Author's Note: Here we are with another chapter of the Spider Spirit.
Before we begin, I'd like to raise a certain concern brought up by my collaborator of this story, MajorBrony95. Apparently, there haven't been much progress in the Spider Spirit page on TV tropes. Looking at it, I see that there has only been ONE trope listed on it since last week. There was also a WMG subpage with the different books listed in it, but no one's added anything to it. It would mean a lot to my partner if more tropes were added to it since everyone was highly looking forward to this fanfic being updated, especially with everything that was included in said chapter.
Another thing. One person in the comments was asking about a character that appeared near the beginning of chapter 3: Dr. Khan. They didn't know who that was, but considering that he was described to be missing an arm, it should have been clear that Dr. Khan is an expy of Dr. Connors.
Oh, and one more thing, happy Easter.
Anyway, that's it for now. Enjoy the chapter. Any and all comments are welcome.
"Benders, be on alert. After coming face to face with Amon, leader of the Equalists, Avatar Korra and the Spider Spirit discover a terrifying truth: this masked madman has the ability to take away a person's bending permanently. Benders of Republic City are counting on these two heroes, but are they prepared to face such a frightening foe?"
What began as a standard dinner at Pakku's home wouldn't last long. The family ate a modest meal, but they didn't complain. In the background was a radio playing with some cheerful jazz music.
So, Pakku, how were classes today?" Uncle Bato asked.
"Good. I managed to succeed at the experiment Dr. Khan assigned." Pakku said.
"That's wonderful." Aunt Ming praised.
Their positive attitude stopped, however, when the radio changed its tune. The music quickly changed to a familiar, sinister voice that caught the family off-guard.
"Good evening, my fellow Equalists. This is your leader, Amon. As you have heard, the Republic Council has voted to make me public enemy number one, proving once again that the bending oppressors of this city will stop at nothing to quash our revolution. But we cannot be stopped. Our numbers grow stronger by the day. You no longer have to live in fear. The time has come for benders to experience fear."
Once the broadcast ended, silence filled the room. Pakku decided to break it. "Heh. I wonder if Amon has a whole team writing his speeches for him."
"Pakku, this is serious." Ming scolded.
"I know. Sorry. I just thought I'd break the tension with a joke."
Ming sighed. "It's all right, my dear. I'm just worried, that's all."
"Why?" Bato asked. "I mean, it's not like any of us are benders. We're in no danger with the Equalists."
"I know, but think about the backlash that might happen," Ming said. "Since word got out about Amon's ability to take away bending, there's been talk that the Republic Council is going to go on the offensive against him somehow. Knowing Tenzin, he will likely disapprove of the idea, but he's only one man against four others. Especially that Councilman Tarrlok I've heard him complain about, who always seems out to get his gorilla goat. The council is going to strike, and then the Equalists are going to strike back, and it'll begin a vicious cycle." She shook her head. "Pretty soon, it's going to be too dangerous to even be out on the streets. Who knows if any of us might end up caught up in the crossfire? Especially since WE'RE non-benders. We could be seen as either traitors to the Equalists… or possible Equalists ourselves."
Bato then placed his arm around Ming's shoulder to bring her in to comfort her with a soft hug. "It's okay, Ming. Nothing bad is going to happen to you or Pakku. I won't let it. You have my word."
Ming let out a soft breath before smiling at her husband. "Thank you, dear."
"Yeah, thanks, Uncle Bato." Pakku said. "And that goes for me too. I'll help in any way I can to protect you guys."
"That's sweet of you, Pakku, but don't worry yourself about something like this." Ming said with another smile. "You just keep on being you."
"She's right." Bato agreed.
Pakku nodded, but kept quiet as his aunt and uncle began talking again. If only they knew that this whole thing involved him more than they thought. And to be honest, he was a little unsure and scared himself since he knew that, eventually, he'd probably have to face Amon as the Spider Spirit.
Most of the day, the students of Katara Community College only talked about the Equalists. Pakku would overhear the talks as he passed by.
"Do you really think it's true? That this Amon guy can really take bending away for good?"
"I hear he was horribly burned by a firebender, and that's why he wears a mask."
"My cousin's a waterbender. Do you think I should give her a call to warn her?"
"My boyfriend's an earthbender! What if we get attacked while we're on a date or something and Amon takes his bending? And I don't bend at all! What'll they do to ME?!"
Pakku had been hearing worried and frantic comments like these all day between classes. He'd also heard a few other comments that left him a tad… disturbed.
"If you ask me, maybe the Equalists are onto something. You remember in history class and learning about the Bending Supremacist Uprising that tried happening when Republic City was young? Who's to say it couldn't happen again? The Council is already made up of all benders, and there's lots of laws and regulations in place favoring keeping benders in important positions in construction, water treatment and stuff."
"No kidding. My dad recently lost his job at the power plant to a firebender who can make lightning. He's had the job for ten years and they just shove him aside for a guy who can generate his own electricity instead of keeping on the loyal guy who can maintain and power a machine just fine without fancy tricks? What the heck? That's blatant favoritism there!"
"About time someone stood up to the benders. Someone needs to take them down a peg."
He had even heard talks after school hours. On his way to the library building to pick up some books for a class, he couldn't help but listen in on a conversation Flash was having with his friends on the steps.
"Hey, do you think the Spider Spirit's working with the Equalists?" one guy asked.
"No way. Not him." Flash answered.
"Why not? He's a special kind of non-bender, isn't he? And he's always fighting the bending triads. It only makes sense for him to join Amon."
"Not the Spider Spirit, I know it." Flash denied vehemently. "He's way too cool to be lumped in with those masked extremist jerks. If anything, he's probably planning on going up against Amon and pounding the daylights out of him right now."
Pakku cracked up a smile hearing that, finding it rather ironic that his biggest bully was actually the Spider Spirit's biggest fan.
"What is it with you and the Spider Spirit anyway, Flash?" Kong asked.
"He's the coolest guy in Republic City, all right? He's always doing good for the people, and I'm his biggest fan." Flash then caught Pakku listening in. "What's up, loser?"
Pakku's smile dropped. He then rolled his eyes and continued walking into the library as the other guys continued their conversation.
"Geez. What a dweeb." Flash scoffed.
"Wanna knock his books out of his hands when he comes back out?" snickered one of the guys.
Suddenly, the group heard a noise and spotted a yellow moped stop in front of the nearby entrance of the school. On it was a figure dressed in a red riding outfit.
"Man. Look at that ride. Must've cost a fortune," Kong said admiringly.
The rider then took off their helmet and at once, the group's jaws dropped as Asami Sato shook out her hair and looked around.
Flash let out a wolf whistle before smiling lecherously, his eyes roaming up and down her face and figure as she got off. "Forget the ride! Look what's riding ON it! What a babe! Watch and learn, boys." Flash then smoothed back his hair and confidently strutted to the entrance to meet Asami. "'Sup, beautiful."
"Asami turned around, surprised at the voice, only to see a tall, smirking young man standing in an apparent "cool" pose. "Oh. Hello."
"Don't think I've seen you around here before. I know I would've recognized you." he said flirtatiously. "They call me 'Flash.' You lost, beautiful?"
"Actually, yes." she said in a voice that said she'd heard lines like this before. "I've never been here before and I'm looking for someone."
"Well, if you'd like, I could be your someone, baby." Flash said, leaning in closer, which made Asami frown and back up a bit. "You know, some pals of mine over at RCU's Fang Dormitory—the Unagi's Breath student association—are throwing a little get together this evening. Gonna be a real rager. If you want, we could go, have some fun there, and then later…" He continued his smirking as he leaned over an unamused and frankly annoyed looking Asami as she backed against her moped. "We could maybe have our OWN little private party. Trust me. I can REALLY heat things up." He lit a flame in his hand to demonstrate.
Asami's hand clenched as if preparing to throw a punch, but she quickly slapped on a strained polite smile. "That sounds… fun, Flash, was it? But I'm really hoping to find the person I came here to see. Maybe you could tell me where I could find a boy named Pakku?"
Flash's expression instantly changed. He looked extremely surprised now as his flame was quickly doused. Even his cronies, who heard the conversation, were baffled as well. "Uh, I'm sorry? I think I misheard you. It… almost sounded like you said you were looking for Puny Pakku," Flash said slowly.
"Well, I wouldn't call him 'puny'." Asami said, looking miffed at the statement, "But yes, I'm looking for him."
"But… why?" Flash asked.
"Well, if you really must know, I need to speak with him, so if you could just tell me where I might be able to find Pakku…"
Just then, who should come out of the library with a backpack full of books was the man in question, whose own eyes popped at seeing someone he thought he would never see again in front of his school.
"A-Asami?!" Pakku asked. Flash's group, too shocked at all that was transpiring, turned to look at him, even more surprised he KNEW the name of this hottie. He quickly stepped down the steps to meet up with the girl. "You… You're here?"
Asami's eyes lit up seeing Pakku again. "Pakku, hey. How's it going?" She quickly brushed past the sputtering Flash and met Pakku right in the middle of the area.
"I, uh… Honestly, I'm surprised to see you here." Pakku admitted. "I know things ended kinda abruptly the other night…"
"Hey, it's okay." Asami said. "I'm sure you wouldn't have left like that unless it was an emergency. Other than that, the night turned out fine. One of the best I've ever had honestly. And you know what that means."
Pakku smiled hopefully, his cheeks turning red. "You… You mean…"
"Yep," Asami confirmed leaning in and tapping his chest. "You earned yourself a second date."
At those words, every student on the step's jaws practically fell to the ground and eyes popped out upon hearing that not only was Puny Pakku familiar with this girl, but that he had DATED her before and was now doing so AGAIN! Flash, in particular, turned pale at the sound of that, his face looking like he had just witnessed one of the worst things imaginable. Pakku was surprised too, but also relieved and excited.
"Really? You mean it?" Pakku asked.
"Yep." Asami said. "And this time, it can be at a place of my choosing. Meet me at Kwong's tomorrow night around seven."
"Oh. Wow, Kwong's? As in one of the classiest restaurants in the Harmony Park District?" Pakku asked, suddenly a bit less enthused. "I don't know. I've heard that place has a strict dress code and, trust me, I don't really have the clothes for that kinda…" He then stopped and his face turned red as Asami put a gloved finger on his lips with a beautiful smile. In the background, Flash made a noise like a dying turkey duck.
"I'll take care of that. All you have to do is show up." She put her helmet and goggles back on. "So, you got it?"
"Kwong's. Tomorrow night. Seven. Got it." Pakku confirmed, almost in a daze.
Asami then walked over to her moped (past the still flummoxed Flash), climbed on it and revved the engine. "See you then, tiger monkey!" Asami called before driving away.
Pakku watched her ride away and got a wide, lovestruck and dopey grin on his face. His cheeks were pink and one could swear hearts were floating above his head.
"Hey! Puny Pakku!" Flash's furious sounding voice suddenly broke Pakku's daze as he stomped up to him, flames practically snorting from his nostrils as he towered over him and confronted him. "How did you do that?! How the HECK did a guy like YOU score a smoking hot babe like her?! Answer me!"
Pakku stared at Flash in surprise before he grinned widely at the fact that Flash was JEALOUS of HIM!
"Uh… My natural charm?" Pakku guessed nonchalantly with a shrug, making Flash grit his teeth so hard it seemed they would crack. "Well, I'd love to talk more about this, but I got homework to do. Later, Flash." With that, he turned around and gave one last wave to the other guys before he strutted out of the school entrance like a boss.
"How… the heck… did he do that?!" Flash asked, the firebender still in total shock at all that had occurred.
Kong walked over to his shell-shocked best friend. "Who knows. Though… you think maybe I could absorb some of that charm by just being near him?"
"Shut up!" Flash snarled as he too walked away in a huff, leaving the large earthbender to scratch his head in confusion.
"WAHOOOOOOOO!" Spider Spirit cheered, swinging enthusiastically across Republic City. After arriving home, telling his aunt and uncle about going on a SECOND date with the girl (much to their pleased surprise due to how things seemed to have gone before), and finishing his homework, Pakku left for patrol. He spun his webs from his hands and charged across the skies, a carefree attitude practically oozing out of him.
"Finally, things are looking up Pakku!" he expressed to himself. "After the scary thing with the Equalists, I thought for sure things would go downhill from there! But boom! Turns out, Asami wants ANOTHER date with me! What could be better than this?"
All of a sudden, the Spider Spirit heard a distant noise that sounded like a crash followed by a bunch of people screaming.
"Huh. Sounds like a job for your Friendly Neighborhood Spider Spirit. Who knows? Maybe after this, my luck will turn the public in my favor."
The Spider Spirit swung in the direction of the sound, and when he reached it, he found himself at the Silk Road Bridge. He saw a line of Satomobiles, with one fancy looking one in particular dangling over the side of the bridge. The front half of it was hanging over, and the whole vehicle was rocking back and forth. On the bridge, various people were on the side or getting out of their vehicles, pointing and screaming at the impending disaster.
"Someone doesn't know the basics of public transportation." the Spider Spirit mused.
The Spider Spirit then swung down to the bridge just as the Satomobile was about to fall off. As it started to plummet, he shot his webs at its rear and kept himself in place by planting his feet on the edge of the bridge, though it wasn't easy, as he began to slide a bit forward. With much of his own strength, he willed his feet to stick to the bridge and strained to pull his webs as he slowly stepped forward. Once it was close enough, he grabbed the Satomobile with his own hands and finished the job by dragging it safely onto the bridge.
On the bridge, many murmured, whispered and pointed at the hero, some even clapping and cheering for him.
Once his job was done, the Spider Spirit let out a few deep breaths while someone opened the passenger door and stepped right out to meet him.
"Yeah…" the Spider Spirit breathed heavily, "No need… to thank me…"
"Oh, I sincerely doubt that. That was absolutely remarkable!"
The Spider Spirit regained his senses and got a good look at the man he'd saved. He was a grown man probably in his 30s. He wore blue water tribe clothes, had brown skin similar to his own and Korra's, and brown hair tied into three ponytails.
"Uh, thanks." the Spider Spirit said. "And you are…"
"Oh, where are my manners? I'm Tarrlok, representative of the Northern Water Tribe and member of the United Republic Council."
Behind his mask, the Spider Spirit widened his eyes. "Oh, my goodness. I just saved a councilman."
"That you did, young man." Tarrlok said. "Actually, it's rather marvelous you're here. Could I trouble you for just a few moments of your time? I'd like to speak to you about something that could benefit us both."
The Spider Spirit was skeptical. "Hmm. Getting a mysterious offer from a politician. What could possibly go wrong?"
Tarrlok gave a soft laugh. "Don't worry. It's nothing underhanded. Let's just talk once we're off this bridge so these fine civilians can pass by."
"Um, okay."
Tarrlok returned to his vehicle and instructed his (still rather shaken) driver to take them across the Silk Road Bridge while the Spider Spirit followed after them, ignoring the calls and shouts to him. They eventually stopped a little ways near the pier of Yue Bay before the councilman stepped back out to meet the Spider Spirit again.
"We meet again, Councilman. Gosh, it's been ages." the Spider Spirit joked.
"Yes, very amusing." Tarrlok said dryly. "So anyway, you probably heard of the rising threat of the Equalists."
"Heard of it? I had a special view of Amon's crazy bending-taking ability the night I helped the Avatar save her friend."
"Did you?" Tarrlok asked. "Huh. That's weird. The Avatar didn't mention you at all when she told Tenzin about Amon's power."
"Yeah, no surprise there." the Spider Spirit said. "She's… not exactly my biggest fan."
"Well, after your actions back there, you can consider ME one." Tarrlok said in a friendly voice that sounded too good to be real. Especially if what he had heard about this guy were true. "In fact, I would like to help you out with your public image."
"You better not have me endorse any bad drinks or anything like that."
Tarrlok chuckled. "No, no. Nothing like that. You see, the council has permitted me to put together a task force to fight against the Equalists. I'm counting on the best in Republic City to aid, and I'd like YOU to be a part of it."
The news struck the Spider Spirit with shock. He then remembered Amon's words about how the Republic Council was going to strike at the Equalists first. This plan of Tarrlok's seemed to confirm his words.
"Uh, are you sure that's a good idea?" the Spider Spirit asked. "I mean, this sounds like it could further divide benders and nonbenders."
Tarrlok snorted. "Councilman Tenzin said the exact same thing, believe it or not. Even though I reminded him of how his father got directly involved in the city's safety." He gestured to the Aang memorial statue behind him. It seemed Pakku and his Uncle were of the same mind then. "That's when I thought of you. You clearly have no bending. Otherwise, you'd use that along with those webs you've been shooting everywhere. And you have quite a bit of a fanbase with many non-benders in the city, polls have shown. By working together, this will show Republic City that we're all on the same side, whether we can bend or not!"
"So… What you're saying is, to you, I'm a political tool."
"Well now, I wouldn't put it… quite that way. But let me get to the part of this deal that might just appeal to you. Despite you being famous with the non-bending population, I understand you also have a poor image with other members of the public, namely the bending population, all thanks to media outlets like the Republic Reporter. What if I told you I can make them turn it all around?"
Pakku stared at him in disbelief for a second before sticking a finger in his mask-covered ear and twisting it. "Um, sorry, my ears must have webs in them or something. How could you POSSIBLY get that blowhard to change his tune?"
"Please. I'm a councilman." Tarrlok said confidently. "I could easily make Jai Jo Jimson retract every word he's said against you and paint you as a hero. With my endorsement and his more positive press, the benders of this city would see you are truly an ally in the fight against Amon."
The Spider Spirit let out a loud laugh. "HA! Yeah! And maybe I'll grow four extra arms and shoot webs out my butt! I've only met the man in passing a few times—and it's only when he shouts threats at me from his office window as I swing by- but I can tell you, he's more stubborn than a donkey cow! Him retracting anything is a near impossibility unless under the most DIRE of circumstances. Tell you what though. You SOMEHOW manage to make that happen, and I'll certainly consider it. For now, I gotta go. Later, Councilman."
With that, he shot his web up into the air and started to swing away.
As soon as the Spider Spirit had gone, though, Tarrlok gave a scheming smile. "You have no idea how persuasive I can be, Spider Spirit. Well, that's one down for a 'possible'. Now, to meet the Avatar. She's still new to Republic City. Naive, eager for a fight. Especially after what she witnessed with Amon. Once I get through with her, she'll most assuredly be biting at the bit to join up."
The time had finally come for Pakku's second date, which he was both hugely excited and very concerned about. He made it to the brightly lit and humming Harmony Park District, the cultural and media hub of Republic City, and found himself standing in front of Kwong's in his best suit (which to be honest, wasn't too great) but he still felt highly underdressed. With a gulp, he headed inside and suddenly found himself in front of a snooty looking man who greeted him with a deep bow.
"Ah, welcome to Kwong's Cuisine, Master Pakku."
"Master?" Pakku asked surprised. "Wow. Five-star customer service."
"But of course, sir. Your date requested that you be treated with the best we have to offer. Not only that, but she also asked us to prepare a new attire for your special night."
"Wow. Seriously?" Thank you, Asami."
The server then quickly guided Pakku to the back room where he rapidly had him get his hair styled fancy and try on a whole new suit with a sharp, dark blue jacket and pants with a red tie. Pakku liked how he looked in it. It surprisingly reminded him of his Spider Spirit suit colors.
"Wow. I feel like I was born in the Upper Rings of Ba Sing Se."
"The silk used for that suit DID come from the Upper Rings, sir. Now, this way please."
Once he was finished, Pakku followed the man out to the dining floor where all sorts of fancy people sat at tables all around. Soft classical music was being played through speakers to give it ambiance. Despite the change in clothes, Pakku still felt incredibly out of depth here as he looked at all the people who were much more naturally wealthy and at ease in places like this. He nervously looked around until he saw Asami, who was waving at him from her table with a smile. She looked even more stunning if that were possible in an elegant red dress that showed off her great figure, a gold hair decoration and gold bracelets on her arms. A red purse sat by her side. With a small smile of his own, Pakku joined and sat down next to her.
Once the two had ordered their drinks, they began talking very easily.
"Well, I must say, you certainly pulled off the fancy look better than I expected." Asami praised.
"Well, I have YOU to thank for that." Pakku said. "Seriously, thank you."
"I told you I'd take care of everything." she said with a beautiful grin.
Pakku stared at her before laughing nervously. "Okay. Now, I'm even more scared that this is a prank. I mean, after the way things ended last time…"
"There's no need to explain yourself." Asami said holding up a hand. "I'm all for giving my dates a second chance if I think there's something special about them. And lucky you, I could already tell there was something special about you from the moment we met."
"Uh, th-thanks." Pakku felt his cheeks heat up so badly, they felt like they were on fire. "Wish others felt the same."
Asami's pretty face darkened and she snorted. "You mean like that ape ox that tried hitting on me? Ugh. Honestly, it took all my strength not to kick that jerk in the family firesacks. I've had people speak to me like that before, but this time felt worse. And the way he spoke about you. Have you dealt with people like that a lot?" She said this in a concerned tone.
Pakku shrugged. "Like I said, even though I'm the grandson of Sokka, I'm still considered a weak, spineless, non-bending chump. Perfect fodder for the piranha goats of Katara Community College."
Asami looked more upset. "I could easily talk to the heads. Make them be more strict on things like that."
Pakku shook his head. "Trust me, Asami. I'm fine. I can handle myself. I appreciate it though."
Asami didn't look thrilled with that, but she sighed. "Alright. If you insist." She then gave another smile, showing she was trying to go past that.
Eventually, the waiter came back with their drinks and they made their orders. Pakku needed some help from Asami, but soon he and Asami were back to chatting.
"So, I've been meaning to ask you before, but what exactly do you do for a living? I mean, I know you're a student at KCC, but do you have a job or anything?"
"Who me?" Pakku asked feigning thinking. "Well, right now, I happen to be managing the Fire Ferrets pro-bending team."
Asami's eyes widened. "No way. The one with the Avatar in it? You're their manager? Wow, you're just full of surprises."
"You have no idea." Pakku said.
"I gotta say, I'm such a fan of pro-bending." Asami stated. "I caught all the Fire Ferrets' matches this season. I had heard they had gotten a new manager, but I never learned the name of him. So to find out that my very own date is the very same guy? Well, my mind's blown."
Pakku chuckled. "Yeah. It was sort of a shock for me too when they offered. I had helped Bolin out of a jam and he offered to bring me to the arena as thanks. I made a few strategic suggestions that helped them and they chose to make me their manager and main strategist basically."
"So, tell me about the Ferrets. What's it like working with them? And with the Avatar?" Asami leaned her chin on her hands, looking eager.
"Well, Mako I admit is a tad grouchy at times, but he's a good team captain who always wants what's best for his team. Korra, as you may know, was… well, more than a tad rusty when she started. She'd only ever HEARD matches before then. She's really gained the skills though, even though she still gripes about waking up early. Plus, I had met her shortly after she arrived in the city. Me being Sokka's grandkid and her Aang's reincarnation means we're practically like family, and she's honestly like the little sister I never really wanted, but glad I got her anyway. And Bolin? Oh man, if I could call anybody my best pal, it would be him. He's always got my back, he's got a joke up his sleeve at all times, he's fun to be around. The guys like a ball of sunshine!"
Asami laughed. "Sounds like quite the eclectic group. I bet those guys at your school would change their tune about you in an instant if they knew about this. Anyway, I can't wait to see your team play in the tournament."
Pakku's smile instantly vanished. "Uh… Yeah. Maybe next year."
"What do you mean? Didn't they make it in?"
"It's nothing. I don't wanna ruin…" He once more was stopped by Asami doing a tender gesture, this time putting a hand over his own.
"Pakku, tell me. What's the problem?"
Pakku stayed silent for a minute before sighing. "Okay, I didn't really want to bring this up right now, but the truth is, and pardon my language… The team is in deep financial doo-doo. We don't have enough money to pay for our place in the championship. Unless we pony up 30,000 yuans by the end of the week, which might I add is fast approaching, we can kiss the tournament goodbye. We barely have a thousand right now, and that's with scraping money that Mako has managed to make with a side job."
"That's not fair." Asami said sympathetically.
"Yeah, well, the old Pakku luck can be VERY fickle." Pakku sighed.
"Pardon me, Ms. Sato." a server said as he came up with two plates which he set on the table. "Your main course."
"Thank you." Asami said as the server walked away.
"Ms. Sato?" Pakku asked before chuckling. "Sorry. I guess I should've asked for your last name before. You know, it kinda sounds like you have the same name as Hiroshi Sato, the inventor of the Satomobile." He picked up his drink and took a sip.
"Yep. He's my dad."
Just then, Pakku was so surprised, he spat the drink out of his mouth and coughed out his surprised gasp. This got a few glances and dirty looks from some other patrons, but he ignored them as he struggled to get his breath back. He then turned to Asami with a shocked expression.
"Did… Did I hear that right?! Your dad is Hiroshi Sato, the most successful industrialist and engineer in all of Republic City?!"
"Yeah. I guess we both have pretty famous families, huh?" Asami asked, brushing a lock of raven hair behind her ear. "Oh. That reminds me. I think this belongs to you." She reached into her bag and pulled out an old, slightly-worn out book that Pakku was very happy to see.
"My book!" He took the book back. "Thank you, Asami! I thought this was lost forever!"
"Yeah. I tried looking in it to see if you wrote your address on it, but no such luck. Thankfully, I remembered where you said you went to college and decided to try my luck." Asami said.
Pakku then had a thought enter his head. He looked over at Asami curiously. "Um… Asami, did you, by any chance, look at the…"
"Your plans for some pretty nifty devices?" Asami asked. "Yeah, sorry. I was looking for your address, and… well, your drawings were hard to miss."
"So… What did you think?" Pakku asked bashfully.
"I think they're pretty incredible! Pakku, some of these things seem pretty cool!" She smirked. "In fact, I told my dad about how smart you are, and he wants to meet you."
Pakku lost his breath. "You're kidding. I actually get to talk with Hiroshi Sato himself?"
"That's it. How's about tomorrow, at his factory? Four o'clock?" Asami asked.
"Sounds perfect." Pakku said excitedly.
Pakku felt like he was on Cloud 9 when he found himself in the middle of a large, industrial factory and standing in between rows of newly-built Satomobiles. He never dropped his smile, even as he faced Hiroshi Sato himself along with Asami.
Hiroshi was a sharp-looking man with a slight heavy build, circular glasses and a large mustache.
"What do you think of my little operation here?" Hiroshi asked.
"You call THIS little?" Pakku asked with a laugh. "Mr. Sato, you are a humble man."
Hiroshi laughed as well. "Well, I don't know about that, but I do try my best. And please, call me Hiroshi. I must say, it's an honor to meet someone who's related to the famous Chief Sokka, Pakku. I have admired him for a good while. The man was a genius strategist and he managed to save the world without any special abilities other than his mind and sword skills."
"Whoa. To hear you say that means a lot, mister… Er, Hiroshi."
"Think nothing of it. So, I understand that despite your familial ties, you're practically dirt poor."
Pakku's smile finally disappeared. "Oh, uh, well, we do alright for ourselves, but…"
"Young man, it is nothing to be ashamed of," Hiroshi assured. "I too came from humble beginnings. Why, when I was your age, I was a mere shoe-shiner, and all I had to my name was an idea: the Satomobile." He gestured to one of the beautiful newly made vehicles. "Now, I was fortunate enough to meet someone who believed in me and my work ethic. He gave me the money I needed to get my idea off the ground. And I built the entire Future Industries empire from that one selfless loan!" He once more gestured, this time all around him at the company, impressing Pakku all the more.
"Dad, stop bragging." Asami said. "Just tell Pakku the good news."
"Good news?" Pakku asked. "What good news?"
"Well, my daughter passionately told me all about your recent ties with the Fire Ferrets and how you helped them with their recent hard-earned successes in the pro-bending arena." Hiroshi said, putting a hand on Pakku's shoulder. "You've got a brilliant mind, my boy. Though, I also heard about your team's current… financial stumbling block. Now, I'd hate to see you and your friends lose your chance at winning the championship just because you're short a few yuans."
"Uh, I wouldn't exactly call 30,000 yuans 'a few'."
"I would. I can certainly spare some. In fact, that's exactly what I plan to do for you."
Pakku's eyes lit up. "Wait, what are you saying?"
"Pakku, it's your lucky day. I'm going to sponsor the Fire Ferrets in the tournament!"
Pakku's smile finally returned. "Really? No lie!"
"No lie." Asami said. "My dad's going to cover your ante for the championship pot."
"Wow! This is amazing!" Pakku exclaimed. "Oh, my friends are going to lose their minds when they hear this!"
"There's just one catch." Hiroshi said. "The Fire Ferrets have to ear the Future Industries logo on your uniform."
"That's it?" Pakku asked. "No problem. A little wardrobe change isn't going to hurt us."
"That's good to hear." Hiroshi said. "Now, Asami also tells me you've got a fantastic technical mind as well. If so, then maybe you can help me with this little problem I'm having."
"Uh, me? Help you? Um, s-sure. What kind of problem, sir?"
"Follow me." Hiroshi said. He guided Pakku and Asami to a workshop room with numerous broken-down devices and spare parts at the side. At the center of the table was a small circuit that he invited Pakku to examine. "This right here is a personal project of mine. You and Asami are the only ones with the privilege to see it. As you know, Satomobiles rely on fossil fuel for power. Sure, it'll work for a few hundred years, a thousand if we're lucky, but that stuff isn't going to last forever. So I was thinking of a different kind of power source."
Pakku took a close look at the circuit and saw that it was sparkling a bit. "Like what, electricity?"
"That's it." Hiroshi answered. "Limitless, continuous, and ecofriendly. The problem though is… Well, it's best to see for yourself."
Hiroshi flipped a switch and guided the kids to stand back. They watched as the circuit began to spark even more electricity. It went on for a few seconds before…
ZAP!
The circuit blew up a bright flash before the electricity stopped. All that was left was the burnt remains of the machine parts.
"As you can see, it only works for a few seconds before overloading," Hiroshi sighed replacing the damaged circuit with an identical one. "I've scratched my head over it day and night, and I've got a few of my best tech guys looking into solutions—hypothetical, of course, since this is supposed to be on the down-low—but it couldn't hurt to have a fresh set of eyes on this, right?"
"Well, I'll… I'll certainly try." Pakku said. He leaned onto the table to get a close look at the device. "Hmm. You ever consider a circuit breaker?"
"Too complex." Hiroshi answered at once. "We need to find a way to make the electrical field more… compact."
"I see." Pakku said. He continued to examine the circuit for a minute before getting an idea. "Ever thought of grounding the energy?"
Hiroshi's eyebrows were raised. "What do you mean?"
"Well, without a circuit breaker, the electrical flow is going to continuously build up until it quickly explodes as we just saw. So what you need is a way to have the energy dissipate naturally. So perhaps, if you replace the wires with some made of a grounding element such as copper or steel, then some of that electricity can be grounded before it becomes a problem. In fact, if you rearrange the circuit like this…" He picked out a couple of small tools and used it to carefully rearrange the device much to the Sato's surprise. "Then any remaining energy can be continuously reused as part of the electrical flow. And thus…"
Pakku flipped the same switch Hiroshi did and stood back. The circuit lit up again, making a continuous surge of electrical sparks. Unlike last time, though, the circuit didn't blow up after a few seconds. It didn't blow up at all. It just kept sparking as Hiroshi's smile grew.
"I don't believe it! It's working!"
"See, Dad? I told you he was brilliant!" Asami said hugging Pakku tightly and making him flush bright red.
"Thanks." Pakku said. "Although, it's still not big enough to power an entire Satomobile. Still don't know how to do that…"
"That's all right, Pakku. This is actually a great start, and we'll take it from here." Hiroshi said, patting him on the back. "My dear boy, I cannot begin to express my gratitude. It looks like you've certainly got a future in industry yet."
Pakku smiled at that, basking in being praised for his brains by these two great people.
The three soon walked out of the workshop and were heading to Hiroshi's office to finalize some things, when they heard the sound of a man clearing his throat behind them. They turned to see one of Hiroshi's employees standing there.
"Yes, Chin, can I help you?" Hiroshi asked.
"This letter just came in by a messenger from the Republic Council, Mr. Sato" Chin said, passing an envelope to Hiroshi.
The industrialist opened up the letter and read what was inside. He stared with interest. "Hmm. That's peculiar."
"What is it, Dad?" Asami asked.
"It's Councilman Tarrlok." Hiroshi said. "Apparently, he's hosting a gala in honor of the Avatar, and he's inviting us to attend."
"Is that so odd?" Pakku asked.
"If it's hosted by Tarrlok, it's suspicious," Hiroshi said in a bit more of a serious tone. "To be honest, I'm not entirely a fan of his. Many of his proposals and restrictions have made it difficult for a lot of new technologies to really get off the ground, mainly because his laws are so pro-bender… er, not the sport, of course. It makes it hard for companies like Future Industries to make and sell new machines that would make life easier for everyone, even for benders themselves, because a good portion of the council is afraid to make them obsolete or upset them, largely thanks to his influence and cajoling." He then sighed before smiling. "But… I am not one to miss out on a public event. And it might be good to meet the Avatar. Would you like to come with, Asami? It might make it more bearable at least."
"Sure." Asami said before getting an idea. "Hey, think I can bring Pakku along as my date?"
"I don't see why not." Hiroshi said.
"Really?" Pakku asked. "In that case, is it okay if I also invite Mako and Bolin? If Korra's going to be there, then I wanna be able to tell them the good news about the championship pot. That, and I'm sure they'd love to meet you, Asami."
"And I, them." Asami said.
"Sounds good to me." Hiroshi said. "The more, the merrier."
The following night, Pakku arrived in a fancy tuxedo Hiroshi had helped him purchase at a grand hall with Korra banners hung up near the front entrance. He came in just before seeing Asami and Hiroshi waiting for him. He smiled as he walked up to join them. The latter wore a red tuxedo himself while Asami looked absolutely gorgeous in another red dress, red shawl draped on her shoulders and a gold and ruby flower clasp.
"Glad you could make it." Asami said.
"Wouldn't miss it for the world." Pakku said, holding out his arm and allowing her to loop hers through it. "You look great."
"Just great?" Asami asked with a smirk.
"Well, the words, 'homena, homena, homena' do come to mind." Asami giggled at that and pulled herself closer to him. "So… I've never been to a party like this before… or any kind of party really? What should I do?"
"Oh, it's nothing special." Hiroshi said. "Just walk around and mingle."
"Walk and mingle. Got it."
Just then, the crowd started to give a wave of claps when someone else came in. Pakku turned and saw Korra walk in with Tenzin and his family travelling with her. She was dressed in a fancy blue water tribe dress with her hair down.
"Well, there's the guest of honor." Pakku said.
"So that's the Avatar, huh?" Asami asked. "Gotta admit, she's prettier than I imagined."
"You think so?" Pakku asked surprised by her comment.
"Well, I'm not blind." Asami said with a shrug.
"Yo, Pakku!" Bolin cried out approaching his friend along with Mako. Both were also dressed nicely in a green and black and grey outfit. "Nice party, huh? And the food here is INCREDIBLE, man! I GOTTA get a plate to take home!"
"Thanks for extending the invitation to us." Mako said.
"Oh, it's my pleasure really." Pakku said. "And hey, I'd like you guys to meet Asami Sato."
"Hi." Asami greeted happily. "It's so great to meet you. I'm a big fan of the Fire Ferrets."
"Whoa!" Bolin exclaimed. "You were right, Pakku. She's gorgeous."
"Bolin! Not out loud." Pakku said blushing brightly as Hiroshi looked at him oddly. Asami laughed at Bolin's response though. "Er, and THIS is her FATHER, Hiroshi Sato, who I would VERY much like to keep on my good side." He muttered this through gritted teeth to his pal.
"It's an honor, Mr. Sato." Mako said holding out a hand. Hiroshi seemed to pause for a second before he took it. "You've helped make Republic City an incredible place to live."
"Thank you very much, my boy."
Two more people then decided to join in on the conversation. One was Tarrlok who was approaching them with Korra.
"Korra, it is my pleasure to introduce Republic City's most famous industrialist, Hiroshi Sato."
"Nice to meet you." Korra greeted with a bow.
Hiroshi bowed back. "We're all expecting great things from you."
"Right. Greatness." Korra said looking away slightly.
"Hey, Korra." Pakku greeted.
"Oh. Hey, guys."
"Wow, Korra. You-you look… um, well, you…" Mako stammered not seeming to be able to find the words as he stared at her.
Korra smiled bashfully. "Thanks. You look 'um, well, you' too."
"Are they…" Asmai whispered to Pakku.
"Not too sure to be honest." Pakku whispered back. He then brought Asami forward. "Korra, I'd like you to meet Asami, the girl I told you about a while ago. And get this: she's Hiroshi Sato's daughter! Isn't that amazing?"
"Really?" Korra asked before turning to Asami. "YOU'RE a rich girl."
"Well, I'm about more than money, but basically, yes." Asami said. "It's lovely to meet you. Pakku told me so much about you."
"Well, he's certainly told us about you too." Korra said with a smirk while looking her up and down. "But dang! He seriously understated! You must have some sort of animal magnetism, Pakku. And I still can't believe you guys met because you nearly hit him with a moped. Talk about cliché yet cute."
"Korra, Bolin already embarrassed me enough this past minute. Could you not do the same, please?" Pakku asked.
"Can't make any promises, Mr. Manager."
Asami giggled at the banter, very similar to siblings as Pakku said.
"Oh, that reminds me." Pakku said. "Korra, Mako, Bolin, I've brought you all here to share some big news. Regarding our entry into the pro-bending championship, Mr. Sato has agreed to sponsor the team. He's covering our ante, and you guys get to pro-bend at the tournament."
"Wait, for real?" Mako asked excitedly.
"No way!" Bolin gasped.
"Unreal." Korra added.
"For real, yes way, and VERY real." Pakku said. "And all we have to do is wear Future Industries' logo on our uniforms. Well, mainly your uniforms since you're the ones who'll be in the arena. But still…"
"This… This is great!" Bolin cheered. "We're back in the game, baby!"
"Thank you, Mr. Sato." Mako said.
"Really, you should be thanking your manager." Hiroshi said. "You're lucky to have a guy like him watching out for your team."
"Yeah, I guess we are." Korra said before her mind wandered again.
"YOU MUST BE OUT OF YOUR MIND!"
Everyone turned their heads close by to see a very angry-looking man with a tough exterior, flattened black hair with grey sideburns, and a gray mustache on his face. He was yelling at Councilman Tarrlok, who raised his hands defensively.
"Now, now, Jimson. Let's not make a scene." Tarrlok advised.
"You were the one who started it, Mr. Politics!"
"What's going on here?" Tenzin asked rushing to the scene.
"Yeah, who is this guy?" Korra asked as she, Pakku, Asami, Hiroshi and her teammates stepped forward.
Tarrlok sighed. "Korra, this is Jai Jo Jimson, the chief editor for the Republic Reporter."
"You're darn tootin', I am." Jimson confirmed.
"Oh, so you're the guy who's been insulting the Spider Spirit with every broadcast." Mako said.
"Insulting? HA! I'm merely trying to get everyone to see the truth about the biggest menace to Republic City!" Jimson said. "I get invited to this party, then, from out of nowhere, fancy pants here is asking me to retract everythingIx've printed and said about the Spider Spirit!"
"I'm merely suggesting that you should ease up on the young man." Tarrlok said. "Listen, as part of the Republic Council, I can…"
"Oh no, you don't! You think I can be easily swayed just like that?" Jimson asked. "Just 'cause you're one of the top men in Republic City, Councilman, doesn't mean I should give a furry behind how you think I should do my job. In fact, the ONLY man on the council I do respect is Arrowhead here…" He pointed at Tenzin. "And only because HE has the voice of an angel!"
"Um, thank you, I suppose..." Tenzin said awkwardly.
"Well, that's some way to stand up for yourself, Mr. Jimson." Korra said.
Jimson looked at Korra with a disdainful glare. "Don't think you're out of the woods yet, missy. You're as destructive as the spider menace!"
"What?" Korra asked. "Hey, I'm an actual hero here!"
"You're a hotheaded teenager who tore apart the shopping district on day one!" Jai Jo Jimson yelled, making Korra look down in embarrassment and shame at being reminded of that.
"Well, that's something we can agree on."
Korra turned to find someone else joining in. Someone who was NOT a person she had wanted to see. "Chief Beifong. You too?"
"Just because the city's throwing you this big to-do, don't think you're something special. You've done absolutely nothing to deserve this."
"HA! Tell it like it is, chief!" Jimson yelled.
"Uh, Korra, why don't we head toa different part of the party?" Pakku asked nervously pulling Korra away. "You know, somewhere with a few more supporters?"
"I'll take it from here." Tarrlok said removing Pakku from the Avatar. As he guided her away, Pakku stared ahead at them.
"Well, that's just rude." He then turned to Chief Beifong. "Er, no time no see, Chief."
She narrowed her eyes at Pakku. "Pakku. Hope you haven't gotten caught up in any more robberies or spirit attacks."
"Wait, what?" Asmai asked in shock.
"It's a… long story," Pakku said. He then turned back to Beifong and Jimson. "Look, don't you guys think you're being a little harsh on Korra? She really is trying to do her best to help the city. Heck, she snuck into an Equalist rally and saved Bolin! That's how we even found out about his powers."
"It's true! She and the Spider Spirit saved me!"
"That doesn't mean she should have done it. She should have gone to the police once she found out about that rally instead of going in herself." Chief Beifong stated. "Then maybe we would have caught Amon and Tarrlok wouldn't need to make his ridiculous task force. And it's worse that she worked with that Spider Spirit creep."
"Exactly!" Jimson agreed. "Let me tell you something, kid. Nobody is a hero 24/7. They always have something to hide. And real heroes DON'T wear masks. Look at Amon! He claims to be a hero for the non-bending population, that he wears the mask because of a bad mauling from a firebender, but how do we know that's true? The way he acts, he's basically acting like a thug! The Spider Spirit is no doubt the same! He's constantly swinging around and doing stuff the police—our true heroes—are trying to do. Even if he's not a villain, which I doubt, he's still a glory hoggin' vigilante who needs to be held accountable!"
Hiroshi, who had been quiet for a bit, spoke up. "I'm inclined to at least agree with you about Amon, Mr. Jimson, but perhaps Pakku is right about you being harsh on the Spider Spirit and the Avatar."
"Indeed. I'm on the fence about the vigilante myself, but Korra is trying to do her best as the Avatar." Tenzin said.
"Whatever." Lin said harshly. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I've had enough of this farce." She turned to leave with Jimson following her.
"Welp, that sure brought down the party vibe." Bolin said.
"Sorry you all had to see that." Tenzin apologized before turning to Pakku with a warm smile. "Still, it's very good to see you again, Pakku."
"Same, Uncle Tenzin. Allow me to introduce Mako, Bolin and Asami." The others all nodded and waved.
"Charmed to meet you all. You especially, Miss Sato. It's clear you and Pakku are quite close." Asami and Pakku blushed at that. "I'm sure Pema and the children would love to see you again. Oh. There they are. Pema! Bring the children over! There's someone to see them!"
Pakku then braced himself as he heard the triple shouts of "PAKKU!" He fell to the ground laughing as three small forms tackled him and hugged him, laughing happily.
"Hey, kids. Boy, you've gotten big," Pakku said.
"It's so great to see you, Pakku!" Jinora, the oldest said. "I've missed talking about books and things with you."
"Where have you been?! Have you been on some island somewhere with lots of white sand and blue water and making sandcastles and burying yourself in the sand?! Or were you taken by some evil forest people who tried to make you a servant but you escaped by managing to inspire a few to rebel and managed to escape and…" Ikki, the middle child, babbled nonsensically.
"You smell funny. Kinda… buggy." the youngest, Meelo, stated.
"Children, get off him." a pregnant woman scolded as they did and Pakku stood up to hug the woman. "Pakku. It's so nice to see you again."
"Good to see you too, Aunt Pema. How's the new kid doing?"
"Oh fine. Certainly full of energy to be sure. Unfortunately, Katara believes I have another airbender in the future. Another child blowing air in my face. Oh joy."
"You know you love it. Anyway, meet my friends, Mako and Bolin." The brothers waved. "And this is Asmai Sato. She's, well…"
"I'm his girlfriend." Asami said happily. "It's a pleasure to meet you all."
That sure declaration made the breath leave Pakku's lungs as he stared at her while she smiled lovingly at him.
"Oh, how wonderful!" Pema cheered, looking Asami up and down. "So pretty and kind. Pakku, don't you dare mess this up for yourself or you will be in big trouble, mister."
"Aunt Pema!" groaned Pakku.
"Are you related to Hiroshi Sato?" Jinora asked curiously.
"He's my dad," Asmai said leaning down to talk.
"Wow!" Jinora said. "I love reading his books on how engines work."
"Oooo! So that means you're rich, right? How many ostrich horses do you have?! Do you have a big house and swimming pool?! Have you ever filled it with pudding?! Say, are you and Pakku gonna get married? Are you gonna have lots and lots of kids? Can I babysit for them?! I'll be the best cousin aunt ever and we'll have lots of fun and sing songs and eat ice cream and…" Jinora covered Ikki's mouth as she asked the rather embarrassing questions.
Meelo simply stared with a big smile. "You're pretty. Can I have a lock of your hair?"
Asami laughed at all that was happening. "And I called your TEAM eclectic."
"Yes, they are very… energetic." Tenzin sighed. "Pakku, might I speak to you in private? I'm sure Pema and the children can keep your friends company."
Pakku looked at the others who nodded as Pakku walked off with Tenzin to a corner of the room.
"First of all, I want to thank you for standing up for Korra like that. But about that bit with the Spider Spirit… You do recall what I said. He's a vigilante and someone with a lot of power at his disposal that could result in great damage if he went too far. Jimson is at least right in that he shouldn't be allowed to run around and fight crime the way he wants."
"Uncle Tenzin, I don't know much about him, but I DO know he saved my best friend with no real reason to. So forgive me if I'm not gonna just spout acid because of what some blowhard says." Pakku said, narrowing his eyes to show where he stood.
Tenzin sighed. "Well, let's agree to disagree. Second, have you noticed anything… odd about Korra lately?"
"Odd?" Pakku asked. "No, not really. Why do you ask?"
"Pakku, I have a feeling that what happened at the rally with seeing Amon's abilities shook Korra up far more than we believed."
"You think Korra's… scared? Tenzin, Korra doesn't get scared or stirred or anything. Shaken, but not stirred."
"I heard she had a bad night terror a few nights ago, and Pakku, let's be honest. Korra's bending means everything to her. To know there is someone who could take all of that away? It's undoubtedly terrifying for her, but she's undoubtedly keeping them to herself to prevent people from seeing her as weak, particularly people like Jimson and Beifong," Tenzin explained. "Plus, that's not the only thing I'm worried about with her. A few nights ago, Tarrlok arrived on the island to try and convince Korra to join his task force."
"What?" Pakku asked.
"Surprisingly, she refused. She said it was to focus on Avatar training, but I'm unsure about that. Tarrlok then started sending numerous gifts to try and get her to change her mind. This gala I believe is his biggest and last-ditch effort to do so."
"You really think he would try something here to get Korra to join?" Pakku asked. "Mr. Sato did say something like this was suspicious of him."
"I don't know." Tenzin said. '"However, as both Korra's friend and manager, I'd like to ask you to keep an eye on her and help her if possible."
Pakku nodded. "Of course. You can count on me."
"Good. Now, we better get back before the children drive your friends up the wall." Tenzin said.
The two headed back to where the others were and, surprisingly, the trio were talking happily with the airbender family.
"Alright everyone, let's give Pakku and his friends some time to themselves."
The kids all groaned, but they did so, though Pema did tell Pakku to say hello to Bato and Ming for her and Meelo called to Asmai, "We will meet again, beautiful woman!"
"They're such a wonderful group. So, what did you and Tenzin talk about?" Asami asked.
"Nothing much. Just… stuff," Pakku said with a shrug. He then smiled at Asami. "So… You're my girlfriend, huh?"
"You're not complaining, are you?"
Despite all on his mind now with Korra and Tarrlok, Pakku couldn't help but feel quite warm. "Nope. Not a bit."
The party went on long into the evening until later on, a mob of reporters confronted Korra. Everyone else at the party watched with interest as the reporters tried to have their questions heard.
"What's going on?" Pakku asked.
"Looks like a flash mob." Hiroshi said.
"If you'd be so kind," Tarrlok said to Korra, "They just have a couple questions."
"But…" Korra was pushed by Tarrlok to meet the reporters as they began their questioning.
"Avatar Korra, you witnessed Amon take away people's bending firsthand. How serious a threat does he pose to the innocent citizens of Republic City?"
Korra cleared her throat and answered. "I think he presents a real problem."
"Then why have you refused to join Tarrlok's task force? As the Avatar, shouldn't you be going after Amon?"
"Well, I…" Korra struggled to find an answer.
"Why are you backing away from this fight?"
"What? No." Korra said offended. "I've never backed away from anything in my life."
"You promised to serve this city. Aren't you going back on that promise now?"
"Do you think pro-bending is more important than fighting the revolution?"
"How do you think Avatar Aang would have handled this?"
"Are you going to let the Spider Spirit fight the Equalists himself?"
"Do you believe he could do a better job against Amon, being a non-bender himself?"
"There are rumors that the Spider Spirit was at the Equalist rally with you. Are you working with him despite the animosity you two have had in the past? Or did something else happen?"
"Are you afraid of Amon?"
"I'M NOT AFRAID OF ANYBODY!" Korra finally shouted silencing the endless questions. "If the city needs me, then… I'll join Tarrlok's task force and help fight Amon."
"There's your headline, folks!" Tarrlok announced.
While the reporters flashed their cameras, Pakku watched from afar with concern in his head.
"So Tarrlok only threw this party to pressure Korra into joining his task force? Guess he is a real piece of work after all. I wonder what he's willing to do for the Spider Spirit to join."
Over the next few nights, Korra hunted in the night with Tarrlok and the rest of the city-approved task force. During one night, they completed a raid on a chi-blocking training camp where Equalists were holding up. They froze most of the Equalists there and subdued the others. Korra went after two of them and nearly fell into a trap, but with the help of Tarrlok, she was able to best them and have them arrested as well.
While they waited for the metalbenders to arrive and arrest them, Korra and Tarrlok grabbed one of the Equalists and sat him down for a talk.
"You better talk, buster." Korra said. "Where is Amon?"
The Equalist scoffed. "Or what? You're going to drown me? Bury me? Burn me? I'd expect nothing less of the physical embodiment of bending oppression like you!"
"She asked you a question." Tarrlok said sternly. "We can be lenient with you in a court of law if you give us anything."
The Equalist smiled evilly. "All I can say is, you better watch your backs. Because once the Tinkerer completes Amon's arsenal, even your little task force won't be able to stop us."
"The… Tinkerer?" Korra asked. "Who's that?"
"You'll see." the Equalist laughed.
Korra grunted. "He's not giving us anything."
"He gave us the name of one of Amon's allies. That should be enough." Tarrlok said. "For now, let's celebrate our victory tonight." Korra nodded in approval.
Meanwhile, the Spider Spirit swung on by and landed at the top of a nearby building. He looked down as the metalbenders appeared and helped take in the Equalists. The task force walked through the crowd of reporters with Tarrlok smiling smugly and proudly. Of course, Pakku had his attention fixed on Korra and noticed the uncertainty on her face.
"Oh, Korra. What are you going through?"
A few nights later, Pakku and Asami were on their third date, riding in a motorized carriage through the park. The street lamps around them were softly lit and it was a very romantic atmosphere, as many other couples around them would attest.
"So how are things going with the team?" his girlfriend (he still couldn't believe it) asked.
Pakku frowned. "Unfortunately, not too great."
"What do you mean? You guys are in the tournament now thanks to my dad." Asami said.
"Well, it's a little hard to practice for it when we're down a teammate." Pakku sighed.
Asami frowned. "Korra."
Pakku nodded. "This task force of Tarrlok's is monopolizing all of Korra's time. Tenzin says he hasn't seen her much for training either. And while Mako and Bolin are still doing good, without Korra there to go over strategies and moves, there's no real reason to keep practicing. And it's really bringing down team morale." He groaned. "I'm sorry, Asami. I don't mean to bring down the mood, it's just that I feel that I'm letting you and your dad down after you put all that faith in us. Not to mention Tenzin I'd try to help Korra, but every time I try to talk to her, I'm roadblocked by Tarrlok's cronies who say she's too busy 'doing her duty to the city'."
Asami leaned into him and snuggled into him. "No, I'm sorry for bringing it up. Trust me, you're not letting us down. You're trying your best and that's all we can ask. As for Korra, I'm sure things will work out. You'll see. At least you're trying to be a good friend to her and keeping her safe. I know I feel safe when I'm with you."
Pakku smiled at her and snuggled next to her as well. "How did I get so lucky with you?"
"I ask myself the same thing." Asami whispered as they continued their romantic ride.
After a few successful nights of apprehending Equalists, Tarrlok called for a press conference. With the Avatar behind him, he gave his announcement.
"Avatar Korra has bravely answered the call to action. With the two of us leading the charge, Republic City has nothing to fear from Amon and his Equalists, especially his top three agents. We don't know their real names, but we DO know they go by the codenames of Shocker, Prowler, and Tinkerer. Once we find them, we'll have them all locked up, and the succession of leadership in the Equalists will no doubt fall apart, leaving their masked leader with no one by his side to take over should he assuredly fall."
"Question for the Avatar!" one reporter cried out. "Amon remains at large. Why have you failed to locate him?"
You want to know why?" Korra asked taking the microphone. "Because Amon is hiding in the shadows like a coward. Amon, I challenge you to a duel! No task force! No chi-blockers! Just the two of us, tonight at midnight on Avatar Aang Memorial Island! Let's cut to the chase and settle this thing if you're man enough to face me!"
Korra was finished with her announcement and stormed off leaving a bunch of reporters clamoring for more. What she didn't know was at the back of the conference room, Pakku watched wearing a big hat and trench coat. He looked more nervous for her now than before.
"This is getting too out of hand. I know Asami said things would get better, but so far, things seem to be getting worse. If Pakku can't speak to Korra, then maybe someone else can…"
After changing into his Spider Spirit suit, Pakku swung up to a building overseeing Yue Bay with Avatar Aang Island seen in the distance. He looked out to the dock and saw Korra driving her boat with her waterbending over to the island after arguing with Tenzin and Tarrlok.
"Dang it! She's already on her way! I gotta stop her before she ends up regretting her choice. But I can't go out on a boat. I'll get spotted and stopped by Tenzin and Tarrlok. How do I…"
He then got an idea. One that, at the time, he considered very stupid, but it may be his best bet. He shifted his eyes at the two structures he stood between and shot multiple weblines at them both. After a bit, he managed to create a large slingshot. Standing in the middle while holding onto the sides, he stepped backwards further and further away from the edge of the roof. The further he walked, the more his muscles strained trying to keep from launching too soon.
"I… sure… hope… this… works."
The Spider Spirit soon released his feet, and he was launched right off the roof. He was sent flying across the night sky aiming straight for Avatar Aang memorial.
"WELL, THIS WAS STUPID! AND THIS IS PROBABLY GOING TO BE EVEN MORE SUICIDAL!"
The Spider Spirit aimed his hands into the air above him and shot his webs together until they formed a huge parachute over his head. With the wind, he was thrusted up into the air and he had a steadier way to the island.
"Whoa! Okay! Can't believe this is working! Let's go save Korra! To the left…" He thrusted his arms, but he ended up going to his right. "Sorry. Wrong left." He corrected his mistake.
Korra waited patiently for the Equalist leader at the base of the Avatar Aang statue. She kept her guard up but was still greatly startled by the sound of the midnight chime. She sighed, embarrassed by her moment of weakness, and continued waiting ready for a fight.
That is, until she heard the distant sound of someone yelling.
Confused, Korra turned to the sound of the yelling, which grew louder and clearer. She saw something flying in from the distance and squinted her eyes for a better look. Her eyes widened when she saw the Spider Spirit flying out of control with his web parachute.
"MAYDAY! MAYDAY!"
Korra's eyes grew wide and she jumped out of the way just as the Spider Spirit landed on the ground. He rolled for a bit before his back hit the foot of the Aang statue and he slid down it.
"Ow."
"You?" Korra asked loudly. "What are you doing here?"
"Right now, wishing I had taken up parasailing." the Spider Spirit answered holding his back as he stood back up. "I REALLY didn't stick the landing."
Korra groaned. "I don't have time for you right now. Go away."
"Korra, I came to talk you out of this." the Spider Spirit said. "Just get back on your boat and head to the mainland. Tenzin and Tarrlok are no doubt waiting."
"You can't be serious." Korra scoffed. "I was the one who challenged Amon. I can't just back out now."
"Yes, and you must." the Spider Spirit insisted. "Did you forget what you saw at the Equalist rally? Amon can render you powerless with just one touch. You don't pick a fight with a guy like that."
"Look, I gave you a pass before, but that was a one-time thing. Now I told you to go away!" Korra snapped. "That is, unless you want more of what I gave you the day we met!" She pounded her fist into her palm for emphasis.
"Okay, that was a draw at BEST, but that's not the point!" the Spider Spirit shouted. He then sighed and tried to talk more calmly. "Look, I've been watching you ever since you joined Tarrlok's task force…"
"Okay. Creepy much?"
"...And I can't help but think that maybe you're doing all this not to really help Republic City, but to try and keep people from discovering the truth."
"And what truth is that, web-head?" Korra asked scornfully.
"That you ARE afraid of Amon."
Korra's eyes widened before she narrowed them again.
"I am NOT scared of that masked loser. I'm the Avatar! The most powerful person in the world! Avatar Aang, Kyoshi, all the Avatars before me managed to save the world COUNTLESS times! Why would I be scared of Amon?!"
"Because none of those Avatars faced the prospect of LOSING their bending." Korra's eyes once more widened, but she said nothing as the Spider Spirit continued. "Your bending is the most important thing to you, and Amon can take it all away just like that. Without it… you wouldn't know who you are. And that idea is more than you can bear. That's why you're doing this. Why you joined the task force, why you made this reckless challenge. You're trying to prove to both the people AND yourself that you're not scared, but in doing so, you're only making things worse."
"You… you don't know anything about me!" Korra yelled angrily, though she stumbled a little in saying it. "I never asked for your concern, nor your help! I don't need some wall-crawling creep's aid to do what I need to do! You know what? I bet you actually came here because YOU want to face Amon yourself and get ALL the glory in defeating him before the police and me! Jimson was right! You ARE a glory hound and you're trying to make me leave so you…"
"I don't WANT to face Amon either! I'm scared too!"
Korra paused in her rant to stare at him shocked. "You're… You're SCARED of Amon? But… Why would you be scared? You're a non-bender. You don't have to worry about anything with him."
"Oh, no? He's a freaky masked fanatic with an obvious hatred for benders and anyone who stands against the Equalists. Which includes me. Amon doesn't just have his power at his disposal. He is obviously highly trained in martial arts, since he managed to beat all those Triple Threats like they were nothing. He also has legions of followers and chi-blockers. He has those two freaks we met at the Revelation: Prowler and Shocker. And apparently a third one we've never heard of, the Tinkerer. Amon and everyone following him is dangerous to everyone who isn't, be they bender or non-bender. So yeah, I seriously don't want to have to face him. Not yet at least."
Korra stared at him with surprise before she crossed her arms and looked away. "Look, it's nice you barred your soul to me, but for the last time, I don't want you here. So unless you want a fireball to the face, you better…"
All of a sudden, the Spider Spirit felt a tingle in his head. He immediately knew what it meant.
"Korra, look out!"
"What! Don't tell me to…"
"No, I mean…"
It was too late. A cable shot out of the dark and wrapped itself tightly around Korra before dragging her into the hallway. She got free and shot a ring of fire around her to see a group of Equalists surrounding her in the dark.
"Korra!" the Spider Spirit yelled. He ran in to try and save her, but was stopped by three Equalists. "Hey! Wait your turn, bozos!"
While the Spider Spirit fought against his Equalists, Korra was having a hard time with hers. She quickly had her arms tied by two more cables followed by chi-blockers jabbing her body making her fall to her knees. When she looked up, she gasped when she saw Amon approach her from the shadows.
"I received your invitation, young Avatar."
Korra stared in horror as Amon raised his hand and slowly approached her head with it. He was about to touch her when…
"HEY!"
The Spider Spirit, having beaten his Equalists, finally made it to Korra and shot his webs at Amon, who backstepped out of the way. The Spider Spirit landed between him and Korra and readied himself for a fight.
"Come any closer, and I'll punch you so hard, it'll wipe that stupid red circle off your mask."
Amon glared at the Spider Spirit. "You still intend to stand against me? I told you the Republic Council would strike first and without mercy. You really agree with this task force they're using to attack us unprovoked?"
"Of course, I don't," the Spider Spirit said. "It's clear Tarrlok is using this as a way to try and gain more power for himself. But I certainly don't agree with your way of doing things either. Seriously, how does a man who preaches about 'equality' bring half an army to gang up on one girl when it's supposed to be a one-on-one duel?"
"You're here, are you not?"
"I came AFTER Korra came alone. Plus, I thought you allowed benders to have a fighting chance before you decide to take their bending!"
"You're assuming I plan to take the Avatar's bending at all tonight."
"Wait…" The Spider Spirit lowered his hands. "You weren't?" Korra also looked surprised at that news too.
"Our showdown, while inevitable, is premature." Amon explained. "Although it would be the simplest thing for me to take her bending right now, I won't. She'd only become a martyr. Benders of every nation would rally behind her untimely demise."
"I see." the Spider Spirit said. "Well, that doesn't change the fact that you're a freaking lunatic."
"You say that now, but wait until we officially begin the revolution. I will have your final answer to join me by then." He then looked back at Korra. "Don't let me sparing you tonight eases your worries, Avatar. I assure you, I have a plan, and I'm saving YOU for last. Then, you'll get your duel. And I will destroy you."
Korra's face turned fearful again.
"Listen, Amon," the Spider Spirit interrupted, "You obviously love the sound of your own voice, so how about using it to tell your Equalist buddies to leave along with you?"
"I will. But first…" He nodded to one of his Equalists, who approached Korra from behind and jabbed her in the back of her neck to knock her down flat.
"Korra!" the Spider Spirit yelled rushing to her while the Equalists disappeared into the shadows, including Amon. He held her in his arms as her eyes fought to stay awake. "Come on, Korra. Don't be…"
Suddenly, he gasped when he began to see something the same time as Korra saw them. Strange visions.
The first vision showed Chief Sokka looking sternly across a courtroom.
The second vision showed Chief Toph Beifong standing at attention with two metalbending policemen by her side.
Another vision showed Aang sitting close to a man he had his eyes on.
Next, a vision of a stranger with a wicked glint in his eye, followed by a vision of Aang chasing somebody.
Lastly, there was a vision of a man catching a boomerang. A man who looked quite familiar to Pakku, though he hadn't seen him in a long time.
The Spider Spirit gasped when the visions ended. He looked down at Korra and saw that she was awakening too, though she was too groggy and out of it.
"What… What was that? That was Sokka, Toph and Aang. And that last guy. Could that really be…" Before he could finish, another voice yelled out from afar.
"Get away from her!"
The Spider Spirit was caught off-guard by a strong gust of wind that blew him to the wall hard. He grunted before falling to his hands and knees. He looked up to see Tenzin readying for a fight.
"Whatever you did to Korra, I will…"
"Whoa, wait! You got the wrong idea!" the Spider Spirit yelled. "I came here to try and get Korra out of this mess! Then, the Equalists ambushed her, and I tried to save her!"
Tenzin looked skeptical until he turned to Korra, who he saw was now waking up fully. "Is it true, Korra? Did he actually try to help you."
Korra raised her head with a frown. "Yeah. The Equalists were here, including Amon. He ambushed me, but… the Spider Spirit tried to help me. He even showed up to try and talk me out of this crazy thing."
"Did he… Did Amon take your bending away?" Tenzin asked, fearing the worst as he kneeled in front of Korra.
Korra opened her hand and produced a flame from her palm. "No. I'm okay."
"Oh, thank goodness." Tenzin said in a sigh of relief. He then turned to the Spider Spirit, looking rather regretful and apologetic. "I… I guess I should apologize for my rash actions. You're not too hurt, are you?"
"Trust me. I've felt worse." Spider Spirit assured.
"Good. I suppose I should also thank you. For helping Korra."
"Councilman Tenzin," the Spider Spirit stated, "I want the Equalists stopped the same as you and even the police do. I may not do it totally to how you all would do it, but it should be clear that I want what you guys want; a safe Republic City for everyone. We're all on the same side."
"Yes. That is clear now," Tenzin said softly. "Well, at least we can rest knowing Korra's—"
Just then, Korra broke out into a sob and held herself tightly onto Tenzin. "I was so terrified! I felt so helpless!"
"It's all right." Tenzin assured. "The nightmare is over."
"You… You were right! Both of you were right!" Korra cried, turning to the Spider Spirit, who stared in shock, having never seen the Avatar like this. "I've been scared this whole time. I've never felt like this before and…" She turned back to Tenzin, who gazed at her like he was comforting one of his own daughters. "Tenzin, I don't know what to do!" She kept crying while hugging her airbending teacher tightly, who easily reciprocated.
"Admitting your fears is the first, and most difficult step in overcoming them."
The Spider Spirit wanted to chime in, but when he kept hearing Korra's tears, he knew it wasn't his place and stayed out of it.
Once Korra stopped crying, she, Tenzin, and the Spider Spirit returned to their boat and rode it all the way back to the docks. There, they were greeted by Tarrlok, who was surprised to see the masked superhero with them.
"Korra, Tenzin, you're back. Thank goodness. And with the Spider Spirit, no less." Tarrlok then saw his fellow officers get into fighting stances, but he gestured to them all to stand down. "Don't. He's an ally. So, what happened? Did Amon come?"
"Yes, he did." Tenzin said. "But he decided to spare Korra's bending."
"We should count ourselves lucky." Tarrlok said breathing a sigh of relief.
"Yes, we should." Korra said softly before stepping to confront the councilman. "Tarrlok, I'm afraid I have to take a leave of absence from the task force."
"What?" Tarrlok asked in surprise. "You… You can't leave. We need you."
"I'm sorry, but… I have other commitments." Korra said. "I've been skipping out on pro-bending practice with the Fire Ferrets ever since I joined, and I need to be there for Mako and Bolin. Heck, I'm even beginning to miss Pakku's squirrely attitude."
The Spider Spirit cleared his throat quietly upon hearing that.
"But… What about the Equalists?!" Tarrlok asked frantically. "We are supposed to be stopping them in their tracks!"
"Right now, they're not threatening anyone other than the triads." Tenzin said sternly. "At this rate, they won't be an immediate issue until after the pro-bending tournament. Korra will have plenty of time to prepare between now and then. So for now, let's respect her wishes. If she wants to keep pro-bending, I won't let you deter her."
Tarrlok scowled angrily as Tenzin and Korra walked past him. He then calmed down and met the Spider Spirit with a confident smile.
"Well, Korra may be gone for a time, but at least we still have you, Spider Spirit. I take it this means you've decided to join my task force?"
"Oh, yeah, I will… when badgermoles fly!"
Tarrlok lost his smile. "Excuse me?"
"You heard me. Don't think I didn't hear about what you did to Korra at the gala. The whole thing was a sham from the start to butter her up. And you used the press to pressure her into joining. Well, let me tell you, you won't find ME as easy to indoctrinate."
Tarrlok clenched his teeth. "We've got Equalists to round up. Republic City, and maybe even the WORLD, is counting on us!"
"And when the time comes, you'll find me there to help." the Spider Spirit said. "But it'll be for the people, NOT for you. So don't expect me to clock in. Now, if you don't mind, I've got to meet someone who DOESN'T have three ponytails." With that, he shot a webline into the air and swung away.
Tarrlok looked back and gripped his fist tightly as the task force officers looked at their leader with concern. First, the Avatar was gone, and now, the Spider Spirit wouldn't even consider joining him, which is an outcome that Tarrlok DIDN'T want.
"So you won't join, huh?" Tarrlok asked quietly. "Well, if you won't have me as a close ally, that's fine. But be warned. If you push any further, wall crawler, you'll make an enemy out of me. And trust me, you DON'T want me as your enemy."