Suspicions

Koda sighed as he sat in his chair at the Police Station.

He looked at the medal he received for protecting the civilians during the beginning of the Equalists Rebellion and threw it in his cabinet; it didn't really matter to him. What did matter to him was that his mother was taking much of the hits from the council about Amon having successfully infiltrated and getting into the arena like he did which resulted in their failed mission to stop him.

Bunch of two-faced old crows.

Koda looked at the picture on his desk and smiled as he picked it up and examined it. The picture held two small children, one boy and one girl; the boy had black hair and hazel eyes while the girl had black hair and green eyes.

It was a picture of both him and Asami, roughly around the time they first met.

'Flashback'

Lin had sent Koda to a prestigious school in order for him to learn and also due to his wealthy status.

A four year old Koda was at recess and was lying on a bench watching the clouds float by when suddenly a shadow covered him.

"What are you doing?" asked the voice of a girl.

Koda turned his head to see a girl with shoulder length black hair and green eyes.

"I'm just watching the clouds. Wanna join me?" Koda asked

The girl smiled, "Sure, I'm Asami, Asami Sato." She said as she sat down and held out her hand.

Koda smiled at her, "Koda, Koda Beifong." He said as he did the same and shook her hand.

'Flashback Ends'

Koda smiled and started to walk out of his office.

He headed down the hall and saw Hiroshi with his mother and father.

"Uncle Hiroshi, didn't expect you to be here." Koda said with a smile.

Hiroshi smiled at Koda, "Koda, hard at work I see." Hiroshi said as he extended his hand and Koda shook it.

Koda shrugged at him, "I guess. Working on intel is a long and annoying process at times, but it saves lives so I can't really complain."

"I heard you received a medal." He asked with a bit of happiness in his tone, as the young man had indeed earned it.

Koda snorted, "All I did was my job. They put me on a pedestal and use mom as a scapegoat." He finished with a growl.

Lin sighed, "It was going to happen. I was the one who was so sure I could prevent Amon from doing something and in the end I fell right into his hands. You did the best you could and saved the civilians from being his hostages." She stated, while she was willing to take the blame for this, she was in fact very proud of Koda for his quick thinking and leadership skills to take control in the middle of that chaos. He was truly going to be a great Chief one day.

"No one could have been prepared for something like that Lin, but we did the best we could." Tenzin commented solemnly, as he tried his best to protect Lin from the fallout, but Tarrlok had other ideas.

"Still... whoever made those gauntlets are a true genius." Koda said as he had indeed examined the ones he had recovered from some of the arrested Equalists.

Lin sighed, "Why must you marvel at a weapon being used against us?" Lin asked with a bit of irritation as her son always loved new technology.

It was one of the reasons why he and Hiroshi got along so well. The master inventor had commented that if Koda was very bright and enjoyed their talks about new and revolutionary ideas that could help people.

"Why would they be a genius Koda?" Tenzin asked with interest, as Koda's input was very insightful.

"Think about it, by giving this to the non-bending Officers, they would not only be more effective, but also better protect themselves from criminal benders too with additional evasive training. By giving these to civilians with the right permits, we could give both benders and non-benders a chance to defend themselves against thugs and triad members. Not only that, if we can augment it into the metal bender uniform, we could send jolts to stun captured criminals, and other ideas." Koda said beaming at the possibilities of new uses for the gauntlets.

"Still, if some run of the mill criminals get their hands on it, who knows what, could happen." Lin argued with her son.

"Fine, but I still think this invention has possibilities and a lot of potential for great things." Koda finished with a sigh.

"This is just like the time you thought we should teach both our bending and non-bending Officers chi blocking." Lin stated as they continued to walk down the hall with Hiroshi and Tenzin behind them with amused smiles on their faces.

"Which is still a good idea as I learned it and use it to take down bending criminals at times. Also it would bring better unity with benders and non-benders by encouraging them to join the force and work together." Koda argued back.

Tenzin sighed at the two, they were both so headstrong about when they thought they were right, but it just showed how the two were related.

Hiroshi shook his head and laughed slightly at the agreement, it was one of the reasons he liked Koda, he wasn't afraid to speak his mind and was always looking out for the little guy one could say as he always placed a big emphasis on bender and non-bender unity.

"Oh, I just remembered!" Koda said in realization and turned to Hiroshi, "Mom was wondering if she could get a motorcycle too."

Lin nodded to this, "Yes, I have to agree with him on that as I can clearly see the advantages of having them, in fact I may discuss with you later on a contract for most of the force to have them." She said in a business tone.

Hiroshi nodded, "Of course, come over for tea some time and we can discuss the details." He said as he turned to Koda, "How is it riding by the way? It has been a year or so if I remember correctly." He wanted to know in case it needed a tune up or something.

Koda shook his head, "She still drives as perfectly as the day I got her old man and more." He really loved that bike and how awesome it felt driving it.

"Excellent." Hiroshi said with a smile.

"Hiroshi, if you remember anything else about Amon's attack be sure to let us know." Lin said as they entered the lobby.

"I'll be sure to Lin. I want these Equalists to pay for what they've done." Hiroshi said as he nodded to Koda and then saw Korra in the lobby and nodded to her as well.

Koda turned to see Korra and smiled and saw her interacting with Tahno. While he didn't really like the bastard and was angry at him for cheating his team to winning the championship, he still felt sorry for him that he lost his bending.

"We're ready for you now." Tenzin said to Tahno, as the former bender stood up.

He gave Korra a mock salute, "See you around, Ah-vatar." He said as he cracked a tiny smile as he teased her and walked away with Lin and Tenzin.

Koda walked over to Korra and smiled at her, "Hey, wanted to visit me at work?" he asked with a teasing tone.

Korra smiled at him and lightly punched him in the shoulder, "Not really, but I guess it's just a bonus." She said with a hidden smile. Koda chuckled, "C'mon, let's go and get Mako and Bolin."

'Mako and Bolin's Apartment'

"I can't believe we're actually leaving this place after all this time," Mako commented as he placed his belongings inside a second-hand suitcase that had definitely seen better days.

After the Equalist attack on the Arena, the local authorities declared that the stadium was now officially an off-limits area for the time being and gave Mako and Bolin an eviction order. The place was undergoing reconstruction and it was too dangerous to have citizens residing inside, given than an accident could happen at any moment and the entire structure could collapse. The bending brothers didn't have much of a say in the matter and were granted a couple of days to abandon their home.

In all honesty, their apartment was far from being remotely fancy. It was humble at best. Half of the time the water didn't work and both Mako and Bolin had to endure painfully cold nights during winter since they didn't have a stove to help them get warm. It was better than nothing, and that was all the praise their apartment deserved. And yet, somehow, Mako and Bolin found themselves feeling a bit sad for having to leave. Their little apartment had been their home for the last years, and they had grown fond of it despite its many inconveniences.

"We had a good run here, didn't we?" Bolin asked, smiling halfheartedly.

Koda and Korra, who managed to get inside the building after Koda pulled rank on the security guard outside, entered the scene. "Hey guys, you'll never guess what," Korra announced with a big smile. "I talked to Tenzin and arranged everything so that you can come live on Air Temple Island. You don't have to worry about sleeping on the park benches any longer,"

Mako developed an awkward expression on his face as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Oh... I mean, that's really generous of you and all, but-"

"But Asami already invited us over to her mansion! Isn't she the best?" Bolin finished, placing an arm around his brothers' shoulders. "From now on, no more cold showers and no more watery noodle soups. We're going to spoil ourselves rotten until we get sick of it,"

Koda whistled. "You're going to Asami's mansion? I'm telling you, prepare to get blown away. You couldn't ask for a better place to stay at," As he said those words, Koda stole a glance at Korra out of the corner of his eye, and she didn't seem all that thrilled. There was even a small frown on her face that indicated her annoyance.

"Why thank you Koko," Asami said as she stepped into the scene, carrying a box full of Mako's and Bolin's belongings. "In fact, I was wondering if you two were willing to join us for today. Accommodating two more guests wouldn't be an issue at all."

"Actually, we were just about to leave. Koda has a lot of work to do and I have to attend my Airbending lessons," Korra replied with a hint of resentment in her voice, as if Asami had somehow wronged her.

This did not go past unnoticed by Koda. "But we can totally crash in tomorrow if you'll have us. It's been a while since I last visited your place, and I'm sure Korra is going to love it. Besides, don't forget that I have a score to settle with you, Asami. I haven't forgotten how our last car race went," he said humorously, feeling the need to diffuse the tension as soon as possible. The last thing he wanted right now was bad blood between his girlfriend and his best friend, but to be fair, Korra was the one who was providing some degree of hostility, not Asami.

Asami's smile widened. "Well, it's adorable that you think you can beat me when it comes to racing, but you're more than welcome to try. So, see you tomorrow?"

"Sure. We'll be there for lunch. Right, Korra?"

"I'm not that sure. We still have to..." Upon seeing the looks she was receiving from her boyfriend and her friends, Korra finally gave in and forced herself to look convinced. "Alright, I guess we can have lunch together. I'll talk to Tenzin and let him know."

"That's what I wanted to hear!" Bolin said before grabbing his Fire Ferret pet and bringing him close to his face. "What do you think we should get first, Pabu? Octopus fritters? Seaweed noodles? How about some Komodo sausages?" While the earthbender listed off all of the dishes he wanted to try, Koda and Korra said their goodbyes and promised to visit Asami tomorrow. As they walked downstairs, the metalbender noticed the sour look on Korra's face and wondered what was going on in her head.

'Outside the Arena'

"What's the matter, Korra?" Koda asked once they stepped out of the building. He gave a quick nod to the guard, who lifted the barrier and granted them exit. "You look a bit upset,"

"Upset?" Korra repeated. "Why would I be upset? Mako and Bolin got themselves a place to stay with Asami. She's obviously going to give them all they could ever ask for and they'll be much happier living in a mansion. It's no wonder they were in such a good mood,"

"Yeah, but you still seemed a bit disappointed when they told you about it. Besides, that frown hasn't left your face."

"I'm not frowning."

"Are too."

"Whatever you say."

She really wasn't going to make this easy, was she? Koda was well aware of how stubborn Korra could be, and it didn't seem like asking her more questions would provide him with anything other than an even more miffed girlfriend. When it came to both his job and his social life, he hated when issues that needed to be addressed were left undiscussed, but he had to be smart about how he dealt with those issues. Koda usually approached things in a straightforward fashion, but sometimes, a little subtlety went a long way.

So what did he do? Koda didn't have a sister to explain to him how the mind of a girl worked, but he had Asami, which came pretty close to being a sibling. On one occasion while they were discussing their dating lives, she gave him some advice and warned him that, given certain circumstances, girls reacted positively towards a guy's indifference. It didn't make much sense to him at the time, but it looked like he could use that advice right now. Time for some reverse psychology.

"You're probably right. I guess I was just imagining things," Koda said casually before going silent. The Avatar stole a glance his way, as if she was waiting for him to say something else, but the metalbender placed his hands inside his jacket's pockets without a care in the world and even began to whistle a short melody.

Once they reached the end of the street, Korra suddenly spoke up. "Asami is a really generous girl. Almost too generous, I'd say,"

"That she is," Koda replied nonchalantly.

"And she's probably going to shower Mako and Bolin with luxuries,"

"Sounds like Asami alright,"

"And you're okay with it?" Korra asked while eyeing him suspiciously.

The metalbender shrugged his shoulders, avoiding her stare. "Sure. As long as they're happy being her guests, I don't see what the issue is."

Korra pressed the corners of her mouth, as if trying to refrain herself from saying something. It was kind of annoying how Koda couldn't figure out what her problem was. True, she did say she had no problems with Mako and Bolin refusing her invitation... but she didn't always have to agree with what she said, right?

"In any case, I should be heading back to my office," Koda said as he sat on his motorcycle and started the engine. "If you happen to enjoy watching your boyfriend go through a mountain of paperwork, you're welcome to come with me, but I can imagine you have better things to-"

"I think I don't like Asami."

Koda stared at her girlfriend for a brief moment before stopping the engine. Even though he had already seen this coming, it still felt weird, mainly because Asami was one of the most likable persons he had ever come across and he couldn't find a reason as to why anyone would have a bone to pick with her. "Why don't you like Klutz? Thanks to her, the Fire Ferrets were able to compete in the tournament. Besides, she's done nothing wrong to you."

The Avatar let out an irritated sigh. "I know, I know. The Fire Ferrets owe her a lot. It's just that..."

"Yes?"

"... It's just that I feel like Mako and Bolin would much rather stick with her than to stick with me," Korra admitted. She couldn't help but feel tremendously guilty as she said those words, and she refused to meet her boyfriend's gaze. "The worst part is that I can't blame them. Those two deserve a break after all they've been through. But when Mako and Bolin started talking about Asami and her awesome lifestyle, I can't help but think that she's using her wealth to make sure the two of them stay with her."

Against his will, Koda began to frown. Despite how much he liked Korra, her tendency to misunderstand people's actions often irked him. He knew he couldn't fully blame Korra for it, because after all, anyone would turn out to be socially inept if they lived the kind of sheltered life his girlfriend had. However, if Asami were to be the kind of person Korra thought she was, did Korra truly believe he would've befriended someone like that in the first place? Of course he wouldn't have. Koda knew Korra wasn't dumb, so that lack of critical thinking on her behalf was a little bit exasperating.

At the same time, the metalbender had to recognize he was guilty of something similar. Being raised by the Chief of the Police Department and becoming a law enforcer himself had taught Koda to have some level of distrust for most people until he got to know them better. It's not like he automatically assumed strangers were criminals, but he had seen and dealt with plenty of liars and manipulators in the past, mostly because of his job. And while that kind of mentality allowed Koda to stay on guard, it also gave him a rough time whenever he was introduced to someone new, especially when he wasn't on active duty.

"Do you... Do you think I'm a bad person for having these thoughts?"

Koda blinked in confusion as Korra's question brought him back to reality. "Huh? No, I don't think you're a bad person at all, Korra. But at the same time, I think you're judging Klutz way too quickly. Mako is her boyfriend, so it's only natural that Asami would want to help him and his brother out by letting them stay with her for the time being. She's an incredible person, and I'm sure the two of you could become friends if you gave her a chance. Will you do that for me?"

Korra tried to maintain a neutral expression on her face, but after staring at his eyes for a couple of seconds, she couldn't help but bit her lower lip. Darn it, did he have to look so cute when he asked? It didn't take long before Korra gave up. "Fine, I'll try to get to know Asami better. She can't be too bad if she's your friend, I suppose."

"That's my girl," Koda said with a smile as he got off his motorcycle and placed his hands on Korra's hips, bringing her closer to him. "Now give me a kiss."

The Avatar let out a sigh and rolled her eyes. "A kiss? And what exactly have you done to deserve one, if I may ask?" Korra replied with a tired voice, although the tiny smirk gracing her lips betrayed her.

"Nothing, but I'm pretty sure a kiss would help you get warm. It looks like this cold weather is making you shiver."

"I am shivering? In case you forgot, I was born and raised in the Southern Water Tribe. Maybe you city folks consider this weather to be cold, but to me, it's worthy of a hot summer's day."

"Oh, I see. If it's not the weather, then I guess it must be me. What's the problem, Korra? Am I making you nervous?"

"You wish," the Avatar replied before placing her lips against Koda's. The metalbender leaned forward, deepening the kiss with gusto, to which Korra replied by putting her arms around Koda's neck and bringing him closer to her body. The two benders kept going at it until they ran out of breath, and when they did, Korra rested her head on his boyfriend's chest while Koda held her tightly. Surprisingly for Korra, she did start to feel warm inside after the kiss... Not that she was about to admit it.

'At Air Temple Island'

They were relaxing down in Koda's room and Korra was looking at all his photos. "Hey Koko," Koda looked and saw Korra show a photo of him and his father back when Koda was 7 years old. "Oh that was when dad and I went to Ember Island."

"How did he react when he found out you were an earthbender."

"Well, when I was born he hoped that I would be an airbender. He was first disappointed at first, but he came to terms with it shortly after. When I asked him if I failed him, he said no. Instead he was happy I was an earthbender, because of that he had me learn all aspects of bender. He had me master all four elemental techniques."

Korra nodded as she put down the photo and she later saw a photo of a young Koda and a young Asami, behind them was Toph.

"Hey, how did you meet Asami?"

"We actually met when we were at school when we were about four years old. A very preppy, rich, high society school." He said with a groan, "You would not believe how dull it was, I felt like I was going to lose my mind." He exclaimed with the added gesture of waving his hands in the air.

Korra gave a quick laugh as she imagined Koda acting all snotty like.

Koda whined at her laugh, "It isn't funny, woman, I mean I got into trouble just for doing a few pranks, PRANKS! The very thing I live to do for fun and amusement and they deny me that right. Rich schools are evil." He said as he finished with a small shiver.

Korra patted his head mockingly, "There there, those mean teachers are long gone now." She said in a tone that was usually reserved for children.

Koda playfully swatted her arm away and laid back into the bed, "You know...this feels nice." He commented

Korra laid back next to him and turned her head to see his face as she raised an eyebrow, "What is?" she asked with mild confusion.

"This!" he exclaimed, "Just relaxing, no Amon, no chi blockers, no police work, no Avatar business, and no fangirls. Just the two of us taking it easy and without having to worry about things right now." Koda finished as he too turned his head to face her.

Korra registered what he was saying...and he was right! She was just relaxing, no impending doom over the horizon, no Avatar stuff to do, and no Lin to mess with her and her Koda this time.

She really liked that last one considering she still felt like Lin was against her.

"But if you wanna know..." Koda sat up and looked at Korra.

"It started like this..."

'Flashback'

A ten year old Asami was wearing a fancy dress and was walking or stumbling next to an eleven year old Koda as she tripped over the hem of the dress occasionally.

"Why are you wearing a dress Klutz?" Koda asked as he had his arms around the back of his head.

"Will you stop calling me that?!" Asami said with a small growl.

Koda couldn't help but laugh, he knew Asami happened to be a bit danger prone as she trips and falls on occasions as well as getting paint on her, specifically orange paint, which happens to Koda's favorite color. So, in order to give her an appropriate nickname, Asami the Klutz was born.

"And I'm wearing this because I'm about to meet Toph Beifong, the greatest earthbender in history." Asami says in a matter-of-fact tone.

"You do know she's blind right? She can't really see you all fancied up like that." Koda pointed out.

Asami stopped in her tracks and faced Koda as she opened and closed her mouth to try and say a rebuttal, but she had nothing.

They continued walking till Asami spoke up, "Why didn't you say anything about it?" she asked plainly.

Koda shrugged, "I don't know." He said.

Asami sweat dropped at his reply and shook her head, it was a typical Koda answer that's for sure.

They finally entered the Beifong mansion.

"Come on, this way." Koda said as he pointed up stairs.

Asami followed Koda and they walked to the end of the hall.

Koda knocked on the door and they heard an elderly voice, "Come in."

Koda opened the door and Asami say an elderly, yet still strong, woman with short grey hair with bangs that slightly covered her milky eyes. She had a few wrinkles under her eyes and was wearing a long-sleeved green shirted with a pale yellow short-sleeve blouse over it and was currently relaxing in bed. All in all she was an elder woman who looked good for her age as she still appeared like she could take on anyone who challenged her.

The elderly woman cracked a grin that Asami had seen on Koda many times, "Well well well, if it isn't the munchkin. You seem to have brought a friend too." She said in a jovial tone.

"Gran Gran!" Koda exclaimed as he jumped at her and hugged her.

"Hey! Easy with the jumping munchkin." Toph said as she caught him with a grunt, "Well well, finally getting a girlfriend?" Toph joked as she poked him.

Koda blushed a bit as he let go of the hug and walked to Asami, "Klutz, I would like you to meet grandma Toph. Gran Gran, meet Asami or as I call her, Klutz."

Asami, being raised with manners, curtsied, "It's an honor to meet you. I'm Asami Sato." She said politely.

"She does know I'm blind, right?" Toph pointed out as she moved out of the bed and planted her feet on the stone floor while showing her green pants and bare feet. She had felt the girl curtsied, but as everyone who knows her, she wasn't really into all that stuffy manner stuff.

"I told her that." Koda with a sigh.

Asami blushed in embarrassment and promptly stood up.

"Well anyway, how's it going munchkin?" Toph asked with a smile as she knew he hated that name.

"Stop calling me that." Koda asked with a small growl.

Asami was amused by this and finally understood where Koda got his teasing trait from.

"What are you going to do about it?" Toph egged on.

"I'll take you down!" Koda proclaimed boldly.

Toph snorted, "Yeah, like a little pebble like you can beat a mountain like me." she stated with a disbelieving look.

"Oh it is on wrinkles!" Koda shouted as he went for the attack.

"Bring it squirt!" Toph said in return.

'Five seconds later'

Toph was sitting cross legged on a face down Koda's back and she pumped her arms in the air, "I've said it once and I'll say it again Toph Rules!" She shouted

Koda groaned weakly, "You're heavy." He said, trying to get back at her for beating him so quickly.

Toph wiggled a bit, grinding into his back and put her hand to her ear, "What's that? You say: Grandma can stay in this spot as long as she wants. Why you're such a good little munchkin aren't you." She said in a baby voice as she pinched his cheek.

Asami was giggling like no tomorrow at the sight of Koda beaten with such ease.

'Flashback End'

By the end of the story, Korra was rolling on the ground laughing, "Ah ha ha, she whipped you so bad." She said as she tried to get her giggles in check as she sat up again.

"Yeah yeah yeah, laugh it up water princess. I bet you couldn't handle her either." He said as he pushed her shoulder playfully causing her to fall down once more.

Korra snorted, "I may be a bit of a hothead, but I'm not stupid enough to go against Toph Beifong, heck I don't even dare go against your mom." Korra said as she smiled at him.

Koda huffed as he crossed his arms and looked out the window to see it growing dark, "Wow, time flies when you're having fun. I'll walk you to your room." He said as he helped her up.

Koda walked Korra to her room and gave her a teasing smile, "You sure you don't want me to be your teddy platypus bear?" he said in a suggestive manner.

His teasing worked as Korra grew bright red at the prospect and closed the door quickly. She was so fun to tease when it came to staying together in bed.

'At the Sato Mansion'

The Sato estate was just about everything Korra expected from someone as rich as Asami: Huge, luxurious, and expensive beyond her imagination.

The place was located inside the wealthiest neighborhood in all of Republic City, where multiple other mansions had been built by some of the richest families in town. Of course, this particular neighborhood was so exclusive that it wasn't easy to get to on foot, mainly because it was in one of the few rural areas of Republic City with hills and pasture that contrasted heavily against most of the city's dull and gray districts. Koda could see himself retiring from duty at an old age and living the rest of his life in a place like this.

Upon reaching the main gates, Koda waved at the old man in charge of the entrance, who waved back at him and pressed a button that opened the gates, allowing them to enter. "That guy didn't even ask for your name," Korra noticed.

"He already knows my name. He and I go way back," Koda responded before hitting the gas pedal. Hiroshi was very concerned with the security of his estate, and had instructed the staff members who worked for him to let him or her daughter know of each and every visitor that came to his house, but since Koda had been such a regular guest of Asami for years now, there was no need to inform of his arrival.

They walked down the hall till Korra saw an assortment of pictures.

She looked at each of them and saw only Koda and Asami in them. She had a slight frown on her face as she tried to make out some of the pictures. Some showed Koda smiling as Asami seemed to have been caught in a bunch of different pranks while the others were the exact opposite with Asami smiling and Koda covered in different pranks.

"What this?" asked Korra in wonder.

"That is the wall of Victory and Shame Avatar Korra." A butler said as he walked up to them.

"Hey Pao, how's it going?" Koda asked as he shook the butler of the Sato's hand.

The butler returned and smiled at Koda, "Wonderful as always Master Koda." He said in return.

"Wall of Victory and Shame?" Korra asked with her head tilted.

"Master Koda and Lady Asami tended to have a few prank wars back when they were children and both he and she wished to chronicle them to look back on in the future. I believe that Master Koda has one at his residence as well." Pao said as he looked at Koda who nodded at the question.

"Wow, when you mentioned that you pranked, I was thinking just um..." Korra trailed off as she got into a thinking position.

"That was just a little innocent thing, right?" Koda asked with his trademark Beifong grin.

Korra blushed slightly at the grin, "Yeah." She answered

Pao raised an eyebrow at this, but said nothing about it. Thought he was happy for the young Beifong, as Asami had gossiped about his budding relationship with the young Avatar.

"Right this way." Pao said as he led them to the pool.

They walked in and saw both Asami and Mako relaxing in the pool and before they could even say hi, Bolin's voice shouted, "Earth bending bomb!" he exclaimed as he dove into the pool.

"Master Koda and Avatar Korra have arrived." Pao announced.

"Hey Korra, Koda." Mako said with a wave.

"Glad you could make it." Asami said and grinned impishly as she saw Koda with her too.

"Welcome to paradise!" Bolin said as he surfaced the water after his dive and opened his arms wide, then started to float on his back and Pabu lying on his stomach.

"Looks like you guys settled right in." Korra joked as she sat down.

"Well, it isn't that hard to get settled in a place like this." Koda added as he laid down in the chair next to her.

"Pretty much, except some forgot to ask her father if we could stay here." Mako said as he looked at Asami and swam toward Koda and Korra.

Asami swimming next to him said, "Yeah, but I smoothed it over with him. It's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission."

Koda snorted, "Please Klutz, you got the man wrapped around your finger." He said while whirling his finger in the air.

Asami pouted as she leaned over the edge of the pool, "Oh that is so not true." She said

Koda stared at her blankly and she caved.

"Okay, so maybe I do." She said

"Yep." Koda with a nod.

Bolin got out of the pool with Pabu on top of his shoulder, "This is the greatest place in the world. Watch this, watch this," he said as he stood in a regal manner, "Fetch me my towel good sir." He said

"Yes Master...Bolin." Pao said in a neutral tone, but Koda could easily tell from knowing the man, that it also carried slight irritation.

Koda shook his head, you don't push the butler too much, you treat them with respect and they return it. He couldn't really blame Bolin for his excitement for having a butler due to his background; he just hoped that his fellow earth bender didn't push it too much. He would have to send Pao a fruit basket or something to make up for it.

"Master Bolin, ha, I love this guy." Bolin said as he pointed at Pao and he then stood straight and extended his arms while Pabu climbed on top of his head, "Now pat me dry." Bolin said and Pao did as instructed.

"As you wish." Pao said

"Don't forget Master Pabu." Bolin added

"Wouldn't dream of it, sir." Pao said

After Pao was finished, Bolin jumped back into the pool and Koda winced, okay maybe two fruit baskets.

"So, what do you have planned for us today?" Korra asked, "Let me guess, shopping, makeovers?" she added with a bit of a condescending tone unintentionally.

Bolin dunked Mako under the water and raised his hand, "Oh oh, I vote makeovers!" he said as Mako dunked him under the water in return.

"No! Never again!" Koda shouted as he hid behind his chair and was shaking with a bit of fear.

Everyone but Asami was wondering what his problem was. Asami seeing their confused faces decided to fill them in as she walked out of the pool.

"Well when we were younger-" she started off, but Koda interrupted her, "Shut up." he said in a warning tone.

"I decided to pull a prank on Koko here-"

"Stop it Asami."

"And tricked him into getting a-"

Koda ran up to her and covered her mouth, "You have nothing to say." He said with a bit of panic in his voice.

Asami elbowed him in the gut, causing him to double over, "a makeover, but added something more to it-"

Koda got up and bear hugged her with one arm and covered her mouth with the other one, "No you didn't!"

Asami got out of it and put him in a headlock as Korra and Mako didn't like the closeness the two friends were having, "and put him in a dress too. It's on the wall of Victory and Shame if you want to see." She said as she let go of Koda as he started to cry a bit.

"My manliness went down deeply that day." He said in a depressed tone. They all laughed at his antics.

"For the sake of Koda's sanity, I have something else in mind." Asami said.

'At the Sato Racetrack'

The gang was sitting on the bleachers as they watched two Satomobile's race by.

"Pretty cool huh?" Asami asked as she saw Korra's face as the young Avatar was excited by what was happening right now.

"Way cooler then a makeover." Korra said as she watched the cars go at it.

"This is where future industries test drives its Satomobile's. Ever been behind the wheel?" she asked

"The only thing I know how to drive is a polar bear dog." Korra said

Asami saw Koda's legs shacking from watching the race and knew exactly what he wanted.

"Want me to take you for a spin?" she Asami asked

Korra turned to Asami in surprise, but smiled, "Let's do it!" she exclaimed

Asami turned to Koda, "Hey Koda, want a shot at revenge again?" she asked in a pompous tone, knowing it would annoy the earthbender.

Koda growled and put his goggles over his eyes, "You're so going down this time, Klutz." He stated

Asami rolled her eyes, "You say that every time and yet I still win." She returned

Everyone, once again, wondered what was going on and once again, Asami filled them in as Koda walked to the track, "Koda and I race sometimes and due to his competitive nature, he doesn't like to loss so much since he's never beaten me once in a race." She said and everyone nodded, they were starting to understand Koda and Asami friendship today.

Koda got into a car and looked Asami right in the face and gave her the, you're going down gesture as Asami looked right at him with a smirk as Korra was in the back of her car.

The checkered flag was swung and the two went at it.

Koda took the lead and drifted into a corner and Asami followed.

Asami gained some speed and was inching towards Koda and final was neck and neck with him. Koda shifted gears and got ahead of Asami a little and got in front of Asami.

Asami in turn shifted gears and hugged the turn as Koda slowly inched away from her as she drove faster.

Koda, not wanting to loss again shifted once more and slammed the gas, hoping to get a head of her, but Asami crossed the finish first and went to the pit.

Koda crossing entered another pit and got out of the vehicle as he was now sulking.

Korra got out of the car with excitement and took off her helmet, "That was amazing!" she shouted, "I didn't know Koda could drive like that." She added

"Yeah, it took him awhile to get the hang of it, but he did learn from the best." Asami answered, "But to be fair, he is a better motorcyclist than me."

"I got to admit, I had you pegged wrong. I thought you were kinda prissy. No offense." She add quickly

Asami laughed, "It's alright, people usually assume that I'm daddy's helpless little girl, but I can handle myself. I'm mean; I've been in self-defense since I was little. My dad made sure I would be able to protect myself and it really helped when Koko got out of line at times and needed his butt handed to him."

"Smart guy... so Koda needs his butt handed to him at times?" Korra asked, in case she would have to do it herself.

Asami nodded, "He can get a bit big headed at times, but since he would never really fight seriously with me, I would beat him up, especially after a successful prank done to me."

Korra giggled, "Sounds like him."

"You really like him, don't you?" Asami asked with a smile and a teasing tone.

Korra blinked at her and nodded, "Yeah." She said in a light whisper as a light blush graced her face.

Asami smiled at her, "Good, that boy needs a girlfriend instead of all those fangirls he has. Just having me as a friend isn't really enough since he works a lot." She said, but then her expression turned serious at Korra, "You hurt him and I'll destroy you." She threatened

"What?" Korra said in shock of the sudden mood change.

"Koko and I have been joined at the hip since we were kids. I look out for him, just as he looks out for me. You do anything to break his heart; I won't rest till you've been punished to the maximum." Asami stated.

Korra narrowed her eyes at Asami, "I wouldn't." she growled

Asami nodded, "Good, I hope you don't." she finished as Koda walked up to them.

"Damn it I was so freaking close! One more time Klutz, I know I can win." He demanded

Asami rolled her eyes and smiled at him, "Once a day was the rule Koda. Remember when we first started racing, you wouldn't stop even after it got dark till you won...which you never did and I needed some sleep."

Koda pouted at her and her stupid rule as he started to walk back with to mansion while muttering to himself with Asami giggling behind him.

Korra glaring at Asami's back as she was determined to have her see that she was good for Koda.

As they entered from the door that Pao opened, Bolin was in the middle of his pee pee dance.

"Emergency, emergency, coming through beep beep!" he said as he ran to the bathroom.

Koda was laughing as Bolin was running so fast he was picking up dust. Mako was shaking his head in shame.

"Uh, is there another bathroom I could use?" Korra asked Asami.

"We have a ladies powder room upstairs. First door on your right, you can freshen up in there." Asami pointed out.

"Thanks." Korra said as she walked up stairs.

Once Korra was out of sight, Asami turned predator to Koda, "You two look so good together." She complemented

Koda blushed slightly and looked away from her.

Asami grinned and pinched his cheek, "Aw, is lil' Koko finally all grown up." She cooed at him.

Koda swatted her hand away and crossed his arms while gaining an even bigger blush, "You always do this to me!" he said in indignation, "Go make out with your boyfriend or something." He shot back.

Asami got into a thinking position, "I'll think about it." She said as she grinned at Mako who had a slight dusking of pink on his cheeks.

Bolin came back a few minutes later and asked Pao for some spray to smell fresh.

A second later, Korra came running down the stairs.

"Hey Korra what's the ru-Whoa!" the earthbender said in surprise as he was grabbed by his collar and pulled to the door.

"You're leaving already? But I-I thought-" Asami said, but Korra cut her off.

"Sorry, but I forgot I was supposed to air sit, I mean, baby bend, I-I mean, babysit the air bender kids and Koda was supposed to help me. See ya later!" she said with a wave as she continued dragging Koda by his collar.

"Is this the part where you have your way with me?" Koda asked in confusion.

Korra turned an impossible shade of red from the comment and plopped him next to his cycle, "Drive!" she squeaks.

Koda put his hands up in a surrendering manner, "Alright alright, no need to squeak." He said as he put his helmet and goggles on, "Where we going?" he asked

"We need to see your mother." Korra said as her face still had a bit of a blush despite the serious look she still had for some reason.

"Asking her for permission to marry me? I thought the guy does that?" he questioned.

Korra's eye twitched at that and her blush returned completely, "You're so lucky you're cute." She growled as she held his waist.

"I prefer handsome thank you." He shot back and they drove away.

"You believe Hiroshi Sato is part of the Equalist movement?" Tenzin repeated, a deeply troubled look on his face. "Korra, do you realize how grave of an accusation that is? You're talking about one of Republic City's most successful and well-respected businessmen being affiliated to a terrorist organization,"

The son of Lin and Tenzin frowned deeply as he stared at his boots in silence. He, Korra, Tenzin, and Lin were on the rooftop of the Police Department's Headquarters discussing the possibility of Hiroshi Sato being an Equalist. While Koda considered himself to be an open-minded individual for the most part, an accusation of this magnitude towards Hiroshi was really pushing it. The Lieutenant of the Police Department had known Hiroshi for years, and the man had been nothing but kind and polite to both him and Lin, to the point where Koda saw him as a friend of the family.

And now, all of a sudden, Korra was telling them that it was possible for Hiroshi to be associated with Republic City's most dangerous terrorist movement in recent times. Korra was his girlfriend and he really liked her, but how in the Spirit World was he supposed to believe her? Had it not been for years of learning self-discipline and emotional control, Koda would've immediately rejected Korra's idea, especially when considering how fast Korra jumped into conclusions.

Lin gave her son the stink eye, and Koda knew exactly why. Before the start of the Pro-bending finals, the earthbender had asked her if she could please try to be more tolerant of Korra. Well, Korra was certainly not making it easier for Lin to tolerate her, and the Chief of the Police Department wasn't exactly known for her patience. "That's quite a bold statement, Avatar Korra. I'm assuming you have concrete proof of Hiroshi's involvement with the Equalists, not just mere conjectures,"

"I... Well, not exactly, but I know what I heard," Korra replied. "Hiroshi was talking to someone over the telephone. He said that the raid on Cabbage Corp had given them enough time, and that they would be ready to strike by the end of the week. The conversation ended there, but judging by his tone of voice, it sounded like they were plotting something. Something dangerous,"

Tenzin placed his fingers on his chin. The information offered by Korra wasn't enough to make him think that Hiroshi was a criminal, but unlike Koda, Tenzin shared no affective bonds with the founder of Future Industries, and so it was easier for him to remain neutral. "Koda, you read the reports about the raid on Cabbage Corp, correct?"

"I did, dad." Koda said, speaking for the first time since the meeting had taken place. "Cabbage Corp is the direct competitor of Future Industries, or at least it was before all of this commotion took place. They're getting pretty bad press right now. We found an array of Equalist devices in one of their factories, as well as other objects of dubious provenance. I can definitely see Future Industries trying to make the most out of this situation by promoting its products given how the reputation of Cabbage Corp has taken a huge hit. Maybe that was what Mr. Sato was referring to in his conversation,"

Despite not being involved in the world of business all that much, Koda at least had some knowledge about it, and it made perfect sense to him that Future Industries would try and capitalize on the "Cabbage Corp Controversy" as the newspaper liked to call it. Hiroshi Sato was a businessman, and as such, he wasn't above taking advantage of his competitors' disgraces for the sake of strengthening Future Industries' position in the market. It was nothing personal, it was simply the way industries and companies worked, and Koda was mature enough to understand that.

The corner of Koda's mouth twitched in discomfort before he spoke again. "However, there's something that has been bothering me. The results of the raid on Cabbage Corp were too good to be true. Our sources were able to find the exact place where the Equalists manufacture and distribute their technology, and we managed to seize plenty of evidence from the factory in one fell swoop. The Equalists have never operated this carelessly; otherwise they would've never become the threat they are today. It almost feels like..."

"... Like they wanted us to find their devices and have us believe Cabbage Corp is involved with them, thus giving us a fake lead," Lin finished her son's sentence, to which he nodded his head yes. "To be honest, I've been growing suspicious of how convenient for us the raid on Cabbage Corp was. We sent a pair of electrified gloves that we found over to the Engineering Technology Department so that researchers can figure out the development process behind them. They investigated every factory owned by Cabbage Corp, and according to their reports, all of those factories lack the machinery needed to manufacture those gloves,"

"Which means that the evidence gathered by the Police Department during the raid could've been deliberately planted there beforehand," Tenzin chimed in.

Upon hearing her Airbending teacher, Korra's eyes widened a bit. "Do you think it's possible that Hiroshi Sato did that in order to frame Cabbage Corp and put them out of business?" she asked with a tiny bit of enthusiasm in her voice, feeling like her hunch had a little more substance now.

"No, it can't be. He wouldn't," Koda couldn't help himself. The idea of Mr. Sato being responsible for such an underhanded ruse was preposterous, almost impossible. Taking advantage of a competitor's misfortune was one thing, but causing said misfortune was another matter entirely. "This is Mr. Sato we're talking about. We've known him for years, Mom. Do you really think he would get himself involved with a terrorist group just for the sake of making a profit?"

"Whether we like it or not, it's undeniable that Hiroshi is benefiting from this. That doesn't mean he's guilty by default, but after all that has happened, we simply can't dismiss potential suspects, regardless of how many years we've known them for. Besides, when you think about it, Future Industries is one of the main leaders of our time in terms of technological advancement. Hiroshi certainly has the means to manufacture Equalist devices on his own... as well as a possible motive,"

The Avatar blinked. "A motive?"

"Years ago, the Agni Kai Triad broke into the Sato Estate with the intention of committing robbery," Tenzin replied with a sad look on his face, one that his godson shared. "The situation got out of control, and their robbery attempt ended with the death of Yasuko, Hiroshi's beloved wife. That tragic incident left the Sato family devastated, and Koda too."

Lin growled remembering the event, "Our son was there that day too with Asami." She said

Korra's eyes widened, "Wh-what happened?" she asked

Koda sighed, "It went like this..."

'Flashback'

A six year old Koda and a five year old Asami were playing outside and decided to head inside to clean up.

Asami wiped the mud from her face and glared at Koda, "Really? A mud war! I thought you were going to show me your earth bending?" the dirtied Asami questioned.

Koda, also covered in mud, shrugged, "I wanted to try out mudbending. It sounded fun." He looked at Asami and then himself, "And it was." He chirped as he patted the dirt on him.

Asami just face palmed.

A scream echoed through the halls.

"Kyaaa!"

Both Koda and Asami froze hearing such a horrific scream.

Asami turned to Koda with a bit of fear, "Ko-Koda, wh-what was that?" she asked in a shaken tone.

"I don't know?" he answered as he took a deep breath.

He placed his hand on the floor, trying to feel the vibrations in the earth like his grandmother had taught him.

He felt...a lot of people entering the house and running around it and...one was heading this way!

Koda grabbed Asami's hand and ran up stairs with her.

He found a closet and pushed her into it, "Stay here." He ordered her.

"But-" she tried to argue, but Koda cut her off.

"No Asami, stay here and I'll try and find aunt Yasuko and see what's happening." He said as he closed the door on her.

He ran though the second floor of the house trying to find someone; anyone that could tell him what was going on.

He finally found Asami's mother Yasuko, "Aunt Yasuko!" he said, getting her attention. She turned to him with a panicked look on her face, "Koda, run!" she shouted and was hit in the back by a fireball. She flew through the air and landed roughly on the ground, Koda thought she would get up...but she didn't.

A big stocky man came out of the hallway and looked right at Koda, "Well well, a brat huh, I think that bastard Sato only had a daughter so you must be her friend or something. What do you say brat, I'll let you live if you bring me to Sato's daughter." He said

Koda was frozen, his feet just wouldn't move. This...this monster just killed Yasuko.

The man laughed at him, "You want to fight me?" he said in a joking manner, he rolled his shoulder, "Your funeral, maybe they can have a two for one to save some cash after we rob this place blind." He joked as he shot a fireball at Koda.

Koda jumped to the left of the hall and slammed his foot on the floor, causing it to collapse under the firebender.

"The fu-!" he tried to say, but he fell through.

Koda, not being able to control his bending just yet, cracked the floor under him too and fell.

Koda stood up from all the rubble and heard some rubble moving and turned to see the firebender, just as he punched Koda right in the face, sending him flying.

"Little brat, your dead!" he shouted

"Koda!" the voice of Asami cried out.

Koda turned to see her friend in tears as she watched him get hit.

The fire bender saw her and smiled, "Well there you are, time to end you too, so just stand there as I choke the life out of your little friend here." He said in a polite manner.

He wrapped his large hands around Koda's throat and started to squeeze and Koda flailed around, trying to fight back, but sadly he couldn't.

Suddenly a rock hit the fire bender in the eye, causing him to bleed.

He growled as he turned to Asami just as she threw another rock at him. He swatted it away, "Fine, you can die first!" he said as he got up and was about to launch a fireball at her, but stopped when he looked down and saw a large earth spike going right through his stomach.

He turned his head slightly to see Koda in a striking pose and tried to gasp for air as the spike went through his lung. He died right then and there.

Koda collapsed on his knees and looked at his hands. He had killed. He killed someone! He just wanted to save Asami and he took a man's life.

He started to cry and felt a pair of arms wrap around him and saw Asami crying as she hugged him tightly, which he returned. The two stayed like that till the metal bending police arrived and arrested some of the fire benders while Lin and Tenzin ran up to the two.

"Koda! Asami!" she said in a frantic tone. She quickly scanned the scene and her heart sank when she saw a fire bender impaled by an earth spike.

She and Tenzin saw Koda shaking and crying as Asami held him and the two wrapped their arms around the two and tried soothing them with sweet nothings as she was also shedding tears.

It was a few minutes later that they found the body of Yasuko Sato.

'Flashback Ends'

"Koda..." Korra muttered in sadness as she heard that he had killed someone at such a young age.

Tenzin had bowed his head at remembering their son had not been his usual self for about a month till he started to talk about it with Lin and himself.

He always had asked if he was a bad guy for killing someone.

They told him that killing was indeed a bad thing, but he did it to save someone's life.

"It was a tragic event. It's possible that he's been harboring anti-bending sentiment all this time." Tenzin said

"I will speak to Hiroshi in private about the matter." Lin said in a neutral tone.

They started to head home as they would deal with this in the morning.

Koda stood up and started to head towards his bike, but Korra grabbed his arm, "You believe what I said... right Koda?" she said in a soft tone.

Koda winced as he turned to look into her eyes, "It's not about believing you or not Korra. I'm just trying to make heads or tails of this whole thing. I mean, the old man has been nothing but family to me. I want to believe you, but I also want to believe that the man I grew up around isn't an Equalist either." He said carefully.

Korra looked a little hurt that he didn't believe her right off the bat, but she could understand since he just didn't want it to be true.

Deep down, she hoped she was wrong... for Koda's sake.