Breaking the Wheel

Chapter 8

Lin must have been aloft in the police department's airship thousands of times, but being airborne still bothered her. It wasn't as bad as it had been for her mother, of course, but seeing Republic City stretched out below her like a sea of stars yet not being able to feel its roads through her feet was disconcerting. The airship's engine was almost silent, but the thrum of its vibrations permeated through the whole of the ship, and Lin could feel it through the deck. She could feel other things, too, like the triad members crowded into the loading bay. And her sister's infuriating swagger. Lin didn't need to turn to know that Suyin was standing behind her. She was probably smiling, too.

"You knew about this," said Lin. "Didn't you."

Suyin folded her arms over her chest. "Whose idea did you think this was, exactly? I lost Zaofu and Bataar junior to that woman. I'm not about to lose Republic City too."

"And that somehow makes fraternising with criminals a good idea?"

"Oh, not this again." Suyin sniffed. "Anyway, you're here, aren't you? Why should I be held to a higher standard?"

"I'm here because this blimp is police property," Lin retorted. "I'm not about to let a bunch of lowlifes fly it into the sunset."

The plan was simple; the airship would go in under cover of darkness, escorted by a few of Iroh's fighter planes. They'd drop down, near the weapon, Suyin and Lin anchoring them with cables, and the Triple Threat members parachuting the rest of the way. Red Monsoon would lead a parallel attack from the coast, to distract the bulk of Kuvira's forces. The weapon itself was made of unbendable platinum, but between Bolin's lavabending and Zhu Li's knowledge of its construction, they would deal with it one way or another.

"Oh, sure you are," Suyin stepped level with Lin, leaning forward onto the railing of the airship. "I think you're here for the same reason I am."

Su was right, of course. But she didn't have to be so damn smug about it. Lin scowled down at the city, the points of yellow light becoming smaller as their airship rose. "What do you think mom will say about all this?"

"That we're being damn fools, of course. But she won't mind. She'd never let the law get in the way of justice." Suyin laughed to herself.

Lin bit back a retort, shivering as a gust of cold mountain air hit the ship. "Let's go inside. I'm freezing."

The triads weren't the only people that Raiko had conscripted to the hare-brained scheme. Zhu Li had volunteered to pilot the airship, and Suyin's kids had signed on too.

Lin stalked onto the command deck, which was for the most part free of triad members. Bolin was manning the radio, Opal leaning on his shoulder. Meelo and Ikki were there too, both of them wearing ill-fitting trench coats over their airbender gear. Lin did a double take. They hadn't been on the manifest.

Lin didn't like to admit it, but looking at Tenzin's children was pretty painful sometimes. Like a big flashing sign that read look at what you could have had. Could have had, if Tenzin hadn't waited until they were in their forties to decide he wanted kids. If he hadn't run off with an air acolyte barely out of her teens and tried to father a whole new air nation off her. If he'd just been willing to keep trying.

"Kids?" Lin put her hand to her forehead, pushing Tenzin from her mind.

"I'm no kid," declared Meelo, pulling the brim of his fedora down. "I'm a triple threat triad. Raaar."

"It's true," said Viper drolly, lounging on the seat behind Lin. "I gave him a badge and everything. Triple Threat takes benders of all persuasions."