A/N: I have so many chapters to post, but I feel like I shouldn't do it all at once. Not to mention I need to edit some things... maybe it's time I get a beta reader... hmmmm... anyways, enjoy the chap!

Chapter 4: Meeting a Vigilante

Kyra watched Korra train from afar. Something about her bald-headed sifu kept the white-haired girl at bay. Kyra sat atop the branch of a tree and wished she didn't have to keep so quiet since she wanted to laugh out loud. Korra was not a patient person and moved with force rather than grace. The swinging panels always managed to smack her back and forth regardless of her will to dodge them. As a child, Kyra remembered that most kids had tried to dodge the panels, but when it was her turn, she had decided to be directed by the panels and move with them. It turned out that sometimes it was best to follow than to lead. She looked down again and winced as Korra blew her lid and firebended her way out of the panels. Tenzin lectured her, Korra grew even further frustrated, and Kyra wished she was the one teaching Korra. Down below, she could also spot out Ikki and wondered if the small girl remembered her. She hadn't been able to keep her promise and visit Air Temple Island with Korra, but perhaps she would be able to in the future.

Kyra returned to her dwelling and was met with a sad-smiled Go.

"Kyra, good to see you! You've been going out a lot more often; have you run into the Avatar again?"

"Kinda, I still don't know how to approach her about…. well about me." She sighed and looked at the quirky elderly man.

He had taken her in after her trip to the South Pole. Everything she knew about Republic City she had learned from him. He was the most humble of men, but he did have a wild streak, and that's what she loved most about him. He had become a surrogate father of sorts and appreciated his nonchalant guidance. During a horrible accident on one of their food gathering missions, Kyra had been forced to bend two elements in order to save Go's life from a member of the Triple Threat Triad... it appeared many of the shops had connections with them. She was afraid the man would rat her out and expose her, but he was grateful and ever mindful of her secret. She had confided in him after that night, and was glad she finally had someone she didn't have to hide from.

"She doesn't seem like the type to just blow your head off with a ball of fire" Go sat and twiddled a stick in the fire pit. "I think she's the only one that can help you figure out who you were before coming to Republic City."

Kyra looked into the flames; she had also told Go about her memory loss. "You mean who I am."

"I've told you a million times, Kyra, you're a part of the underground family. Everyone here loves you. Since you joined our family, everyone's lives are the better for it. I know I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you. " He patted her back. "In fact, many of us wouldn't be here if it weren't for you." Go's voice turned solemn and Kyra snapped out of her self-pitying state.

"What's happened?" Kyra furrowed her eyebrows and looked back at Go.

"One of the Kaguya's girls, Remy, is sick. They're too poor to afford a healer and they can't get a proper audience with the council with everything that's going on." Go snapped his twig and threw it in the fire. "She's dying Kyra. We live in a city that's stocked with every kind of medicine, and the best healers, and a little girl is dying in its walls." Go had tears in his eyes.

"Where's this cure?" Kyra knew what she had to do.

"It's being shipped in a fortnight's time, the Chou's son came down with the same thing that Remy has, and they ordered a whole shipment."

"Can't we just ask them for some?" Kyra didn't mind stealing, but she liked to make sure that was her only choice.

"Remy's mother has been asking for days. This last time she was thrown out on the streets like she was a pile of rags. They threatened to call the police if she solicited them one more time. They're a firebending family that looks down on non-benders, and they're closely affiliated with the Agni Kai."

Kyra clenched her jaw, "I'll intercept their ships and take what we need."

"Leros said he would go with you." Go offered her the help of another bender in their family.

"I'll handle it; if the Agni Kai are involved, then the shipment will be heavily guarded. It'll be easier on my own."

"Thank you Kyra, the Kaguya's will be relieved to know that their girl has a chance. She doesn't have much time, but I know she'll last til the end of the month… that's all the healers were willing to say."

Kyra sighed and headed towards the tunnel exit. "I'm going to watch a pro-bending match, but I'll be back. Keep Kuro at the entrance." She had a bad feeling about tonight. No one had been able to discover their underground lair, and many who traversed down here, ran out and told tales of a giant, black shadow with piercing yellow eyes, and rows of sharp teeth.

Her rage coursed through her veins and she felt herself wanting to blast something with all four elements. Why were people so bent on hating each other for their differences? She had seen the hatred flow both ways, and was glad that Go and their family were the first people she grew close to. The police and their rigid rules and structure wouldn't be able to handle the very fluid and complex situation that Republic City's citizens found themselves in. Amon wasn't the answer, and, nowadays, the Council was also lacking in substance. Kyra sat atop the dome and settled herself down by watching the pro-bending match below.

"What the Flamey-o?" Kyra saw one of the members of the Fire Ferrets bend water, earth and fire. "Korra?"

It indeed was the Avatar who had just received a penalty. She chuckled as they allowed her to remain in the match as long as she stuck to water bending. She watched eagerly as the match resumed, but winced like she did when she watched Korra train with Tenzin. Korra was the weakest link on the team, and the Platypus bears were keen to pick that up. Kyra had always loved watching pro-bending matches, even if she had to watch from far up above, but Korra's display was a bit embarrassing. The Fire Ferrets had been her favorite team for some time; she had even run into Bolin a number of times at her favorite noodle shop. She didn't hang out with people her age often, but the earthbender was a funny guy and Kyra appreciated his energy. Mako, on the other hand, was not her favorite type of person, but he had his virtues nonetheless.

"Come on Korra, move with their blows, not against them." Kyra whispered as Korra stood her ground.

Korra thought she heard Kyra's voice and as the Platypus Bears volleyed their shots, Korra took the advice and remembered her training with Tenzin. Kyra nearly rolled off the dome as she saw how gracefully Korra was dodging all of their shots. With every chunk of rock, fireball and water whip she dodged, Kyra roared with the rest of the crowd. While Korra dodged, Mako and Bolin had time to react and the Fire Ferrets made an astounding comeback.

"Yes!" Kyra threw her hand up in the air. That was by far the most exciting match she had seen in awhile. For a moment, all her woes and responsibilities were gone, and she felt light enough to float away. "I have to go congratulate her."

Kyra made her way to the gym, and remembered when Bolin had given her a tour of the ground upon first meeting him. She snuck by the security officers and blended in with the locals until she was able to take a short cut. She opened the door to the gym and found the three team members.

"Korra!" Kyra ran towards her with a smiling face.

"Kyra!" Korra was so glad she decided to escape into the city tonight, even Tenzin enjoyed her display of airbending technique.

"Hey Bolin!" Kyra smiled at Bolin and received a huge bear hug from the green-eyed boy. "Hey put me down!"

"But I missed you so much; you haven't been to one of our matches in forever, not since…" Bolin was shut up by Mako's fist colliding with the back of his skull. "Oww!" He put Kyra down and looked back at his brother. "I thought you were going to bed."

Mako blushed and refused to look at Kyra. "I... just wanted to say bye, I mean goodnight."

"So you are going to bed?" Kyra teased the boy.

"I think he meant to say hi." Bolin patted his brother's back. "It's so cool that everyone knows each other!"

"How do you know these two?" Korra asked, somewhat confused by Mako's reaction to Kyra.

"I met Bolin at that noodle shop I took you to; he was the only one who could handle those noodles back then." Kyra recalled the memory fondly.

"You took her to the noodle shop!" Bolin grinned and was ecstatic that they shared even more in common. "We should grab some now!"

"Bolin, we're dirt poor." Mako grit his teeth together at his brothers laid-back nature.

"I can cover everybody." Kyra offered.

"Oh yeah, I haven't had those noodles in forever!" Bolin was already drooling. Pabu jumped from his shoulder to Kyra's and gave her a small peck on the nose. "Pabu missed you too."

"Awww, I missed you too Pabu." Kyra giggled as the ferret rubbed his face on hers. "Let's get going before it gets any later."

"I'm going to stay." Mako stood still as the others walked out. "No offense Kyra, but I can't take your money." His tone was borderline standoffish as he crossed his arms and furrowed his brows.

"Why are you so uptight?" Korra was getting annoyed by Mako's strange behavior towards her friend. "She's just being generous."

Mako ignored Korra's statement and headed upstairs to his and Bolin's loft. He had met Kyra almost a year ago… but she hadn't known it was him. It was that same night that he decided to never help the Triple Threat Triad members again. Kyra was affiliated with the poorest citizens of Republic City, and their food raids were beginning to cut into the Triple Threat Triad's territory. He was hired to stop the vigilantes and capture their lion-masked leader; him and Bolin really needed the money, so he accepted without looking into it. He had managed to isolate her from the group by capturing one of the stragglers-an old man by the name of Go. Once cornered, he proceeded to fight her, but she moved with god-like speed and her waterbending far outmatched his firebending. Out of desperation he had shot a volley of fire towards the old man he had captured. She managed to stop the first set of fireballs, but her mask did not survive the impact-he was stunned by her bright white hair and fierce lilac eyes. Somehow, he wasn't sure how, but she managed to redirect the second whip of fire and escape by creating a thick fog. Mako was glad she had managed to do the impossible, or that man's blood would have been on his hands, and he would have never forgiven himself.

They met again when Bolin dragged him to his favorite noodle stand; he was surprised at how laid back she was. It was completely different from the fierce warrior he had encountered in the alley. They hung out often, and having her around was like a breath of fresh air for the brothers. She was smart, funny and humble… Mako also thought she was beautiful, but Kyra had made it clear she wasn't looking for any kind of romance. She evaded nearly any kind of intimacy with the young man, and seemed not to pick up on his flirtatious manner. The more they hung out, the more he cared for her, and the more he frowned upon the vigilante known as the "white lion." He, more than anyone, understood that people needed to do anything to survive, but she was taking on all the danger and steeping herself further in the world of crime. One day she would be caught by the Republic City police and that would be the end of her freedom; Mako thought it was a waste of talent. It was about that time that he and Bolin had been picked out of obscurity and brought into the world of pro-bending. He had offered Kyra a position as their waterbender, but the conversation didn't go as well as he wanted.

"Are you serious Mako?" Kyra's eyes lit up with excitement. "That's great news, and Pabu is the mascot, how cute!" She caught the little ferret and gave him a kiss on the nose.

Mako smiled and decided now was the time to ask, "I was wondering, if you would like to join our team? You know… we need a waterbender."

Kyra's smile fell. It's not that she didn't want to be a pro-bender, but she honestly had no time to practice, and all their matches would be at night. Go and the others needed her. Her rebellious nature told her to just go for it, but a deep fear warned her of the consequences of her choices. What if she wasn't there, when they needed her most? Watching late night matches was completely different from being in one-she could leave whenever she wanted.

"I don't know Mako… I work late at night." Kyra hadn't told her friends much about herself and they never asked, which she greatly appreciated. "I love hanging out with you and Bolin but…"

"I know about your late night job," Mako was tired of watching her put herself in needless danger. "Stop stealing, and just join our team. You'll make enough money to sustain yourself, and you can live with us."

Kyra's eyes flashed with anger, hurt and surprise. "How did you… it doesn't matter." Kyra stood and Mako recoiled as her facial features, once so kind and lively, resembled the warrior he had first met. "You know nothing, Mako. Those people need me; I can't just abandon them." Kyra let the words settle before she took her leave. A tear rolled down her cheek and her heart cracked as her words settled and his silence reigned.

That was the last time he had seen her until she showed up today. It hurt to see her face so full of joy over someone she had no doubt just met-Korra. Strangely enough, when he first laid eyes on Korra, Kyra had flashed through his mind. Mako sighed as he thought of all of them enjoying a night on the town. There was the Kyra that laughed and slurped up fire noodles, and then there was the Kyra who risked everything for the forgotten people of Republic City… Mako hoped some day the two would become one; that one day the vigilante would simply be a hero.