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𝐀ll it took was one second before everything went completely wrong. Suddenly, a metal wall shot up, blocking their only entrance, leaving them with no escape. Lin tried to metalbend the seemingly metal wall but to no avail. Cloud looked around them, trying to find another exit but much to her disappointment, there was nothing but countless walls and walls that stretched around them. Great.
"I'm afraid you won't be able to metalbend that wall, Chief Beifong." The sound of Hiroshi Sato's voice came from the speakers of the factory as green lights were turned on around them, causing them to shield their eyes from the glares. "It's solid platinum."
She looked up from under her arm and found that the robotic machines had come to life and now onto them.
"My mecha tanks are platinum as well," Hiroshi said spitefully. "Not even your renowned mother could bend a metal so pure."
"Hiroshi, I knew you were a lying, no good Equalist!" Korra exploded from anger and said with an accusing tone." Come out here and━"
"And do what, young Avatar? Face the wrath of your bending? No. I think I'll fight from inside here where my odds are a little more... equal."
"That source was a set-up!" Lin exclaimed as the mecha tanks came closer to surround the benders. "You lured us down here!"
"Guilty as charged."
The battle began when Hiroshi Sato initiated the first attack, shooting out a grappler to capture them. Cloud, along with Lin, Tenzin, and Korra, evaded it. Another mecha tank attacked the metalbender cops but they dodged, shooting out cables to wrap around its arms, holding it down.
Cloud took into a firm stance as she locked her eyes on her target. Pulling her arms back, she shot it forward to the mecha tank, sending a strong air blast, making the mecha tank stumble on its large robotic feet. It fell on the ground after tripping over the metalbender cops' cables.
She didn't expect the mecha tank to conduct electricity, but when it did, the officers who were holding it down got electrocuted and lost consciousness. Cloud landed on the ground, her stance was the same as Tenzin who was fighting another mecha tank that Hiroshi was using, and Korra backing up her uncle. She noticed Lin being flung across the room and landed hard on the ground, remaining unconscious as well.
Muttering something along the lines of stupid robots, the female airbender shot up from the ground and landed on top of the mecha tank as it started to flail around to get her off its back. Cloud glared at the robotic tank before unmistakably fetching out a knife from her boot and began to furiously stab it on the spot where her knife could go deeper. She dragged it across until it started whirring, electricity cackling from the machine, but what she didn't expect was to get electrocuted as well.
The last thing she knew, she was falling off its back while Tenzin shouted her name. He managed to cushion her fall, but that didn't lessen the pain of being electrocuted and rendered her unconscious in the meantime. She was getting really sick of being electrocuted every time.
Cloud woke up to another start. Her head leaned on something firm, and then she felt somebody's arms around her legs as if she was being piggybacked. A familiar strong cologne and strangely, a faint smell of benzene entered her nostrils, which made her abruptly open her eyes and placed the person into a headlock.
"Cloudy! Stop. It's me! It's Mako." The firebender shook her off, and the brunette quickly jumped down from his back with a suspicious look on her face. Mako scratched the back of his head, narrowing his fiery golden eyes at her "Jeez. A little thank you would be nice."
"Fireboy? Really?" Mako huffed, but the airbender already turned her back on him, swaying from side to side as if she was mocking him.
Cloud stood next to Meelo with his siblings and Korra (and of course, we can't forget Naga), huge smiles appearing on their faces at the sight of a ferry getting closer to the dock. The children started waving at the familiar people on the boat. Bolin was slightly leaning over the railing with Pabu on his shoulder as he looked at the island with an excited look on his face. Asami had her arm around Mako as they stood behind the quirky earthbender, watching the island, too.
"You're finally here!" Ikki said excitedly as an Air Acolyte threw the anchor in the water while two others let down the ramp, allowing the passengers to get off the boat. "Welcome to Air Temple Island. Your new home."
"Yes, welcome to my domain," Meelo said proudly, pointing at himself.
After that, Ikki started chasing the poor fire ferret around the dock when she noticed it. Meelo jumped on Naga, acting as if she was a flying bison but the polar bear dog remained seated. She was not having it. Cloud laughed in amusement before she glanced at the newcomers with a lopsided grin on her face.
"Hey." She waved slightly.
Bolin grinned at her and sent her a quick salute which made her grin. "Hey, Cap."
"Thanks for sending the Air Acolytes to help us with the move," Mako told the two girls in front of them.
Asami agreed with him. "Yes, they've been amazing. Such tireless workers."
Cloud proudly smiled at that, but her eyes widened when she caught sight of two Air Acolytes carrying several trunks of luggage. She could hear them grunting from how heavy it was as they struggled to walk down the ramp. Korra also looked surprised to see the large stack of cases as the pair carried them off the boat.
"Oh, I thought you were only bringing a... few things," Korra commented.
The airbender didn't take her eyes off the two Air Acolytes after she noticed them stumbling a bit, the items of luggage threatening to topple on them. She clasped her hands behind her back and tried to be discreet as she slightly pushed her foot upward to airbend a gust of wind under the luggage. They finally managed to balance themselves more easily. None of them noticed the action she made, maybe except Mako whose eyes glinted with wonder.
"Trust me, it could've been worse," Mako laughed.
"No problem," Korra said, putting on a smile. "Everyone here wants you guys to feel welcome."
The group toured them around for a bit, although it was mostly Ikki's doing. The little girl sure talks a lot. She and Bolin seemed to get along well, too, and Cloud was just amused with their encounters. The kids can be a handful sometimes, but without them, their lives would be boring, and no one wants a boring life. Especially her.
