back down at the threat that had finally been placed before him by her.

"Unless you want to join your friends in prison, I suggest you put those down and go back to the Air Temple," he threatened.

"Korra, listen to him. It's not with it," Mako said, trying to defuse their situation. Korra's resolve started to crumble at his words. She knew he had a point, but this was going too far. She was reaching her limit with Tarrlok and his tricks, especially now that her friends were being targeted.

"Let it go for now…" She could hear her brother's voice telling her as if he were standing right behind her at that very moment, something she wished more than anything was true. Sighing, she closed her eyes before standing up straight as she lowered the rocks and let them drop back into place. As she opened her eyes back up, Korra could only watch on helplessly as Tarrlok smirked at her while her friends were loaded into a police wagon.

"We'll be alright," Bolin promised as he was loaded into the back with a few other people.

"Don't worry, I'll call Tenzin. He can get you out," Korra called back, giving a longing look to Mako as the door shut, breaking their eye contact.

"So sad to see your little 'Team Avatar' broken up," Tarrlok taunted, crossing his arms. "You had a good run," he finished with a smirk.

"This isn't over, Tarrlok," she swore with a finger pointed at him.

"Oh, I believe it is. Take them away."

Korra watched as the police trucks took away her friends, leaving her alone once again.

Jun sighed as she sat outside the Sentry Station near the pier. The sound of the ocean crashing against the coast kept her company after Jinora had started to fall asleep and headed back to her home. She'd encouraged Jun to head to bed as well, but Jun had said she wanted to wait for Asami and so here she was.

As she stared at the city in the distance, checking the watch she was given, she grumbled under her breath, the insomnia making her even more irritable than she'd felt earlier in the day.

"Where the Spirits are you, Asami?" Jun complained, letting out another yawn. "You were supposed to be home nearly an hour ago, so you'd better have a good excuse."

A roar in the sky caught her attention, bringing her eyes to the sky as she watched a Sky Bison fly overhead. Jun immediately got to her feet, recognizing Tenzin at the reigns of Oogie as he headed for the city and suddenly felt a wave of hope. Running inside, she found two Sentries inside the small hut, one watching the pier while the other finished placing the receiver back onto the radio on the desk.

"Oh, good, you're here," the Sentry who'd been on the radio said as she got to her feet and addressed Jun.

"What's going on? I just saw Master Tenzin flying away. Did they find something?" she asked, hands folded in a pleading gesture. However, when the Sentry looked at her partner and then back to her sadly, Jun knew that her hopes were for nothing. Instead, she began to feel her stomach tie into a knot as she dropped her hands and asked, "What's happened?"

"We've just received word that the Councilman is on his way to rendezvous with the Avatar at the police station. Apparently, Councilman Tarrlok had Ms. Sato arrested for being out past the new curfew," the second guard explained to Jun whose eyes grew wide, making the bags under them stand out even more than they already did against her relatively pale skin.

"But don't worry," the first guard said immediately to keep her calm. "Councilman Tenzin is on his way to the station to have them released. He asked that one of us escort you back to your room though."

"I see…" was all Jun said, her head hanging sadly as her gaze fell to the floor, never leaving the ground as she allowed the sentry to guard her back to her room.

Locking her door, Jun changed into her pajamas before she walked over to the bed against the left wall that she'd claimed as hers and sat on it. She stared at the adjacent bed where Mai-Ling's unpacked suitcase sat before feeling a slight chill in the room.

"It's not fair," she said quietly before turning to look at the city from the window. "Why do I have sit by and keep watching everyone I care about disappear?"

Tenzin marched unhappily into the police station, making his way over to Korra who was trying desperately to get her friends released, but was having no luck.

"Hey!" she cried out as the officer turned and walked away from her with their clipboard, leaving her to growl and hit her fists on the counter in frustration.

"I came as fast as I could. Are your friends alright?" Tenzin asked as he reached her.

"I don't know. These knuckleheads won't tell me anything," she replied, upset at all of this.

"I'll take care of this," he reassured her just as Chief Saikhan happened to be walking by. The man gasped nervously upon seeing the pair and attempted to flee but was stopped as Tenzin called out to him. "Saikhan. A word, please."

"Councilman Tenzin, I'm pretty swamped at the moment. Can this wait?" he asked unhappily as he walked up to them.

"No, it cannot," Tenzin said earnestly. "Three of Avatar Korra's friends were wrongly arrested tonight. I'd like you to release them immediately."

"They're not going anywhere. They were interfering with police business."

"Your so-called 'police business' was rounding up innocent people and claiming they were Equalists. They should be released too," Korra chimed in.

"All Equalist suspects are being detained indefinitely. They'll be freed if, and when, the Taskforce deems they are no longer a threat," Saikhan stubbornly told them.

"These people are entitled to due process under the law," Tenzin protested.

"You'll have to take that up with Councilman Tarrlok."

"Oh, I plan to. At the council meeting, first thing in the morning," Tenzin promised. This was exactly what he was afraid of when he spoke with Tarrlok this morning. The man's pride was going to be the end of the city, especially if he continued to go out of his way to spite Korra while doing so.

Saikhan's eyes lowered, a troubled feeling in his gut at all of this, but he remained silent as it appeared that the altercation was over. He would be glad when the two of them left and he could get back to trying to keep some kind of peace around there but was stopped as Korra leaned in to point at him.

"You're officially, the worst police chief ever!" she declared, grabbing his chin and moving it up and down as she did so.

"Calm down, Korra," Tenzin advised as he laid a hand on her shoulder and lightly pulled her away from Saikhan. His demeanor was calm, his voice carrying fatherly wisdom as Korra let the chief go, a pout on her face. "I'll get this sorted out. We just need to be patient." Turning, he began to lead her away but stopped to turn back and tell Saikhan, "But you really are the worst! Ever!", pointing a finger of his own to emphasize his point before the two made their way out of the building.

Korra and Tenzin walked down the hall quietly, a crestfallen look on her face, though it changed to one of surprise when she saw Jun sitting outside the door to her room.

"Jun?" Korra asked as the two walked up to her. The young Earthbender looked up at the call of her name, her eyes reddened and her lids having dark circles under them. Kneeling, she asked, "Are you ok?"

Shaking her head, she mumbled out, "I can't sleep."

"Is something troubling you?" Tenzin asked gently, receiving a nod from her. "Please, tell us."

Jun was quiet, biting her lip as her cheeks flushed. "I'm… I'm scared to sleep alone. It's never been much of a problem because I always had Mai-Ling or Asami with me, but…"

Korra's heart almost broke at this, but the Avatar smiled, standing up and offering Jun a hand. Jun accepted the hand and let herself be pulled to her feet, confused on what Korra was gonna do as she turned to Tenzin and said, "I'll handle this," before opening the door to her room.

Tenzin nodded, bowing respectfully to both as he said, "Then I shall leave you to it. Sleep well, ladies," and continued down the hall to his own room as Korra closed the door behind her. Naga was fast asleep, her head resting on her paws, and made no motion to indicate she had noticed the two enter the room.

Korra guided Jun over to the bed and stated, "Here, sit with me." As Jun did so, Korra pulled the covers over her bed up to wrap around her shoulders. "So, what's got you so scared?"

"A lot of things," Jun admitted. "Everyone keeps disappearing, and I'm scared of what's happening in the city. My sleep was already bad enough as it is but with everyone missing, I'm probably never going to sleep again."

"Have you always had problems with your sleep?"

"No. After the…accident, I learned I couldn't sleep in a room by myself. If I don't hear someone else's breathing or feel anyone close by, my body starts shaking and involuntarily using my Seismic Sense."

Korra nodded her head as she listened, a protective arm around Jun's shoulders. Tenzin had pulled the group of teenagers aside when they'd come home the night before and had mentioned the meditation incident to them. Asami had been overly apologetic and had promised to have Jun fix anything that was broken or upheaved as soon as possible, though Tenzin had reassured her it wasn't necessary as there didn't appear to be any damage done.

Tenzin had mentioned that Jinora had told him just before they had tried meditation, Jun mentioned that something was keeping her from being able to sleep, so Korra wasn't surprised that this problem seemed to be persisting.

"Having grown up with a twin sister, I rarely had to sleep by myself since we shared a room," Jun said, pulling her feet up to her chest. Her sandals fell to the ground with a soft thud as she continued. "When we moved here, Mai-Ling and I had already been sharing a room so nothing changed there. But one time when I was sick, I was stuck in the room by myself and spent most of the day sleeping. Mai-Ling was on her way to check up on me when the first earthquake hit. She said she rushed in and found me tossing and turning, and said I was crying like I was in pain. When she woke me up, the shaking had stopped."

"Oh Jun," Korra said, pulling her into a strong hug that Jun leaned into. "It sounds like you were having a really bad nightmare."

"It wasn't just a nightmare…it was like I was there again, under the rubble in the cave. My breath gets really short, and I can feel my arm starting to throb again…" she whispered, tears in her eyes that she quickly wiped away, tired of all the crying she'd been doing as of late. "We never told Hiroshi that I was the cause of the earthquake. Mai-Ling was scared of what he'd say, so we told Asami, and she swore to keep it secret from him. Now that we know what he's really been up to, it scares me to think back on what he might had done if he knew I was so…unstable."

"Well, you don't have to worry about that anymore, Jun," Korra said before the two turned to hear scratching coming from the door. Korra rose to her feet and crossed the room to the door, opening it barely a crack before Pabu bolted in, running up Naga's head to perch on her back. "Pabu? Oh, I get it."

"What's he doing here?" Jun wondered as the ferret turned to her, leaping off of Naga and onto the bed. Jun squealed in ticklishness as he ran up her leg to sit on her shoulder and snuggled his head into her cheek as if trying to rub away the inviable tears she hadn't shed.

"My guess is that he was waiting for Bolin to come home, but…" Korra trailed off, making her way over to the bed and petting him on the head. "I'm sorry, Pabu. Bolin and Mako aren't here. But we'll see them in the morning when we get them out of jail."

"I guess he was lonely too," Jun said as she picked him up to hold him in her arms, giving Korra an idea.

"You know, I bet Pabu would like it if he could sleep with someone tonight too. And I bet he's great at guard duty since he's so attentive," Korra suggested, before addressing Pabu directly. "Will you watch over and protect Jun tonight, Pabu?"

The Fire Ferret squeaked in confirmation, licking Jun's cheeky affectionately that brought a small smile to her face. Jun nodded her head in agreement, putting him down on the bed to properly lay in it, allowing Korra to tuck her in. As she rested her head against the pillow, she moved over just enough to give Pabu room to share it as he curled up next to her.

"All set?" Korra asked.

"All set," Jun confirmed, feeling her eyes getting heavier by the second as she slowly relaxed into the comfort of the bed. Korra said nothing else, watching as she drifted off, her chest rising and falling in a slow, steady rhythm.

Korra sat on the floor next to Naga for over an hour, watching Jun to make sure she stayed asleep and thinking back to the events of the night. How could Tarrlok not see what he was doing was hurting them? Tenzin had warned her that he was going to start doing things to try and get back at her, but she never knew he'd take it this far. How much further would he take it before the city turned on itself and Amon took over?

Korra's thoughts were interrupted as Jun started to stir, but she remained unconscious. Turning over, she was now facing Korra who silently got to her feet and opened the window to look out into the city. As she looked out, she made her decision. This was ending tonight.

Korra turned to cross the small space, being conscious to keep quiet as she gingerly woke Naga up.

"Wake up, Naga," she whispered as she rubbed her face to rouse her. The polar bear dog woke at the touch, looking at the Korra and sensing something was wrong. "Let's go."

The streets around City Hall were well lit but completely barren as the snow continued to fall around Korra and Naga as they approached. The Avatar focused in on the top row of windows that rested, a light coming from a few in the corner.

"Wait for me here, girl," Korra said as she hopped off her companion. Naga looked at her sadly, pushing her with her head in concern for Korra. Korra turned back to her, wrapping her arms around Naga's head as well as nuzzling it with her own. "Don't worry. I'll be alright."

Naga could only hold her head down sadly while watching her strut away in determination.

Inside of his office, Tarrlok finished signing what had to have been his hundredth piece of paperwork that evening, his Page standing by patiently waiting. The sudden crash startled them as a gust of wind blew in from the open window, taking numerous papers off his desk with it. In the open window, a figure leaned on the sill for support, a look of no nonsense on her face.

"You and I need to talk," Korra stated as she stared Tarrlok down. The tone in her voice told him that this wasn't a request, but he was fine with this. He'd been expecting this altercation to occur sooner or later. His face hardened as he sat up, watching Korra as she jumped inside and walked toward the desk, stopping a few feet away.

"Are any of the other council members here?" he asked the Page as he folded his hands together.

"I believe everyone has gone home for the night," he replied, cupping his own hands and leaning toward Tarrlok.

"Then you should do the same," the Councilman suggested, looking at him from the side of his eye.

"Are you sure, sir?" he asked hesitantly.

"Leave us," he said in finality before shifting his gaze back to Korra. The Page could feel the tension between the two growing and decided it was best to heed his command. With a bow, he turned, leaving and shuffling out of the room as quickly as possible. Tarrlok remained silent until he heard the door shut before addressing his unwanted guest. "You obviously have something on your mind. Spit it out."

"Don't you see? You're doing exactly what Amon says is wrong with benders," Korra said heatedly. "You're using your power to oppose and intimidate people."

"And you don't?" he retorted.

"Of…of course not," she replied, taken off guard.

"Isn't that what you came here to do? Intimidate me into releasing your friends?" Korra could only grit her teeth, not wanting to give him an answer though her silence was more than enough to bring a smirk to his face. "See, that's what I admire about you, Korra. Your willingness to go to extremes in order to get what you want. It's a quality we both share."

"You and I are nothing alike!"

"Look, I'll make you a deal," he said as he dropped the smile. "You fall into line and do as I say, and I'll release your friends."

"That's why you arrested them?" she asked incredulously. "To get to me?"

"I need your answer," he said as he ignored her questions.

"No," Korra stated with conviction. "You might be able to manipulate Chief Saikhan into following you, but it won't work on me."

"Are you certain?" he asked, standing up. "You will regret that decision."

"You need to be stopped," she said as he turned to face the glowing waterfall behind him. Pointing at him, she declared, "You're just as bad as Amon."

Tarrlok's eyes widened at the insult, his blood boiling in hie veins. He was as bad as Amon? Is that what this…bratty child believed?

"I've tried to work with you, Korra, but you've made it impossible," he stated, closing his eyes. Hanging his head, he muttered, "I guess your little brother's life isn't worth much anymore, then," before turning and sending a blade of water straight at her.

The desk was instantaneously split in two as the blade streaked across the space between them. Korra narrowly dodged to the left, the blade narrowly missing her as it clipped the end of her ponytail by just a few hairs. Finishing her roll, Korra turned to face him and launched a trail of earth across the floor to knock Tarrlok back into the wall.

As his back bounced off the wall, the water splashing around him, Tarrlok barely had time to recover and spin, bending a sphere of water around himself. As the water closed in front of him, Tarrlok held his position while Korra launched twin streams of fire from her extended fists. As the fire died down, Tarrlok kept the dome up, smirking as she swiped his hands back and forth to fire icy darts at Korra.

Korra gasped before jumping into a backspring away to dodge, narrowly avoiding a few of the shards as she landed. With her back against the wall, Korra groaned as she bobbed and weaved, using her arms to guard her face much like she did while Probending. However, she couldn't help letting out a hiss as a shard scrapped against her thigh, tearing a hole through her pants as it went across her skin.

Korra planted her feet and began throwing jabs, breaking the shards that came at her when she could, but this was proven ineffective as another shard sliced at her side. She cried out before ducking, one hand covering the wound, the other her head.

The Avatar became fed up with this trick, standing up and flipping a flat slate of earth up to block him. With a grunt, Korra spun around with a swing of her arms, bending the stone wall behind Tarrlok. The bricks shifted and rumbled as the wall came swinging at him, and Tarrlok could only stare and gasp in shock before being hit by the wall. The impact was only worsened by the desk as the remaining piece crushed him before he crashed through the adjacent wall.

Tarrlok stumbled out of the hole that'd been made with his body, unable to stop himself as he tipped backwards over the second-floor railing. He cried out in fright as he reached out and grabbed the rail, barely preventing himself from plummeting to the floor below. His clothes were tattered, and his hair hung in his face as he panted, catching his breath though it stopped almost immediately as she saw Korra stepping out of the hole.

"You wanna run that by me again?" she called out. "Still think I'm a "half-baked" Avatar?" Without giving him a moment to speak, she threw her arms out, sending another wave of earth at the railing, collapsing it and sending him falling to the first floor in an explosion of debris. Tarrlok's back was screaming in fiery pain yet again as he crashed into and destroyed a table before tumbling back into another.

Korra watched him with disgust before jumping from the second floor and crashing her right fist into the ground, the shockwave creating a small crater. As she rose up, Korra's shoulders slouched, her body aching as she panted, but this was nothing. No pain was going to stop her right now. Tarrlok had repeatedly brought her brother up as if he was a piece on a Pai Sho board to be moved and played with to keep Korra in line, and she wouldn't have it anymore.

"What are you gonna do now? You're all out of water, pal," she said as she began walking him down. Tarrlok's face was covered in fear as he tried to scramble backwards from her and his heart started racing when he saw her palms ignite with fire. Korra panted a few more times before lunging forward, prepared to burn him down, but was stopped suddenly in her tracks as Tarrlok jumped to his feet with his palms raised at her.

Confusion was on her face for a moment as she stared at him before groaning in pain as her arms twisted back and her chest pushed forward. Tarrlok's stances shifted, and Korra could feel her legs as they gave out to forcefully drop her to her knees.

"You're in my way, Avatar," he growled out at her. "And you need to be removed."

"You're-you're a bloodbender?" she whispered out in horror as her limbs continued to twitch and jerk painfully.

"Very observant."

"It's not a full moon," she stated in fright. This shouldn't have been possible! Katara had told her about bloodbending and that it wasn't something that could be done without a full moon. Sota had even tried it before when he and Bolin had been captured and he had failed. "How-how are you doing this!?"

"There are a lot of things you don't know about me," he said hauntingly before jerking his hands sideways, sending Korra flying behind him and into a pillar. Korra grunted as her back hit the stone at full force, her body immediately going numb in pain as she fell to the floor. Her vision started to get blurry as Tarrlok walked over to her menacingly.

His form was swallowed by darkness, Korra's mind growing hazy with a familiar feeling of lucidness washing over her as she saw vision after vision. Korra recognized immediately that these were the same visions from before, only this time she could see them much clearer.

One by one, she watched as first Chief Sokka, followed by the former Chief Biefong, and finally, Avatar Aang, struggled and groaned in pain as a man smirked at them all. The room was filled with people, all doing the same and crying out as they tried to resist the force of the bloodbender's power. Aang grimaced past his outstretched hand to the man before him who turned to look at him with a taunting smile.

The two vanished in a white flash, replaced by Sota's tear stained face from the night of his incident, the look of fear showing in his blue eyes before being replaced by one of hate as blood began dripping from his nose.

Korra could see as his face changed, her brother's 12-year-old face having the same look and trail of blood as the previous vision. He was breathing hard as she whispered out her name, but Korra didn't know what was happening to him as he faded away. Her heart constricted and she could feel her eyes starting to water as his voice too began to fade away before the darkness started to clear as she regained consciousness.

Korra groaned, a tight constraint made of rope around her that made it impossible for her to move her arms. Tarrlok stared at her as she came too, looking at him in confusion as a few tears ran from her eyes.

"Where are you taking me?" she asked sluggishly while narrowing her gaze at him.

"Somewhere no one will find you," he said, preparing to close the doors of the getaway car. "Say goodbye to Republic City, and your little brother, Avatar Korra. You'll never see either again."

"No…NO!" Korra said, fully awake now before jolting into a sitting position and screaming a stream of fire from her mouth at him. Tarrlok narrowly missed being burned as he shut the door quickly, Korra's screams of aggravation echoing in the car. The Councilman growled back in frustration, hitting the back of the door with his fist before walking around to the front of the car and getting in. "You can't do this to me! Let me out!"

But Korra's words fell on deaf ears as Tarrlok started the car. Shifting the gear, he took off down the dark streets, the snow having stopped but leaving no trail on the road as he sped away. With the crescent Moon in the sky, a few dark clouds swooped in to block its light from shining on the sleeping city.

To be continued…