A/N: Hello! It's still Wednesday over here (night), which means this update is on time! I've been excited to share this one with y'all!
But before that, thanks as always to Black Dragon Master, AsahixMe, Sharpe, StevenBodner, Guest, FireLordAziz, devilfiredog18, and Raider for your regular reviews! It's really awesome that every single one of y'all take the time every week to review every chapter. I can always rely on you for great comments about the story, and it really keeps me going.
And of course, it's fantastic to have new reviewers like Emma! Welcome to this story, Emma (it'll be quite a while until you get here, but know that I have noticed and appreciated your entry into this fic) - great to have you on board!
Time check: Summer, 177 AG (3 years and post-Book 4)
64. All around me are familiar faces
The perp looks familiar.
It plays on his mind from the moment Minsu and Juno bring in the lone Agni Kai. According to Minsu, he was arrested on suspicion of drug dealing, but by the time they managed to track him down he'd junked the evidence. While Juno interrogated the triad, Minsu spent all day with Narcotics trying to establish reasonable cause to keep him detained beyond the 24-hour limit — to no avail. When the 24 hours were up, Juno was forced to release the Agni Kai, scowling ferociously because she and Minsu both knew he was guilty as sin.
It's not his case, but as he works on his own files, he finds that he keeps dwelling on the early-middle-aged man he'd caught glimpses of through the interrogation glass. The perp's stupid smug smirk was irritating enough, but what had really caught his attention was the triad's distinguishing feature: two faded, jagged lines running down his left cheek, scars from some bygone incident that would probably have earned him a moniker in the triad world.
He doesn't know how, but he's positive he's seen that Agni Kai before — knows him from somewhere a long time ago. Old Triple Threat jobs, maybe? Except, no — Zolt had founded the Triple Threats after he split from the Agni Kais, and it had not been an amicable separation. The bad blood between Zolt and his old gang had been seeded into succeeding generations of Agni Kais and Triple Threats — there's no way they would ever have collaborated on a job. And despite his suspicions about what Zolt was training him to be, the Triple Threat boss would not have sent a fourteen-year-old to attack someone significantly older and more experienced operative from a rival triad. But apart from Triple Threat-related activities, the only other significant interaction he could've had with an Agni Kai from that period of his life was…
He springs up in shock and dashes to Xien's desk. His commanding officer looks up with a raised eyebrow.
"Something wrong, Mako?"
"Xien, that Agni Kai Juno and Minsu brought in yesterday — the one we had to release — do you have his mug shot?"
Xien's eyebrow rises higher, but he nonetheless pulls out a thick mug book from his drawer. The lieutenant flips through pages systematically before pointing at one photo. "There, that's him. Korozo."
The mug shot makes it clearer. The man who had been in the station earlier was older, with lines in his face and the beginnings of grey in his hair — but his young appearance in his mug shot makes it all click with a cold, frightening certainty.
Korozo is the man who killed his parents.
Without another word, he spins on his heel and stalks away from the bullpen, ignoring Xien's calls.
He makes a beeline for the out-of-the-way bathroom next to the staircase at the very end of the long corridor outside the bullpen. He, and everyone else, usually uses the restroom right outside the bullpen; nobody comes here unless they're taking the stairs (which no one does). But he needs to be alone right now, because there's a dark, ugly wave rising within him, threatening his vision and the equilibrium he's worked so hard to reach.
"Run, Mako!"
Flames, bright and scorching, splashing across the inky night. San falls first and Naoki shrieks in wordless dismay.
He is frozen, unable to move. Naoki attacks, but the street is narrow; too narrow for the power she is capable of.
"Firebending needs space, Mako. Never allow yourself to be backed into a corner where you can't use your best attacks."
The enemy thrives on close quarters; Naoki has no room to use her legs. She fights through tears blurring her vision, and her fire falters with her grief. She throws the strongest volley she can muster and uses the split-second of breathing space to repeat her order.
"Mako, GO!"
In a blink of distraction, one lucky shot is all it takes. Naoki crumples.
He screams.
He squeezes his eyes shut against the horrifying vision, trying to focus on more positive thoughts like Erin taught him. Trying not to see his mother die again.
The man who killed his parents turns to him; in an instant, that face is seared into his memory. Brown eyes. Crooked nose. Two parallel scars down the left cheek. Snarling lips.
"You're the last one, kid."
Ironically, it's those words that jolt him into action. Because no, he's not the last one. Bolin is at home. Mom and Dad are gone; if he dies, who'll look after Bo?
He's smaller than Mom; the narrow street isn't narrow for him. He is angry; at this murderer, at himself, at the cruelty of fate that led them down this street. He spins on the spot, kicking his leg out. His fire takes the thug by surprise, and he runs.
He wishes he'd run earlier; then he wouldn't have to pass his mother's body.
With a strangled yell, he smashes his fist into the wall, and thanks Agni that Asami made sure every inch of this place was reinforced, because he's sure he would've punched right through otherwise. As it is, he's done more damage to his knuckles than the wall.
"Mako?"
He whirls and sees Minsu standing in the doorway, looking concerned.
"What are you doing here, Minsu?"
"Uh…close-quarters waterbending. I practice here, 'cause no one comes to this bathroom." Minsu's brow creases. "Usually."
He straightens, flexing his fingers to get the sting out. "All yours."
He strides past Minsu, but doesn't make it to the door before a tendril of water pulls him back.
"Hold on a second," Minsu says in a stern voice that seems out of place coming from his boyish face. "You don't seriously think I'm letting this pass without some answers, do you?"
"Minsu, I'm not in the mood to talk."
"That's usually exactly when you need to."
"What I need," he growls, "is to find that Agni Kai bastard and drag him back here on murder charges."
Minsu frowns. "Agni Kai? I thought you were on Triple Threat rotation." Then the rest of what he said sinks in and Minsu's eyes widen. "Hold on — murder?"
The cold, tumultuous abyss bubbles within him, and it takes significant self-control not to lash out at Minsu the way he had at the wall (neither of them deserve that). "That Agni Kai you and Juno had to release, Korozo? He killed a couple eighteen years ago — and for all we know, he's murdered more people since then."
Minsu blinks in astonishment, his jaw falling open. "Eighteen years ago? How in La's name could you possibly —"
"I watched him murder my parents." The admission is flat, inflectionless, and only as even as it is because he's had plenty of practice dissociating from his emotions; he knows it isn't healthy, but he's reeling. Inside, he is a furious, chaotic mess of pain and sorrow and angst — but he clamps it down, refusing to show how much Korozo's reappearance has affected him.
After eighteen years, he finally has the exact man to blame for his parents' deaths, and a perfectly valid excuse to use RCPD resources to go after him — and it's suddenly occurred to him that all he has to do is get in on the case and he can finally chase after this one, last missing piece of closure. But it's Minsu's case, and he needs the younger detective to give him an in, and Minsu won't do that if he thinks he's too emotionally compromised.
Minsu, who is absolutely flabbergasted and horrified at the bomb he's just dropped.
"You…what…" Minsu works to process the new information. He inhales deeply. "Mako, I'm so sorry."
"It's fine." It's really not. "But you get why I want to catch him, don't you?"
"Of course! Hell, I'd want the same in your position. You're absolutely sure it's him, yeah?"
"Positive."
"Then I'll get him for you, Mako," Minsu promises. "Juno and I will find the evidence we need to make the arrest stick — and we'll slap the murder charges on him too."
"Minsu…" Might as well be direct. "I want the case."
Minsu pauses, suddenly cautious. "Like, you want me to let you take over?"
While that would be fantastic, it's also not the wisest move. "You don't have to do that. I just want to be involved…work the case with you."
"I don't know, Mako…" Minsu's eyes flick to the wall he'd punched. "You have prior history with this perp…"
"It won't affect my work." He feels the abyss deepen, the desire for vengeance rising — he quashes it ruthlessly, shoving it away for another time.
"But can you promise that it won't affect you?" Minsu observes him with shrewd eyes. "Mako, you and I both know you have baggage. I'm no mind healer, but I'm gonna guess that working a case involving your parents' murderer is going to stir up the worst of it."
"Minsu, I need this," he says earnestly. "I need the closure of bringing Korozo to justice. It's the last thing I haven't properly resolved, and I don't know how else —" He takes a breath before he can get too worked up. "Do you know, when I think of my parents, the first thing — the very first thing — that comes to mind is their dead bodies?"
Minsu flinches.
"I'm sick of seeing that, Minsu. I want to be able to remember Mom and Dad without always having to see the night they died. But as long as I know the scumbag who did it is still out there, I can't not see it. I'm not asking to be in charge of the case — I know that's breaking protocol — but I need to be part of it."
Minsu bites his lip, but he can tell he's wavering. "I guess I could let you in…but it's Juno's case too, you know — and she outranks both of us. What if she says no?"
"She ranks higher, but you're the lead detective on Korozo," he points out. "If you say you I'm in, I'm in."
Minsu sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Okay, Mako, you're in. Please don't make me regret this."
He smiles wanly, but doesn't make a promise he's not sure he can keep. Minsu recognises this and groans in resignation. "La help me."
The grin he gives Minsu is more genuine now, but he quickly sobers again. "Minsu, I need you to do me a favour and not tell anyone why I'm after Korozo."
Minsu looks hesitant. "Mako, I don't think —"
"Please," he entreats. "You know Xien won't let me work the case if he knows the real reason I want it."
"With good reason," Minsu mutters. "All right, fine — but if anyone asks, you're explaining."
"Done." He exhales. "Thank you, Minsu."
"You owe me."
"Yeah, I do."
Minsu gestures at the bathroom. "If we're gonna nail this guy, I definitely need to brush up on my bending against firebenders." He slides him a meaningful gaze. "I don't suppose you know any?"
He actually laughs, and assumes his stance.
Across from him, Minsu also readies himself. "Just don't destroy the bathroom," he warns. "I like practicing here."
A/N: And here officially begins the second-from-last major arc of this story! It won't be as long as the Fire Nation one, but it will be no less impactful. This is the final, oldest, and deepest trauma Mako has to resolve, the one that underpins and set him up for all his other problems - so it WILL be difficult, even if he's in a much better place mentally. Stick around to see how our boy gets through this one - I still have a few surprises up my sleeve.
Today's song is quite aptly 'Mad World' - originally by Tears for Fears, but I'm going with the Pentatonix version (because most of Pentatonix's covers are more impressive to me than the originals).