Chapter Text
Headline: AMON STRIKES!
“The Equalist movement surfaces within the list of dangerous criminal organizations after a recent attack on the pro-bending arena! (1 killed, 12 injured or under critical care)”
...
“Countless casualties were avoided due to the unexpected appearance of Avatar Korra. The Avatar, thought to have been under careful watch in Air Temple Island, appeared to watch her first pro-bending match and luckily for us, was present to leap into action as Amon and his forces broke through the glass dome of the arena.”
Subarticle: Probending Prodigy Plummets!
“Of the many affected by Amon’s recent terrorist attack, the most disheartening would be the pro-bending star, Tahno of the White Falls Wolfbats. He - along with fellow members, Mihn and Yosai - fell victim to Amon’s mysterious power to permanently relinquish an individual of their bending abilities. Many worry for the fate of the city and wonder what future is in store for the “washed-up” pro-bending legend.
Republic City has lost more than their star player; it has lost all feelings of safety and security. If the “Tenacious Tahno” cannot overcome a group of non-benders, then who is truly safe in this city?”
Tahno scowls and angrily throws the newspaper unceremoniously to the side. He curses at the idiotic journalist pigs and downs his third drink. Unsatisfied by the buzz, Tahno tries to flag down a waiter for another round. The former pro-bending athlete sits alone at a booth in the Black Cat-Owl, a low-key bar club and cabaret in downtown Republic City. He is seated far from the clatter of the other establishment patrons, but close enough to get a good view of the stage which is setting up for its next performance.
Strangers cast piteous or otherwise sorry looks at the former waterbender. Tahno bitterly tries again to flag down a waiter, his eyes transfixed on his empty glass, unwilling to look the other bar patrons in the eye.
Suddenly, someone clears their throat next to him. Tahno wearily raises his eyes to find a tan-skinned water tribe girl disguised under a grey trench coat and beige hat. She looks back at him, her eyes tinged with kind sympathy.
“Well...look who finally decided to show,” Tahno drawled. “ Take a seat, have a drink.”
Avatar Korra slides into the seat opposite Tahno. She squirms awkwardly in the cushioned booth, not sure what to say. “Sorry I’m late. It’s harder escaping the island after recent events...I got your telegram to meet you here-”
“Obviously, otherwise you wouldn’t be here in the first place,” Tahno smirks. A waiter finally comes and Tahno signals for two more rounds. The waiter looks expectantly at Korra, but she declines with a wave of her hand.
“Right...Listen Tahno, I’m really sorry for what Amon did to you. I can’t imagine-”
“Cut the bullshit sympathy,” Tahno interrupts. “I didn’t wait here forever to hear a pity talk from the Uh-vatar. I want you to make that bastard, Amon, pay for what he did to my team.” The two lock eyes and Tahno’s buzzed expression turns into stone-cold sober hatred.
“Then help me. Tell me what you can about Amon and the Equalist movement. Tenzin and Lin think that keeping me in the dark will protect me from them.” Just then, the waiter comes back with Tahno’s shots and a courtesy glass of water for Korra. The Avatar smiles thankfully at the waiter as Tahno downs one of his shots.
“The Equalists are nothing but a bunch of whiny, wannabe revolutionists - a platform founded under nothing but their own shit. They’d be nothing without that kabuki-masked idiot pulling their strings,” says Tahno. “Take him out of the picture, and the rest of those bozos will scatter.”
“But how?” Korra wracks her brain trying to come up with plausible locations of a hideout, a secret source, or anything. Unfortunately, her unfamiliarity with Republic City makes her blind to the situation.
On the Black Cat-Owl stage, the MC steps into the spotlight to introduce the next act. Tahno’s attention immediately draws to the front of the club.
“Alright, this next sweetheart will make you melt with her sultry, sweet voice,” says the MC. “Here’s the sexy, the irresistible, Red!” On that queue, a woman with short, dark red hair and porcelain skin walks on stage. The crowd hoots and hollers as the band begins to play and the fiery-haired maiden entrances the room with her voice.
Tahno turns his attention back to the Avatar, transfixed on the newspaper laid out on the table. “Word on the street is the Triple Threat Triad is planning a counter attack on the Equalists’ leader. Maybe it’d be wise to look into that.”
“An assassination? Wouldn’t that make the conflict between benders and non-benders even more divided?” Korra knew that if a war with two of the city’s most wanted criminal organizations were to go head to head, the United Republic would cease to be ‘united’.
Tahno rolls his eyes and fixes his attention back to the captivating singer onstage. Korra follows his gaze to the front of the room and soon too falls entranced in the woman’s voice. The singer’s actions are as graceful and fluid as her voice and she acts as though she sings to an empty room.
Korra breaks from her trance when Tahno speaks, “I don’t know what to tell you, sugar plum. If you ask me, I think you should get to know more people in this city. Make connections..” He sighs and stretches his muscles, then glances back at the singer on stage, “Like with Red over there. Some people just have more secrets than others.”
Tahno downs his final shot for the night, pays the bill, and begins to head for the entrance near the front of the room. Korra grabs his sleeve as he walks past her.
“Tahno..” The washed-up pro-bender turns around to face her. “I’ll make sure to make this guy pay for what he did to you.” Korra’s eyes fix determinedly at Tahno’s.
Tahno merely chuckles and nods his head. “See you around...Uh-vatar.” He then turns to leave. As he approaches the stage, Tahno looks back up at the singer. They make eye contact as the former waterbender winks at her and exits the door into the cold night air.
The Avatar watches as the singer finishes her number. So much has happened in the short span of time since her arrival. Korra does not know how to begin to process all of it. Being locked away in a closed facility in the middle of nowhere has made her highly unprepared to combat conflicts such as this.
The song ends with the red-headed beauty taking bows and being showered by applause and (some unneeded) affection by the audience. Having been so caught up in her thoughts, Korra almost hadn’t realized that the mysterious red-head was walking right up to her.
“Hi there, sweetheart. Mind if I join you?” Korra was startled to find that she was even more radiant up close than onstage.
“By all means!” says Korra, a bit nervously. “Your singing is phenomenal, by the way.” Red slides into where Tahno sat just a few minutes ago. She eyes the Avatar rather curiously before speaking.
“You’re so sweet. I saw you talking to Tahno from a distance and just had to see what that ass was doing chatting with the Avatar.” Korra blushed at being discovered. So much for her brilliant disguise.
“How..did you know it was me?”
“Let’s just say your disguise isn’t the best I’ve seen so far...And Tahno may have mentioned it to me beforehand. We go back,” Red says with a smirk. “I know why you’re here. I can help you catch Amon.”
Korra perks up at the thought of being allies with Red in stopping Amon. But how can a cabaret singer help her catch Republic City’s number one most wanted? “How will we manage to do that? What’s in it for you?”
Red holds up her hand to silence the Avatar. “We can’t talk out here in the open. For now, let’s just say our common interests align,” Red takes one surveying look around the room before rising and taking the Avatar by the hand. “Follow me.”
“Whu-!” Before she knows it, Korra is being pulled along by the other woman across the room. Sleazy, drunk men try to holler at Red from the bar, but the mysterious woman ignores them and pulls Korra in front of her, hand wrapped around the Avatar’s waist.
“Where are we-” Korra starts, but Red silents her by pressing her lips near her ear.
“Sorry, we’re just going someplace private to talk so that creeps like that don’t overhear us.”
Red leads her into a threshold behind the stage and down a long, narrow hallway. The two are so close, Korra can smell Red’s intoxicating perfume. Jasmine? Vanilla? They pass by a couple men whistling profanity at them.
Finally, the two reach a door at the end of the hallway. Red swings it open and gestures Korra inside. They enter Red’s dressing room - complete with a makeup mirror, rack of outfits, a wooden chair, and an ornate love seat. The room is wide enough for two people to sit comfortably enough; the only light source is the makeup mirror and a lamp by the couch. Korra opts to sit on the wooden chair and Red lounges herself onto the love seat.
“I’m so sorry for all of that. There were too many people there that could have blown my cover,” says Red. Korra wonders what she means by that. Here she is being whisked away by this mysterious woman to initiate ‘incognito mode’ in her dressing room. How can she be trusted?
“You never answered my question. What’s in it for you to help me?” The red-haired woman looks at Korra and thoughtfully bites her lip before responding.
“Well, you see, my name’s not really Red.” The woman begins to pluck out pins from under her red hair. She then removes her red hair altogether along with the wig cap to reveal long locks of raven black hair. They cascade down over her shoulders and despite being under a wig for a long period of time, manage to look near-flawless.
“My name is Asami Sato. My father is formerly the head of Future Industries and I’m looking to clear his name.”