A strike. Right in front of the medical school. Another strike. Blocking the road to the hospital where she interned. Frejya sighed. It had all become part of the routine - the rioting, the collateral victims, everything. It was all part of quotidian life these days and she didn't know whether to feel sad or enraged anymore. One thing was certain, however - she was powerless. And the one person who could do anything about this chaotic situation had become a little more than a legend, something of the past. How long had it been since she last saw a bender, an actual bender? Too long, perhaps. She found herself worrying about it most days, worrying about actual benders still being out there, worrying about the Avatar not returning, about their situation going from bad to worse and the way things looked - that was very likely indeed.

Freyja! A voice called to her from down the hall. She grabbed her bottle of water from the vending machine, realizing she had taken more than ten minutes to make her pick and walked away. I'm sorry. Rounds start yet? She asked, absently. Upon receiving a positive reply, she rushed down the hall, the buzzing of the tv broadcasting news of riots sticking to her like glue.

Sepa had just returned to his home at the Southern Air Temple from a spirit-mission on Ember Island where a dark spirit had caused some uproars. He never seized to surprise him how petty humans could be, and how easily the spirits would be affected by it. He had been happy to catch a glimpse of the ancient Firelord Zuko's childhood home, a place of great spiritual turmoil, but had only visited briefly.

He was met by his airbending master Pilaf at the landing platform where Sepa dismounted his Sky-bison Yeepa.
"Greetings young Sepa, I take it that everything went well?" the master asked him.
Sepa sighed, the trip had been long and he had hoped to rest before being debriefed.
"Yes master Pilaf, everything went well. The spirit left for a more calm environment and the villagers have come to an agreement. And to think, all of this for a bunch of cabbages" , Sepa bowed to his master in the typical airbender greeting before being pulled into a fatherly hug.

Master Pilaf smiled at Sepa and said: "That's good Sepa. I'm afraid that you have two missions ahead of you though, after you get some rest ofcourse"
Sepa sighed heavily, ofcourse there'd be no rest for him. There weren't many airbending monks left, even though the airbending community has grown: The spiritual ways had, despite the existence of spirits in their world, withdrawn themselves from spiritual activities. He just hoped that he'd get to go to Ba Sing Se. He had heard much about the great Iroh, member of the White Lotus order, and hoped to see the tea shop where he settled down.

"You are going to Ba Sing Se, to convert with a monk there who will tell you more about your second mission and last destination. Get some rest, you will leave in the morning and... Take good care of yourself, we will look out for your mother while you are gone". Master Pilaf looked concerned, but Sepa had already lost focus: He was going to Ba Sing Se. " I will make you proud master Pilaf and thank you for your concern".
Sepa hurried home to tell his mother about his new missions and that he wouldn't get to see her in a while. She was so proud when she saw him off the following morning, provisioned, well fed and well prepared.
He touched down in Ba Sing Se early in order to catch a cup of tea at the famous Jasmine Dragon Tea Shop. The tea, while splendid, had a taste of mass-fabrication about it which made Sepa disappointed, but the spiritual experience of meditating there made it worth his while. He felt Iroh's strong spirit present and also had a taste of disappointment that did not quite seem to belong to him. He took that as Iroh's distaste for how his shop had turned out and couldn't help but laugh as he walked away, touching the washed-down facade of the tea shop once more before going.

He was grabbed by the arm by a monk with an arrow-tattoo similar to his own, although his clothes were modern and his hair grown to a point where you could barely see the tip of the blue arrow on his forehead. "You must be Sepa. Follow me please" the modern-looking monk took him on a walk down to the outer ring of the city. "We have reasons to believe that the Avatar has returned. Have you discussed the disappearance of the Avatar with your mentor?". Sepa nodded solemnly and replied: "Yes I have, we both agreed that a mixture of Avatar Korra's experiences as well as her many uses of the Avatar-state before becoming attuned to her spiritual side plus the eroding connection between humans and the spiritual world have caused the Avatar to become invisible and undiscovered. Perhaps even by the Avatar itself". The stranger nodded while giving Sepa a Pai Sho tile with a white lotus, a map, and a coinpurse. "Go to Republic City, there's a small apartment waiting for you there. Find out what you can about the Avatar and the spiritual disturbance in the city as well as the fabricated benders. Send word to Master Pilaf when you find something. Good luck", and without further explanation he vanished.

So Sepa left, riding Yeepa close to the ground (he disliked the turbulence airplanes caused), while staring at the Pai Sho tile: What did all this mean? Did they entrust him with finding the Avatar? Or was he just a part of a larger searchteam? And were the rumors true? Were ordinary people able to obtain bending-abilities in unnatural ways?

Sepa landed outside the city and unlatched Yeepa's harnesses. "You better get out of here, find some hills close by where you can stay. I'll miss you buddy", he padded Yeepa one last time before the giant air-bison flew off. Then, with his cloak covering his monk-clothes and the hood covering his airbending-tattoo, Sepa proceeded into the city carrying both Yeepa's harness and his modest belonings. Sepa walked through the streets almost visibly shuddering at the aggressive nature of the city: Strikes and demonstrations everywhere, no sign of spirits (as was the case in most cities) and a clear sign of the overwhelming lack of benders. His first trip to Republic City would obviously be one that would shake him to his core.

He found his apartment, two buildings away from a hospital, on top of an abandoned pro-bending gym. The apartment was one big room with large windows facing the street. "So. This is my home for Avatar knows how long. I better make the best of it" Sepa proceeded to air out the apartment using his bending to rush out the dirt through the window. The least he could do was make his new home a clean one; Both physically and spiritually.

"You haven't been yourself today." Frejya rolled her eyes and threw away the empty can of soda, the fourth in as many hours. "Just a little stress. Bit of a migraine." She said curtly. "I'll be fine. Say, it's weird... an entire day of work and not a sign of doctor Tulunak." She echoed, mostly to herself as she looked once more around the hallways as though to make sure what she was saying was true. She admired the man and his work and aspired to be as capable in the field as he was someday. However, the day had been extremely hard on her, she had barely managed to keep her head above water and it was all because of that blasted headache. At least she wasn't on call today. She smiled to her colleague before she took off, deciding to walk rather than grab a cab. She hoped the fresh air would be able to help her clear her mind.

As her steps drew her a couple of blocks away from the hospital and less than halfway to her home, Frejya was distracted by the sound of footsteps and snickering from behind. She huffed as she came to a halt, looked from side to side and dashed into a narrow alleyway between two buildings. She searched through her purse and grabbed the device, taking in a deep breath before fastening it onto her skull, not a second too soon. The crooks were right in front of her the moment she was hooked to the apparatus. "Nice hiding spot, love. We'll take your belongings now." A squeaky voice informed her as the figure it came from drew a gun and held it where she could see it, obviously to intimidate her.
"I don't think so." Frejya replied, moving her arms in the air delicately, stirring the waters in the sewer below. "And I'm not in the mood to give you a chance to run." She added before water broke out through the manhole behind the crooks and hit them squarely in the back, before scooping them up and throwing them sideways only to pick them up again and throw them even further until, screaming for her to stop, the assailants had had enough. More out of exhaustion than good will, Frejya released her grip on them and watched them run as she leaned against the wall, panting, her eyes shut to block the headache. She counted to ten, then twenty, then thirty before convincing her limbs to move and unhook her from the device. "Blasted thing..." She whispered, still panting, attempting to get herself moving once again unsuccessfully.

Sepa heard screaming coming from outside his open window. He sighed heavily while grabbing his glider-staff and cloak. "Well that sounds like a great welcome", he airbent the large window open and jumped out of it, unfolded his glider and flew on top of the building. He followed the screams but only managed to catch a last glimpse of what was obviously waterbending and a couple of shady looking men scuttling away, soaking wet and limping. Sepa folded his glider and gently lowered himself down into the alley by directing an airstream to the buildings on each side of him.

The hood still in place, he landed in front of the lady whose eyes were closed, obviously concentrating and panting. He slowly pulled the cowl of his cloak back as he gently gestured towards the woman, blowing a gentle breeze in her face. "That sounded like one hell of a bending-show. Too bad I missed it". It was only then that he saw what she held in her hand: A strange diadem of sorts that he had never seen before. He added that to the clearly uncomfortable state the woman was in and realized what that device might have been. He decided to take the diplomatic approach, rather than to judge her head-on.

"Are you alright? My name is Sepa, I come from the Southern Air Temple and... I'm new in town." He looked at her smiling and then gestured around him, "So. This looks like a friendly place, who do I have the pleasure of talking to? Besides a waterbender ofcourse"

Sepa knew that there was no reason to judge a person upon first impression or their possessions, but rather wait and see what their aims are.

The breeze was more than welcome and Frejya found a second to compose herself in between being reinvigorated by the wind and it going away. However, she jumped with surprise when the man addressed her and mentioned her bending. She chuckled and shrugged letting out a nervous "Uh, well, y'know...", unsure of whether she should still be on her guard or not, although there was nothing in the man's posture (or strange clothing, for that matter) that gave away any peculiar intentions. But still, in Republic City everything was possible.

She relaxed a bit more as he introduced himself politely, a feature that eluded most residents of Republic City, especially those of her generation and she commented with an 'oh' as the young man revealed his original whereabouts. A monk, no less and in a place like that... She gulped and her expression turned from focused and calm to guilty within moments as he referred to her as a waterbender. Averting her gaze, she confessed inarticulately: "Uh, I'm not...actually...a waterbender. I mean, I bend water, sure, but I'm not really a waterbender. Truth is, we... haven't exactly seen benders around in a long time. Not the real kind, at least." Frejya continued, her eyes, well, one good eye, finally making contact with the glider. Her jaw dropped and she pointed at the contraption with the excitement and astonishment of a five year old "Are you... by any chance, a bender? An airbender?"

Tulu had received orders to start observing any low level criminals that operated in the vicinity of the hospital. Whilst he would not look out of place walking in the surrounding neighbourhood, he most definitely would be suspicious doing anything but moving, whether that be standing, waiting, spying, lurking... This was not what he signed up for. He signed up because his grandmother had taught him the ways of healing very well and with her passing he had found himself offered her place amongst the White Lotus membership. He was to help with political information, advise on matters of waterbending within Republic City and be one of a handful of healing experts. Now he was spying on a couple of muggers. How he had fallen.

He shifted the hood of his cloak as he sat on a fire escape the opposite side of the road. He made the surface of a puddle two storeys below ripple in agitation as he saw the shadow figures stiffen. Then he saw her. NO! He had to intervene. He couldn't let her get hurt. But his orders were to only observe. If he was to go out in the open his cover would be blown and suddenly he'd be a target for the local mob. No one would want a nosey waterbender in a respected medical position. He clenched his fists as the shadowy figures rounded on his friend. He closed his eyes.

They flung open to the sound of rushing water and the pleas of the two criminals as they were thrown around by a rogue wave of sewer water. Only it wasn't rogue. It was being controlled. She has finally realised her natural ability, Tulu grinned. An expression that was quickly dissolved when the harsh artificial light of a nearby street lamp glinted off the metal headpiece she grasped in her hands. That fucking device he muttered, to no one in particular. He sullenly pulled himself to his feet and prepared himself to run shocked and disbelieving to her aid when none other than a bloody air bender drops down beside her and engages in conversation.
Tulu groaned knowing what he'd have to do to get decent information. The sewage grate beside him was eased out of place by a rising column of water that quickly parted to allow him access. Arms and hands dancing in precise flowing movements, Tulu crept underneath the street on the verge of gagging as the waste water flowed around his body.

Then he heard the voices... Of course she's a waterbender. And of course he's an air bender. Sometimes he had to wonder how people functioned at a lower intelligence. Then a turd floated past his foot and he could only sigh.

Selene was walking up and down all the streets, at her normal routine pace. Business was slow as usual, and nothing seemed incredibly interesting. Her stomach rumbled at she looked around her for any kind of food place. She looked down tempted at the herbs that were encased in glass bottles at her hip, but her parents told her never to eat the merchandise. She continued to walk up the street, until she spotted a little cart with assorted meats on a grill. She licked her lips as she raced over to the cart, examining. Her face fell to disappointment as she saw there was no lizard, and sighed. It was then the merchant running the cart snapped her to attention.

"Well? What will ya have?" he said in a snappy tone. She sighed, food was food. She sighed, pointing to 5 different meats. "I'll take these." her thick swamp accent requested as the owner dumped them into a cardboard box and put them down on the table. "That'll be about 40 yuan" the merchant replied, and Selene swallowed hard. Was it just her or was food getting more expensive. But more importantly, she only had ten yuan in her bag. "Oh, uh sir, I think I can offer something much better!" she started off, the merchant raising an eyebrow. She quickly unstrapped a bottle of one of her finest herbs, and held it up. "Its dried uncluk leaf, makes a delicious tea, and its very good for your nails!" she smiled her best buy-my-product smile her parents had showed her, but the merchant frowned and shook his head. "I don't take no herbs" he said in a grave tone. "I told you" he repeated "That'll be 40 yuan"

Selene swallowed and felt herself shrink before she replied. "I... only have 10" she muttered quietly. At this the merchant stood up and grabbed her collar, lifting her up. "You saying you can't pay me?" he threatened. "I... I got lots of herbs mister..." she said, her voice shaking badly. Her eyes widening as he raised up a fist. "I promise.. there really good herbs..." she began panicking.

"Lady Cesarino!" The goons cried, they flung themselves onto Alessandra's feet, "We can't allow your precious skin to be tanned by the sun!"
"Shut up you imbecile's, I need some fresh air," She spat at them.
"We can't possibly let you go-"
"Shut up, I don't need you to grovel at my feet just because I'm going outside. Just walk with me, god dammit."
"You know damn well that you're wanted, please Lady Cesarino! Don't leeeave uuuussss," They all wept and tried drying their eyes with their sleeves, "Our Lady is leaving us!"

Alessandra sighed and kicked them off of her. "You're all a bunch of toddlers," She grunted as she walked out of the building - Which was just a run down 'not suspicious' hotel -. She extended her hand as the goons followed behind her, they were like loyal puppies, stupid enough to frolic in a land mine but surprisingly house trained.
The goons handed her her cane, they new the drill; When Lady Cesarino she wanted one of two things, her cane, or a cigar.
A goon walked beside her and lit a cigar, placing it in between her lips, he then shuffled back to rejoin the group of thugs. She had with her at least three.

---

She had a nice walk, the scenery, the faces of the store owners as they glanced towards her group. Alessandra was well known for ransacking stores, but today was different, she had a slightly helpful urge take over, maybe it would be good to even out her karma?
Alessandra stopped behind a girl, who didn't appear to be around her, she looked rather... Different; Her clothes being unique and the fact that she had a rather strange mix in her accent.

The merchant stared upwards, his crabby face turning into a slight worried expression.

"My my..." Alessandra snapped her fingers, two goons held the merchant up by his arms. "I suggest you give that to her for free, I'd like you to treat this foreigner with respect!" She couldn't help but laugh slightly at what she said.

"P-Please, Ms. Cesarino, I need to pay for my family, I can't simply let her get away with that without paying 40 yua-"
"Shut up, Lady Cesarino has spoke, you will obey or else you will be leaving here today with broken bones."
The merchant gulped and nodded his head submissively.

Goivi breathed in and out slowly and steadily, after a few seconds he clenched his fist and let out a blur of punches and kicks at the base of the trunk. He stopped his a final elbow to the side and jumped back breathing heavily as the tree began to fall over. He smile, as he realized how much he had improved, no ax needed. He brought the trunk to the shore and tied it to 15 other one trees of about the same size and width. He grinned as he wiped the sweat off his brow. It had been a whole month, or at least he thought, as he recently lost count. But not he could finally leave, no more eating the bland mushrooms, and grassy vegetation, he had decided that he was going to eat as much udon as he could when he got back, his mouth watered just thinking about it. He shook his head as he set up the mast, he laughed the whole time.
"I can't believe it, after all this time I can get back"
He knew that the gangster's that did this to him were still probably around, and that he could take them out like they where one of these trees, but he no longer seeked vengeance, he quested for a nice bowl of udon. Goivi tied down his mast and pushed the makeshift raft into the the water. he was so happy, was he felt a gust of wind take him in the desired path.
"finally"
He jumped on and looked around checking all of the things around him, he didn't really need any food as he should get there in about 5 hours, but he bought a days worth encase. He sighed thinking of all the times he remembered on the island, and part of him felt as if he was deserting his home. He smiled thinking of the one thing he would miss, until that very thing crawled out of his pocket, chewing on an oregano leaf he had from before he ha been marooned so rudely.
"so my little rat companion, I see are fate's have been intertwined" he said smiling as he picked the rodent up and placed him on his shoulder. He knew others would think he was repulsive, but styx was his only ally in his time of need. He was taught what to eat, and even made a style based on the little guy's movements, and had been dying to test it out. He smiled as styx climbed to his head. He always wanted a pet, but until now he could never take care of one, but this big guy could never die, that's why he named him styx.

Selene became confused as she watched some goons hold down the merchants, and she was offered the box of meats by a goon, and she cautiously took the box. "Are you sure this isn't illegal?" she asked the woman in charge, who was much taller than she was. She took out 5 yuan of her bag and slipped it into his pocket, smiling softly. "Maybe I should get going along" she said, turning to the woman. "Thanks a lot for your help Miss...Catsaregreat?" she guessed. It was a foreign name, she assumed.

"Oh!" she piped up, unhooking another herb from her waist. "Dried swamp Fergl berries. Good for hallucinations" she said, handing over the bottle into her hand. She ate those often in the swamps, hallucinations were very common with the fog that constantly swept through. Though with all the smoke that ran through the cities buildings and factory, she was surprised no one talked about hallucinating. Then again, a lot of things surprised her about the city. She expected a sparkling gem with happy people on every corner, but she found that there were more bad places in the city then good ones. And most people were not happy.

Goivi nabbed the berries from the girls hands and scarfed them down.
"oh you are such a kind girl, me and my friend here will enjoy these," he said as he gave the a few to the rat on his shoulder, who did the same as his master. He never remembered people being so kind, and he had barely made it back to republic city less than a minute ago. He noticed the to macho looking men who grabbed the lady as if taking her hostage and the worried expression on her face, and after a moment of contemplation, he figured out an explanation.
" wait a minute you guys are mobsters... and lizards how did you do that?" he said as he noticed the city around him changing into a slippery looking substance, he took a step back.
"your working with them aren't you?" he said as the people around him look strangely, with fangs bared and purple tentacles oozing there way out.
"help police, aliens, monsters, demons from the farthest depths of the underworld": He rubber necked to his compainion, and noticed it had the same fear in it's face, but all in all looked the same. He set his feet apart and clenched his fist as he set into a boxer stance.
"I may not look like much, but I am a a capable young man, so don't you try any of your demon mind tricks"

"You could say that this is legal, by our terms. And, you can say that this man, is very very... How do you say? High." Alessandra pointed her cane at the man who ate the foreign girl's berries. "It's promounced Cesarino by the way, Chez-ah-ree-no."
The two goons dropped the store keeper and cracked their knuckles, stepping forward towards the hallucinating man, but Alessandra stopped them, "L-Lady Cesarino, don't get your hands dirty."
"Shut up, you bimbos, I'm not doing anything unless he wants decides to throw punches."

Alessandra did a few fluent moves, the ground in front of her began to shuffle and raise a wall of rock and dirt, blocking the way to get to the small group- the wall extends across the whole street-, just a precaution.
With her cane she grabbed the foreign girl's abdomen and slung her onto her shoulder. "I bid you adieu." She tipped her hat and ran off, leaving her two goons to settle her affairs with the hallucinating man. Unfortunately, the two were non benders, and would most likely will come back with wounds.

As the girl stepped away goivi took a step to what now looked like half men half tigers. With out hesitation he threw a fury of blind punches at them an ran into the wall, only to use his own bending to break it down, he thought he was in a Colosseum, and that the girl being taken away was a queen in distress.
"you Majesty, do not worry i shall save you from the tiger peoples evil grasp" he said and he skipped towards them (yes he skipped) as he did so his hands flopped around like wet noodles and his companion slipped off and ran to the mobster and merchant, and began searching them for something to cure goivi's problem, as even to the mouse it was clear he was baked. The mouse had realized what he had bitten into and did not finish his meal, but he was doomed in such a large town without his chum. He needed to get goivi's mind set straight, they couldn't save anyone like this.

Somewhere within the heart of Ba Sing Se, a gathering was taking place. The Order of the White Lotus, a group as elusive as the Avatar himself, was growing restless. The absence of the Avatar alongside the increasing number of fabricated benders were ill signs that threatened the balance of the world in ways unprecedented.
"We must intervene at once. This waiting's done nothing for us. We're still one Avatar short and our numbers dwindle while theirs grow!" The cracked, but severe voice of an elderly lady stated. Of course, she meant benders who had a natural affinity for elements when she said "our' and referred scornfully to those who achieved bending through artificial means by "theirs".

In the obscure room, lit dimly by an old tv screen, the Order sighed internally in unison. The situation seemed desperate and while they couldn't patrol the world looking for an Avatar that seemed to have disappeared for good due to more pressing matters, like trying to convince the authorities that the experiments Kaito and Jirou were doing were not only dangerous, but also of a suspicious nature, in spite of the inventors' arguments to support their cause, they did have agents who could take on the job for them. The old lady opened her lips again but was distracted by a sudden blink from the tv. The gathering was bathed in darkness for a second before the tv turned on again, displaying a pompous "Breaking News" banner in front of which stood no one other than Kaito himself, a wide grin spread on his mug.
"Good people of Republic City!" he stated sanctimoniously "I know these seem like dark times with crime, civil wars and other internal conflicts on the rise, I know you have all lost a lot, as did we and that there seems to be little hope in the world. But what I want to talk to you about this late afternoon is not hopelessness, I do not mean to remind you of things that haunt you every day of your existence. What I want you to do is listen. And leave all that worry behind, because what I am going to tell you now may well change your life for decades to come. Ladies and gentlemen, we've had our differences in the past, but today, I'm bringing you the ultimate proof that the work we do at BendCorp has your best interest at the core of it at all times. I give you, your new Avatar!" Kaito moved to the side, to reveal a shadowed silhouette behind a thin curtain. A pause, followed by reluctant gasps and then the crowd exploding in thunderous applause, all at the same time while the camera spanned over them to show their exultation. And then, just as suddenly as they had started, the waves of applause died down and Kaito continued his speech. "This has been our real purpose all along. And now that we have managed to stabilize our devices, we can work towards training this one incredibly talented person whom we will reveal when the time is right, to become your new Avatar and change the world forever! And now,a little demonstration."

The figure walked into the light, its face covered by a mask, the distinctive BendCorp device shining eerily on its head. The crowd fell silent once more as the figure took a moment in the middle of the scene and then produced flames, water and a powerful gust of air consecutively and then stopped with a ceremonious bow. The so-called Avatar lingered in the middle of the stage for a quick moment before retiring gracefully. Kaito's grin grew wider. "Ladies and gents, I hope this proves that we are only focused on your protection and that the idea of us or our work being harmful to you or your loved ones, is completely out of the question! I thank you for coming here today. Until next time!"

And with that the broadcast was over. In the small room, the ones gathered watched on with hollow eyes. The female voice broke the stillness once again.
"Send for Tulunak. This is a state of emergency."

---

[b]"I see you still hang out in the fanciest of places." a heavy, male voice came from behind Tulunak. "But the information I am about to pass to you requires a less.... echo-y place." The voice went on, with a hint of amusement in its tone this time around. Terence was the oldest among the agents of the Order and whenever he was sent off with information, odds were that the Order was facing some sort of despair.