The sweaty men gave their report about the court first, and that Amon, not only liberated his brother, but gave a speech about taking her down. And in the process, he had released the concentration camp she had made for those who opposed her and dared to talk.
To say that she was frustrated was an understatement. She had planned for this day and waited for it so long, where she could get rid of every enemy at once and peg the bloodbenders. But things had gone astray.
"And what was the Avatar doing when all of this was happening?" she asked, her voice grave. She could only look at a bunch of bruised Dai Lee agents, kneeling on the ground, while the envoy she had sent to bring Korra was covered in bondages, looking at the ground.
"She was asleep and drunk," replied the envoy she had sent.
"Yeah, and? You had time to wake her up. What stopped you?!" She demanded a good explanation, or else.
"It was Akashi, your majesty. He said he's too jealous and that if I touched her, he'd kill me. I tried to make my way in, but he kicked my ass!" he said. "And when he was done beating up the agents, he said that if you caused Korra any troubles, he'd tell her that you had tried to assassinate him that day."
The Queen opened her eyes wide, jaw dropping in shock.
That man had found out about their plan to assassinate him during the trial while the Avatar was away.
"And how did he find out?" she asked.
Instead of letting the envoy answer, one of the Dai Lee agents said, "The envoy here, instead of talking to Akashi, took things out. And he demanded us to take him down."
"As I see, he's alive and sound. Why didn't you take him down?" she demanded.
"He… he, your majesty, defeated us." He admitted, swallowing his pride.
"You, 5 of my best agents and assassins failed to subdue one man. At least you have critically injured him."
"No, your majesty. He beat them in less than half a minute, and he wasn't even serious. He took three down with a clap of his hand. And he managed to punch an agent out of the ground," the envoy said, understanding that this was a game of blame. As the Dai Lee agents tried to put the blame on him, he tried to do so by exposing their worst.
"If training you didn't take time and resources, and if you weren't trained war orphans, I would have executed you on the spot along with your families," the queen grumbled under her breath, massaging her temple. "Take the envoy to the concentration camp along with his family."
"Wait! Your majesty!"
Two agents appeared from nowhere, holding his arm and cuffing his mouth. They then vanished with him into the darkness.
Well, these five weren't the only ones who had screwed up.
She turned her head. A few dozen agents, not only failed to stop Amon, but also got their bending stripped away.
She no longer had any use for them.
And she couldn't release them, as they knew too much, as they knew secrets that no one should know.
"Execute those who lost their bending," she demanded.
The Dai Lee agents didn't overreact, only showed shock and disappointment in their eyes. But to them, they had already lost their life the moment they lost their bending, and they didn't want to live any longer. They didn't resist. And instead, they grabbed knives from their pockets and took their own lives by slicing their own throats.
"Idiots!" The Queen yelled, "Now the palace's room is dirty with blood and smelly! If they wanted to kill themselves, do it outside." She held her face, "Why am I surrounded by idiots who cannot do anything right."
No one said anything as she grumbled.
By now, it was understandable that Akashi defeated her. Matter of fact, it seemed that Akashi had predicted her steps, preparing in advance, making Korra get drunk on purpose so that Amon could free his brother.
In fact, she doubted that Akashi had something to do with helping Amon and Tarrlok outside.
And things started to make sense now, like why 8 of her assassin envoys were murdered in Republic City. If that man could defeat 5 agents without attracting much attention, he could do 8. And to take down 3 agents with a clap.
"No wonder Tarrlok didn't win. That man is strong enough to take on a bloodbender head to head." She concluded. "Now, with bloodbenders leading a rebellion, I cannot spare any resources going after Akashi.
"In fact, go to that scientist who claimed he could create airbenders by using Akashi's mutant genes and execute 3 generations of his families."
"Your majesty, he's a war orphan and has no children." Some consultant commented.
"This is the worst day in my life!" She snapped. "Just torture him before his death."
She then paused, her mind working.
Scientists… right.
There was one who had been involved in all of this, yet now that person was sitting in the corner, enjoying the glory, and making robots and planes.
There is something bloodbenders can't bend, and it's metal.
"Talking about scientist, let's blackmail that one," She said, "Send someone, threaten him with his secret, and his daughter if necessary."
"Your majesty, what about Akashi?" asked a consultant.
"Let that bastard be for now," she clenched her jaw, "I'll make him suffer the most pain. But for now, spare no resource, guard the prisons, and set traps for the bloodbender."
-x-X-x-
"Acho!" Akashi sneezed. He rubbed his nose, and he wondered since when could he get sick, given that vitality was his highest stats.
'No. It just someone talking about me or the sands of the desert got me.' He thought.
"What a day." Korra said, turning her head away from the window and burying it in Akashi's chest.
She had gotten up, with a severe headache. Luckily, there was a waterbender healer around to help her with the hangover. Truth to be told, she didn't remember anything. She forgot about the Ba Sing Se's affairs and about the bloodbenders trials.
"I know right. But luckily, we are going home," Akashi said, "We're going to relax, unlike some people."
Korra suddenly opened her eyes widely, seeming to realize something.
"Dang it. I forgot about the trial." Korra held Akashi from the collar, panicked, and said, "Why didn't you wake me up!"
"Why would I?" he asked. "The royal forces were nothing but rude, and they got it in themselves. If they wanted your help, they should have known how to ask better;"
"It's not that them I worry about, idiot. I'm worried that the bloodbender would come after you." She said, her voice betraying anger and anxiety.
Akashi inhaled deeply and sighed, staring at her blankly.
"Korra, a piece of advice," he said.
"Yes." She nodded, her heart racing.
"Don't worry," Akashi advised.
It may be simple advice, but it's the only thing she could do.
"Can't you be serious now? It's your life at stake." Korra clenched her fist and hit his shoulder.
[-5 HP]
"Ouch…" Akashi pretended to feel hurt as he held his own shoulder. "By the way, it's not only that."
"What happened more?" She asked.
"I got attacked by the Dai Lee agents when you were asleep," Akashi told her, keeping the assassination detail out. He didn't want to cause troubles. Korra was still an emotional girl.
In the canon, when her father was sentenced to death, she kidnapped the judge and put his head inside her polar bear, threatening him to give her information of who made him make that judgment. And for the record, polar bears may understand their owners, but don't understand bluffs.
Korra would miss such a detail and may have a word to word with the queen if she knew.
And that's not something Akashi wanted, because her falling down while using incorrect method would send the whole Earth Continent to suffering.
"What?" Korra opened her eyes widely. "Why didn't you wake me up."
"Well, I kicked their ass. And since I was angry, I picked you up to the plane." He said calmly.
"Tsk. But it's expected." She asked, curious. "So, tell me how many were they. And how did you defeat them?"
Akashi started telling her how, seeing the admiration in her gaze. The fight happened under a minute. But he made it sound like an epic fight that came straight out of Lord of the Rings.
"But come on, Akashi. Punching the ground and getting him out. That's earthbending, not airbending." She rolled her eyes, not believing that little detail.
"It's more about the waves control. I controlled the shockwave in the air and directed it to the ground." Akashi said, hinting at a possibility of wavesbending.
"Waves? Like the one we ride in the ocean?" She inquired.
"Well, waves are similar, like a ripple, transferring and affecting the matter they get through, be it water, air, or earth. For example, take the sound, it's a wave that transmits through the air." Akashi said, tapping his finger. "Now, if you put your ear on the chair… what do you hear."
Korra put her ear on the chair, and Akashi tapped it.
"I hear it… But it sounds different."
"That's because it's a wave transmitted through the chair, or earth… and if you noticed, the sound gets different when it transmits through water… Anyways. Technically, it's how it is."
Akashi was teaching Korra a lot. And she may or may not pick up a hint of it. Technically, waves transmitted through all matters. Every bender, except for firebenders, could control waves transmitting through their bent matter.
"Okay, you managed to convince me," Korra nodded, "Though, I would still have to see it in action to believe it completely."
"Enough with the chit chat," Lin walked to where Korra and Akashi were sitting, walking to Akashi. "The boys are calling you for the poker night."
"No. Tell them I need him." Korra said, holding Akashi from the shoulder.
"Well, he needs to breathe some time. You're taking him too much," Lin replied, raising her hands in anger.
"So, you were planning to take him all along and the poker night is just a trick."
"You think that I would do such a petty thing."
And as they argued, Akashi slipped from Korra's arm, and walked out, activating flying to get out as fast as possible.
Lin and Korra were too busy arguing.
Akashi met the other task force members, who just started playing.
He sat down and joined them.
"Minimum bet is 100."
"Make it a thousand!" Akashi replied cheerfully.
With the seeds of the rebellion planted successfully, Akashi would get back to his daily life and take care of his daily matters.
Though, there was one person lurking in the shadow, and that one made the Earth Queen look like a small enemy.
"My in-laws are something," he muttered under his breath.
"What was that?" asked someone next to him.
"I was just calculating," he replied, shaking his head.