Maintaining the Balance

Over a several-week period, Katara slowly pried information out of Kahn before transmitting everything she had learned to her friends and former allies. Technology had advanced quite a bit since she was a child. Just a few years prior, the only way to send messages long distances in a short time was to use messenger hawks. Now, with the advent of radio, it was possible to communicate with the other side of the globe in real-time.
Upon hearing what Katara had to say, the senior members of the White Lotus that had once journeyed or fought alongside the Avatar wanted to meet in person. More specifically, they wanted to meet with Kahn and ask him for more information about the Elemental Avatars and their purpose in the world.
Fortunately for Kahn, Katara managed to deter the group from convening with an explanation of his quiet and reserved nature. The only person she couldn't stop was Toph, who, upon learning that Kahn was in contact with her husband, journeyed to the South Pole to both ask questions and help in Korra's training.
Though she was severely lacking in experience, Korra was already at the level of a Master Waterbender even before her training with Katara. Kahn had drilled all kinds of theories into her head, and, while she didn't have a great understanding of any of them, Korra had exhibited the rare ability to Bend plantlife, condense water from the atmosphere, and heal injuries.
As impressive as these three abilities sounded, it was Kahn's emphasis on control that turned Korra into a little monster. He had taken advantage of Korra's inability to sit still to teach her various control techniques that she could practice while, as Kahn put it, 'fidgetting about'. As a result, not only was Korra able to manipulate water into various animals, she could control both them and water using nothing but her mind.
Telepathic Bending, according to Kahn, was one of the most crucial skills any Bender could possess. He used the armless Waterbender, Ming Hua, the Combustion Bender, P'Li, and even Toph to illustrate how a person's mental image superseded the need to adhere to a specific form.
While Martial Arts could amplify the power of Bending, Kahn likened the average Bender to someone who was basically 'flinging' Chi out of their body in the hopes of something sticking. His teaching methods focused on directing and manipulating the flow of Chi within the body rather than trying to force it out through movement. Not only did this make a person's Bending more potent, it drastically increased their strength and durability.
Though most Avatars possessed relatively average strength in their base form, they would become monstrously powerful when they activated the Avatar State. Most people assumed this was a unique trait of the Avatar, but the truth of the matter was that their massive influx of Chi enhanced their senses and made their bodies exponentially stronger.
Thanks to the 'games' she had played with Kahn, the eight-year-old Korra could empower her body with Earth Elemental Chi to lift even the heaviest weights in the gym. It was one of the things she most enjoyed, as, even if he pushed himself, the six-month-older Kahn could only lift around 40kgs. Compared to Korra's 350kgs, he was far behind.
Fortunately, while there was no way he could compete with Korra in terms of physical strength and durability, Kahn more than made up for this with raw speed and destructive capacity. His mastery of the Lightning Infusion Technique effectively made him untouchable, and, thanks to his ability to condense plasma and siphon the heat from a person's body, conventional defenses were useless against him.
So long as he didn't agree to arm-wrestle her or something similar, there were few activities where Kahn didn't have the upper hand against Korra. Even wrestling and sparring were no exception as his spatial awareness and control over his body were head and shoulders above hers. She may be a martial arts prodigy, but, without cheating, there was no way for her to keep up with Kahn's speed and surgical precision. And if she did cheat, Kahn could simply use Chi Blocking to level the playing field or altogether disable her.
The only instances where Kahn had lost against Korra was when he had unintentionally brought her to tears. It was rare, but there were moments when Korra would just stop in the middle of a fight, sit on the ground, and start crying. More often than not, this was the result of sustaining a heavy blow to one of the more sensitive parts of her body, particularly her shins. Other times, however, she would get so frustrated by her inability to land so much as a grazing blow on Kahn that she would break down and start bawling.
As resilient and determined as she was, Korra was still just an eight-year-old girl. Her ability to press forward despite numerous losses was one of her most commendable traits. Even so, she was far from perfect. Losing dozens, if not hundreds of times in a row, was bound to take its toll. She did her best to keep it from Kahn, but, every now and then, the pain and frustration became too much to bear.
Though he often wore a mask of indifference, Kahn was quick to reveal his true colors whenever Korra was in pain. He hated seeing her cry, so whenever Korra broke down, he was quick to try and console her. Korra would generally reward his concerns with a few frustrated punches and kicks, but, once she had gotten everything out of her system, she would become remarkably docile.
While it was difficult to argue that these occasions were a kind of triumph in Korra's court, Kahn certainly didn't walk away from them feeling like the victor. It didn't help that Katara had taught her how to make puppy eyes...
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Despite standing only 152cm tall due to her advanced age, Toph Beifong gave off the impression of an immovable mountain whenever she adopted her trademarked Neutral Jing Stance. At first glance, she appeared to be standing rather casually with feet shoulder-width apart, elbows tucked in, and palms turned up. In reality, she was compensating for her blindness by sending vibrations through the air and ground like an advanced form of sonar.
Feeling the hairs along the back of her neck stand on end, Toph slid her foot in a counter-clockwise motion before raising her hand to intercept a large boulder. Upon contact with her palm, it immediately reduced to sand before reforming into a series of dulled, cork-like projectiles that barreled towards the young girl standing near the very edge of the elevated arena.
Clicking her tongue, Korra flexed the muscles in her gradually developing calves and thighs in a manner that deformed the arena like the surface of a trampoline. The cork-like projectiles promptly flew over her head before the ground beneath her rebounded, propelling her several tens of meters into the air.
Sliding her feet and repositioning herself so that she was oriented in the approximate direction of Korra, Toph spread her hands before bringing them together above her head in a circular, slapping motion. A massive dome of earth formed around her petite frame just as Korra unleashed a literal flamethrower-like breath of flames on her position.
Believing she had forced Toph into a corner, Korra used a combination of Air and Firebending to propel herself toward the dome of reinforced earth like a spinning ax. It was a ludicrous display that no one in their right mind would expect from an eight-year-old girl, but Korra was able to time it so that she came out of her spin just as her foot was about to make contact with the dome. When it did, a massive crack divided both the dome and the arena below, but Toph was nowhere to be seen.
"What the-"
"Nice try, brat."
Emerging from an unscathed section of the area, sand pouring from her body, Toph thrust her right hand forward before twisting it in a counter-clockwise motion and closing her hand. The dome that Korra had broken through immediately turned to sand, and, though she did her best to try and escape, the young Avatar failed to flee the dozens of sandy tendrils that coiled around before enveloping her entire body up to her neck.
"Ugh...I can't...breathe...!"
Wriggling her body, Korra attempted to use Earthbending to break free, but Toph was several steps ahead of her. She had turned the entire arena into an eddy of perpetually shifting sand, so the more Korra struggled, the worse her situation became.
"Give up, brat. You may be the Avatar, but I'm the greatest Earthbender in the whole world. You're ten, no, fifty years too young to defeat me without the Avatar State."
Gritting her teeth, Korra refused to give up even as her head was about to be pulled under the encroaching sand. She hated losing, but she would rather lose a billion times over than simply give up.
Unfortunately, despite Korra's heartfelt bravado, it did little the change her situation. The training she was currently undergoing was supposed to help her achieve the Avatar State. She believed it was the only thing that would allow her to defeat Kahn, so, even though Katara and Toph had told her it was too soon, Korra insisted on unrestrained sparring.
Using her seismic sense, Toph was able to monitor Korra's state as the young Avatar's body sunk deeper and deeper into the sandy quagmire. The moment Korra lost consciousness, she immediately commanded the sand to bloom outwards before turning towards Katara and Kahn, her pale green eyes focusing on the latter as she asked, "What? Are you going to attack me? Korra asked for this herself."
Though Kahn could hide it from others, Toph could sense his Chi and the fluctuations of his heart. She had spent nearly sixty years alongside her husband before his death. Kahn was a distinctly different person, but his internal structure was just as 'flawless' as her husband's. She had learned to sense the subtle changes in Rokr's emotions by observing the changes in his Chi, so Kahn may as well have been an open book in front of her.
Ignoring Toph's remark, Kahn inhaled a steadying breath before jumping up and propelling himself onto the stage using thrusters at his hands and feet. He found Korra lying near the center of the arena with half her body still covered in sand. Fortunately, thanks to Toph's truly masterful control, no sand or dust had gotten into her mouth, eyes, ears, or lungs.
Pinching Korra's nose, Kahn waited for her to startle awake before asking, "Can you stand...?" in his characteristically calm tone.
Seeing Kahn's face just a few centimeters away from her own, Korra felt a fluttery feeling in her stomach that was quickly suppressed by the notion she had, once again, lost.
Exhaling a disheartened sigh, Korra freed herself from her sandy confines before glaring at Kahn and saying, "Turn away..."
Though he rolled his eyes, Kahn promptly turned away so that Korra could use a combination of Earth, Water, and Firebending to oust the sand from her clothes, clean her body, and dry off. She used to not care about such things, but, as she grew older, she became progressively more concerned with things like cleanliness and maintaining her appearance.
"You can turn around now."
Finding Korra 'glaring' at him with her hair down, Kahn exhaled a sigh of his own before pulling out the incredibly expensive hair comb Katara had gifted her during her eighth birthday. She had subsequently entrusted it to Kahn, who, during one of his attempts to stop her from crying, helped to comb Korra's hair. She usually let her mother take care of it, but, from that moment onward, whenever Korra felt upset, she practically forced Kahn to comb her hair.
Fortunately for Korra, it was therapeutic and calming for Kahn as it was for her...

Though Toph had never been known for her subtlety, she still waited a few weeks before asking Kahn, "So, what exactly is your relationship with that stone-headed husband of mine?"
Instead of answering Toph's question, Kahn focused on pouring tea for her and Katara before returning the pot to the stove. Toph had her own place nearby, but she often came by to chat with Katara until late in the evening.
"We're acquaintances who periodically share tea and stories..."
Snorting through her nose, Toph quipped, "You know that isn't what I was asking. I want to know if Rokr was sent to watch over me like you were to protect Korra. Was I just some pity project for him? Is that why he died so early?"
Feeling uncharacteristically anxious, Toph had nearly risen to her feet by the time she was finished speaking. She didn't believe Rokr was the kind of man she was imagining, but neither she nor her children had ever been able to reconcile his death. A man who could shatter mountain peaks with a punch and halt rockslides with his mind wasn't just killed off in his 50s.
Annoyed by Toph's questioning, Kahn surprised the two elderly women by sitting down, crossing his legs, and bringing his fingers together. The last thing he said before a strange atmosphere permeated the room was, "Ask him yourself..."
Immediately following Kahn's words, he opened his eyes to reveal that the color had shifted from vibrant green to a luminous gold. His usually standoffish demeanor was nowhere to be seen. Instead, he gave off the impression of an exceptionally bright and cheerful person as he looked towards Toph, smiled, and said, "You've aged beautifully my little badger mole."
While most women would feel insulted being compared to such a large, smelly, and overbearing creature, Toph practically sprang to her feet, her voice shaking as she asked, "Rockybear...is that really you?"
Shaking his head, Rokr's expression became noticeably more apologetic as he answered, "I'm afraid I'm just borrowing little Kahn's body for a bit. Out of consideration for him, I'll have to ask that we don't hug or kiss. As beautiful as you are, I doubt he would appreciate being kissed by an old lady."
Snorting through her nose, Toph resisted the urge to give Rokr/Kahn a Chi-empowered punch for calling her old. She was, but that didn't mean she liked hearing it.
"You still have that bad habit of saying whatever's on your mind..."
Regaining a friendly smile, Rokr nearly reached out to caress Toph's face before stopping himself, retracting his hand, and whispering, "As much as you learned from me, I learned from you..."
Tearing up a bit, Toph closed her eyes before crossing her arms and asking, "Twenty years ago...what happened? How did someone like you, the Grand Marshall of the Earth Kingdom's Military, one of the greatest Earthbenders in the entire world, end up dying in an alleyway?"
Raising his brows, Rokr asked, "One of the best? I don't recall ever losing to anyone.."
Furrowing her brows, Toph shot Rokr a glare, pointedly stating, "You're currently using the body of a brat to speak to me. If you were the best, you wouldn't have died like a dog. Now talk. Did you get wrapped up in some kind of conspiracy? I want to know everything."
Though she couldn't see him, Rokr avoided Toph's gaze as he scratched his head and muttered, "I knew this day would come..."
Exhaling a sigh, Rokr shook his head before forcing himself to meet Toph's gaze and answering, "I got drunk." in a matter-of-factly tone of voice.
"..."
Expecting Rokr to continue, Toph's expression gradually morphed into a scowl as an incredibly awkward silence permeated the previously cozy and comfortable igloo.
Shuddering in response to the blood-curdling aura exuded by Toph, Rokr raised his hands in a gesture of surrender, reminding her, "This isn't my body. Don't lose your cool and do something that would jeopardize little Kahn's trust..."
Inhaling through her nose, Toph did her best to calm down before asking, "You got drunk?" through gritted teeth.
Scratching the back of his head, Rokr offered a wry and apologetic smile before explaining the circumstances of his demise. He had been attending the bachelor party of one of his junior officers, a young Lieutenant named Guh Bamin. Since the other guests had been acting a little tense, he made a show of opening the first bottle of wine and pouring a cup for the young officer.
Since the Earth Kingdom had a tradition of juniors pouring drinks for their superiors, Rokr's actions had caused quite a stir. To mitigate any potential resentment, he went on to fill the glasses of everyone present before later accepting nearly every beverage offered to him. He was already relatively famous for his tolerance by then, so, as the night progressed and tensions rose, people kept egging him on to consume more and more alcohol.
In the end, the thing that had killed Rokr, the most powerful Earthbender in the entire world, was alcohol poisoning. The only reason the toxicology report came back negative was because his body had filtered out all the toxins by the time it was discovered...
By the time Rokr was finished recounting the circumstances of his death, Toph was sitting in her chair, head cradled in her hands as she muttered, "You stone-brained idiot..."
Unable to refute the claim, Rokr just smiled wryly before stating, "I have to go now. Kahn's mind and body are unsuitable for housing my Spirit. If I stay too long, he could end up in a vegetative state. Take care of yourself, Toph, Katara. I'll see you again when the boundary between the living and Spirits Worlds blurs."
Without bothering to elaborate, Rokr relinquished his control over Kahn's body. When the latter regained consciousness, a painful throbbing unlike anything he had ever experienced shook his mind as blood began flowing from his nostrils like open faucets.
"Kahn...!"
Worried about the boy's health, Katara practically sprang from her rocking chair to check his condition. He did his best to assure her everything was okay, but the older woman refused to listen. She had long since regarded Kahn as one of her grandchildren, so there was absolutely no way she could remain calm when he was practically hemorrhaging blood from his nostrils...
"Just sit still and let me do my job...!"
"..."
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Unaccustomed to the aggressively fretful version of the old woman, Kahn just sat in silence as Katara healed the capillaries in his nose and relieved the painful throbbing in his head.
The culprit of Kahn's headache turned out to be a series of minor brain hemorrhages causing blood to pool around his brain. When Toph learned of this, most of her frustration regarding Rokr's departure evaporated into thin air. She was still a little upset, but she forced herself to apologize and express her gratitude before retiring to her private quarters to sulk.
When Kahn first saw Toph drift away, he felt genuine empathy for the old, clearly lonely woman. In the days, months, and even years that followed, they would both be a little nicer to each other whenever they met. More importantly, the evening's incident served as a suitable deterrent against further questioning. Katara was genuinely worried that Kahn would injure or even cripple himself trying to answer their questions, so, in the months that followed, she only asked questions about Korra and her training.
The next time Kahn was asked about his status and the purpose of the Four Avatars was during the eve of Korra's ninth birthday. Two of Katara's children, Tenzin and the Waterbending Master Kya, had journeyed to the South Pole alongside their families. Their main reason for visiting was to celebrate Korra's birthday, but, later that evening, they approached Kahn to ask about the Air and Water Avatars.
While they had yet to find out any information related to Yao Yoko, it had only taken a few days for Tenzin to learn everything there was to know, at least publically, about Regina Akua. After all, the Akua family was second only to the Sato Family in terms of wealth and status.
Regina, though she preferred to be called Akua, was the only daughter of the Akua Family. Despite her young age, she had made a name for herself as a prodigy in the arts of song, dance, and music. Alongside Asami Sato, she was regarded as one of the most graceful and elegant young buds in the entirety of Republic City. Everyone was eagerly awaiting the day the two heiresses would blossom into even more breathtaking beauties.
Since the name Regina Akua wasn't exactly common, it was natural to conclude that the one in Republic City was the Avatar of Water and Virtue. The only problem was that Akua was registered as a non-bender. She had never displayed her abilities in public, so, as far as the people of Republic City were concerned, she was just a normal, albeit exceptional young girl.
Though Tenzin was a member of the United Republic Council, the highest governing body in Republic City, it wouldn't exactly be appropriate for him to request a private meeting with the eleven-year-old heiress of the Akua Family. He had tried meeting with her after one of her piano recitals, but the pale-haired virtuoso had politely refused his invitation before leaving alongside her mother.
Without knowing for certain that Akua was the person Kahn had been referring to, neither Tenzin nor the Order of the White Lotus had a proper justification for approaching her. They could approach her on suspicions of her being the White Demon, but, depending on how things played out, they risked provoking the Akua, Sato, and practically every other affluent, non-bending family in the city.
Since approaching Akua was like trying to navigate a minefield in the dark, Tenzin decided the most innocuous approach was to ask Kahn if she was the person they suspected her of being. Unfortunately, while Kahn knew of Akua's existence, the two of them had never met. He would be able to identify her if their paths crossed, but, for the time being, they were total strangers to one another. All he knew for certain was that they probably wouldn't get along.
When asked why he and Akua wouldn't get along, Kahn explained that his Creator, the Sage Dragon Emperor, had hard-coded personality traits into each of the Avatars. More specifically, they were nearly the antithesis of what people expected when dealing with a specific type of Bender.
Traditionally, Firebenders were aggressive and easily swayed by their emotions. Kahn was much the same internally, but you wouldn't know it from how he acted. His expression was always calm and serene, and no matter how people tried to rile him up, he would just ignore them unless they showed genuine hostility.
Though he had never met Akua, Kahn could already imagine what kind of person she was. Most Waterbenders were as gentle and soothing as the water they manipulated. They could be temperamental at times, but, more often than not, they were the subset of Benders that showed the greatest concern for others.
While they were free to shape themselves into whoever they wanted to be, Kahn knew that Akua would, at least for a time, exhibit the personality traits ascribed to her by their Creator. In other words, she would secretly be a calm and caring person, but, on the surface, she would be as violent and unforgiving as an icy mountain river. The moment you got swept up in her current, your only options were to allow yourself to be dragged along or to swim against it until you were, inevitably, pulled under.
Few could oppose the might of a mountain stream and walk away with a smile...

After returning to the igloo he shared with Katara, Kahn found the former resting in a rocking chair while a pot of seaweed soup boiled on the stove.
Hearing Kahn's entrance, Katara kept her eyes closed as she asked, "How was it? Did your little playdate go well~?"
Exhaling a sigh, Kahn made his way over to the stove to adjust the heat and sample the seaweed soup. Katara wasn't a bad cook by any means, but her tastebuds had numbed rather drastically due to her age. Most of the food she prepared was too salty or too sweet, so Kahn had developed a habit of making minor adjustments to make it more palatable.
Opening her left eye a smidgeon, Katara gazed at Kahn's profile from the corner of her eye. She didn't mind him pretending to ignore her or making adjustments to her food. After tasting his food, the only reason she even bothered cooking was that she felt guilty about him handling most of the chores without even needing to be asked.
Kahn would never admit it, but he was a very good-natured child.
"That girl never stops talking about you. Even during our training, she is constantly bringing up the things you've taught her. When I told her she couldn't use the other elements during our training, she even lectured me on the importance of maintaining one's Chi Pathways..."
Stopping what he was doing, Kahn looked over his shoulder to see Katara leaning in her chair, eyes closed, and with a smile on her face.
Clicking his tongue, Kahn poured a portion of seaweed soup into a bowl before adding a few additional seasonings as he explained, "All Bending stems from the same source. The quality and quantity of a person's Chi are important but so too are the paths through which they travel. If you leave an irrigation ditch unattended, it will gradually clog up or fall into a state of disrepair. The correct way to teach someone with Korra's unique constitution is to have her focus on all the elements at once...if she were to follow your method, it would make mastering other elements far more difficult. Depending on the damage done, she might not even be able to enter the Avatar State without suffering a trauma..."
No longer smiling, Katara's opened her eyes and stared at Kahn with a glimmer of anxiety in her gaze as she muttered, "I see...I nearly made a terrible mistake, didn't I?"
With his characteristically apathetic expression, Kahn handed the bowl of soup to Katara as he flatly replied, "Mistakes are a natural part of life. The same can be said for traumatic and other kinds of formative experiences. Don't blame yourself for having Korra's best interests at heart."
Though she accepted the bowl from Kahn's hands, Katara didn't touch its contents. Instead, she just stared off into space for several minutes until Kahn sat down on the nearby rug. When he did, she shifted her gaze him, asking, "Have you ever heard of an Earthbender named Ragna Rokr...?"
Meeting the old woman's gaze, Kahn caught Katara completely off guard by calmly answering, "He was the Avatar of Earth and Loyalty. His body is the vessel of the Great Stone Dragon of the East, Baade."
Dropping the completely frozen bowl of soup, Katara rose to her feet with a mixture of confusion and excitement in her expression as she exclaimed, "Aha! I knew it...!"
Without rising from his spot on the rug, Kahn gave Katara an incredulous look as he replied, "Good for you?" before taking a sip of his soup.
Seeing how casual Kahn was behaving, Katara's mood quickly diminished as she said, "It might not matter to you, but this is a very big deal, young man. Rokr was one of the most influential people in the entire world prior to his death. Were it not for him, why-"
*sluuuuurp*
Since he knew a lot more about Rokr than Katara, Kahn just continued staring at her with a thoroughly indifferent expression on his face. As a result, Katara's formed into a pout that didn't suit her wrinkled face as she said, "You could at least pretend to care..."
Lowering his spoon into his soup, Kahn questioned, "About what...?" in a genuinely confused tone. Katara hadn't actually made any points, so he wasn't entirely sure what it was he should care about.
"..."
Plopping back into her chair, Katara massaged her forehead in a clearly exasperated manner before asking, "Just to be certain, there are at least two other Avatars alongside you and Rokr, correct?"
Understanding that Katara was referencing his fellow Templates, Kahn nodded his head, explaining, "There is the Avatar of Air and Perpetuity, Yao Yoko, and the Avatar of Water and Virtue, Regina Akua."
"..."
Inhaling a deep breath, Katara did her best to stay calm as her mind slowly processed the information Kahn had given her. She had never heard the names Yao Yoko and Regina Akua, but she didn't doubt for a moment they were real.
Raising her head to meet Kahn's gaze, Katara asked, "If I were to ask, would you tell me about them...?"
Shrugging his shoulders, Kahn answered, "The only one I know anything substantial about is Rokr. He sometimes stops by whenever I'm taking a break and drinking tea with Old Man Iroh. As for Yoko, she spends most of her time in Wan Shi Tong's Library. I tried meeting her a few times, but she is even less sociable than me..."
"..."
Reclining into her chair, Katara fell silent for the better part of a full minute as she reconciled the fact that Kahn was apparently in contact with both Rokr and Iroh. She was aware he substituted sleep for meditation, but it hadn't clicked that he was meditating to enter the Spirit World.
"The banes of old age...my mind truly isn't what it used to be..."
Understanding that Katara was muttering to herself, Kahn returned to his soup. He could always reheat it using his Firebending, but he would rather finish eating quickly so he could retreat to his room. Katara was easier to talk to than most, but that didn't mean he was just going to sit around for hours answering whatever question popped into her head.
Noticing Kahn scarfing down his food, Katara opened her mouth to speak but ultimately decided not to. She knew Kahn disliked being interrogated, so she did her best not to ask more than 3-4 questions a night. She was already well past that quota, so, after a moment of deliberation, she made use of her Waterbending to retrieve her bowl and liquefy its contents. Fortunately, even without asking, Kahn was willing to reheat it of his own volition...
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Unaware that Kahn had effectively exposed her identity, a young girl with platinum-blonde, nearly white hair tied in a ponytail was casually roaming the backstreets of Republic City. Her perpetually annoyed expression and piercing blue eyes were supposed to give people the impression she was cold and ruthless, but her small stature ultimately undercut her intentions. After all, she was only ten years old.
"Haaaaaa...I wish the Avatar would hurry and show up. I'm getting tired of just waiting around all day..."
A stark contrast to her words, the platinum-haired youth pulled moisture from the atmosphere before forming it into a disc of glowing blue ice that cut through the steel door barring her entry into a secret warehouse. Her actions immediately alerted the people printing false currency inside, but the moment they turned to face her, a layer of frost covered their eyes as the young girl directed an arrow-like ice projectile to pierce through their wrists and ankles.
"Shit! It's that White Demon bitch! Run for your lives...!"
Furrowing her brows, the platinum-haired youth, now wearing a layer of ice and snow in the form of a very aggressive-looking bunny, directed the ice projectile to impale the man who had called her a bitch. She didn't kill him, but an ice spike through the lumbar vertebrae all but guaranteed he would spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair.
"Asshole..."
Forming a second projectile, the girl was prepared to continue where she left off when one of the half-frozen workers pulled out a police badge and stammered, "R-R-Republic City Police! P-P-Put your h-h-h-hands up...!"
Shifting her attention to the man, the girl sent a shiver through his body as she raised her left middle finger and said, "Bite me, pig. If you assholes did your jobs, I wouldn't need to get involved. If you dumbasses can't do anything about the people ruining our lives, at least shut the fuck up when we take matters into our own hands."
Though it would add to her very long wrap sheet, the overly aggressive youth waved her left hand to produce a layer of frost over the undercover cop's body. She had once tried to work with the police from the shadows but quickly grew weary of them when they kept trying to arrest her. Ever since then, she had always done things her way. If the cops couldn't deal with the criminals due to them exploiting legal loopholes, she would...
Hearing sirens in the distance, the platinum-haired youth created a pillar of ice to propel herself atop the nearest building before parkouring across the roofs of several others. A few Metalbending Officers saw her retreat, but, after failing to apprehend her more than a hundred times, they knew better than to give chase. If they tried, she would just bore a hole into the sewers before freezing every manhole cover and pipe within a city block.
Of course, the most crucial reason for the Officers not giving chase was that the White Demon had the support of the public. She also dealt with a lot of the criminals they wanted nothing more than to put behind bars, so, while they were obligated to arrest her if the opportunity presented itself, few within the Republic City Police Department treated the capture of the White Demon as a top priority. A few even regarded her as a Hero...
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After retreating to her base, an unauthorized and highly secret expansion to the Republic City sewers, the young Waterbender known as the White Demon allowed her costume to melt away before stepping inside. When she did, more than a dozen young children, each ranging between three and seven years of age, crowded around her, shouting things like, "Akua!" and "Big Sis~!"
Though she snorted through her nose, the platinum-haired youth, better known as Regina Akua, ruffled the hair of a few children as she asked, "Is Mako back yet?"
In response to Akua's question, one of the young Waterbending girls she had saved from a group of human traffickers stepped forward to answer, "He sent us a radio transmission saying he would be away for another two days. He got into another fight at school."
Exhaling an exasperated sigh, Akua ran her fingers through her silvery blonde hair before pulling out the scrunchie tying up her ponytail. All of a sudden, her disposition changed drastically. Gone was the always angry youth that seemed one word away from biting out someone's throat. In its place was a relatively gentle-looking girl with fair features, kind eyes, and a faint smile as she said, "Okay. That means I'll need some of you to help retrieve supplies. Any volunteers?"
Without any hesitation whatsoever, each of the children that had gathered around Akua raised their hands. She had saved their lives and given them a place where they could belong. Since she refused to let them help with her hero work, they did their best to help with anything else she asked of them. After all, Akua wasn't just their boss; she was the one who brought them all together as members of the same Familia...

Chapter 11: Chapter 11