8 Kang's Great Escape

Tenzin was now concerned, not only was his son missing, but Korra as well.

He was now in City hall as he was going to Tarrlok to ask what happened. Tenzin saw that the Council man was being treated by a healer and Saikhan was writing a report.

"What happened?" Tenzin asked.

"As I told Chief Saikhan," Tarrlok said, "Korra came to my office late last night. She was upset that I arrested her friends. She asked me to release them and… that's when the Equalists attacked. I tried to protect Korra, but we were outnumbered and then I was electrocuted."

"I'm so sorry," Tarrlok said, "and in regards to your son, I have Chief Saikhan's men around the clock trying to search for him. I haven't heard a word since, again, I'm really sorry."

———

Lin was in a hospital bedroom as she was listening to the radio.

"We interrupt your regularly scheduled broadcast to bring you two special reports," the newsman said, "late last night Kang Beifong, the son of Councilman Tenzin and former Chief Lin Beifong has gone missing, the police have been searching for him nonstop. A few hours later, the Equalists attack city hall, subduing Councilman Tarrlok and capturing Avatar Korra…"

Lin shot out of bed and shut off her radio as she went into her closet and changed into her uniform and put a coat over it.

…

Asami was in her jail cell as she heard metal being bent. She got up from a lying position and saw Lin was freeing her.

"Hope you got enough beauty rest, sweetie," Lin said, "c'mon I'm busting you out."

Asami beamed up with happiness as she exited her cell.

"Thanks I owe you," Asami said.

…

Meanwhile Mako and Bolin were sharing a jail cell, Bolin was trying to pee, but his older brother was nearby.

"Are you done yet?" Mako was looking away from his younger brother as the said boy was still peeing.

"Cover your ears, I can't go with you listening!" Bolin said.

Mako sighed in exasperation as he covered his ears with his hands. But soon the metal door opened and at the threshold showed Lin and Asami.

"Asami!" Mako ran to his girlfriend as the two kissed each other.

Bolin started to go red in embarrassment as he was trying to pee.

"Hey," Bolin said, "a little privacy, please?"

After Mako and Asami separated from their kiss, Mako looked at her with concern.

"Are you alright?" Mako asked.

"I'm fine," Asami said while placing a hand on Mako's cheek, "it's so good to see you."

"Hate to break up your lover's reunion," Lin said, "but Korra and Kang are in trouble. She's been captured while Kang has disappeared, but I have suspicions that he's been captured as well."

Asami and Mako were the most shocked.

"No," Mako said in denial, "no, she can't be gone."

"Kang too," Asami said.

"C'mon," Lin said, "we have two kids to rescue."

The three teens started to run out of the cell with Bolin being the last one, but Lin used Metalbending to zip up Bolin's fly, making blush in embarrassment.

"You're fly was down," Lin said as she started to walk away.

"Thanks for catching that," Bolin said as he was following behind her.

———

Inside Tenzin's office he was in the middle of a phone call as he soon heard footsteps. He looked ahead to see Lin, Mako, Bolin, and Asami approaching his desk as his eyes started two widen.

"I uh," Tenzin said before hanging on the phone, "have to go. Call me back the minute you hear everything."

As he hung up the phone he started to go on a worried tirade.

"Lin," Tenzin started to stammer in nervousness as he saw that the other three kids were out of jail, "you should be in the hospital! And you three kids should be in prison!"

"I figure you could use our help finding our son and Korra," Lin said.

"Do you have any leads?" Mako asked.

"I've been on the phone all morning," Tenzin said, "but nothing yet."

"Not even on Kang?" Asami asked.

Tenzin shook his head, "To make matters worse, her polar bear dog is missing as well."

"Then where do we start," Bolin asked.

"My guess is the Equalists are hiding underground," Lin said, "in the maze of tunnels beneath the city."

"Underground," Asami started to speak while looking down in shame, "just like my father's secret factory, figures."

"Yeah," Bolin had a hand on his chin as if he was thinking, "that makes a lot of sense. When those chi-blockers had me in their truck, it sounded like we drove into a tunnel."

Mako started to realize something and looked to his brother and girlfriend.

"I think I know where to start," Mako said, "c'mon."

As the three teens ran off Lin and Tenzin looked at each other.

"Wherever Amon is keeping Korra," Lin inferred, "I bet that's where he's been keeping our son and my other officers."

"Do you think Kang's there just to be kept prisoner?" Tenzin asked.

"It's possible," Lin said, knowing that her and Tenzin's son was a nonbender, "but it's also possible that Amon may make him join the Equalists as his skill set would be an asset.

"Well, we can just hope for the best. Let's bring them all home, Lin," Tenzin said, "and I hope our boy is okay."

"Yes," Lin said, "I hope our boy is okay too."

———

Kang was in a dark room as he was tied up to a chair and was exhausted. Throughout the night from when he was captured, he was endlessly tortured by the Agni Kai Triad. He went through electrocutions and burns to getting cut open by a scalpel and every excruciating thing you can think of.

The Triad members had a blindfold on him as he couldn't see who was who as a voice called out for him.

"Hello, Mr. Beifong," the voice said, "I'm Dreadful Dai, perhaps you have heard of me?"

Kang, who was breathing deeply, barked out a cynical laugh, "Is that a name you pulled out of your ass?"

He soon felt a fist connect with his face as he started to spit out blood.

"I had an older brother, perhaps you remember him" Dai said, "you killed him the last time you encountered us."

Kang soon had a flashback to who it was that he killed, Dai was Dao's younger brother.

"Heh," Kang chuckled in a condescending manner, "I didn't know Dicked Down Dao had a bratty kid brother, who turned out to be just as shitty as him."

Soon he started to scream in pain as he felt a knife in his leg as it was being stabbed and then he soon had a gut cut, but he didn't regret the insult he just threw.

"The last victim I had lasted only 48 hours," Dai said, "would you like to break the record?"

Kang said nothing, making Dreadful Dai take off the blindfold and see that the man was unconscious.

Dai stood away from Kang as he told two other triad members, "Call me when he comes around, there's no rush."

"Yes boss," one said.

…

Kang woke up, but was in pain, he looked around and saw that there were two Agni Kai Triad members as they saw Kang woke up.

Kang started to cough out blood as the two members heard it and ran towards him. One threw a right hook in his face, leading him to tip over from the chair where he was tied into and fall back into unconsciousness.

———

Oogi was flying down and landed on the snowy cement floor as Tenzin, Asami, Mako, Bolin, and Lin got off the skybison's saddle.

Mako led the group as he ran down the street where the truck took Bolin.

"The truck that took Bolin was down this alley!" Mako said while pointing in said direction. They all ran down the alley and saw that it led off in four directions.

"Which way?" Asami asked.

Bolin started to smell and said while pointing ahead, "Hmm, this way kind of… smells familiar."

Lin soon used Seismic Sense and as she kept scanning the area, she felt a tunnel to the right.

"There's a tunnel nearby," Lin said while pointing to the right. She started to run with the other four following her. They soon slid down a hill as Mako fully sprinted to a metal gate.

"There!" Mako said.

Lin saw some tracks on the snow and knew what they were, "Motorcycle tracks," Lin said, "this could lead to where everyone is."

She soon started to metalbend the gate open. They all started to walk down the tunnel and as it got darker, Mako used his firebending as a light for everyone to see. They kept walking down the tunnel as they saw four smaller one.

"Let's try this way," Mako said, going to the third one.

"And what if she and Kang aren't there?" Asami asked.

"Then we pick another tunnel until we find her!" Mako said as he walked off. Asami noticed that Mako cared more for Korra than Kang which led to her being suspicious of something. Lin and Tenzin noticed the same thing as well and started to narrow their eyes at Mako.

As the group was walking, Asami and Bolin were behind as he leaned towards Bolin.

"Hey is Mako alright?" Asami asked, "He seems really worried about Korra."

"Yeah," Bolin said in agreement, "we all are."

"I know, but he didn't even acknowledge the fact that Kang is also missing," Asami said, "He's your brother, do you think he likes Korra more than just a friend?"

Bolin started to laugh it off, "What? No… that's… just gossip, where did you hear that? Crazy talk is coming out of your mouth right now."

He started to look away with a guilty expression on his face and this led to Asami being more suspicious.

"What do you know, Bolin? C'mon spill it," Asami said, interrogating him.

"Nothing!" Bolin said, "I mean… there was this one time during the tournament when Mako and Korra kissed, but—"

Asami's eyes widened with shock, "They kissed?"

"Believe me!" Bolin said, "I was upset too, but I'm over it. I don't think it meant anything."

"I doubt that," Asami said as she had a hurtful expression on her face.

The whole group stopped what they were doing as the noise of motorcycles were being heard and they all stood behind some cover in the shadows as they soon saw a collapsible door where they entered nearby.

Lin ran there and stuck her hand out to see if there was any mechanism and as soon as she found it, she waved her hand, opening the door.

They all ran into the tunnel which led to a tram station where all the Equalists were in. One tram was present and it showed some Equalists going to a training camp. And as the one on the left vacated the premises, a tram on the right arrived at the station.

"Everything was delivered to the prison, sir," the Equalist from the right tram said.

The two started to walk away as Tenzin started to talk, "That's where they must be keeping Korra and Kang."

"We need to get down that tunnel," Lin said. As soon as the coast was clear, she cued for the others to follow her as they got on the tram that led to the prison cells.

…

Two Equalists were on watch as they heard an alarm blare. They looked back to see an empty tram, but as soon as they were about to inspect it, they felt wires wrapping around them as they were pulled into the tunnel.

Bolin carried them out of the tunnel as Lin started to search for Kang, Korra, and the officers.

"Keep an eye on them," Lin said. She soon used her Seismic Sense to search for Kang, Korra, and the officers, but her hope started to dissipate as she didn't sense Kang or Korra.

"What's wrong, Lin?" Tenzin asked.

"I only sense my officers inside," Lin said in a sad tone, "I don't see Korra or our son."

She soon started to walk to the cells with Mako and Lin following. As the three were about to enter the prison house, two Equalists saw them and held out bolas. Unfortunately, Tenzin used airbending to throw the bolas back at the Equalists while making them fly back to the wall, temporarily stunning them.

Lin and Tenzin started to find Korra, Kang, and the officers while Mako went to one of the Equalists to interrogate them.

Lin kept walking down as she soon stopped to see all her officers in their cells. She used metalbending to break the bars and the officers saw their chief was there to rescue them.

"Chief Beifong?"

"I'm too late," Lin said, "that monster already took your bending, didn't he?"

The officer nodded as Lin was now ashamed, "I'm so sorry. Come on, let's get you guys out of here."

As Lin was walking she asked, "Have you guys seen Kang?"

"No ma'am," the officer said, "the others and I would have said otherwise."

Mako was interrogating the Equalist as Lin was approaching him and Tenzin.

"I'll ask you one more time," Mako said, "where is she?"

"We don't have the Avatar," the Equalist said to Mako. He soon looked at Tenzin and said, "and neither do we have your brat. We didn't attack City Hall, Tarrlok's lying."

"What?!" Mako said in shock.

"I scanned the entire prison," Lin said, "Korra and Kang are not here."

"Why the hell would Tarrlok make up a story?" Mako asked in anger.

"Because HE has those two!" Tenzin said in realization, "he fooled us all!"

———

Kang soon woke up and saw that he was on the floor, bleeding out and tied up in ropes. He saw that in front of his eyes was where the tie was. He used his teeth to untie the tie. As it soon went luntied, he used his hands to untie the rope around his feet. He started to get up, but collapsed due to the amount of blood loss and pain he was in right at the moment. Right as he had the strength to get up, a triad member punched him in the face. He soon grabbed Kang by his hair and was about to attack him.

Kang soon grabbed the fist and broke it as he soon shifted his body so he could do a rear-naked choke to the Triad member. He was trying his best to choke out the criminal and he managed to choke him to death as he threw the body away and started to get up. He approached the dead Triad member and undressed him so he could use the clothes as bandages and tied them around his body.

After he finished bandaging himself up, he looked around to see if his equipment was still present. He saw them on a workbench and went there to properly gear up.

———

Tenzin, Lin, Mako, Bolin, and Asami arrived at City Hall to meet with the other council members.

"Thank you all for meeting us on short notice," Tenzin said.

Lin soon saw Saikhan and had nothing, but distaste for him as she addressed him.

"Chief," Lin said.

"Lin," Saikhan said back with the same tone.

Soon footsteps were heard as they all looked back to see Tarrlok.

"Do you have news on Avatar Korra or Kang?" Tarrlok asked.

"We do," Tenzin said, "you kidnapped them, Tarrlok!"

Tarrlok started to look "shocked" after being accused by the Airbending Master.

"I am shocked that you would accuse me of such an evil act," Tarrlok said, playing the victim, "I already explained, Equalists attacked City Hall and took her! As for Kang, I don't have any updates!"

"But there were no chi-blockers here last night," Tenzin said, "and we wouldn't be in this predicament if mine and Lin's son didn't disappear the night Korra came here. You planted the evidence, didn't you?!"

"That is a ridiculous accusation!" Tarrlok said.

"It's true!"

Everyone looked at the balcony and saw the elderly person that gifted Korra the satomobile.

"He took her! And sold out Kang!" they said.

"What do you mean?" Lin asked.

"I was here last night when Avatar Korra arrived, but Councilman Tarrlok ordered me to leave," they said, "I was on my way out as I saw Tarrok bring her to the garage. And I was outside his tent when they shut off power at the Dragon Flats Burol. He had made a deal with the Agni Kai Triad to kidnap Beifong and Councilman Tenzin's son, Kang!"

Lin, Tenzin, and Asami were now thunderstruck to hear that Kang was captured by the Agni Kais.

"Why did you wait to tell us now!?" Lin was now furious as she heard her son was being kidnapped by Agni Kais.

"Because," the person said, "… Tarrlok is a bloodbender! He bloodbend Avatar Korra!"

Everyone was in shock as Tenzin started to approach Tarrlok.

"Don't make this worse for yourself," Tenzin said as he got into a stance, "Tell us where Korra is and where the Agni Kai have Kang!"

Lin got into a stance as she was also wanting to know of the whereabouts of the two. Tarrlok had no choice as he started to bloodbend everyone in the room and knocked them out.

…

"Wake up!"

Tenzin felt a slap and woke up as he saw Lin standing over him.

Asami, Mako, and Bolin got up as well.

"Man," Bolin groaned, "I had this awful dream that Korra was taken by this evil bloodbender and that Kang was kidnapped by the Agni Kais. It was so weird."

"Bolin," Asami said, "that really happened, he knocked us out."

Bolin's eyes were wide as he started to look around frantically, "Are you serious, where is he?! Is he here right now!?"

"Tarrlok is long gone," Saikhan said, "I'll alert the whole force."

As Sikhan and the council left, Tenzin, Lin, Mako, Bolin, and Asami were left.

"We've only been out for a little while," Lin said, "maybe we can still pick up Tarrlok's trail."

"Wait!"

Before they ran off Asami was still standing, "I'm going to find Kang."

"Maybe we should split up," Lin said, "you two boys find Korra. Asami, Tenzin, and I will find Kang."

Everyone nodded as they all went to find the said people.

…

Lin and Asami were running down the city as they looked frantic trying to find Kang.

"Ladies," Tenzin said, "we need to calm down, finding Kang frantically will not help."

Lin looked at Tenzin with what he knew was fear and genuine concern.

"I can't," Lin said, "The Agni Kai Triad has Kang and now with Dao dead and his brother to take over, he may be dying as we know! I have failed him once as a mother, I won't again! He is MY son!"

Lin started to break down as Tenzin held her, "I know, he's my son too and I'm also the same, but he's trained by the hidden ones, we can only hope that the lethal practices he's been taught is what he's been utilizing to survive."

———

Inside the new HQ of the Agni Kai's Kangto a sauna area, but behind him was a trail of dead bodies of those he killed to escape. He didn't wear his robes and didn't equip his bows and arrows as he was very weak and was going to be in more pain if he wore them. He only contained his katana and hidden blade.

He entered the sauna and saw Dai who was sitting on a bench. Dai saw the exhausted Kang and stood up while tying the towel that was wrapped around his waist.

"I suppose I should be impressed…" Dai said, "you defeated my men like that. I am not."

Dai stood up and turned off the sauna which stopped heating up the room and the mist cleared. He used firebending to inflame his fists.

"Now…" Dai said, "where were we?"

Kang and Dai got into a fighting stance. Kang waited for Dai to attack as he threw some punches at Kang, but the nonbender dodged them and created distance.

"I see you cut your way through the amateurs," Dai said as the two were squaring off. Kang unsheathed his katana as Dai said, "But now, 'Amateur Hour' is over. Now you die."

Dai threw a one-two combo as Kang dodged them and went for a side slash, Dai dodged it, leaning back and sweep kicking Kang who fell on the floor. While he was lying down, Dai was about to punch down, but his opponent rolled and got up.

"Your determination is impressive," Dai said, "you'll never win! Tarrlok paid us to make sure you didn't!"

Kang's eyes widened as he heard that Tarrlok was the one who got him kidnapped. He soon started to get into a rage as he went to attack Dai with a lunge, but Dai kicked Kang back.

"You're nothing!" Dai said, "You're just a scared boy who just wants to play hero."

Kang was breathing as he soon got up, he sheathed his katana as he got into a southpaw fighting stance. His lead hand was his right and lead foot was his right.

"No," Kang said, "I'm Kang Beifong, a hidden one. Son of Councilman Tenzin and Chief Lin Beifong, the Grandson of Avatar Aang, Katara, and Toph. And I'm going to fucking kill you!"

Dai started to laugh sinisterly as he lunged at Kang with a Superman punch. Kang breathed in and out, he assessed that the fire punch was at his face, so he moved his head to the side. Within that moment, Kang's left hand was pulled back with his hidden blade extended and as he stepped forward and did a palm strike to the throat of Dai.

*SHINK*

Kang used his hidden blade to stab Dai in the throat. As Dai soon died, Kang kicked his body away and was now starting to collapse. The wounds from his torture started to open up as he started to crawl to the door.

Within that moment, he saw a shadow of his parents which led to him reaching out.

"Mom," he called out with a weak voice, "Dad…"

…

Lin, Tenzin, and Asami were in the HQ of the Agni Kai Triad as they were entering the ground level which was empty. They went up the stairs to the higher floor and they were mortified, Asami was the most. A bloodbath is an understatement or what the three saw, it was a massacre. Tenzin and Lin did what they did last time they saw something similar to this, follow the trail. Asami was following Tenzin and Lin and she was in shock to see how many people were killed. She didn't know Kang was capable of pulling off a mass slaughter.

Lin and Tenzin were running and saw a sauna door and kicked it open. Lin and Tenzin saw their son lying on the floor.

"Kang!" Lin and Tenzin ran as Tenzin gently cradled his son's head.

"Kang?" Lin called out for his son, but no response. She soon started to move strands of hair out of her son's face.

"Tenzin…" Lin started to speak while tears were coming out of her eyes, "our little boy."

The two started to hug their son tightly, Kang's blood was staining Tenzin's robes and Lin's armor, but they didn't care as they wanted to keep holding their adult son. Asami was in tears as she saw how much Kang had suffered at the hands of the Agni Kai Triad. She soon started to join Tenzin and Lin as they all huddled around Kang.

But they all stopped as they heard a groan. They stopped what they were doing as they saw Kang slowly waking up.

"Mom? Dad?" Kang said, realizing his parents were there for him, "Asami?"

"Kang," Asami said, "you're okay!"

Lin and Tenzin soon started to beam with relief and joy as they thought their son was dead, but he was able to push through.

"Quick," Tenzin said, "we need to bring him back to the island!"

Tenzin carried Kang out as Lin and Asami followed the Airbending Master.

———

A/N: Kang's escape was based on a video game, Sleeping Dogs. It was the election level and it was the most fun level I played. I keep replaying it.