Author Note: This takes place a little before Episode 1 when the Equalists are just gathering more recruits but still (somewhat) unknown. Korra is still 17 years old, and the AU is that Tenzin has already visited the Southern Water Tribe, and told Korra to wait for her airbending training. And of course, she sneaks off to Republic City. So everything is happening a little earlier.

Also, Amon is Amon, not Tarrlok's brother. However, he doesn't have scars. Whatever his secret is, he keeps it from everyone, even from his Equalists.

Warnings: Chapter contains masturbation!

Enjoy!~

Chapter 1

"Amon, we've found the perfect relocation," Lieutenant reported, "The city's underground tunnel networks. No one every goes down there."

He was staring at a map of Republic City in a rundown shack they've been hiding in for the past year. Amon's quest for equality is spreading quickly, and they need to move to keep their plans under wraps before revealing themselves. There have been no suspicions yet, but give in time, Amon's words will echo in the hearts of many.

"Send word to the others and begin the move," Amon ordered, "I'll be mediating until then. At nightfall, I'll give a brief speech in our new headquarters."

"Yes sir," and Amon heard Lieutenant closed the door.

Mediation is a better method for rejuvenating energy than sleep. Amon doesn't have time for sleep if he wants his plans to keep on progressing. After years of practice and self-training, Amon has mastered the art of meditation. It allows him to calm his mind and unwind even after the most bothersome setbacks. Mediating is the key to his martial arts, and it helps unlock his chi flow to a spiritual level.

It runs deeper than sleep, and Amon can reach deep states of mind in a short amount of time. When he opened his eyes, he felt fresh and energize for the day. In only two hours.

The sun was rising as he stood up in his quiet room. He removed his mask and set it inside his satchel. He removed his shoulder pads, along with his bracers and shin pads, and changed clothes for a casual look. He retrieved his hooded scarf from his satchel and headed out. Making sure none of his men were anywhere near, he slipped to the back alley of the shack and headed towards the heart of the city.

Despite keeping his face a secret from the Equalists, as well as from the city in the near future, he still makes time to gather information himself. The Equalist movement is still in their early stages, and relying on others for information is hard to come by. The city doesn't know his voice, or his name, or his mask just yet. Even his Equalists never saw his face, but he made sure not to speak too much until he wears his mask. For now, it's safe for him to still travel in broad daylight.

But he still wears his hood as extra precaution.

It's also the only time he can get meals without the Equalists' prying eyes to see his "scars." He knows the fake story was a cheap trick to touch the hearts of his men and make them join the Revolution, but it was necessary. No one was going to listen to a regular non-bender, with no real physical scars other than deep emotional ones. Everyone has a tragic past, so why would his be any different?

That's where his mask comes into play. It's their symbol. Their hope. Their anonymous face that represents them, and followed for a single goal. Equality.

"Extra! Extra! Tarrlok's new law passed! Read all about it!"

Amon gracefully took a pamphlet from the boy's hand and tossed him a single Yuan. He skimmed through the pages and frowned. Of course, yet another ruling that'll degrade those with lesser power and give more privileges to benders. He glowered down at Tarrlok's photo, wanting nothing more than to dethrone him.

Suddenly, Amon heard a commotion coming down the street. He narrowed his eyes to see why the people were running away, only to find a giant polar bear dog coming towards him. He needed to move, but a Satomobile veered off its course and collided into a lamppost behind him. He quickly jumped away from the falling lamp, but the polar bear dog rammed into him, knocking him over and his hood slipped off. He landed hard on his head and he thought he was seeing stars.

"Oh no! I'm so sorry!"

He propped himself up and glared at the rider. A young woman, bearing Water Tribe garb, was sitting on the wild polar bear dog. Her skin was dark and she had a muscular toned figure for a female, but not bulky. She had shocking blue eyes like most Water Tribe natives, but hers were just screaming of innocence and simple-mindedness. She slid off her bear and offered her hand.

"Let me help you up."

But Amon stood by himself and straightened his tunic and satchel. Thankfully, none of its contents spilled out. The young woman pouted.

"I'm sorry-"

"I heard you," Amon grunted, "and it'll do us all good if you take your wild pet away from running rampant down the streets."

"Hey!" The young woman pointed at him, "Naga is not just a pet. She is my companion and she's perfectly tamed. I know how to handle her and she was not running rampant!"

"So, it was just you then."

"W-what?! No! Don't blame this on me. You were the one who got in the way!"

At that moment, white smoke from the Satomobile behind him burst from its front engine. The young woman made a long "oh" face, and she shrank under Amon's piercing gaze. Judging by her traditional clothes, Amon concluded she's new to the city. Her complete naïve sense was written all over her face like a child exploring a new playground. He just knew trouble will follow her, and being around her will just give him problems.

"I don't have time for this," Amon mumbled, lifting his hood, and walked away.

"Hey, wait a minute!" He heard her called, and he sighed heavily.

It was barely afternoon and he was already getting a headache. Those morning hours of meditating seem to have gone to waste. Her polar bear dog stopped running and settled into a steady pace matching with his as she bombarded him with apologies.

"Please, mister. I'm really sorry for what happened," she said earnestly, "It's our first time in the city, you see. And Naga here, well, she just got a little excited."

"I thought you said you have her under control."

"Don't start with me again," she frowned, "I said I was sorry."

"And I acknowledge it, Miss, but you have a dispute to settle with," he waved his hand at her, "Have a nice day."

"What dispute?"

"Hey you!" The driver yelled at her, "Are you going to pay for this, or what?!"

The sooner Amon gets away from here, the better. And it seems the young woman had the same idea. He felt a strong pull from his back collar, and he was easily hoisted up to sit behind her.

"W-what? What are you doing?!" He demanded.

But Naga was already thumping down the alleyway, the driver hollering at them, and Amon was holding the back saddle. The girl does have control over her pet, but the bear's size was just too big for the sidewalks. They were knocking over trash bins, customers, and just drawing attention to them. Amon wanted to get off until they finally reached Central Park.

As soon as Naga sat down on her hindquarters, Amon jumped off smoothly. His hood slipped off again, but he didn't bother hiding his face. Rather he wanted to show his annoyance.

"What was that all about?" Amon scowled at her. She slid off her saddle as well and stood firmly before him.

"The driver was going to make you pay his car, right? I thought I was helping you get away?"

"He was talking to you, not me!"

"Well, I don't have any money."

"Then, I suggest you find a job," and he turned his heels around.

What a tiresome day. He originally planned to check on the daily news, find something to eat, do some research for his new plans, gather some inside information on the Council, maybe intrigue more recruits to join, and meet up with the Lieutenant back at their new headquarters. But thanks to some fish out of water, he would barely have time to even know what's going on within the Council.

"Hey, wait! You drop something!"

Amon froze mid-step and looked over his shoulder. She was holding his mask up in all its glory, as if she was announcing to the world his identity. He only took three steps and quickly snatched it out of her hands, glaring venomously at her. However, she looked unaffected by his outrage and she smiled at him.

"I'm Korra," she greeted, "What's your name?"

He was spending too much time with her already. So far, she has wasted valuable time, attracted attention, and waved his mask around like a toy. He knew venturing out in broad daylight was getting riskier with each day, but he was always cautious and making sure no one sees his real face.

He hasn't revealed his Revolution to the city, but by then he had hoped no one would know or even recognize his face to match his voice. And yet here is this girl who has seen his face, heard his voice, and touched his mask.

She had to be put away.

"Korra, is it?" He nodded to her, "I assume you're from the Water Tribes."

"Yes, I'm from the Southern Water Tribe, but I ran away to see the big apple, you know."

Making light talk with her will surely lure her into trusting him. He'll have to play the charmer if he wanted to kidnap her, which shouldn't be a problem since she was already looking at him so admiringly. If he had any sense of pride besides his equalizing ability, he has gathered a lot of females for his Revolution. She will be no different. Perhaps when she has her guard down, he'll lure her to a dark area, chi block her unconscious, and just keep her imprisoned in their new headquarters.

He cleared his throat and gave his best grin.

"My apologizes for being a bit rude," he said, "I understand what it's like to see Republic City for the first time. Why don't we take a stroll in the park and I'll tell you everything about the city."

"Wow, really! That'll be great!" She grinned, and then rubbed under Naga's jaw. "He's actually a nice guy, Naga."

The polar bear dog stepped forth and Amon defensively put his hand out, but the bear proceed to licking Amon's hand anyway.

Central Park had fewer citizens other than the average tourists. Here, Amon wouldn't have to worry so much about wondering eyes even with his hood up. One can be surprise how little the people care about others besides themselves. This was the perfect formula to start benders to oppress the weak. No one would defend them, but one day he will.

But first, dealing her...

"You didn't tell me your name," she said.

His first instinct was to just give a fake name, but it wouldn't matter since she already saw his face and mask. Plus, he's already plotted to remove her, so might as well reveal all.

"Amon."

Korra's first time in Central Park was exhilarating. All her life, she was in the South Pole with dull icy landscapes and overly large-sized creatures. But here, the scenery was breathtaking, and the critters were so tiny compare to Naga. Not to mention great weather.

But the people were rude. The moment she stepped off the boat, she felt eyes piercing at her back as she rode Naga down the streets. She didn't even want to think about her little run-in with the lady at the meat stand. Then, she met Amon.

A little rough at first, but he was kind enough to show her around Central Park. She didn't mind being around a complete stranger. She hardly had any interact with others except for her masters, her parents, and occasionally a few White Lotus guards. And it didn't hurt to say that this man was handsome.

He was tall and she admired his broad shoulders. He had a fine chiseled face and luring yellow eyes, but he kept his hood up as if he was hiding from the sun. Despite their rough first encounter, he was being fair and she wanted to make friends.

"So, does the runaway have a place to stay?" He asked.

"Oh, actually I do," she nodded without missing a beat.

"You do?" He said, taken aback. "For a first timer here in the city, you already have a place to sleep?"

She raised a cocky eyebrow."Well, you see I'm-"

The air was cut by a loud cry. They both turned heads and saw a little girl on the ground as three tall men stood over her. Korra sensed they were up to no good, and she bravely marched towards them. She could hear their sinister voices mocking the poor girl.

"Where's your dad, girlie?" One of them said, "He owes us a lot of money. Did he ran away and left you in the dirt?"

"Don't touch me!" The girl cried. She bravely stood up and attempted to punch the taller man, but he easily stepped aside and she fell again.

"Aw, ain't that cute. She's trying to fight back," the man laughed. "You can't bend, sweetie. You're useless. But you can pay us back by other means."

The big brawny man lifted the little girl as she kicked and struggled to be free.

"Let her go!" Korra yelled at them.

The three hooligans turned to face her; the big brawny one still held up the girl. The ring leader just raised an eyebrow and gave her a tooth grin.

"What's it to ya, babe?" He chuckled, "Stay out of this, or we'll have to teach you a lesson."

"You're the ones who'll need a lesson," Korra talked back, and she cracked her knuckles, "And I'll do it without lifting a finger."

The brawny one released the girl, who didn't even hesitate to run away. The three men slowly approached her, chuckling, but she knew she'll be the one laughing in the end. The shortest of the bunch step forth, but he was so slow, Korra didn't even bother to use bending on him. He was sluggish, and she easily send him flying with a roundhouse kick to his face.

"Come on, boys," she teased, "you'll have to do better than that."

"Very well, then," the ring leader grumbled, and he whistled loudly.

Suddenly, as if they were in hiding and waiting for their cue, ten more gang members appeared, surrounding her and Amon. Normally, this would scare others, but Korra was enjoying the odds. It means it was a challenge, and it'll be her first job as the Avatar.

She took up a stance, but she felt a warm hand on her shoulder. Amon stepped forth.

"Oh, so he wants some of it too," the ring leader taunted.

"It's typical for the Triple Threat Triads to fight in numbers," Amon spoke, "But never one-on-one. Such a cowardly tactic."

Korra could practically see the blood vessels ticking on the ring leader's forehead, and he screeched out a command to attack. Two firebenders shot at Amon and Korra, and they both dodge simultaneously. Amon was quicker and jabbed numerously on the firebenders arms and back. Korra never seen such fighting moves, and the two hefty men fell to the ground.

The ring leader gasped and backed away. "What the hell?! What did you do?!"

Amon just resumed back to a calm stance, and all the attention was suddenly drawn to him. Three more tried to pin him down, but Amon side-stepped and easily maneuvered through huge chunks of earth barreling at him. Once again, he took them out one by one. They seem physically unharmed, but Korra watched them struggle to stand up as if they're broken down from the inside.

She continued to watch in awe as Amon took out the remaining Triple Threats until he was the last one standing. The cowardly gang members took off running as best as they could, the ring leader giving him the evil eye. Throughout the fight, Amon didn't drop his bag, nor suffered any damages, nor had his hood slipped off. He was calculative and moved effortlessly.

"Oh my gosh! I've never seen anyone fight like that!" Korra said with excitement. "You've got to teach me!"

He stared appalled at her. She admitted that she's being too forward to someone she just met, but she was always the aggressive type. Her masters, besides Master Katara, constantly remind her how she lacks restraint and patience. She figured this was also the reason she could never airbend all her life. Master Katara and Tenzin mentioned that airbending is a style of navigating and finding different solutions to a problem. Korra thought this aspect was ridiculous when one can simply face the problem head on and strike.

Amon's style could show her what she lacks, and she can finally be a fully realized Avatar.

"The style I use takes hard training and discipline, as do other fighting styles," Amon spoke, "A young bull-headed girl such as yourself will never be able to get it right. Why are you so interested in it?"

"First, I'm not bull-headed. And the reason, you fought those thugs without bending," she pointed out. "It was as if you didn't even need it."

"Are you a non-bender?" Amon asked, his voice very subtle and calm.

Korra was about to proudly present herself as the Avatar, but it was as if something was telling her not too. She remembered Tenzin's words echoing in her head back in the South Pole how the Avatar will be ready to present herself when she's completed her airbending training, meaning the people are not ready for her now. Something about this city has lost faith in the Avatar, and it must be the same for Amon. She knows that she tends to act before she thinks, so perhaps she will test herself now and not brag about her status.

So she lied.

"Yes," she nodded, "I can't bend."

It was for a brief second, but she saw a soft flicker in his eyes. As if he understood her troubles and he can finally trust her. Before, he looked hard and almost cold, but after her lie, his features turned gentle and his smile became genuine.

"Then, I'll be glad to teach you," he said, "We have to stick up for each other, after all."

Korra didn't understand what he meant by that, but she decided to play along.

"Great! What's the first lesson?"

"I'm afraid I have a tight schedule, so we won't start the lesson today," he said and she immediately pouted. "However, tomorrow at midnight, meet me under Aang Memorial Island and we can start training."

"At midnight?" Korra questioned, "And why at Aang's Island?"

"Our lessons must be kept a secret in order for us non-benders to have the upper hand," he explained. "The less who knows about this, the better."

"Well, okay then," Korra shrugged, "I guess I'll see you then."

He patted her shoulder and returned to the city. Korra just stood there watching him leave, wondering what his words meant. But the idea of meeting again, alone at night, where no one will know, was making Korra blush. Her fingers traced where he touched her.

She decided it was best to head towards Air Temple Island since she was feeling hungry, and she didn't have any money to buy food. Korra sighed at the thought of facing Tenzin's fury for running away.

"You ran away?!"

She was right.

"Look Tenzin," she said, "I'm not going to become a true Avatar until I finally learn airbending. I've already looked at Republic City and I can see it needs help. I saw gangs picking on little girls, and I can't sit at the compound and wait for you to come."

"Korra, there will be plenty of time for you to train, but right now the Council needs me to help balance this city."

"But they need me too," Korra emphasized, "I'm already here anyway. And I haven't caused any trouble so far. The city doesn't know I'm here yet."

"That's...true."

"I can train here and when I'm ready, I'll be there when the city needs us both," Korra bowed, "Please."

Tenzin tugged at his beard, thinking deeply, until his children suddenly burst into the room. Korra could feel the cool air swirled around them as the kids' tiny air scooters faded away and surrounded their father.

"Please, dad! Let Korra stay," Jinora pleaded, "We can help her learn airbending as well if you ever have to go back to the Council."

"Yeah! And she can help mom out!" Ikki added.

Meelo just continued to gnaw at Tenzin's baldness. Korra was wondering if his kids' influence would help, but he looked more irritated. At that moment, Pema walked in, her belly swollen but still at peace.

"I've already cook dinner for six, dear," she said, "and a couple of monks already cleaned a room for Korra. After all, it is a monk's custom to always welcome those in need. Why don't we let her stay?"

The children, along with Korra, pleaded and begged until finally Tenzin stood up abruptly. At first, Korra thought he was going to explode, but his red face calmed down slowly and his shoulders became less tense.

"Very well. Korra will begin her training."

There was celebration all around.

That night, Korra laid on her back staring up at her new ceiling. Naga was in the barns with the other Sky Bisons. It turns out Naga liked the smell of hay, and she quickly made friends with the large beasts. Korra was alone in her room with a few new clothes the female monks offered her, and a ceremonial dress which Korra hoped she'll never wear.

The temple was silent. Everyone was asleep. It must have been midnight, and the thought made her think of Amon. She remembered the way his body moved so fluidly and smoothly. She imagined what his muscles were like under his tunic-

Korra quickly grabbed her pillow and covered her red face. It was too soon for her to have a crush, at least not since her long time crush with Howl. She never knew other men besides from the compound, who were either old masters, fathers, or Howl. She later found out Howl had a girlfriend. She wondered how old Amon was, but she dismissed the thought and recalled his large body. His chest was really broad, it made her think he was an Earth Kingdom native.

She thought about what will happen tomorrow at Aang Memorial Island. Sure, she wants to learn his fighting style, but her mind started to wonder over different matters. She quickly got up and peaked outside her room. No one. She slid the doors closed and moved towards the window and closed the shutters.

In total darkness, she took slow and steady breaths. She quietly slipped off her pants and shirt, and she laid back down on her bed. The thought of Amon was making her feel warm and slightly sensual. Korra can easily recall his deep husky voice. She imagined Amon's touch as her hand slid down between her thighs, and she traced her folds. What would Amon be like? She could hear a wet popping noise and she slid in deeper, her fingers and inner thighs becoming moist. Was he only interested in wanting to teach her alone because he wants her alone? Such musing was making her feel feverish and her heart skipping a few beats and she shut her eyes. With her other hand, she reached up to her breast and pinched herself. She continued to think of Amon, hovering over her, and imaging his voice groaning into her ear.

She was laid out before him, his thick hands traveling up her abdomen and over her chest, and he smashed his lips hungrily onto hers. Her arms wrapped around his back and she held onto his shoulders. His muscular arms held her close, and they melt into their kiss. He was being rough and aggressive like an animal, but so was Korra. Their breath was in each other's face, desperate for air. She combed through his hair as he trailed his lips down her neck.

He suddenly bites down on her breast and she let out a desperate moan. She couldn't hear him, but she could feel him growing hot. He didn't even waited as he grabbed hold of her thighs and pulled her hips upward. She watched him as he plunged right into her. Korra's mouth hung open, making inaudible cries as he savagely pushed and pulled in her. They were almost hopping on the bed from their recklessness, and Amon was only going faster.

Everything felt hard and sore. She felt a strange swelling just below her stomach. The sheer tightness was making her squirm. She didn't want this to stop, but everything seems to be fading away. The tight sensation was still there, but then the smell woke her up.

She was still in her bed, except she was alone. Her hand felt sticky, and her blankets had her scent on them. She rolled to her side, wishing she could go back to her dream again. Her wildness fantasies were always rough sex.

Author Notes: Two things. First, I hope you don't mind Korra's little moment. She is a 17 year old with raging hormones. Let's not forget Aang was only 12/13 and he had fantasies too. (well, innocent once, but give in time...)

Also, Korra had a little OOC moment when she decided not to reveal herself as the Avatar to the thugs. I hope it wasn't that much of a bother, and I tried my best to explain it.

Thanks for reading!