Chapter Eleven

Raiden

~~~~~~~

I approached Korra. "Hey, can I talk go you for a second?"

"Sure," she said, getting to her feet.

"Sorry to interrupt your mediation," I apologized, flashing her a smile I used only in front of big crowds in the probending arena. But this Korra, so I had to give her my best.

"Not a problem. What's up?"

"How long did it take you to master airbending?"

She laughed. "I still haven't mastered it."

"You know what I mean," I said, scratching the back of my neck. "Aimi's having a hard time figuring it out." I'd watched her as she threw herself repeatedly between those spinning gates, getting chewed up and spit out over and over again. "And I can tell she's trying hard. How did you figure it out?"

"Well, first of all, don't listen to Tenzin," she said under her breath. "In the beginning he's super pushy. But I actually learned when I got beat up probending."

"Wasn't it just the best feeling?"

"It was. And Tenzin literally forbade me from probending; he said it was a waste of time. Obviously, it wasn't," she patted my shoulder, "but I didn't listen to him and did it. And that's what showed me balance and swiftness," she explained. "That's the kind of person I am."

"So . . . Are you saying that Aimi should probend?"

She shrugged. "it depends on the person. I told you how I learned it. Do you think she'll learn the same way?"

"She has the movements of a firebender. Tenzin wants her notto move like that."

"Me, too, at the time. But I'm an actual firebender too, so I kind of have to have both."

I nodded. "Thanks, Avatar Korra."

"It's just Korra," she gave me a thumbs up. "Good luck with your girl."

I nearly choked on my own spit. I coughed, tears in my eyes. "My what? No, it's not like that."

"Oh. I mean you look out for her and stuff, so-"

"No no. No. I don't even like her."

"Oh. Because you wanted to he-"

"No. Helping is different. She hates me too."

"Are you sure 'cause-"

"Really. I don't like her."

"Hmm." Korra rubbed her chin. "Positive?"

"I'm sure. I'm just being a friend."

"But you just said you hated her."

"No I said she hated me," I tried clarifying, but Korra wasn't buying it.

"So you do like her?"

"Ugh!" I threw my hands up In frustration. "Thank you for your help," I said, turning away.

She laughed loudly. "You remind me so much of Mako."

I rolled my eyes.

♧♧♧

"Aimi," I called out, watching her punching a punching bag. She didn't stop, slamming her leg against it. "Aimi." Again, she ignored me, her dark hair flying around her face as she attacked the punching bag. "Aimi!" I yelled. Finally, with one harsh kick, she stopped. One hand pressed against the bag, she bent her knees, the other hand resting on them. Her straight dark hair rolled off her shoulders as she stood there, panting.

"What?" She finally said, wiping the sweat off her forehead with the back of her bare arm.

"I have an idea," I said, holding out a hand. Her fierce dark eyes flickered down at it, and then back up at my face. Gray pants hung loosely off her hips, a fitted black tank top covering the top of her body. Well, most of it.

She didn't bother to take it, putting her hands on her hips. "What for?"

"Airbending," I said. "I want to try it."

"You want to try airbending?" She cocked her head, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "Yeah?"

"No, no," I waved my hand, pulling it back. "I want to try an idea to help you with your airbending."

"And what might that idea be . . . ?"

"Probending."

She pushed me out of the way, walking past me. "I'm not in the mood to joke around."

"I'm not joking."

"Don't bring your personal life failures into mine. Go find someone else to annoy."

"I'm actually not joking," I grabbed her wrist. She looked down at my hand. "Hear me out."

"You've got five seconds."

"Korra said she was really rough too, starting off. And hotheaded." She shot me a look. I grinned, shaking my head. "My point is, probending helped her by being beaten up and stuff, so, it could help you."

"You want to beat me up? Yeah, I kind of got that when you actually beat me up," she pointed at her healing eye.

"Okay that was training. Not my fault," I put my hands up.

Aimi tried to walk past me again, but I stepped in front of her. "Why do you want to help me?" She groaned.

"Because I can't stand your whining about how you can't do it," I mock-groaned, just to tease her. She scowled.

"I'll think about it."

"Good."

♧♧♧

After a few days, Mako approached me while I sat under the blazing heat of the sun, watching them practice. Iroh had told me I'd be guarding or being cool; a hero, but here I was, daydreaming and getting a nice tan in the sun. I mean, the break wasn't all that bad. And the tan would certainly help with the popularity once returned to Republic City.

"Raiden, do you want to go down to police station with me?" He was wearing a grayish-blue uniform, a gold badge glistening on the left side of his chest.

I sat up, squinting at him. "Why?"

"Because you're laying here doing nothing," he raised his eyebrows. "Come on. I need to file a report on a new case. Let's go."

We stopped at the police station. Raiden stepped out of the car, motioning for me to follow him.

We walked inside and he stood in front of a desk, a man sitting behind it. Mako handed him a few files. "I worked on the reports you gave me. I have a feeling I know where he's hiding."

Who?

"A feeling?" The man laughed. "You know, Chief Beifong doesn't accept 'feelings'. It's either you know, or you don't."

"I know where he is," Mako corrected himself. "I'll have him behind bars in no time."

The man nodded. "Don't disappoint me."

As we exited the police station, I stopped Mako. "Wait. Are we going to catch this guy right now?"

"Yup," Mako smiled.

"But-"

"You afraid?" He smirked. "This is time to show me what a good bender you think you are."

"I 'think' I am?" I laughed. "Whoa, whoa," I shook my head, "Chief Raiden doesn't accept 'thinks'."

"Walk and talk, man," Mako said, continuing his descend down the steps, "walk and talk."

We sat into the car, Mako driving.

"Who are we after?" I asked, looking in the rearview mirror as Mako took a sharp turn.

"A guy. He's one of the probending heads and he's a complete fake. He pays teams to lose and takes money from the ones who want to win. He's completely destroying the means behind probending."

"Why does everything come down to probending?" I said with a sigh.

"You know, I only asked you to come because of the fact that he was cheating."

"And I'm glad you did. He needs to be put away."

We stopped in front of a warehouse. Raiden put a finger to his lips. "Stand by the back door." I slinked to the back, waiting. In the front, I heard silence. Suddenly, after a few seconds, the door burst open. In a split second I stuck my leg out, a man with spectacles tripping over it. He landed on his face and then scrambled to his feet, looking at me through a cracked lense. I grabbed his collar before he could go anywhere. Mako walked out the door, looking at the man and pulling out his walkie talkie.

"I've got him."

But what we didn't know was that he was an earthbender. He slammed his leg against the floor and I was tossed into the air, landing with a sickening crash. Mako whipped around, punching fire balls at the man who rose the earth to block the attacks. I got to my feet, coming up behind him. He turned around, looking at me with wide eyes, taking a step to earthbend again.

"Not so fast," I smirked, slamming my foot against his ankle. He yelled in pain and then I punched him right across the jaw. He dropped to the floor.

"Nice," Mako fist bumped me. "Where did you learn that?"

"A friend," I said, rubbing my own jaw where Aimi had punched me. "Lock his legs together before he tries anything."

We tied him up and tossed him into the car.

"So," Mako said with a smile as he drove back, "are you willing to be my sidekick?"

I stared at him. "What?"

"I good use someone like you at the station," he said. "Really."

I thought about it. "Who's the good cop?" I finally asked.

"Who do you want the good cop to be?"

"I, for one, definitely want to be the bad cop. It's thrilling."

"You've got yourself a deal."

~~~~~~~

Okay, so, all these chapters since chapter one are them starting off at the Air Temple. I can't get to the action that quickly or there won't be a point to the story! I gotta keep you all in suspense, if you know what I mean. So read the summary up top. I promise you, it's gonna get better. :)