Asami did her utmost best to remain understanding as she stared at Chief Lin.

  The rumors that swirled in the previous night had put a mild damper on the last day of the pro-bending championship. But with details sparse, she and her father led the heads of Future Industries in oblivious celebration at the Fire Ferrets earning second place. The second the game ended, Asami knew that Future Media would be delivering the prepared story of the brothers’ hard climb from obscurity to the city’s newspapers, to highlight their achievements and impress on everyone’s minds that second place was more than anyone could expect for a rookie pro-bender team, even one with the Avatar in it.

  The parting words they gave as they received their awards reinforced that impression, with Mako especially sticking to the script in expressing pleasant surprise and frustrated disappointment in equal measure. His stiff delivery helped sell the notion that he was holding back his emotions, though Asami knew Mako was likely experiencing nervousness now that it was all over. On the other hand Bolin, apparently prone to sentimentality, enhanced his brother’s speech by breaking down into ‘tears of the valiantly defeated’, as Dao had put it.

  Thankfully, Korra also kept to her own script, and Asami had to admit that the Avatar gave a surprisingly humble and genuine smile as she appreciated the opportunity she’d been given to take part in such a grand event, and hoping she’d be able to help the Fire Ferrets reach the top next year.

  It was all stirring stuff that captured the fighting spirit of competitive pro-bending, and more importantly it also ensured that the loyal fans of the Fire Ferrets remain invested in supporting the team.

  Nobody likes a loser, but most everyone loves an underdog tale. Isashi’s words, though it was Xing who was capitalizing on that idea.

  So Future Industries had every reason to celebrate that night, which resulted in Asami being rudely awakened by a call from Ren, resulting in her rushing off to Future Media at dawn to find the metalbending police crawling all over the building, while Xing and the police chief held a discussion in his office.

  “I’ve told my people to be careful,” Lin assured in a grim tone, earning a curt nod from Xing, whose eyes were clearly heavy from a sleepless night. Probably stayed up to review the marketing proposals that piggybacked off the Fire Ferrets’ defeat.

  “I appreciate the effort, Chief Lin. But I’m sure you know that searching the building at this time is likely unproductive.”

  Lin had the audacity to shrug. “It’s either the police conducting the search, or Tarrlok’s task force.”

  Oh. That…changes things.

  Xing nodded again, slower and with open gratitude this time. “You have my thanks, chief.”

  “Don’t thank me just yet. Because the Itiros were close friends of Tarrlok, and the Equalist presence at the crime scene, the councilman’s itching to take full control over the investigation.”

  There was a second of silence, enough for everyone in the office to hear the drumming of metal-plated boots outside. Asami wondered how much less careful those footfalls might sound if they belonged to Tarrlok’s goons.

  Xing nodded casually. “Well, Tarrlok or not, we’ll fully cooperate with any official investigation, of course.”

  The police chief had barely mirrored the gesture before he continued. “I have to say, though, it’s quite unbelievable to find a mere laborer being caught up in a terrorist plot. My impression of the Equalists so far is that they tend to field more skilled followers to carry out their dirty work.”

  “Could be a change of tactics,” Lin answered with a shrug. “They weren’t being so open about their kidnapping and bending-stealing until recently, after all.”

  “I suppose…” Asami begrudgingly conceded, remembering the days when the Equalists were labeled as nothing more than a small but rapidly growing underground organization, with hints of criminal activities. They were seen as rising rivals to the triads, at best.

  Now they’re instigating kidnappings and wholesale slaughter.

  “And the only proof we have of the Equalist’s involvement was Goro’s body being found at the scene?” Xing pressed.

  Lin shrugged again. “He was the only body found that was not part of the Itiro family, and he did have an Equalist face cover on him when we found him.”

  “But he’s not the only perpetrator?” Asami confirmed.

  “It’d be impossible for one man to hack his way through an entire extended family and their servants. My investigators found multiple foreign footprints that poured through the service entrance alongside Goro’s. Witnesses around the area also spotted multiple groups of people converging in the direction of the Itiro estate around that time, though it’s unclear if they were wearing any Equalist regalia.”

  Xing gave a dissatisfied hum. “They could’ve simply put on their uniforms and facecloths after entering the estate…”

  “Exactly.”

  Asami took in all the information so far, and found herself mirroring her boyfriend’s thoughtful frown. “So…a small mob somehow forced their way into the Itiro’s estate, slaughtered everyone in it, and the Itiros put up only enough of a fight to kill one of the intruders?”

  The look Lin gave her told Asami that she too knew how weird the whole premise sounded. “Well, with how much of a mess the place was, we honestly doubt that the Equalists only suffered one casualty. Current theory is that the perps realized our airship patrol was getting close and decided to scram, and in their rush to leave, they dropped Goro on the way out, judging from where we found him.”

  “How do you just…forget a fallen colleague?”

  The police chief’s eyes glazed over for a moment. “You’d be surprised what criminals can leave behind when they’re thrown into a panic. I’ve seen thieves abandon their own children to flee when we raided their homes, and robbers who were left behind after boosting their ‘friends’ over a wall. With the butchery that occurred last night, I’m not surprised that the assailants cared little for their own.”

  Silence slipped into the room for a moment, with Asami scowling sourly at having to acknowledge a new low people can stoop down to.

  “It still feels…off, that Goro was involved,” Xing finally said, breaking the moment. “I interviewed him, and he didn’t seem like the type to risk a stable job for something like this.”

  “People lie,” Lin bluntly replied, and adopted a lecturing air. “And remember, he wasn’t at the Itiros for the money. He did it for the damned Equalist cause, just like every perp my officers and Tarrlok’s task force apprehended. They can be laborers or cushy academics, but their loyalty is to Amon and his deluded whims.”

  There was a moment where Xing seemed ready to offer a rebuttal - and if Asami was right, it’d be a long one - but then decided against it, and nodded instead.

  “Well, Future Media will gladly cooperate with the metalbending police to bring the perpetrators of this reprehensible event to justice. I only ask that the investigations be conducted fairly.”

  “Of course,” the head of police answered, looking a bit affronted as if she and her force would be anything but professional.

  “I hope that my staff will be questioned, not harassed. I don’t want the entirety of my non-bending staff apprehended on flimsy suspicion.”

  This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  Lin’s brows twitched. “I’m not Tarrlok.”

  Asami folded her arms and huffed. “Which is why I haven’t called on our lawyers yet.”

  The Ironclad gave a lopsided smirk. “I appreciate it.”

  Oh, her father would no doubt love another chance at suing the city again for discrimination and negligence, but Chief Lin was a respectable and reliable figure, one that could cooperate with. And besides, the slaughter of the Itiros was a great concern, and Xing was right in wanting to maintain transparency to keep Future Media clean. Don’t bend over too much for the city’s authorities, but don’t shield the staff in a way that’d appear suspicious to outsiders.

  Xing finally rose from his seat, marking an end to the meeting. “Well then, since the morning’s coming soon, will you and your people be taking a short break before the working day starts and you can start questioning the staff as they come in?”

  Asami barely caught the flash of a moment when Lin narrowed her eyes. “My men can work in shifts.”

  Xing shrugged and gave Asami a look. “I’ll remain here, of course, in case I’m needed for questioning, and to oversee access to the storage rooms. Maybe you should join Ren and Kai for breakfast?”

  “Shall I get you something?”

  He gave Lin a semi-serious glance. “Would the police be poking into soup noodles and meat buns if they were delivered over?”

  “Oh, please.”

  *****

  While the initial plan had gone on swimmingly, the reaction to the massacre at the Itiro estate was barely to Tarrlok’s liking. For starters, that damnable Lin had insisted that the investigation was still under her jurisdiction instead of relinquishing it to his task force. It took until daybreak, when the ruling council’s administrative office finally opened, for Tarrlok to gain the stamped paperwork to seize control of the whole operation.

  If it were any other occasion, Tarrlok might have been impressed that the usually blunt woman actually wielded bureaucracy against him. Now all that was needed was for Tenzin to do the same and porcupythons will be growing legs.

  And getting Lin to pass jurisdiction to the task force was moot by then, because her damned police had already thoroughly investigated the Future Media building. It’d require proper, legal justification for the councilman to issue another search of the headquarters anytime soon; Tarrlok did not want to give the corporations to close ranks and pool their resources again.

  Without any evidence of wrongdoing, Tarrlok did not have any sort of legitimacy to tighten the screws around Xing and his stupid media company. The blackmail on the other councillors was not that significant to allow him that free a hand.

  On the bright side, his task force now had control of the crime scene, the morgue, and the evidence. He had a foundation to work with. All Tarrlok needed to do was to draw out certain procedures and deflect attention in certain areas for a day or two to let the evidence evaporate. The autopsy reports were already dealt with - the old healer was a loyal and obedient man, he’d focus on the horrid slash and stab wounds as Tarrlok had suggested, trying to figure out the weapons used during the massacre, instead of worrying about irrelevant things like the condition of the deceased's respiratory and digestive tracts.

  It might be an outdated theater trope, but poisoning was highly effective if executed correctly. Thanks to the councilman’s close circle of acquaintances and lobbyists including experienced healers, and his own knowledge on the matter, finding a fast-acting toxin was far less of a chore than it could’ve normally been.

  Tarrlok’s personal stash was intended as an extreme option, to be used in case his more confidential subordinates needed to be removed without raising too much of a fuss. One-time use cases, to avoid arousing suspicion.

  Now though, with attention being focused on how each corpse was butchered instead of poisoned, the option would remain open for a second use.

  Or even a third, now that Tarrlok had found a workaround the whole ‘suspiciously dropping dead’ issue.

  It’d take a while to replenish his stock, though. Procuring most of those ingredients in quantities of more than a few pinches would draw attention regardless of who you were, and for good reason too.

  Tarrlok had emptied his entire stock - a small paper satchel’s worth of fine white and brown powder - to brew a pot’s worth of liquid death, and it remained potent even when waterbended into a fine mist that could wipe out an entire noble household.

  Engineering the gathering was easy enough; the Itiros were supposed to all be together in time for a convenient Equalist attack, and the same goons they hired against Future Media would play as the family’s servants that’d help rebuff the sudden assault, at which point evidence would be found that so happen to point to Future Media.

  It was a stupid plan, of course. Hiring more people to play Equalists was just asking for the whole farce to be leaked, and for another, and having the supposed terrorists chased off would send the wrong message to the city. The Equalists still needed to be feared, letting them be chased off a noble’s grounds by an army of servants would paint a different picture.

  Regardless, the heads of the Itiro family bought up the excuse readily enough, especially to redeem their earlier failure. They even agreed to Tarrlok’s request to have the muscle filter into the estate in small groups, both to give any eyewitnesses ample suspicious movements to remember, and to leave an undeniable mess of tracks for the city investigators to pick up.

  Tarrlok had waited until the family took their places in a farce of a happy gathering, and the goons changed into servants’ outfits. It took only minutes for the mist to smother the entire area, and such was its strength that the surprised victims couldn’t manage anything louder than an agonizing cough.

  He might have failed in fully implicating Xing, but in the end it didn’t even take half an hour for Tarrlok to completely cut off the loose, incompetent end that was the Itiro dynasty. Honestly, the other families should be thanking him for creating a new opening in the city…

  Tarrlok remembered where he was and suppressed a grin as he nodded along to the noise that spewed out of Tenzin’s mouth. Something about finding ways to increase security without needlessly frightening the innocent, non-bending citizens and businesses.

  It was delusional woo-woo, but it wasn’t the time to argue that point just yet, especially against the son of the city’s idealistic founder.

  Tarrlok waited for Tenzin to finish his speech to the council before casually gesturing with a hand. “Well Tenzin, that’s all well and good, but the point remains that a noble family has been massacred in their own home. You honestly cannot expect us to keep using light taps and gentle whispers?”

  “You already have your task force,” Tenzin sternly rebutted, “and their results thus far have fallen well short from your estimates.”

  The northern water tribe councillor stamped down on the urge to scowl and click his tongue, but still leveled a bemused glare at his colleague. “This sort of operation takes time, as you well know. The Equalists are deeply entrenched-”

  “And all the raids have been doing, other than nabbing naive recruits and clueless business owners, is forcing them deeper into the shadows! If anything, the task force’s aimless raids might have very well caused the Equalists to escalate their activities!”

  “Now you’re crossing into hysterics, Tenzin,” Tarrlok sniped as he rose from his seat. “We all knew that the Equalists were a threat. We all knew that Amon was slowly but surely escalating to further his agenda. Now, the massacre was a jump that we were not prepared for, but that doesn’t mean we should not shy away from responding in force.”

  There was a sudden burst of inspiration, and the councilman stood straighter as he turned his head slowly and met the gazes of his peers.

  “The fact that one of the suspects was a worker at Future Media - the same Future Media that the Equalists tried to besiege some days ago - should remind us of the disturbing fact that the Equalists can easily infiltrate any establishment. Maybe the mob at the gates were supposed to be let in by a conspirator, maybe they were expecting their comrades from the inside of Future Media to come out and join them.”

  “But Xing-

  Tarrlok scoffed to hide his amusement. “Director Xing might be a great businessman, but I highly doubt he’s completely immune to being scammed. Or is Amon, the terrorist, above such a tactic as lying, you think? He’s probably apologizing only because his plan failed…assuming that’s really Amon in the first place. In the same vein, who’s to say that an Itiro servant was secretly an Equalist?”

  Ah, go ahead and stew on that, Tenzin.

  “Make no mistakes, my fellow councillors: what happened last night would understandably incite fear and uncertainty in the people of our great city. And it’s our duty to allay their fears and dispel their concerns. We cannot afford to play nice with any Equalists, or those that support them from the sides.”

  “But neither can we afford to go on a blind chase, incarcerating every non-bender,” Tenzin annoyingly but unsurprisingly cut in.

  Tarrlok paused for a moment before nodding with suitable gravitas. “We can’t. That’s why I’m suggesting that we focus more resources into combating the Equalist threat. We can reorganize the metalbending police, the task force, and other organizations to more effectively root the terrorists out of hiding. Track down and capture whoever’s been sponsoring them, or at least lock down their assets. Hold the Equalist sympathizers just as responsible as the terrorists they support.”

  There was a pause, to let the other councillors digest the words, and Tarrlok almost smiled as he saw the subtle nods from his more agreeable colleagues as they conceded the point.

  “And you’ll be directing all of this?” Tenzin said, spoiling the moment.

  “We the council will decide how the resources will be allocated, and what policies to amend.” Which amounted to the same thing, but Tenzin was free to delude himself. Tarrlok waited, and to his satisfaction the air nomad councilman could not raise any protest, at least for now.

  “It is time we take decisive action, before another family is massacred, or a business is razed to the ground.” There, play to the airbender’s sense of duty…

  And sure enough, the ensuing vote to review and reorganize Republic City’s security was unanimous in its result.

  Tarrlok’s initial plans might have gone askew, but if couldn’t paint Xing as an Equalist (not yet, anyway), he’d happily settle for gaining more control over Republic City.