Winding Legacies: A 'The Legend of Korra' Rewrite

The Three Year Gap, Month Fifteen: Mako

Mako felt like he was going to barf.

There wasn't much sense in what he was doing, or at least none that he could think of. In all honesty, his parents would probably have some really strong words for him. But, they weren't there anymore and his options were very limited.

At least the Triad was gonna help him and his brother.

"So you're gonna walk into the park, sit on the bench for like ten minutes, pretend to knock over the contents of your backpack, and then accidentally leave the package on the ground as you get up. Simple as pie."

"Isn't the saying sweet as pie?" Mako's words bubbled nervously over his lips. At the sharp glare of the large man in the driver's seat, his shoulders slumped and he sunk deeper within himself.

"Just get outta here."

The Triad man reached over Mako's little frame and forced open the car door, practically shoving him out into the street. Tugging on the ends of his scarf, Mako tried not to let the seat beading on his face get to him. As he dabbed away and the weight of the backpack dug into his shoulder blades, he wondered what it even was that he was dropping off.

No one had told him and he couldn't shake the terrible feeling that it was something bad. Something he shouldn't be near even with a ten-foot pole.

Like the guy had said, Mako sat on the first bench he came across for ten minutes. Ten very long minutes that started to all blur together with every shake of his hands. Off in the distance, a clock struck eight and Mako jumped to his feet, stumbling haphazardly over a few stray rocks. The bitter taste of iron welled in his mouth as he struggled to push himself up. His eyes fell on the contents of his backpack tossed everywhere and he sighed.

Mako spit out as much of the blood as he could before moving past the stinging on his skin to collect all of the random papers and jackets that had been stuffed into the bag. All except for the brown box that had conveniently slipped right underneath the bench anyway. He stared at it for a moment, thinking that maybe he could get away with peeling back the lid and seeing inside. Then, he turned away.

He wasn't about to risk getting what he was promised just because he was curious.

The ride back to the Traid headquarters was as quiet as the ride to the park. Every so often Mako would catch the Triad guy looking at him out of the corner of his eye but he couldn't understand why. It wasn't like he failed to do what he asked.

"Did ya get into a tussle with a squirrel or somethin'?

Mako tried to crease his brows, but a dull ache in his forehead stopped his movement from getting very far. Shady Shin laughed even harder and sucked his teeth with a grin, rummaging in his desk for a white box that he brought over to Mako's side.

"That was 'posed to be an easy drop-off. What happened?"

Shrugging, Mako tried not to flinch at the ointment Shin rubbed over his eyebrow. "I fell." Shady Shin bit back another smile.

"Yeah, well next time say it was a fight. Makes you seem tougher that way."

He ruffled Mako's hair and then jerked his head to the door. Another Triad member came into the room and handed Mako a crate full of food. Fresh fruits, actually green vegetables, and enough bread to last him and his brother a while. There were even a couple of the moon pies that Shin had overheard Bolin wanting when they were aimlessly browsing that grocery store hoping that anything there was only one yuan.

"Thank you," Mako said graciously, a deep bow lowering his head. Shady Shin waved him off.

"Don't thank me for nothin'. This was all you."