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Chapter Three: Kyougi

The first words out of Bolin's mouth were "So when do we get snazzy metal uniforms?"

They stood in the training hall of the police station, stone beneath their bare feet and metal all around them.  Korra and Bolin stood by two dummies wearing crude metal armor, small sheets of steel leaning up on each.  Lin paced in front of them, arms crossed behind her back.  At Bolin's question, though, she stopped pacing and slowly lifted a brow.

"When you can metalbend them onto yourself," she replied

He put his hand to his chin and nodded sagely.  "Cool...cool.  And when will that be?"

"You're the one who said you were a fast learner," she replied.  "You tell me."

"Maybe what he meant to ask," said Korra, "is where do we start?"

Lin looked at them, brow still raised.  Eventually, she sighed through her nose.  "Tell me about earthbending."

"I'm an earthbender!" Bolin said, raising his hand.  "Earthbending is all about being like a rock!"  He paused, hand coming down.  "But I'm more used to pro-style earthbending."

"Earth is the element of substance," Korra said, voice toned for recitation.  "To earthbend, you have to be as stubborn as stone, rooted to the earth, and strike head-on."

"Good answer," said Lin.  "Metalbending is just an extension of that.  Instead of being as stubborn as stone, you have to be as stubborn as metal.  To bend metal, you have to find the stone imperfections left over from the forging."

"Well...how're we supposed to do that?" Bolin asked.  "It's not like we can see the rocks in the metal."

"Once you can see through the earth, you can."

He laughed heartily.  "That's impossible!"

Korra, not bothering with the politeness of looking him from the corner of her eyes, stared.  "You know that's how her mom saw, right?  Toph Beifong?"

Bolin cut his laughter short, the sound petering away as he looked at Lin.  He went pale at the impassiveness of her face; he fumbled for anything to say.  Fidgeting, he shrugged weakly.  "I didn't mean to disrespect your mother, ma'am."

With a brief, flat hum, Lin said, "She probably would've punched you for that remark.  She was never one for listening to people telling her what she did was impossible."

He cleared his throat and swallowed awkwardly.  "So...how do we see through the earth?"

"Seeing through the earth is the same as sensing through the earth," Lin said.  "To sense anything, you have to be more rooted to the earth than you have been before in your life."  She lifted her arms, elbows close to her sides and palms up.  Her eyes closed.  "As rooted as the giant badger-moles of the mountains, as the ones who taught my mother how to see better than most people."

"So--are we just stepping harder than we usually do?" Bolin asked, voice anxious.

"You will, certainly," Lin replied.  She twisted her heel against the ground in two quick bursts.  The first motion made a burst of stone rise up beneath Bolin's feet.  The second anticipated his skittish leap backward and sent up a wide, flat pillar to strike him on the rear.  He yelped at the blow, rubbing his backside and pouting greatly.

"Your pro-bending style won't be any help to you here," she continued.  "The Avatar said it earlier--earth is the element of substance.  Being a twinkle-toed dancer isn't going to get you the power you need to force your will upon metal."  She opened her eyes and sighed yet again.  "I fear I'll have to start teaching you from the beginning."

Bolin gaped in shock a moment before closing his mouth and setting his jaw.  Straightening as though a metal rod had suddenly replaced his spine, he said, "No, ma'am, you won't have to do it that at all!  Just tell me how to not be a twinkle-toed dancer and I'll do it!"

Lin stared at him briefly, then smiled slightly.  "I like your attitude.  Now sit."

He hesitated.  "Am I getting a time-out?"

Korra sputtered with laughter, but went quiet at the stern look Lin sent her way.

"No," said Lin.  "Both of you sit.  I want you to use your hands for this exercise."  When they had done as they were told, she continued.  "Badger-moles use both their hands and feet to sense vibrations in the earth, as well as the vibrations that bounce back.  Those echoes tell them the location of things, as well as their shape and size.  We learned earthbending from the badger-moles by understanding that they used their close connection with the energy of the earth to manipulate it."

"Then what does sitting do for us?" Korra asked.

"It puts your hands closer to the ground."  She gestured with a flick of her finger.  "Get your hands in there.  Surround them in stone."

Glancing at each other, Korra and Bolin thrust their hands down through the surface of the floor.  Encased to the wrist, they craned their heads back to watch Lin stride forward.

"Did you feel that?" she asked.

"No," they chorused.

"This is today's lesson," Lin said.  "You sit like that until you can feel me walking around the room--through your hands."

Korra grinned.  "Let's do this."

-------

It was four hours later that they emerged from the training hall and the station entirely, hands worn to bloodiness at the wrists and stomachs aching with hunger.  Though Korra felt like doing little more than finding a spare cup of water to heal herself, Bolin chattered away like an excited child.

"That was so cool when she actually ran a little and I felt it in my hands!  Korra, I could totally feel it in my hands, I could feel the chief running around the room, and I would've felt it even if I wasn't looking at her right then!"  He reached out and took hold of her shoulders.  "Meeting you is the greatest thing that's ever happened to me!  Let me buy you lunch!"

The offer was so abrupt that Korra could do little more than stare at him for a few moments.  He gave himself a once-over glance when she did not respond, pulling his hands away from her and wincing.

"Sorry, blood," he said.  "We should try and find some water so you can heal us."

"That's what I'm good for," she muttered.

He took in her words just long enough to form an opinion, and he hit her on the shoulder.  It was not a painful blow, but it made her bristle.  He smiled when he saw the expression on her face.

"Come on, are you mad because we didn't actually do any metalbending today?" he asked.  "You know what the chief said--it's up to us to figure out when we actually bend stuff."

Korra had nothing to say to him in reply.  She fumbled with her silence before being rescued by a sharp whistle.  Both she and Bolin turned to find Asami next to them, sitting in a parked satomobile.  She chuckled at their shock before popping the door and getting out.

"What're you two talking about so seriously?" she asked.  "I thought you were going to walk right past me."

Bolin waved at her.  "Hey, Miss Sato!  What brings you to our neck of the woods today?"  He wagged his finger at her.  "You're not here because you're in trouble, are you?"

She laughed and shook her head before reaching back into the car.  "You can call me 'Asami.'  I'm here because it's your first day on the job."  She came back out with a trio of boxes, wrapped neatly in large handkerchiefs.  "I brought you both lunch.  Better for you than eating out all the time."

His face lit up; he looked back to Korra with a greater grin than before.  "You really are a great person to know!  I didn't think your girlfriend would bring an extra lunch!"

Korra's face burned.  She sputtered, "My--my girlfriend?"

Bolin blinked.  He pointed at them both, hand swaying back and forth between them.  "Aren't...you?"

As Korra blushed a darker shade of red, Asami laughed.  With a sly smile on her face, she moved to stand at Korra's side and pressed a kiss to her cheek.  Korra's response was to turn completely crimson from neck to ears.

"Give us a few more dates and I think the answer will be 'yes,'" Asami replied.

Korra spun about to stare at her, wide-eyed and lips parted.  Very quietly, she said, "Oh."  After a moment, she smiled nervously.  "Um...okay."

Bolin watched them with raised brows before chuckling.  "Okay, wow, you two are cute."  He clapped his hands and rubbed them together.  "All right, adorable soon-to-be-girlfriends, let's have lunch!  How does lunch in the park sound?  There's one about five minutes from here."

"It sounds excellent, good sir," Asami said with a slight bow.  She offered him one of the boxes, wrapped in a green handkerchief.  "And your lunch."  He took it with a grin; she offered the box wrapped in a blue handkerchief to Korra.  "Here's yours."

Still blushing painfully, Korra took the box.  "Thanks."

"Onward, ladies!" Bolin said, pointing in the direction of a cluster of trees.  He started off in an exaggerated march, lunchbox tucked carefully under his arm.  Asami and Korra did not follow immediately, instead looking at each other.  Asami offered her free hand, and Korra took it slowly.  They started to follow after Bolin.

"You've never dated anyone before," Asami said simply.

"There wasn't a whole lot of time for that when I was training in the South Pole for...um, most of my life," Korra replied.  "You really want to be my girlfriend?"

"Of course," Asami said, smiling brightly.  "You're sweet, brave, strong, and funny.  You're also very pretty, by the way."

"Okay, that's sort of amazing to hear from a gorgeous woman."

She laughed.  The sound made Korra's chest tighten pleasantly a moment and she smiled in a manner she would have called stupid had she been able to see it on herself.  Asami said, "See?  You really are sweet."

Korra's brows rose.  "Doesn't anyone ever tell you that you're pretty?"

"They do, but it's different coming from you."

"Why?"

"Because it's you.  I like you, so it's special to me when you tell me I'm pretty."

"Oh."  She grinned.  "Then I'll make sure to tell you it a lot."  She tightened her grip on Asami's hand.  "Hey.  I'm...I'm really glad you like me.  It makes my day a lot better."

Concern took the smile from Asami's face.  "What's wrong?"

After a pause, Korra shrugged weakly.  "It's nothing."

Holding back a sigh, she lifted their hands and kissed the back of Korra's.  "Here's a lesson about dating someone: you can tell her why you're not having a good day.  Come on, what's the matter?"

It was only when they had nearly caught up to Bolin at the park that Korra spoke again, and it was to mumble, "I couldn't do as well as Bolin in our lesson."

"In metalbending?"

"We have to learn how to see through the earth--and I couldn't do it."

"I think this is where I tell you to be patient."  She let go of Korra's hand to tap the end of her nose.  "I don't want you to get another bloody nose if I'm not there to take care of you."  When Korra did not meet her gaze, she kissed her on the cheek again.  "Give yourself a break.  It's your first day."

Korra nodded, but there was no smile on her face.  The emptiness on her face changed to alertness when she heard Bolin give a massive shout of joy.  She and Asami looked up to see him haul a man bodily out of the bushes to give him a hug, and the man return the embrace while laughing heartily.  Korra's jaw dropped when she recognized the man enveloped in Bolin's arms.

"Bingwen?" she asked.

"Oh!" he said, squirming out of Bolin's arms.  "How do you do today, Miss Korra?  I see you know my friend Bolin!"

"Wait, wait, you and Korra know each other?" Bolin asked.  He spread his arms wide, grinning just as massively.  "It's a regular old party now!"  He hurried over to Asami, putting a hand on her back and gesturing to the old man.  "Asami, this is my good friend, Bingwen!  We knew each other back when my brother and I were penniless street urchins.  Bingwen, Asami Sato!"

"Look at us now," Bingwen chimed in with a laugh.  "Rubbing elbows with the Avatar and the heiress to Future Industries.  Truly, we have come a long way in life!"

Asami looked at each of the lunchboxes and considered Bingwen and his disheveled and patchy clothing.  She smiled and said, "I made a lot for these lunches, so would you like to share them with us?"

Bingwen's stomach growled loudly enough that they could all hear it.  Without an ounce of shame in his face or voice, he tipped his head in a bow and said, "I most certainly would, Miss Sato.  And perhaps you can all tell me fascinating stories to spread around to the children?"

They had all begun to sit, but Korra stopped shy of placing her rear on the ground.  "What kids?"

"The children of the streets, Miss Korra," replied Bingwen.  "They need stories, just like any other child in the world."

"But they live on the streets?" she asked.

Bolin had already opened his lunchbox and sat shoveling rice and meat into his mouth.  He paused to say, "What did you think I meant when I said my brother and I were street urchins?"

"What about your parents?" she asked.

He paused in his shoveling.  He chewed as politely as he could before swallowing everything in his mouth.  It took a long moment for him to speak, and the smile on his face was tiny and weak.  "We don't have parents anymore.  I was six, and my brother was eight when...there was a firebender mugger and he...well, after that we were kids of the street, too."

"Oh," Korra murmured, even quieter than she had said before.  She swallowed down the lump that had swelled in her throat and spoke louder to say, "I'm sorry."

Bolin managed to grin, though it had no strength to it.  "Thanks.  At least we're not working for the triads anymore."

At this, Asami, Korra, and Bingwen all went quiet and stared at him.  Bingwen was the first to speak.  "I thought you and Mako promised that you wouldn't take any of the work the triads offered you."

The smile finally left Bolin's face for a frown.  "Look, I know it was stupid, but we didn't have a choice.  And I'm not doing that anymore!"  He fumbled as he thought, but soon held out the gold pin attached to his shirt as his smile properly returned.  "See?  I'm a policeman now!"

Bingwen chuckled.  "All right, my boy, as long as you're not getting yourself into trouble."  He paused in speaking as Asami offered him her lunchbox.  "Thank you, my dear, but please, eat first."

She shook her head.  "I'm not that hungry right now."

He would not argue against her, and so he tipped his head in another bow before taking the box.  "Thank you, Miss Sato."

"Besides," she added, "I can just steal some of Korra's food."

Bingwen barked out a laugh, smiling broadly.  "Oh, to be young and infatuated."  Opening the box and retrieving the chopsticks inside, he said, "So tell me--what are you three young folks doing out in this part of town on a pleasant day like this?"

Bolin's mouth was once again full of food, but he did not have the grace at that moment to swallow before speaking up.  "Me 'n' K'rra are b'th cops!"

"It's our first day learning how to metalbend," Korra cut in.  "After the attack on the arena, I wanted to join the police force to fight the Equalists."  Turning her chopsticks in her fingers, she added, "And the triads, too."

Bingwen had started to shovel food into his mouth near to the same speed as Bolin, but he was more skilled at sudden stops.  He looked at Korra with anxiety clear on his face.  "The triads are tricky beasts, Miss Korra, and the Equalists seem to be in an even worse boat.   I hope you're going about this rationally and calmly."

"Maybe being rational isn't going to work on them anymore," Korra replied bluntly.  "Maybe people really need to know that the Avatar is here and isn't going to stand for it."

"And what," said Bingwen, "is 'it'?"

She was about to put a small bundle of vegetables and meat into her mouth, but stopped.  "What?"

"What is it that you're not going to stand for?" he asked between mouthfuls.  "Is it the oppression of the people by the triads?  Or will you be working to stop the anti-bending revolution?"  He swallowed mightily and heaved a sigh.  Extracting a pristine white handkerchief from some pocket inside his coat, he wiped down the chopsticks before giving them and the remainder of the lunchbox back to Asami.  "My compliments to your chef, Miss Sato."

"Thanks.  It wasn't too hard."

Bolin, entirely finished with his lunch, gaped openly.  "You made this?"  He looked at Korra with a sly smile.  "You lucky raccoon-dog."

She ignored him.  "I want to fight both!  Why do people act like I can't do that?  I can!"

Bingwen held up his hands, frowning slightly.  "All I'm saying is that you can't go head-on to both of them.  Take the opportunity of the Equalists lying low to figure out where you want to start your battles."

She opened her mouth to argue, but could come up with nothing.  At her failure to speak, Bingwen lifted a brow.

"You don't know where to start, do you," he said flatly.

"No," she grumbled.

"You should eat your lunch, to start," Asami said, nudging her with her elbow.  "You can't save the city on an empty stomach."

Korra opened her mouth to argue, but the growl her stomach let out proved that she had no argument in this arena, either.  She went quiet and started to eat, though not without a frown on her face.

"So, Bolin," said Bingwen, "tell us what Mako is up to."

Bolin was entirely silent.

Bingwen looked at him.

Bolin looked away, spiraling his forefinger in the dry grass beneath them.

"What has he gotten himself into?" Bingwen asked.

"Nothing!"

"Bolin."

"Nothing he can't handle!" Bolin protested.  "He's trying to get information about the triads and the Equalists for me to use!"

"What?" Bingwen demanded.  "Didn't you just say that you two weren't doing anything with the triads anymore?  And he's actually trying to get information on the Equalists?  Why didn't you try to convince him to not do this?"

"You know Mako!" Bolin said meekly.  "I can't convince him to not do stuff!"  He patted his hands in the air in an attempt to placate them.  "Look, he comes home every night and tells me what he saw and heard.  The only people he's been talking to are our old--uh--the people we used to work with when we were younger.  He's not taking any big risks, I promise."

Bingwen did not stop frowning.  "You need to make him swear to you that he'll stop the moment he senses any sort of danger.  Your brother is a good man, but too hotheaded.  I don't want him getting hurt."  He turned away from Bolin to look at Korra and Asami.  "That goes for all of you.  I know this is probably nothing you wanted to hear over lunch on your first day as police officers--or what you might have hoped would be a lovely afternoon outing with your significant other--but I worry that you underestimate the threats you face."

"We're not going to back down," Korra said.  She turned to Bolin.  "Let me know anything your brother finds out.   We'll report everything to Chief Beifong and bring down both sides."  She smiled slightly at Bingwen.  "One at a time, and little by little."  She turned her smile to Asami then, and it grew stronger.  "And we'll be careful, too."

-------

They fell into a routine quickly.  Every day they practiced, and every day Asami came to the police station with food enough for herself, Bolin, Korra, and Bingwen, who joined them in the park he had come to call home.  It was pleasant, and Korra found it helped make up for the sting of being slower than Bolin.

The fifth day started out promising.  She finally sensed Lin moving behind her with her eyes closed, and it had been enough to earn her a word of praise from the chief.  When it came time for lunch, she was so excited she could barely stand still.  It was all she could do to not race outside to find Asami and tell her the good news.

The appearance of a young woman with short black hair in a long, sleeveless crimson coat, black slacks and shoes, a red tunic, and a pin on her coat that Korra found familiar gave all of them pause, however.  She came into the room without hesitance, smiling all the while, and bowed to Lin.

"Am I interrupting?" she asked.

"Who are you?" was Lin's reply.

The woman's smile did not disappear, but her quiet laugh was wounded.  "I'd heard that you dislike the council, but surely you know that the Fire Nation representative resigned this week?"

"I do," Lin said.  "What's your point?"

"I'm her successor," said the woman.  "My name is Xiang."  She bowed again, hands held in Fire Nation formality.  "I'm here to escort the Avatar to a council meeting."

"What?" Korra and Lin asked in unison.  Lin continued, "On whose authority?  Civilians aren't allowed to sit on meetings anymore."

"It's on Councilman Tarrlok's invitation," Xiang replied.  "He claims it involves the Avatar."  She paused.  "If it helps, I don't think it'll take too long.  I'll return her myself."

"But I have plans," Korra said.  She pointed past the woman and said, "Plans for lunch."  Xiang's gaze and smile did not waver; uncertainty in the face of these made Korra's voice grow quiet.  "I have to have lunch with someone."

"I'll bring you back in time for a quick lunch."  She drew a pocket watch out from inside her coat, checking the time.  "If we leave right now, that is."

Korra fumbled.  She looked at Bolin; he shrugged helplessly.  She looked at Lin; she was too busy frowning at Xiang to notice.  After a few moments, she shrugged one shoulder and strode to the door.  "Let's get going."  Xiang's smile widened, and she held the door open for her.  Before they left completely, she leaned back inside and said to Bolin, "Tell Asami I'll be back as soon as I can."

They had barely closed the door behind them before Xiang asked, "Have I interrupted a date?"

"A little bit."

Xiang's smile still did not leave her face, but it took on regretfulness.  "I hope you believe me when I say that I'm sorry.  I don't like the idea of interrupting romance."

Korra shrugged again, tucking her hands in her pockets.  She followed Xiang through the station and out the front entrance.  Immediately before them was a black satomobile, just large enough for two people.  Xiang gestured to the passenger door as she rounded the 'mobile and got inside.  Once again Korra followed her, settling without a word and buckling up.  When they were on the road, however, she could not keep from speaking up.

"Who are you, anyway?" she asked.  "I thought the council was made up of old people."

Xiang chuckled.  "It's mostly older people, that's true enough.  I'm not the youngest person ever made a council member, but I'm the youngest person currently on it."

"So...you're from the Fire Nation?" Korra asked.

"I am."

"Where from?"

"The capitol on the western side."

"I thought it was mostly noble houses over there.  You're not a noble, are you?"

Xiang chuckled again.  "If you call being the heir to the house of Arav being a noble, then yes."

"The house of Arav?" Korra asked.  "As in, the noble house that produced some of the most successful politicians of Republic City?  As in, Kailas Arav, the first Fire Nation representative on the city council?  That house of Arav?"

"That's my grandmother for you."  She paused as she turned a corner.  "Well, adoptive grandmother.  It's not like she and my other grandmother could have children."  She paused again.  "I wonder if I should even call her my grandmother, since she and Grandmother Hova did most of my raising when my parents were killed by members of the Red Monsoon Triad."

Korra looked at her closely, waiting for the smile to fade.  It never did, though her amber-brown eyes were dim.  "I'm sorry to hear that."  Confused at the simple nod she received, she looked away and out the window.  Outside, the sky was growing gray and dark.  It did nothing to lighten her confusion, and she sighed for it.  "It seems like every bad thing I've heard about in the city is because of bending."

"Bending related crime, anyway," Xiang remarked.  "Though the Equalists are hardly blameless, after what they did at the arena.  That's what this meeting is about, by the way."  She looked at Korra from the corner of her eye, raising her visible brow when her gaze was met.  "Have you met any other council members aside from myself?  Or Tenzin?"

"No," Korra said slowly.  "Why?"

"My advice is to listen to your master."

"Why?  What's going on?"

"You're going to meet councilman Tarrlok."

Korra stared at her, confusion growing even worse.  "You make it sound like a prison sentence."

Despite the words that came out of her mouth, Xiang's smile widened.  "I don't like him."  She pulled the 'mobile up to a curb and put it into park.  "Hopefully, we'll be back here shortly."

Korra wanted to ask her something, but she didn't know what.  Entirely dumbfounded, she simply followed Xiang out of the 'mobile and into City Hall.  She had never been inside before, and she was struck by the opulence of it.  The hallways were long and high, painted in clean shades of white and gold and green.  Xiang walked along with a degree of formality: her back was ramrod straight and her arms were folded behind her.  Korra was suddenly very aware of the way her wrists were still a little bloody and raw from that day's efforts at the station.  By the time they reached the councilroom, she was certain that she had cleaned up at least slightly.  Nevertheless, she swallowed nervously when Xiang pushed open the door and led her inside.

"I've brought the Avatar, as requested," Xiang said loudly, casting her voice across the room.  It was massive, filled with tables and chairs that seated no one at all.  Above them was a balcony that ringed the entire room, and Korra could see a few chairs at the opposite side of the room.  The only occupied chairs were those at the room's very heart, placed around a U-shaped table with another chair sitting before it.  At one end was Tenzin, sitting with his arms on the table and a scowl hiding in his beard.  Next to him was a man in Water Tribe garb, the dark blue and navy that Korra recognized as the trademark of the southern tribe.  Next to this man was one clad all in green and gold for the Earth Kingdom.  The chair next to him was empty, but Korra could guess whose it was.  Last and opposite to Tenzin was a chair whose occupant had risen at their arrival.  His clothes were the lighter blues and white more indicative of the northern Water Tribe, and his long hair was done up in three tails.  He smiled broadly as they approached, spreading his hands.

"Avatar Korra!" he said.  "It's an honor to finally meet you in person!  My name is Tarrlok."  He strode away from the table entirely, Xiang slipping past him to reclaim her seat, and clasped Korra's hand.  He shook firmly and led her to the chair in front of the table, sitting her down.  As he returned to his own place, he cleared his throat and spoke.  "I thought it would be best to have the Avatar here with us today."  He picked up the gavel before him and rapped it lightly.  "I hereby call this council meeting to order."

For a moment, there was nothing but the sound of shuffling and shifting.  The silence and the position of her chair made Korra feel strongly as though she was being put on trial for something.  She looked at Xiang for a moment, but she was rapidly writing onto a pad of paper and looked up for nothing; with her smile still in place, she looked entirely content with life.  Korra then looked to Tenzin and was better comforted by the choice.  He gave her a small nod, his frown lessening when their eyes met.

"Are we ready to precede, Arav?" Tarrlok asked.

"At your leave, chairman," she said in return.

"Then let the record show that we are all in attendance, and we will now begin discussing the matter of the Equalists."

Fascinated by the speed at which Xiang's pen scratched across the paper, Korra found herself staring.  When she stopped writing, Korra was able to shake herself into thinking.  She looked at Tarrlok confusedly.  "Um, why did I have to be here?  Aren't--aren't normal citizens not allowed in on council meetings?"

"Your status as the Avatar makes you relevant to this discussion," he replied.  "We are facing a threat unlike any the world has seen, and the world needs you to be proactive."  He stood from his chair and began to gesture in broad sweeping motions.  "But just as we face a great threat, we also face a great opportunity.  The Equalists are on the run after their mad bombing of the pro-bending arena, and we have to track them down before they disappear into the bowels of the city."

"What are you proposing, Tarrlok?" Tenzin asked, voice as hard as his gaze.

"What we need is a task force for the sole purpose of tracking down Equalists and stopping them before they have a chance to strike again.  A talented group of benders who can smoke out and stomp out the anti-bending threat."

"Only benders, sir?" Xiang asked abruptly.  When he looked at her with a frown, she returned with a smile, turned her pen over, and trailed it down the length of the paper pad.  "For clarification, sir.  I need to make sure I have the characters right for the minutes."

"Only benders, yes," he snapped.  "We benders have the best chance of immobilizing the enemy."

"You want to create a group of benders solely devoted to the task of arresting non-benders," she said, writing carefully.  She looked up with her ever-present smile.  "Is that accurate to put in the minutes, sir?"

"It's not and you know it, Arav."

"This is a foolhardy idea," said Tenzin.  "All it would do is drive a even bigger wedge between benders and non-benders."

"Benders and non-benders are united in their desire to see a madman like Amon brought to justice."  Tarrlok looked back to Xiang.  "You're our gauge on the opinions of the non-bender populace.  What's the word on the street?"

"I don't know much about 'the street,' sir, seeing as I live in the Dragon Flats borough.  But my neighbors have said they're just as frightened of the Equalists as they are of the triads after the bombing."

"You're talking about a group of men and women who would be putting their lives on the line for the sake of your personal glory," Tenzin said grimly, fingers drumming on the table before him.  "Who do you expect to lead this group?"

Tarrlok's expression grew affronted.  "I am shocked that you think I would do this for my own sake.  All I want is to protect the city I love.  And I would be honored if you all allowed me to lead this group."

"You are still asking us to put a group of innocents into the line of fire," Tenzin said in return.

Tarrlok frowned, but the expression was not against Tenzin.  He grew serious, and his voice turned hard.  "Amon and the Equalists will not stop.  We have already seen the depths to which they will sink to further their goals.  I can't even guess as to where his crusade will truly begin after his attack on the arena, but he will come for us benders one day.  For us, and for our families and friends."

He spread his hands.  "Vote for this task force, and I will bring you Amon in chains.  All in favor of this task force?"  He held up his hand, and smiled when the other Water Tribe councilman and the Earth Kingdom councilman raised their hands soon after.  His smile disappeared when he looked at Tenzin and Xiang and their unmoving hands.

"All opposed?" he asked dully.  He sighed at the way they raised their hands immediately, but lifted the gavel with a new smile on his face.  "With a vote of three to two, the task force motion passes."  He cracked the gavel down.  "I will be assembling the task force over the next few days, and we will begin gathering intelligence thereafter."

Korra lifted one hand slightly.  "Can I ask a question?"

He smiled at her; it made her feel like a child.  "Of course.  What is it?"

"Why am I here, again?"

There was enormous surprise on his face when he said, "Why, Korra!  I would have thought that you would jump at the chance to be on my task force!"

"Wha--be on it?" she asked, eyes widening.  "I can't be on anything--I'm already part of the police!"

"Which is why I thought you'd be eager to join me."  He moved around the table and came to stand at Korra's side, placing a hand on her shoulder.  "You were so ready to answer the call and join our city's finest when they didn't even know they needed you."  He squeezed her shoulder.  "Now we know we need you, Korra.  We need someone brave--someone fearless--to rise up and say, 'this will not be allowed any longer.'  Will you stand at my side to protect our city?"

Because she had last spoken to her, Korra's eyes flicked first to Xiang.  Xiang's only response was to glance at Tenzin, and Korra followed her eyes.  Tenzin sat stony-faced and silent, his frown only noticeable if you knew how to look for it.  She had known her answer when she said it the first time; the way they had returned her gaze only cemented it.

"I'll be on your side,"  she said.  "I'll be part of the police, and if you need the police, then I'll be there.  But I can't be part of your task force."

She had expected a look of disappointment, but she wasn't prepared for the intensity of the one Tarrlok turned her way.  She fought down the urge to wince as he sighed through his nose.  The most surprising thing of all, though, came in the form of his sudden gentle smile.

"I understand," he said.  "You're still a little frightened after what happened."

She bristled.  "Excuse me?"

"It really is understandable," he said, patting her on the back.  "If I recall correctly, you were the one who helped a great deal of the wounded at the arena the night of the bombing.  You must have seen those poor souls who were murdered, as well.  Seeing death changes a person.  I wouldn't be surprised if it frightened you."

"I'm not--I'm not afraid!" she said, voice sharp and loud.  "If I was afraid, I wouldn't have asked Chief Beifong to train me and let me join the police!"

Tarrlok finally took his hand from her, lifting both hands to show her his palms.  "Of course.   But when you've come out of your frightened state, just remember that my offer still stands."

"The Avatar said 'no,' sir," Xiang said suddenly.  She lifted her head; there was something in her smile that was ugly and unsettling.  It disappeared a moment later, back to brightness, when she looked at Korra.  "Is that the correct answer to put in the minutes, Miss Korra?"

Frowning at Tarrlok, Korra replied, "Yeah, that's the right answer."

Tarrlok returned the frown for a moment before smiling again.  "Very well.  But this won't be the last you hear from me on this matter."  He returned to his place at the table and lifted the gavel once more.  "Does anyone have any other business?"  When there was no reply, he said, "Then this meeting of the city council is officially adjourned," and brought the gavel down.

The sound of shuffling and shifting returned as the other council members began to rise to their feet.  Tarrlok was the first to leave, departing after patting Korra on the shoulder.  The Earth Kingdom and southern Water Tribe representatives left soon after, leaving Korra with Tenzin and Xiang.  Tenzin rose with a sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"I'm sorry he had you brought here," he said in a rumble.  "I didn't think he would go as far as trying to recruit you."

"Did you know he was going to make up that task force thing?" Korra asked.

"No," Tenzin sighed, "though I feared he would make another power play.  He's become even bolder after the bombing."  He turned to Xiang and tipped his head.  "Thank you for bringing Korra here.  I hate to use you as an errand-girl, but--"

"But you were worried that Tarrlok's assistant would try to recruit her on the drive over," said Xiang.  She waved her hand in dismissal as she rose to her feet.  "It's perfectly fine, sir.  It's a valuable lesson in learning how to play the game."

He frowned.  "These kind of politics aren't games.  They're affecting far too many lives to be considered as such."

"Apologies, sir," she said.  "I was just always taught to expect games and power plays."

He harrumphed, his cape fluttering in the breeze his hard exhale had stirred up.  "Be that as it may, I want you to treat this seriously."

"I treat everything seriously, Tenzin," she said with a chuckle.  "You know that."

"I would if you didn't smile at everything!" he said heatedly, jabbing a finger at her face.  "Stop doing that when you're trying to be serious!  I can't ever tell if you're being honest or sarcastic!"

"I'm never sarcastic to you, sir, that you can be certain of.  And I'll stop smiling when things get too serious for a smile."

Tenzin huffed a sigh, but there was no anger in it.  He smiled slightly.  "Just like your grandmother, if my father's stories are to be believed."

"I learned from the best."  She gestured to the doorway.  "Shall I return Miss Korra to the police station now?  I believe she had a lunch date of some kind."

"What?" Tenzin said, spine ratcheting instantly straight.  "With who?"

"With Asami and Bolin," Korra said flatly.

"Oh.  Good.  Good."  He coughed once, smoothed his beard, and straightened his shirtfront.  "Have a good ti--good day.  Have a good day."

"See you at home," Korra said with a wave over her shoulder.  She and Xiang left then, Korra closing the door behind them.  At the sound of faint snickering, she quickened her pace to match Xiang's.  She discovered that Xiang was holding a finger curled over her lips as she kept her laughter to herself, and she frowned in confusion.

"What?" she demanded.

"It's nothing," Xiang replied.  "I'm just always tickled by how fatherly Master Tenzin acts."

"What was fatherly about that?"

"He was worried the moment I said the word 'date.'  Very fatherly to do that.  Hopefully Miss Sato will be polite the first time you introduce her as your girlfriend.  Then again, she is high society, so you'll probably be fine."

"Wait, how did you know Asami and I are dating?"

"There's the confirmation I wanted, for one."  She chuckled at the irritation on Korra's face.  "Sorry, sorry.  But you did confirm it, so I'll tell you how I came to my conclusion."  By then they had gone outside and they slid inside the satomobile before Xiang continued.  "The first hint was in how you reacted to me taking you away from your lunch plans at the station.  You were very confused and not a little unhappy that I was taking you from someone.  The logical choice is a significant other.  Since you said someone and gestured away from the young man you were training with, it wasn't him.

"As for determining that it was Asami Sato, that took some knowledge outside of meeting with you.  Do you read any of the gossip rags in the city, Miss Korra?"

"No," Korra said.  "They're garbage."

"True, but you'd be amazed at what you can pick up from the garbage.  Like how you and Miss Sato are starting to make headlines."

Korra's cheeks turned bright red.  "We're what?"

Xiang laughed outright.  "It's nothing racy!  It's all very chaste speculation on if you two are in a relationship or not.  I think the journalists are too afraid of facing down libel suits from either Master Tenzin or Hiroshi Sato to really make a major article about either of you."

"Oh...well...okay."  After a moment, she asked, "What do they say?"

"Just that the heiress to Future Industries and the Avatar are spending a lot of time together.  They're trying to play up a new celebrity romance, since no one reads those papers for serious business like muggings from the triads or the bombing.  You two lovebirds are the nicest thing to read about nowadays."

"Is it something we have to worry about?"

"No, not at all.  You two are so innocent about the whole thing that they'd have to tell quite a few lies to make your relationship into a scandal.  And, as I said before, I don't think that they're willing to face down your respective guardians if they lied that badly."

"So that's how you figured out I'm dating Asami?  A couple of things I said and some gossip?"

"Indeed it is."

She stared at Xiang through slightly narrowed eyes.  "What are you, some kind of detective?"

"I'm a council member.  You know that."  She smoothly parked in front of the police station and sighed as she leaned back in her seat.  Very slowly, bit by bit, her smile disappeared.  She quietly said, "Miss Korra?"

She was too stunned by the change in Xiang's expression to do more than reply, "Yeah?"

"Please be careful about everything.  I know that the Equalists say that you're unnecessary and bending is wrong, but there are still many non-benders who look up to you.  None of us want you hurt."  She chuckled, smile returning.  "And I'm sure your girlfriend doesn't want that, either."  She let out a brief sigh, but her smile did not move.  "I don't want to warn you to stay out of Tarrlok's way, but I'd be careful.  He doesn't like competition."

"Is that why he doesn't like you?" Korra asked.

"There are a number of reasons he doesn't like me, but they're not important."  She pointed at the police station.  "What's important is your lunch date."  She leaned forward slightly and exhaled a laugh.  "If I'm not mistaken, that's her sitting on the steps."

"What?" Korra said,whirling about in her seat.  Through the window, she saw Asami doing exactly as Xiang had said: sitting patiently on the steps with two wrapped lunchboxes in her lap.  "Oh, man--thanks for the ride!"

"Enjoy your date," Xiang said, and then Korra was out the door.  She hurried to Asami quickly enough that Asami looked up in surprise at the sound of her running footsteps.

"I'm sorry!" Korra said in a rush.  "I didn't mean to miss our lunch date!"

Asami smiled and patted the space beside her.  When Korra sat down, she offered her the blue handkerchief-wrapped lunchbox.  "You didn't miss anything.  It's just a little later than usual."  Once she had taken the box, Asami said, "So tell me how your day's been going."

She looked at Asami for a few moments, the box sitting all but forgotten in her hands.  Slowly, with more than enough time for Asami to turn away, she leaned closer to her.  Asami only continued to smile at her, and so Korra grew bold enough to kiss her on the cheek.