Chapter Eighteen

Raiden

~~~~~~~

Erin was different.

I couldn't get a chance to open my mouth because she'd always have something snarky to say.

"Pleased to meet you, I'm-"

"No you're not," she crossed her arms over her chest, frowning.  Her light brown hair cascaded over her shoulder, in a ponytail. She was beautiful, with small emerald green eyes and a strong body.

"Excuse me?" I said, taken aback.

"You're not pleased. Step aside."

"What-"

"I can read you by taking a look at your face. It's okay," she held out a hand, "I'm not very pleased either."

"Okay," I smiled tightly. "Great. Now here's the thing. I need your help."

"Bolin explained everything. I'm only helping because the Katara was really good friends with my grandpa, and I know that if he alive he'd definitely want me to go ahead and help you guys."

I nodded. "Great. Come with me," I motioned for her to follow me. "She's actually in jail right now."

Erin grinned. "Nice."

♤♤♤

"Did you, or did you not help the Red Lotus try to kidnap the Avatar?" Erin asked. Suyin crossed her arms tightly over her chest. I'd pursuaded Lin and Su to come and at least see what was going on.

"Why would I want to do that?" Aimi raised an eyebrow, crossing her legs. "She's my friend."

"She's telling the truth," Erin concluded. "Where's your truth teller, Aiwei?"

"He's off right now," Suyin frowned. "How can we believe you?"

Erin shrugged. "Look at her face. Do you really think she would want the Avatar kidnapped? And anyway, I don't care if you believe me or not. Call up my clients. I have a pretty good reputation, and I'm always right."

Suyin groaned. "Then why would Aiwei lie, even if he is lying? I'm not saying I believe you, but-"

"Because he obviously helped the Red Lotus," Mako interrupted. Aimi smiled at him. I frowned. Why was she giving him so much attention?

Lin took in a deep breath, turning to Aimi. "I'll ask you," she finally said.  "Did you help the Red Lotus?"

Aimi crossed her arms over her chest.  "I had no reason to."

"We'll look into this.  Let her go," Lin ordered. I shot Mako a grin.  He nodded back.

At least we got her out of this mess.

§§§

"Do you still need me around?" Erin asked as Mako tossed her a bag of gold coins.

"Do you want to help?" He asked. 

"If you need it," she shrugged. "Cause if that's the case, I can stay."

"Thanks," I raised my eyes in surprise at her kindness. "But I think we're good.  Right, Mako?"

Mako knit his sharky eyebrows together. "We might need your help.  I have a feeling I know where Aiwei might be hiding Zaheer."

"And where's that?"

"His house. We just need evidence. Come on."

§§§

Bolin peeked inside Aiwei's house. "it's either empty, or he's invisible."

"It's empty," Mako frowned at Bolin. "Let's go inside."

Erin unhooked the window by metalbending the locks open. Everyone climbed in. 

"These books are empty," Asami noted. 

"That's very helpful," Aimi smirked.  I shot her a look.  She shrugged.

"it's like a jar made of sand," Bolin breathed, lifting up a clay jar.

"Bolin put that back," Mako ordered.  "if we don't find any evidence, I don't want Aiwei to know we were here."

"I forgot where I put it."

Mako took it from him and set it on the shelf, walking around the room.  "Look," he finally said, getting to his knees.  "There are scuff marks here.  It looks like this bookshelf has been moved a lot." I helped him push it to the side. Sure enough, there was a long narrow passage leading to a door down the stairs. A single light bulb hung from the slanted ceiling.

"Aiwei's coming back!" Erin hissed loudly. "Aimi, you need to hide,"  Mako took her arm. He pushed her behind a sofa. He can't see you yet,  or he's going to know they suspect him." I pushed the bookshelf back in place just as the door swung open.

We were caught red handed.

"How dare you trespass on one of the highest most trusted official's house?" Aiwei scowled.  "What are all of you doing here? Who's this?" he pointed at Erin. "You all better have a good explanation for this."

"And we do," Bolin nodded. "We knocked on your door and we thought we heard you say, 'Come in! I'm in the bathroom!'" he said in an obnoxiously sweet voice.  "Ugh, I don't know what I'm doing.  You can tell I'm lying anyway."

"Look," Mako interrupted.  "We just wanted some answers, and we came here to ask you some questions. That's all."

Aiwei surveyed our faces curiously. "Take a seat.  Let's talk over some tea."

Mako was the first to sit, and we all followed. I remembered Aimi was behind the sofa. I tried my best to keep that hidden.

"Start from the beginning," Aiwei said, pouring some minty green tea into cups.

"Well, after our friend, Aimi, was arrested, we couldn't help but notice that some things just didn't add up. I mean, how would Aimi, a girl who just left her home to practice airbending get mixed up with people like Zaheer? Where did they ever have a chance to talk?"

"So you came here looking for answers," Aiwei continued, adjusting the clay jar Bolin had picked up.  I gulped. He walked over to his bookshelf.  "so you don't think it was Aimi. Can I ask; who do you think it is, then?"

We exchanged glances. "We don't know," Asami said. Even I could tell she was lying.

"You think you found some answers?" Aiwei continued, eyeing a spot behind my shoulder, and then at my feet. He knew Aimi was there. "Who's behind the sofa, may I ask?"

"Come on out, Aims," Mako said. "He knows you're there." She stood up slowly.

Aims? When did the nicknames start?

Aiwei looked down at the floor, and I knew he'd seen the recent scuff marks from the door sliding open. Aimi, Asami, Bolin, Erin, and I all looked at Mako at the same time.  And then we looked at Aiwei.

"You have no idea what you've gotten yourself into," he scowled, and then he Jersey up his arms and metalbended a wall up.

"Erin! The door!" Asami yelled.  "Quick.  You need to bring the wall down."

Erin balled up her fists and thrust out her arms, crushing metal and churning it. When she'd broken through, Aimi and Mako jumped in and ran towards the library. I helped them push aside the bookshelf. Mako stepped down the stairs.

"Wait.  I have a bad feeling about this," Asami said.

"We have no choice." He walked towards it slowly.  Before I could stop her, Aimi approached him as well, standing behind him.  He put his hand on the doorknob, taking a deep breath. And he turned it, throwing open the door.

There, the bomb sat, ticking.

Three.

Two.

I tried to call them back, but it happened too fast.

There was a loud explosion. I was on my knees, my ears ringing.  I couldn't see.

"No!" Mako yelled, staggering to his feet. I tried to make sense of what was happening. I looked up to see the six of us in a giant airball -- the thing that saved us from death.  Aimi had saved our lives.  She looked down at her hands in wonder as the airball died away.

Mako kick open what remained of the door and run inside, only to find ruins. "We had him!" his lips moved.

Aimi was staggering to her feet.  I rushed forward to help her. Erin shouted, "They're gone! I don't feel anyone here."

I helped Aimi to her feet.  There was a cut across her temple. I told her to stay outside as I ran into the room behind Mako.  Everything was destroyed.

Mako ran a hand through the ashes. "This. . .  This was the evidence."

"Is everyone okay?" New voices were yelling.  Suyin, Lin, and Korra burst in through the doors.

Aimi spun around.  "Your 'trusted advisor' did this.  He destroyed everything."

"You mean Aiwei?" Su asked, shocked.  "How do you know for sure?"

"He ran down here when we confronted him, and tried to kill is with a bomb," Mako said. "Asami, Bolin, Erin. . . Aimi," he looked at them, "Let me talk to them."

They existed, Aims throwing a small glance over her shoulder and giving Mako a nod.  He nodded back.

Why didn't Mako tell me to leave too?

"Raiden helped me find the evidence for this," Mako said.  "Aiwei helped Zaheer I'm and out through this secret tunnel."

"I don't believe it," Suyin said a little breathlessly, "I thought we were family. I wrongly accused Aimi. I-"

Lin put a comforting hand on her sister's shoulder.  "He'll be back."

"We have to track him down," Mako looked at me, his eyes serious. "Are you up for it?"

I nodded, pleased. "I am."

"Is he your new partner-in-training?" Lin raised an eyebrow.

"Every officer needs a trainee," Mako saluted.  "Chief," he added.

"We need to talk to the Avatar," I cut in. "Now."

Aiwei was getting away, and with him, Zaheer. 

Our mortal enemy.