the legend of khione || korra

betrayal

KHIONE

Khione poked her cane at the cooled lava, which had hardened like a dark scab over the gleaming stone ground. 

"I don't understand why we're not talking to that guard right now," Mako said frustratedly, bending down. "Every minute we waste here, those criminals get further away. I mean, how does a random guard get involved with a group of super criminals anyway?"

Asami tilted her head.

"What do you mean?"

"That guard is eighteen years old, and has lived in Zhaofu his entire life. Zaheer and his gang have been in prison for more than thirteen years," Mako explained.

"I don't know, but we all saw the evidence. It was pretty overwhelming," Korra pointed out, crossing her arms.

"Maybe a little too overwhelming?" Varrick popped out behind them, startling everybody but Khione.

"Hey Varrick, what are you doing here?" Bolin greeted him.

"Collecting pumice stones with Zhu Li," Varrick said, holding up one of the many stones in his hands. 

"That lavabender did a lot of damage but he makes a nice exfoliating rock. And when you got calluses like mine, you take all the pumice stones you can get your hands on," He grinned, elbowing Asami, who leaned away.

"Or in my case, feet!" Varrick laughed, sticking out his bare foot to show them. Her friends simultaneously recoiled, making matching faces of disgust, and Khione looked upwards, physically shuddering.

"What were you saying about the evidence," Mako said, walking up to him, rather bravely, Khione thought.

"I was saying, I can smell a conspiracy when I see one. Look, if I was trying to set someone up, I would tell everyone he's guilty, and then plant the evidence in his apartment as proof," Varrick said, sounding smug about it.

Mako crossed his arms. 

"Oh, you mean exactly like you did to me?" He said saltily.

'Yes! Just like that. Remember how great it worked?" He laughed. "Well not for you."

"You're right. All the evidence points to this guard, but maybe he's just the fall guy," Mako suggested.

"But for who?"

"For the only person who can truly keep a secret in this city. Aiwei."

...

Khione had to give it to him. Mako was smart. Well, when it came to solving cases. She had to admit, the amount of evidence in the guard's apartment, paired with Aiwei's refusal to further interrogate the guard, even though they could've easily gotten information from him, was incredibly suspicious.

Still, she didn't think they would try searching his home in broad daylight.

They were crouched under the window of his home. Bolin peeked his head up to gaze through the window, before bobbing back down again.

"He's not home. Or he's hiding in there. Or, he's invisible," Bolin gasped. Mako looked at him in annoyance, and he sighed.

"Probably just not home."

"We have to get in there and get some evidence that links Aiwei to Zaheer, otherwise Su won't believe us," Mako said quietly, as Khione stood to open the door.

"Unlocked?" She muttered judgmentally, as she stepped into the home. "Idiot."

Khione surveyed the living room as the rest of her friends fanned out to search his house. It was sparsely decorated, everything in basic shades of green.