THE AIR MASTER {LOK/ATLA}

(X)

It was really cold outside. Honestly, if it weren't for Korra, Uncle Tenzin and Chief Beifong coming here, too, I probably wouldn't have dared to come meet this mysterious source claiming to have some dirty secrets about the relationship between Amon and Mr. Sato.

But we had to know, if there was a chance Korra was right all along, and Mr. Sato was into some shady things. We owed it to both Asami and Republic City to find out the truth, even if it wasn't pretty.

"Psst. Over here," a man wearing the Future Industries warehouse uniform suddenly called us from behind a pillar. "Listen, I joined the Equalists because I believed in what Amon said. I thought he could make life better for us nonbenders. But I didn't sign up for this... this war."

"What do you have on Hiroshi Sato?" Chief Beifong asked, going straight to the point.

"He manufactured those gloves for the Equalists."

"The ones with electricity?" I asked, making him nod. "I guess it makes sense that only he would know how to create something like that."

"And there are rumors he's working on something even bigger. Some new kind of weapon."

"We searched all of Future Industries and found nothing," Uncle Tenzin noted.

"That's because he has a secret factory."

"Where?" Korra asked.

"It's right underneath the Sato Mansion."

"Raiding the Sato Mansion is a risky move with Tarrlok breathing down your neck. If we're wrong..." Tenzin frowned, scrunching his nose.

"I know. I can kiss my job goodbye. But protecting Republic City is all I care about. We can't let Amon get his hands on this new weapon," Chief Beifong insisted.

***

The raid didn't go so well. Other than the fact that Asami was giving us the dirtiest looks yet, it also wasn't really looking good for our investigation. There weren't any obvious clues that we were being misguided by the Satos.

"Chief, the estate's been secured. No one has left the workshop since we arrived."

Mako gave me a side-eyed glare. "How could you let Korra do this to Asami? I thought you were the mature one, Zaya."

I sighed heavily. "I'm not Korra's babysitter. Not that she needs one, mind you. But we have to clear Asami's dad if we're going to drop him from the investigation. The city's fate is at stake here, Mako."

"Perhaps we just couldn't see him leaving," Chief Beifong said, using her bending to sense any underground structures below us. It was always pretty cool to see her do that. "There's a tunnel beneath the workshop running deep into the mountainside."

"What? There's no tunnel," Asami insisted, but Chief Beifong used her bending to remove a hidden trap door on the floor and revealed a staircase going deeper underground.

I gasped. "There is a secret tunnel."

"Do you think your dad knows about this tunnel?" Bolin asked Asami in a whisper.

Asami looked completely distressed. I felt bad for her. It must feel terrible to realize that all you knew about your parents is a lie.

"I don't understand. There must be an explanation," Asami insisted, her voice cracking.

"Maybe you don't know everything about your father," Korra said sadly. "I'm sorry."

"For what it's worth, I was kind of hoping that Korra would be wrong. I think we all were," I told her sympathetically.