Family Ties

Republic City Police Headquarters stood as a beacon of peace and stability, a promise to the people of the city that those who broke the law would face justice. Being there usually gave Lin Beifong a certain sense of peace. And seeing the large bronze statue of her mother as she entered made her proud to be Chief, knowing she was part of a great family tradition. As she walked through the station's halls today however, all she was feeling was extreme irritation.

Apparently, instead of finishing her airbending training in the South Pole, as Lin had been told, the Avatar had come to Republic City. And then, after arriving, she had somehow met Lin's overly idealistic son and convinced him to accompany her on a jaunt around the city. Lin had been receiving reports from around the city throughout the day: traffic disruptions near the docks, an incident with an anti-bending mob in the city park, and fighting Triads in the streets. Republic City's Chief of Police was heading towards the station's holding cells where the young man in question was currently securing the Triads that he and the Avatar had been fighting.

"Oh come on, man. I'm already locked up," a voice came out from inside the cell. "Can't you unlock these cuffs already? My leg's really crampin' up here!"

As she approached, Lin could see the man in the cell. He was pale, shorter than average, and had a scar going across his left eye. According to his file, his name was Two-Toed Ping, and he was a known member of the Triple Threat Triads. What caught her attention was the fact that he was lying on his chest in the middle of the floor. His right wrist and left ankle were cuffed together behind his back. That couldn't be a comfortable position to be in.

"Oh, you're uncomfortable?" Koda asked the criminal sarcastically. "Extortion, assault, evading arrest, and attacking an officer of the law," he said, listing off Ping's most recent charges. "Do you know how much paperwork I'm going to have to do now thanks to you?"

"I don't think you have much room to complain about paperwork, Officer Beifong," Lin said as she finally gained both men's attention. She then turned on her heel and motioned for her son to follow her. "So, care to explain why you and the Avatar were gallivanting around the city and causing havoc?" she asked almost casually.

"Hey, we weren't 'gallivanting,'" Koda protested. "Besides, I didn't even know she was the Avatar until she started firebending with that guy," he explained, pointing his thumb back towards the cells. "I thought she was just an earthbender."

"An earthbender? Why would you think that?" Lin asked with confusion. After all, the Avatar was clearly from the Water Tribes.

"Well, when we were having lunch in the park, she asked if I could show her some of my moves. So from that, I assumed—"

His mother abruptly stopped mid-stride as she turned to look him in the eye. "She asked you to 'what' while you were 'where'!?" his mother asked, interrupting him.

There was a steely edge in her voice that told Koda that he said something he shouldn't have, and he nervously looked away. Noticing where they were, Lin continued, "Never mind, we'll continue this conversation later." Letting her son know he wasn't going to get out of this one.

As they arrived at their destination, Lin opened the door to the interrogation room. Koda was about to follow her in, when her arm came up and blocked his way. "I think it would be best if I conducted this interview alone," she said as the door closed shut in his face.

The chief knew that the younger officer was probably leaning against the wall just beside the doorway, hoping to listen in as best he could. However, she couldn't focus on that right now. The young woman who had spent the entire day with her son was sitting across the room from her, cuffed to the table. Lin Beifong had a lot of questions, and this, this…little girl was going to give her some answers.

…

The interrogation rooms inside of the Republic City Police Station were, in a word, oppressive. The room was perfectly square with a repeating pattern of metal plates and only a single overhead lamp to provide illumination to bolted-down, metal table that suspects were forced to sit at. There was no obvious indication as to where the door was, and if one wasn't careful, they could easily forget which of the dark grey plates provided the exit. Without metalbending, it may not even be possible to leave.

Everything about this room, from its cool, stale air to the way even the tiniest of sounds echoed off of its metal walls, was made to remind the criminals within that they were out of their element. And that, here, in this room, the metalbenders of the Republic City Police had all the advantage. You were in their territory, now. It was ironic then, that, despite being designed to put criminals on edge, this room's current occupant was none other than the Avatar herself.

Korra was not in the best situation. After the metalbending cops had shown up, they had escorted her and Koda back to the police station. Koda was asked to sign some forms and escort the recently captured Triads to the holding cells. Meanwhile, Korra was told that she needed to answer some questions and she was brought to an 'interview room.' At that point, she was quickly cuffed to the table and told that someone would be by in a few minutes.

It had been over 20 minutes and no one had arrived to 'interview' her yet. Korra was beginning to get impatient. After all, why did they have to cuff her to a table? She wasn't a criminal. In fact, she helped the police capture 3 actual criminals just an hour ago.

Just then, the door across the room slid open. A stern looking woman with grey hair and wearing a black police uniform walked in. Her uniform was clearly made of metal, meaning she was a metalbender like Koda. However, unlike the bulky, light grey armor that Koda and the other metalbenders wore, this woman's uniform was darker and sleeker with gold accents around the shoulders and down the arms. Clearly, this woman was important. As she got closer, Korra could see she had pale green eyes, 2 parallel scars on the right side of her jaw, and what looked to be a permanent scowl on her face.

"Let's see, multiple counts of destruction of private and city property," the older woman began as she walked around Korra, "not to mention threatening a protestor. You're in a whole mess of trouble young lady."

"But that protestor was the one trying to cause trouble," Korra tried to explain, "And those thugs were threatening a helpless shop keeper and I had to—"

"Can it!" the grumpy woman said as she slammed the clipboard down on the table. "You should have called the police and stayed out of the way."

"But Koda was just around the corner, and I couldn't just sit by and do nothing. It's my duty to help people," Korra explained. "See, I'm the Avatar."

"Oh I am well aware of who you are," the policewoman replied, "and your Avatar title might impress some people, but not me."

Finally having enough of this disrespect, Korra collected herself. "Alright, fine," she said with determination. "Then I want to talk to whoever's in charge."

"You're talking to her," the older woman informed Korra as she took a seat in the chair across the table. "I'm Chief Beifong."

"Wait, Beifong… Lin Beifong?" Korra asked as she finally made the connections. "You're Toph's daughter!"

"What of it?"

"Then why are you treating me like a criminal?" Korra asked, clearly confused about the whole situation. "Avatar Aang and your mother were friends. They saved the world together."

"That's ancient history, and it's got diddlysquat to do with the mess you're in right now," Lin explained. "You can't just waltz in here and use your feminine wiles to get my officers to go along with you as you dole out vigilante justice like you own the place!"

"Hey!" a familiar voice came from the outside the door.

"Koda, is that you?" Korra asked. "What's going on?"

Rather than answering Korra, Koda continued with what he was saying. "I was not caught up by any of her 'feminine wiles,'" he said, indignantly. "Well… not completely," he admitted.

Before Korra could process that statement, Lin interrupted her thoughts. Clearly, she was beyond annoyed by that point. "What do you think you're doing eavesdropping on my interrogation, Officer Beifong!?" she demanded as she yelled at the door.

"You know, it's not exactly eavesdropping if you're shouting, Mom!" Koda replied from the other side of the wall.

"Wait… MOM!?" Korra asked in astonishment.

Ignoring the flabbergasted Avatar, Lin turned back to the door and shouted, "That's 'Chief' while we're on the job, Mister!"

Not letting herself be distracted, Korra asked again, "Are you saying that Koda…like the Koda I've spent the whole day with, is your son?"

"What of it?" Lin asked again. She narrowed her eyes upon hearing the tone in Korra's voice.

"Oh, nothing…" Korra replied nervously as she looked away from the glare that the chief was sending her way. Korra was having a hard time believing that someone so abrasive could actually raise someone as polite and helpful as Koda.

"Can I just come in already?" Koda asked in exacerbation.

"Fine," Lin relented.

Upon gaining permission, Koda then opened the door and walked in. He walked past the chair that his mother was sitting in and instead stood to the side of the table directly between her and Korra. He then grabbed the clipboard and turned it so he could read its contents.

"Alright look, Chief. You've read my report of the situation. You know that none of the drivers from earlier in the day are pressing charges," Koda began. "The only damage to private property caused in the fight with the Triads was a display stand full of fruit, and as thanks for saving his life, the owner isn't going to press charges either. And as far as the road damage is concerned, you know as well as I do that police are allowed some leeway when it comes to capturing criminals. Especially since we can just use earthbending to fix it right up," he explained. "Korra's involvement in the whole mess can be written off as self-defense."

Before anyone could continue, however, a panel on the side of the wall slid open. Everyone turned and saw a policeman looking through the opening. "Chief - oh, and Officer Beifong," he said as he noticed the room's third occupant. "Councilman Tenzin is here."

Korra was so relieved that Tenzin had arrived that she almost missed it, but she saw Koda's eyes widened upon hearing that name. He quickly covered it up, however, as his face took on a neutral expression.

Apparently oblivious to her son's surprised reaction, Lin let out an annoyed sigh, "Let him in."

The door slid open revealing a tall, middle-aged man with a dark brown pointed beard. His head was shaved, revealing the iconic arrow-shaped tattoos that identified the man as an airbending master. This man was Tenzin, son of Avatar Aang and a councilman of the United Republic.

His irritated expression quickly morphed into surprise as he noticed the other man in the room. "Oh, Koda. I didn't realize you were back in Republic City," Tenzin said.

The young police officer then cleared his throat rather loudly as he motioned his head at the situation, noting that it wasn't the time to be informal. "Councilman Tenzin, it's… good to see you again," Koda replied formally.

"Oh, right," Tenzin murmured as he recognized the situation that they were in. He then cleared his own throat and spoke in a formal voice. "Officer Beifong, it's good to see you as well. I trust you are doing the Police Department and your mother proud."

"Of course, Sir," Koda replied, looking forward.

"Good, good," Tenzin replied awkwardly.

Tenzin then turned his attention to the person who was in charge as he tried to put on a pleasant smile. "Lin, you're looking radiant as usual," Tenzin said as he did his best to inject a bit of cheerfulness in his voice.

"Cut the garbage, Tenzin," Lin said, curtly. Clearly, she was not in the mood for false pleasantries. "Why is the Avatar in Republic City? I thought you were supposed to be moving down to the South Pole to train her."

"My relocation has been delayed," Tenzin explained. "The Avatar, on the other hand, will be heading back to the South Pole immediately, where she will stay put."

Korra hung her head, and her shoulders had slumped down as she was scolded. "But—!" she tried to protest.

However, Tenzin interrupted any arguments as he continued, "If you would be so kind as to drop the charges against Korra, I will take full responsibility for today's… regrettable events and cover all the damages."

Lin was quiet for a moment, weighing her options, before she let out a sigh. "Luckily for you, MY SON managed to keep the Avatar from causing too much damage," Lin replied. "He also managed to clear up any charges that might have been levied against her. Now, just get her out of my city before she causes anymore trouble," she said as she walked out of the room. "Because next time, Koda won't be there to clean up any of her messes."

Koda then waved his hand over Korra's handcuffs, and they unlocked themselves with a click. "If you two would follow me," he said, walking towards the exit. "I'll escort you both out."

…

Korra noticed how laxed Tenzin and Koda are together as they walked through the halls of the police station. Tenzin, meanwhile, kept his own hands concealed within his long robes, but his shoulders were very tense. Both men kept their gazes locked forward, never straying from their path.

"So, you two know each other..." Korra half-stated, half-asked as she hoped to break the awkward silence.

Ignoring Korra's question, Tenzin finally turned to look at Koda with a surprised expression. "You didn't tell her who you were?"

"I didn't even know she was the Avatar until she came into the station," the young officer replied, still walking and looking at Tenzin.

"Though, I guess this means that you never bothered to mention me to her," Koda said bluntly.

Tenzin's face grew flushed, and he looked down in shame. Before he could say anything else, Koda sighed, "It's fine." He brought his hands back behind his head.

Korra was very confused now. Koda was Lin's son and that made him Toph's grandson, sure. But why would Tenzin bother to mention that to her? Did the two of them used to be close?

They continued on in silence until they reached the exit where Naga was waiting for them. She was with a young officer who she had apparently taken a liking to, if his wet face and swirled up hair was anything to go by.

"Is this your polar-bear dog, Miss?" he asked as he held the reins out to Korra expectantly. Korra accepted the reins and led Naga towards the exit with Koda and Tenzin. This time, however, she decided to leave the awkward silence as it was.

They had arrived near the main entrance, but before Korra and Tenzin could leave, Tenzin sighed, looked to Koda.

"Listen, Koda, I really am proud of everything you've accomplished the last 3 years. I know that my father would be proud of what you've done to keep the world safe," Tenzin said sincerely. "We've all done our best to keep up with your exploits. But why didn't you tell me that you were coming back to Republic City?"

Koda gave Tenzin a small smile and nodded.

"When I left the United Forces, Bumi dropped me off at the Southern Water Tribe so I could catch a ferry back to the city," he explained. "I heard you were moving down there to train the Avatar, and I figured you'd hear about it once you got there."

"I see, Mother probably forgot to mention it with all the drama that was going on," Tenzin reasoned. "Still, I am glad that you've come home," he said with a smile as he placed a hand on Koda's shoulder. "I hope you'll come visit Air Temple Island sometime soon. I know for a fact that Jinora, Ikki, and Meelo will be ecstatic to have you back."

Koda gave a genuine smile after hearing about the Airbending Kids. Korra smiled as well. "Sure, I actually need a place to stay. I'll get my things and meet you guys at the docks," Koda said as he turned back to go into the station, "I'll see you soon, Dad."

Korra's eyes were wide, "Wait, Tenzin's your Dad?"

…

The three were on a boat, Koda went on to tell Korra his parent's history on Tenzin being in a previous relationship before Pema.

"So my father met my mother and had me years after dating. It wasn't until I was nine they started to go their separate ways, but they always wanted the best for me. Sure their co-parenting was quite bothersome, but they did care for me." Koda looked at Yue bay as he was talking to Korra about this. He was trying his best to reason with her to not grill Tenzin about the fact that he apparently had some sort of secret son who was her age, no less. Though he told Korra that Pema knew about Koda's existence.

She later left the earthbender alone and went to Tenzin. "Tenzin, please, don't send me back home," Korra pleaded.

"You blatantly disobeyed my wishes, and the orders of the White Lotus," Tenzin said, clearly disappointed in the young Avatar's decisions.

"Look, I can't wait any longer to finish my training. Being cooped up and hidden away from the world isn't helping me become a better Avatar," Korra tried to explain. "Koda showed me a lot of the city today, and it's totally out of whack. I know that the police are doing their best, but it's just not enough. I understand now why you need to stay. Republic City does need you, but it needs me too," she said, hoping that her intentions would sink in.

Tenzin merely gave a weary sigh and moved to the bow of the ship as they approached the dock, leaving Korra where she stood. With her hopes seemingly dashed, Korra turned towards the rear of the ship as she took in Republic City's skyline for the last time. As she moved to disembark, she could see members of the Order of the White Lotus waiting for her at the end of the ramp.

Korra and the guards were walking towards their own ship when they heard several children shout her name from overhead. Looking up, Korra saw two orange gliders move in for a landing near to where she was standing. The first glider to land actually had two occupants. The pilot was a girl, about 10 years-old, and the rider was a boy, clearly much younger than her. The second was also piloted by a young girl, somewhere between the age of the other two.

They were all wearing the traditional garb of the airbenders and were clearly siblings. The girls both had light brown hair, while their younger brother had a shaved head. The younger sister had two bobs in her hair and the oldest only had a single. These were Tenzin's airbending children: Jinora, Ikki, and Meelo.

"Korra!" they each shouted

"Are you coming to live with us on the island?" asked Ikki excitedly.

Korra knelt down and placed a hand on both Jinora and Ikki's shoulders, "No, I'm sorry Ikki, I have to go home now."

"Aw." Said Ikki.

"But, I brought someone who you might like that's gonna live here." Korra said looking at Koda. The kids looked in her direction and their eyes widened. Koda looked at the kids with a smile and dropped his bag. He went down on one knee and opened his arms out.

"Koko!"

Koda fell to the ground with an "Oomph!" Koda started to laugh as he saw his younger siblings. "Hey goofballs, what's up?" Koda said, smiling down at his three younger siblings.

"It's been forever since we've seen you, that's what," Ikki said as she latched back onto one of his legs.

"Actually it's only been about 4 months," Jinora corrected. The older sister opted not to grab onto their older brother. "Still, we missed you, Koko," she said with a smile.

"Aww, I missed you too kiddo," Koda later picked up Jinora with one arm and Ikki with another. Meelo on the other hand jumped onto his older brother's shoulders.

"Are you going to try and keep Korra here? You always said how it would be awesome to meet her?" Ikki asked in hope.

"Sorry Ikki, it's not my call, but I can say it was great to meet her." He said as he flashed the water tribe girl a smile.

Korra returned it and walked to the ship ready to take her home.

"Wait." Tenzin said as he stepped forward, "I have done my best to guide Republic City towards the dream my father had for it. But you are right. It has fallen out of balance since he has passed. I thought I should put off your training in order to uphold his legacy, but you are his legacy." Tenzin said as he placed a hand on Korra's shoulder, "You may stay and train airbending here with me," Korra gasped. "Republic City needs its Avatar once again." He finished

"Yes! Thank you! You're the best!" Korra cheered

The kids cheered also and she hugged them all together. She later let go of the hug and looked at Koda who was still holding onto his sibling.

"Wait, so why do they call you 'Koko'?" Korra asked, grabbing everyone's attention.

"That's because when Jinora was a baby she tried to say Koda's name, but it came out as 'Koko,'" Ikki explained excitedly. "Mommy and Daddy thought that it was so cute, that they started to call him 'Koko' too. When Meelo and I were born, Jinora, Mommy, and Daddy were all still calling him 'Koko,' so we did too."

"Aww, that's such a cute story. Eh, Officer Koko?" Korra teased as she nudged Koda with her elbow.

"Pleeease, 'Koko' is just what the girls call him," Meelo defended as he crossed his arms indignantly.

"Meelo..." Koda looked up to his younger brother.

Tenzin looked at the four and had a content smile on his face. Tenzin was genuinely happy to see all four of his children back together again, despite one of them being from a different mother.

…

Lin Beifong was beginning to get impatient. Which was quite a feat, considering the fact that her mother's style of earthbending required a mastery of Neutral Jing. First, she was wearing a modest, dark green dress. She really didn't care to dress up in something so feminine, and she wanted to get out of it as quickly as possible and change into something else. However, Kwong's Cuisine was Republic city's most premiere restaurant, and they had a very strict dress code for their patrons.

Second, the doorman refused to let her bring in her metalbending gear. She did not like to be unarmed out in public. And most importantly, her "date" was running incredibly late. Lin was just about to stand up, when she saw him enter. He was quickly buttoning the top buttons of his black suit and fixing his collar as he approached the table.

"Sorry I'm late, Mom," Koda apologized as he finished straightening his dark orange scarf into a sort-of faux ascot. "I had to put away my things and my siblings wanted me to stay a little bit longer."

"Ah, I see," his mother said, "Your siblings have been holding you up."

It was one of the reasons why Lin was grateful that she and Tenzin had joint custody when Koda was growing up. It was easier for her to accomplish most of her duties whenever her son was with his father. That way, she had more free time with him when Koda would stay with her. Not only that she also wanted Tenzin to be in Koda's life as he was the father.

"Still, I am sorry that you had to wait so long," her son said. "I was the one who suggested we go out, and you ended up having to wait for me."

Lin smiled. These 'dates' were a fairly common thing that the two of them did. After Koda left to join the United Forces, he would only be able to come home for a few days to a week at a time, and only once every few months. Usually, he would try to sync up his leave time with his siblings' birthdays. However, no matter what the occasion, he'd always make sure that the two of them always went out for a meal before he left. She was so proud of how considerate her son was.

"Don't worry about it," Lin assured her son. "I'm just happy you could remember this old woman's birthday."

"Yeah, about that," Koda began. "Why'd you choose to come here of all places?" he asked as he eyed her dress.

Sure, the food was good, but he knew that his mother loathed having to get dressed up, unless it was her police uniform that is. And Kwong's wasn't the sort of place that you could get away with just wearing that.

"Oh, is this place a little too out of the price range for a regular beat cop?" Lin teased.

Her son merely rolled his eyes. Lin knew as well as he did that the Beifong family was more than well off. They owned many businesses throughout the United Republic as well as in the Earth Kingdom. Though apparently, his aunt who lived in Zaofu was the one who handled the day-to-day management of their family's finances.

"All kidding aside," Lin said, "I chose this place because you decided to join me in law enforcement."

"Oh?" he asked in confusion.

"Tell me, Officer, do you know who originally owned this restaurant?" Lin asked in an almost teasing voice.

"Umm… Kwong?" her son answered, clearly unsure.

"No, Kwong may have been the manager and head chef when this place opened, but he wasn't the owner," Lin explained. "The original owner was a man named Yakone. He was the head of Republic City's largest criminal empire. He used this restaurant as a front to launder his dirty money. And your grandmother arrested him as he was sitting in this very booth," Lin said as she pointed to their seat for emphasis.

"Yakone," Koda said as he scratched his chin. "If I remember my History classes right, he was a powerful bloodbender. He used his abilities to try to escape from his own trial after he was convicted, but Grandpa Aang chased him down and removed his bending."

"That's right," Lin continued with a smile. "After Yakone was convicted and sent to prison, ownership of this restaurant was transferred to Mr. Kwong, and this place has been 100% legit for over 40 years," she explained. "This place stands as a symbol. Being a cop isn't just about punishing criminals. It's about removing corruption, so that honest, hard-working people can have the chance to thrive. Without Yakone to fear, Kwong was able to stand on his own and make his restaurant one of the best in the entire world. It shows what we are fighting for every day and who we are fighting for," Lin finished.

"Damn, Mom. Do you ever think of running for office?" her son asked with a smirk.

…

Koda was feeling rather guilty at the moment. He had just wanted to take his mother out to dinner to celebrate her birthday that he had missed the previous month. Unfortunately, after he had arrived, his mother had started talking about how proud she was that he had become a police officer and kept bringing up their family's extinguished history in law enforcement.

Of course, Koda was proud of his family's legacy and believed that being in law enforcement was a very noble profession. However, he was still only 19 years old. Although, he didn't have any other plans for the time being, that didn't mean that he was certain that he wanted to be a cop for the rest of his life.

He was just tired of being in the military and away from his mom and siblings, and being a cop was about the only job he could get in Republic City with his particular skill set. What really worried him was that, in a year, 3 years, or even 10 years down the line, if he decided to quit, then his mother might not ever fully forgive him.

Koda knew that when his mother received his letter saying that he wanted to leave the United Forces and work in Republic City as a police officer, it had to have been one the proudest and happiest moments of her life. The absolute last thing that he wanted to do was hurt his own mother.

Wanting desperately to change the subject, Koda decided to bring up a topic he knew his mother couldn't resist. "So, during those last few months patrolling the South Pole, we weren't able to get many clear signals from Republic City," Koda said. "What's been going on with Pro-bending this season?"

"Oh really? That's too bad. This season's actually turning out to be pretty exciting," Lin said. "The Wolfbats and that Tahno boy are still leading the season, but the Boar-q-pines are doing much better. However, the real surprise this year is this new team called the Fire Ferrets," she explained with excitement. "They're rookies. But two of the team's members are brothers, and they work together better than most veterans."

Koda gave an easy half-smile as his mother began to tell him what had been happening on the Pro-bending scene. Normally, one wouldn't think that Lin Beifong would be a Pro-bending enthusiast. However, when he was 7 years old during this time, Koda had heard about Pro-bending from a close friend of his, and he expressed interest in the sport.

Lin saw this as a golden opportunity to bond with her son. She even let Koda join the Junior-bending league before he left to join the military. It also didn't hurt that she knew Tenzin found the whole sport abhorrent and introducing their son to it was likely to get under his skin.

Koda knew that his mother was being slightly petty, but he figured that her following a sport that his father didn't like was better than her trying to throw his stepmother, Pema, in jail… again. It was ironic, even though Lin only had only gotten into the sport as a way to get one over on her ex, she was a bigger fan of the spectacle than her son, at this point.

Koda continued to listen as Lin filled him in until their food arrived. After their dinner arrived, they settled into a comfortable silence as they focused on eating their meal. Lin only gives off the odd statistic or her opinion of a rule change between bites.

As they were finishing up, Lin decided to bring up a more serious topic. "So, I heard from your father earlier this evening," she said.

"Oh yeah?" her son inquired, "And he said?"

"Apparently, the Avatar is going to be staying in Republic City," she continued. "He says that it's so she can master airbending. But he also thinks that she will be able to help 'restore balance.' As if we're not good enough to keep this city safe without help from some spoiled, little princess," Lin said angrily as she brought her fist down on the corner of their table.

The loud noise suddenly drew everyone's attention. A young couple sitting two tables down apparently had their romantic mood ruined. The young man seemed particularly peeved about the interruption. And a group of loud and extravagantly-dressed patrons across the room suddenly fell silent as they turned their attention to the sudden commotion.

The leader of the group, a handsome Water Tribe man, merely sent Koda and his mother a curious and thoughtful look. He likely recognized his mother as the Chief of Police, but couldn't be sure given that she was rarely seen out of uniform.

"To be fair, Dad is right, she is the Avatar," Koda said, trying to placate her. "They have been helping to keep the world at peace for hundreds or maybe even thousands of years now."

Lin gave him a skeptical look. Almost like she was surprised that he wouldn't agree with her. "Well, I've heard plenty from your father and the White Lotus over the years. The only thing that girl knows how to do is pick fights," his mother tried to assure him. "Mark my words, if you hadn't been there babysitting her, she would have destroyed half the city before we caught her."

"Well, what can you do?" Koda asked. "Avatar or not, she's a still private citizen and you can't throw her in jail or kick her out of the city just because she might do something."

"As long as all she does is learn airbending with your father, I don't really care," Lin said. "But if she tries to start anything in my city, she'll be on a boat to the South Pole so fast her head will spin."

Koda sighed; he didn't know what his mother's problem with Korra was. Korra seemed nice enough the other day. Maybe a little hot-headed, but he doubted she would actually hurt someone without just cause. Koda was about to end the conversation when an idea suddenly struck him. "Why don't you assign her a bodyguard?" he suggested.

"A bodyguard?" his mother asked, clearly confused by the suggestion.

"Yeah, the police department always provides security for visiting dignitaries and important figures," Koda explained, "and I can't think of anyone more important than the Avatar."

"Why would the Avatar, of all people, need a bodyguard?" Lin asked. "She's not exactly helpless."

"Maybe not, but it would give you an excuse to keep an eye on her," he replied.

Lin remained quiet, not quite convinced yet, but definitely not against the idea.

"Think about it," Koda pressed on before the chief could make up her mind. "Would you rather be completely in the dark the next time the Avatar tries to take down all the Triads singlehanded? Or would you rather have an officer there the whole time to reason with her, to explain why that's a bad idea?" he asked. "Besides, worst case scenario, you'll at least know beforehand when the Avatar decides to do something reckless."

Lin seemed to be pondering what he said, trying to make a decision. "Even if I give my approval, how exactly do you expect me to convince the Avatar to accept having a police-appointed bodyguard?" she finally asked.

"That's easy. Because you won't go to the Avatar with the proposal, you go to Dad with it," Koda said with a grin. "Tell him that it's to help smooth over any future issues with the city that might come up. After you've convinced him that it's necessary, he can be the one to convince Korra for you."

Lin paused again, noticing how casually her son was referring to the Avatar with her given name instead of simply her title. "And just who would you suggest that we give this assignment to?" Lin asked, clearly already knowing who he would suggest and already prepared to shoot him down.

"Oh, come on, Mom," Koda pleaded.

"You just don't have enough experience yet," she replied.

"Who else are you going to send, Mom? Lu and Gang?" he asked. "While two are stuffing their faces with macaroons with the Air Acolytes, Korra will be halfway to the city before they know what's going on."

"There are plenty of other officers who are more capable than you," Lin insisted.

"I was with the United Forces for three years! I've dealt with bigger threats and seen more action than half the department combined!" Koda disagreed, his voice beginning to rise.

He was getting tired of people disrespecting him. Everyone in the department was calling him 'Sergeant Sonar.' His actual sergeant kept sending him on the low-risk patrol while the other rookies were already being assigned to more veteran partners.

Most likely it was part of some sort of jealous retribution, thinking Koda was just a couple of months away from taking his job. And now, his own mother didn't think he could handle a simple bodyguard assignment.

Koda's raised volume once again drew the attention of the room's residents. The young couple, now thoroughly annoyed, was shooting hateful glares at him for once again ruining the mood. And now, the entire party from across the room was looking at them curiously.

Unlike the rest of his entourage, however, the Water Tribe man had a look of clear recognition on his face. Koda's remark about 'the department' likely gave away their identities as members of the police force. And the Beifongs were probably the only cops in the city who could afford to eat out at Kwong's.

"Sir, Madame," a man with an incredibly long mustache curtly said in greeting. Given his formal attire, this man was likely the manager for the restaurant. "Another outburst, and I'm afraid we will have to ask you both to leave."

Koda bowed his head in embarrassment and nodded in understanding.

"Sorry…" Koda said.

However, his mother merely glared at the man for daring to reprimand her. Clearly unnerved by the fact that she was unintimidated by his threat, the manager simply let out an indignant "humph" as he scurried back to the kitchen area. Koda took a calming breath and made sure that the volume of his voice was appropriately quiet.

"I know Air Temple Island like the back of my hand, and my Seismic Sensing is better than anyone else's in the Department," Koda said, "including yours." He added that last part with as much confidence as he could muster, but it still came out rather meek, in his opinion.

Koda saw his mother's left eye twitch in irritation as he said that, but before she could reply, he continued on. "I'm the natural choice for this assignment. Besides, you already said it back in that interrogation room. I was the one who was able to keep Korra from causing any more trouble after I arrived, and I was able to smooth over any issues that she already created." he said.

Lin was quiet for almost a full minute; the whole time, her son was holding his breath. She sighed. "I'm going to need some time to come to a decision," she finally said.

…

Koda and Korra were sitting next to each other, they were getting ready for the press conference and they sparked up a conversation. "Korra you okay, you seem bothered," Koda said. Koda wasn't in his usual outfit and wore the Republic City's Police Uniform.

Korra sighed. "It's just... I don't know what I'm supposed to say once I get out there," she said. "I've lived almost my entire life in a White Lotus compound at the South Pole. I spent most of my days training or taking tests. I haven't really ever done anything too important before. Fighting those Triads with you the other day was the first thing I've ever done that can be counted as part of my 'Avatar duties.'"

"Well, what do your note cards say?" Koda asked, motioning to the papers still in her hands.

Looking down at them only made Korra even more frustrated. "These are just the notes your dad gave me," she replied.

Koda chuckled at what she said and continued to listen to her.

"He wants me to tell everyone that I will only be training in airbending while I'm in Republic City, and that, while I'm here, I won't be fighting criminals, like those guys we took down," Korra explained. "The thing is though, I'm not sure if that's what I really should be doing. As the Avatar, I'm supposed to help keep the whole world safe and in balance.

"But how can anyone expect me to do that if I'm not even able to keep the peace for a single city?" she asked in exacerbation. "I mean, by the time he was my age, Aang had already learned to bend all the elements, mastered the spiritual aspects of being the Avatar, ended a century-long war, and was already in the process of building this very city. How am I supposed to measure up to that!?"

Koda could tell that Korra was starting to get worked up. At this rate, she wouldn't be in any sort of condition to speak to the press. "Listen, Korra, I can understand what it's like to try to live up to that legacy," he said.

He took a deep breath to collect his thoughts. "Look, Aang was a caring person and an amazing Avatar. He mastered all four elements and the Avatar State in record time, all while trying to end a war that threatened to literally destroy the world. Then afterwards, he began the process of single-handedly resurrecting a millennia-old culture that had been destroyed by that war. And he founded a completely new nation, based upon the ideals of peaceful coexistence. I know that's a lot to try to live up to," Koda explained. "But here's what always sorta helps me when I feel like I'm failing to live up to him: the knowledge that he wasn't perfect."

Korra gave him a questioning look. Almost like she didn't believe him. However, Koda continued, "My grandfather made a lot of mistakes along the way. He ran away after finding out he was the Avatar and ended up getting frozen in a glacier for over a hundred years. In that time, the Air Nomads were completely massacred, and 3 generations of Fire Lords were free to set the world ablaze."

"Even after he was free from the ice, Aang didn't always live up to his title or take his duties seriously. During the Siege of the North Pole, he failed to protect the Moon Spirit, and Princess Yue was forced to sacrifice herself to restore the cosmic balance that the Avatar is supposed to maintain. Later, he failed to prevent the falls of Omashu and Ba Sing Se to the Fire Nation.

"In fact, he almost ended the Avatar Cycle completely when he died in the catacombs under Lake Laogai," Koda explained. "Even that's another mistake unto itself. Until Aang revealed it to his friends, the knowledge of how to permanently end the Avatar Cycle was a closely guarded secret known only to the Avatars themselves. Now, it's practically common knowledge."

Korra looked at Koda curiously. She was surprised to hear Koda, the son of Tenzin, ridiculing his revered ancestor so feverously. Koda had clearly given this a lot of thought. Being the grandson of an Avatar, as well as the grandson of two other members of that Avatar's team, likely meant Koda had a lot to live up to. The people around him probably expected great things from him.

"Anyway," Koda continued. "Those are just some of the mistakes my grandfather made in his first year out of the iceberg. He made plenty more later on, both in his time as Avatar... and as a father," he said with a sad smile.

"I may not have accomplished nearly as much as Avatar Aang, but I can't say that I've ever messed up as spectacularly in my entire life as he did in his first 12 years," he finished with a wry smile. Koda then leaned back as much as he could while sitting on their bench, closed his eyes, and put his hands behind his head.

"As weird as it sounds, that does make me feel slightly better," Korra said with a smile. However, her smile quickly disappeared, and she stared hard at the floor. "But I'm still totally unprepared to be the Avatar. Did you know that when you first met me, that was the first time in my life that I was completely by myself without my parents or the White Lotus watching over me?" she asked rhetorically.

Koda decided to just let her say what she needed to say. The young Avatar obviously needed to vent out her frustrations, and he was willing to listen.

"I hardly even gotta say as to who my teachers were. They just brought all the best instructors to me and that was it. No argument," Korra continued. "Throughout history, all the other Avatars traveled the world searching for their own teachers. They helped people along the way and learned what it meant to be the Avatar during their travels.

"Yet, the White Lotus keep insisting that it was Aang who told them to keep me locked up at the South Pole until my training was complete. Why would he do that?" her voice raising as she continued. "I mean, he had no one to tell him how to be the Avatar, and yet he accomplished more in a year than most Avatars accomplish in their entire lives."

"I thought I just told you," Koda said as if it was plainly obvious.

Korra gave him a puzzled look in response.

He sighed. "You said my grandfather didn't have anyone to teach him how to be the Avatar. He was unprepared, he had to find teachers for each element with due diligence. And as a result, he made a lot of mistakes in his time as Avatar, mistakes that cost people their lives... things like that tend to follow you," he said solemnly.

Korra then remembered that Koda had said he was with the United Forces before becoming a police officer. He probably lost comrades in the line of duty.

A realization struck her. "Aang didn't want for me to be unprepared... like he was," Korra said.

"Exactly," Koda answered, "but not just because he wanted you to do a 'good job' as the Avatar. Grandpa Aang wanted you to be as prepared as you could be for whatever you might face. He didn't want for you, his successor, to have to live with as much guilt and regret throughout your life as he did."

Koda took a small breath as he tried to sort out his final thoughts. "I can't say for sure if Aang was right or wrong. I just think that it's important for you to understand the man."

They sat in silence for a moment wondering what Koda had just said before Korra finally spoke, "Hey Koda, do you mind if I ask you a question?"

"Sure, go ahead," he replied.

"You're the grandson of Toph, Katara, and Avatar Aang. People probably expect a lot out of you, right?" Korra asked. "Are you ever worried that you may not be able to live up to those expectations?"

Koda smiled to himself. It was obvious that Korra was finding it difficult to deal with people's expectations of her, and she was trying to get advice without actually admitting that it was getting to her.

"I have," Koda said, "I had learned that I don't have to be what people tell me to be. Sure I may be those things, but I'm still me. You need to find your place in this world, sure you may be the Avatar, but you're still Korra. You can be whatever you want to be while maintaining the title, you just need to find balance."

Just then, an old man with grey hair walked into the lobby as he opened the doors to the entrance. From his plain, yet formal attire, it was clear that this man was some sort of secretary or assistant. Most likely, he worked for one of the Council members.

"Avatar Korra, they're ready for you," the man said in a very nasally voice.

From the other side of the opened doors, Korra and Koda could hear the raucous noise of dozens of reporters as they either talked amongst themselves or tried in vain to get the assembled Councilmen or police onstage to answer questions.

"Well, I guess we'd better get out there," Koda said, pushing himself up off the bench.

"Yeah, I suppose so," Korra replied as they made their way to the door.

Koda reached out and held the door open for her and the old council page. The older man quickly made his way out the door and moved to stand behind the line of council members.

Korra, however, decided to stop in the middle of the doorway as she was walking past Koda. "Hey, Koda... thanks for what you said in there. I may not have any idea what to say when I get out there, but I feel a lot better than I did before you talked to me."

"Huh? Oh yeah, happy to help," he said with a chuckle.

He scratched his head as he answered her, which made his response come out slightly muffled. He also seemed to be looking at an area above the sea of reporters.

Korra was confused. She didn't see anything in the direction Koda was looking, but maybe he was just doing a sweep of the area or something since he was a cop. However, the slight pink tinting on his cheeks made her think that he was nervous about something.

She later went to the podium and Korra cleared her throat, "Hello, I'm Korra, your new Avatar."

The crowd cheered.

"Does this mean you're moving into Republic City?" asked a reporter.

"Were you trying to send a message to the triads yesterday?"

"Will you be fighting crime or the anti-bending revolution or both?"

"Will you be working with the Chief or Office Beifong and the police?"

"Um, yes, I am definitely here to stay, but honestly I don't exactly have a plan yet. See I'm still in training, but look... all I know is Avatar Aang meant for this city to be the center of peace and balance in the world and... I believe we can make his dream a reality." Korra said sincerely, "I look forward to serving you. I'm so happy to be here! Thank you Republic City!"

"Alright, that's all the questions the Avatar can answer for today." Tenzin said as he rushed Korra off the stage.

Later Lin came up to answer the press' questions.

…

If there were two things about Lin Beifong that Korra knew from their brief encounter the other day, it was this. One, the woman had most likely never cracked a smile in her entire life. And two, she absolutely couldn't stand Korra.

Republic City's Chief of Police had made it abundantly clear that Korra being the Avatar meant 'diddlysquat' when it came to taking the law into her own hands. And that her mother and Aang's relationship was 'ancient history' as far as their own relationship was concerned.

And yet, now, here she was saying that the police would be willing to cut Korra some slack and work with her. Was Koda the cause for this sudden change in his mother's demeanor? Korra would like to think that the two of them were friends, or at least becoming friends. But still, what could he have said in her defense that would make his mother's opinion of her do a complete 180 based off of a single encounter. An encounter in which he spent most of the time cleaning up her messes, no less.

"Someone sure has changed her tune," Korra said under her breath.

"Dad and the councilmen have talked to Mom about your prior treatment," Koda said.

"Really?" Korra asked.

Koda nodded as they turned their attention back to Lin's speech.

"In an effort to better coordinate with the Avatar, the Republic City Police will be assigning her a bodyguard," the police chief said stiffly as she continued on.

Korra's face took on a sour look as she furrowed her brow in frustration. Did the police think that she wasn't capable of looking out for herself? Luckily for the young Avatar, she didn't need to make a spectacle in order to get her question answered as several reporters did that for her.

"Chief Beifong, do you believe that the Avatar is unable to adequately protect herself?"

"Has the Avatar been threatened by the Triple Threats or the Equalists?" another asked.

"No, the Avatar hasn't received any threats since arriving in the city," Lin said quickly. She wanted to cut any rumors like that in the bud. "And it's been made abundantly clear that she is more than capable of defending herself," she explained.

"The reason I've decided that the Avatar needs a bodyguard is twofold. First, I don't believe that there's ever such a thing as 'too safe' when it comes to protection. Second, the Police Department doesn't exactly have an 'Avatar Liaison Office.' A bodyguard will be able to work with the police and have the authority to arrest criminals while still remaining with the Avatar at all times."

Korra began to calm down after hearing Chief Beifong's reasoning. That didn't sound too bad, actually. At the very least, she wouldn't have to spend as much time in interrogation rooms...hopefully. Besides, the White Lotus had basically turned Air Temple Island into a fortress with dozens of sentries already providing security. What was one more uniform?

"Who will you be assigning to work with the Avatar?" a reporter asked.

"Will Captain Saikhan be in charge of the Avatar's protection?" another followed up.

On the opposite end of the stage, Korra could see a shorter, balding man standing beside Koda. She guessed he was Saikhan considering he seemed to stand a little taller and raise his chin a little higher after hearing the reporters ask if he would be her bodyguard.

Ugh, he seemed just like all the other old people from the Order of the White Lotus who constantly told her to study harder or not to get ahead of herself. She didn't need another babysitter.

Luckily, the chief of police quickly denied that suggestion. "Captain Saikhan already has enough duties to perform without asking him to relocate to Air Temple Island," she explained. "Additionally, I rely on him and his leadership abilities to help run the department. Having him act as a bodyguard would be underutilizing his skills.

"That said, I do intend to make sure that the Avatar has one of our best as her bodyguard. The man I'm assigning to this task is a combat veteran with years of experience as a soldier with the United Forces. He graduated second in his class from the Royal Fire Navy Academy. Most importantly, he excels in reconnaissance and threat detection, and he is intimately familiar with the layout of Air Temple Island."

The crowd of reporters had begun to murmur as they speculated as to who the chief was referring to. Next to her, Korra noticed that as Lin was speaking Tarrlok's friendly smile had begun to morph into what could only be described as a satisfied smirk.

"As I'm sure many of you have already figured out, I am, of course, referring to mine and Councilman Tenzin's son, Officer Koda Beifong," Lin declared. "He will be the Avatar's new bodyguard. Until further notice, his father and I as well as the rest of the council have agreed that he will be living full-time on Air Temple Island with the Avatar, and he will be accompanying her any time she ventures into the city."

A whole flurry of questions then erupted from the crowd of reporters. So many in fact, that Korra couldn't even make out what a single one of them was trying to say. It only got worse the longer it went on as each person tried to drown out their neighbors by shouting over them.

Korra herself had her own questions. If Koda knew he was going to be her bodyguard, why hadn't he said anything when they were talking before? And if he hadn't known, why would his mother choose now of all times to tell him, in front of the entire world?

Chief Beifong then calmly placed her hand on top of the microphone. She must have used her metalbending since Korra didn't see her make any other physical movement; what followed was an incredibly loud SCREECH over the loudspeakers. The sound was so loud that Korra, the councilmen, and even Lin's fellow police officers were forced to cover their ears. The rambunctious crowd quickly fell silent as their senses were assaulted by the offensive noise.

Despite everyone else's discomfort, Lin seemed completely unfazed. And as soon as the rowdy reporters had calmed down, she took her hand off the microphone, ending her auditory abuse. "Now," she said in an eerily calm voice, "if you're all done mewling like a bunch of ravenous catgators, then you can civilly ask the our son any questions you might have."

With that, the chief of police walked away from the podium without saying another word and moved to take her previous position beside her fellow officers. All eyes then turned to Korra's newly-assigned bodyguard.

To Koda's credit, the only sign that he was at all shocked by this development was the fact that his hands, which had previously been clasped behind his back similar to the other officers, were now hanging limply at his side. However, he seemed to be frozen in place and didn't start to move until his mother subtly cleared her throat. At which point, he hurriedly moved up to the podium.

"Um, hello, Republic City," Koda said. Unfortunately, his voice just so happened to crack as he said the word 'City.' However, he quickly cleared his throat, took a deep breath, and continued on with much more confidence. "I am Officer Koda Beifong of the Republic City Police Department, former Lieutenant of the United Forces, and from this day forward, bodyguard to Avatar Korra. I'm honored by the trust that my parents and the rest of the department has placed in me, and I will carry out this task to the best of my abilities… Uh—now, I'd be happy to answer a few questions—"

As soon as Korra's new bodyguard mentioned the word 'questions,' all the previous chaos from just a moment ago came back. However, Koda calmly placed his hand over the microphone in a similar manner to his mother. This action quickly brought an uneasy silence to the assembly.

Then in a calm, yet clearly threatening voice, he finished his previous statement. "As I said, I'd be happy to answer a few questions… one at a time."

It was a few moments before one of the reporters to finally work up enough courage to speak. "Um, Officer Beifong, do you really believe that Avatar Korra needs a bodyguard for her protection?"

Korra was curious as to the answer to that question as well. What did her new friend think of her? Now that Korra admitted that she had lived almost her entire life in a White Lotus compound, did he think that she was some sort of sheltered princess that needed constant protection? After all, that's what the White Lotus and Tenzin, his father, seemed to think.

"As my mother said, we believe that Korra is more than capable of taking care of herself. Her… encounter with the Triads after she arrived has proven that. The main purpose of this arrangement is to maintain an open line of dialogue between the Avatar and the police department," Koda said. "However, if there's one thing I learned with the United Forces it's that it's always best to work with others. The idea of one person rushing to face down an entire army singlehanded may seem valiant and make for good storytelling, but in the real world, the best you can hope for in that situation is a martyr."

The crowds let that gloomy note hang in the air for a minute before a short man wearing gold-framed glasses finally asked another question. "Is it true that you were the officer that Avatar Korra first met after arriving in the city?"

"Yes," Koda answered simply.

"Eyewitness reports even say that you were seen aiding the Avatar in dealing with any repercussions for the chaos she caused," the older man said.

"I don't believe that was a question," Koda said bluntly, prompting him to get to the point.

"Do you believe that you're giving the Avatar preferential treatment given your… family relation?" the reporter asked.

"Wait," Koda said in a surprised voice, and he quickly turned to look at Korra. "We're related?"

Korra quickly blushed as she simultaneously felt all eyes turn towards her and she considered the possibility of her and Koda being blood relatives. This, as well as Koda's slightly alarmed reaction to the question, brought forth some light chuckling from those attending.

"No, no, no," the reporter quickly corrected. "I meant that given she is the reincarnation of Avatar Aang, your grandfather, are you giving her preferential treatment."

Korra hadn't considered that. Maybe Koda was only nice to her given her connection to Aang. If she wasn't the Avatar would he have helped her as much as he had?

"Oh," Koda said in understanding. "Well, if I thought of Korra as my grandfather… mother," he trailed off as he considered that line of thought.

"Anyway, if I thought of her like that, then I'd be asking her to set my father's curfew extra early," Koda said as he wagged his finger like he was scolding a child, "and tell him that there's no airball or playing with Oogi until his room is swept and his plate is clean."

Raucous laughter then erupted from the crowd of onlookers. Korra looked to see the reactions of those around her. Most of the councilmen were chuckling, as were the other police officers onstage. Tarrlok merely had an amused smile on his face. While Tenzin rolled his eyes in exasperation as everyone got a laugh at his expense.

Even the chief of police was forced to cover her smile as she thought of the teenage girl reprimanding the airbending master who was twice her age as though he were an unruly child.

The amusement continued for a few more minutes before dying down. As it did, the clocktower across from City Hall began to gong, letting the city know that it was now the top of a new hour. "Well, I believe that's all the time we have," Koda said. Clearly, he was hoping to wrap this press conference up quickly. "I'm sure all your listeners are already waiting to hear tonight's Pro-bending pre-game."

Just as Koda was turning to leave the podium one last reporter called out. "Officer Beifong, while we're on the topic of preferential treatment, do you believe that you were given this important assignment because you are the son of the Chief and Councilman Tenzin?"

Koda was still for a moment before he spoke. Korra could tell from his rigid stance and the way he was gripping the side of the podium, that despite the calm and collected voice he spoke in, Koda was very irritated by that reporter's insinuation.

"I believe that my record speaks for itself."