Things in Republic City were starting to get bad. Despite the fact that the task force had taken down a few operations put into play by the Equalists, they always seemed to be on top somehow. It felt like every time they seemed to have the upper hand in this little war, the Equalists would do something to trump the forces of Republic City. By all rights the Equalist movement should be crippled.. but they seemed only to be getting stronger, bolder.<br/><br/>More than a week’s worth of investigation has lead to this point, though. Word on the street was the Equalists were going to try and pull something big tonight, something that would not only change Republic City forever, but the world itself. There was no specific information to be found, not from the task force’s sources. But the rumblings were enough to make any good hearted citizen tremble with fear. Some kind of new technology some said.. something not made by Future’s Industries, something far more advanced and insidious. To some it sounded like a trap being laid out for the task force, or for the Avatar.<br/><br/>And that’s where this story begins. It’s nearly midnight now, the full moon glistening in the sky overhead. It illuminates the world in a gentle hue, often called ‘the hunter’s moon’. An apt name for this night. The Equalist task force finds itself surrounding a warehouse near the docks, and there are lights on in that warehouse. The warehouse is surrounded by now, about 7 squads having moved silently into position. And leading one of those squads… Korra of the Southern Water Tribe. Or as some have come to call her here, the Avatar. The only being capable of manipulating all four elements, instead of just a single element as most ‘Benders’ on her world. Not so patiently she waits with the rest of her squad for the signal to move in. Korra sits atop her best friend, a polar bear dog. A very large polar bear dog. Naga pants softly with her own impatience, knowing something important (and probably bad) is about to happen, and she needs to keep Korra safe. Or perhaps Naga can sense Korra’s nervousness. Korra knows this raid has to go down just about perfectly, whatever the Equalists are cooking up in there will only mean dire trouble for Benders and for Republic City itself. Korra is clad in traditional Water Tribe gear, light and dark shades of blue. The tank top like shirt she wears shows off her muscular physique. Not overly so, but she is stronger than most people are.<br/><br/>Korra leans down, patting the side of Naga’s head gently to help calm her a little as she looks around herself, looking towards the other officers of the task force. Mostly the metalbending Force of Republic City, but also some waterbenders, people she has been working with for almost a month now. They are a good force, all of them together. They work together well, but that hasn’t brought them as much success against the Equalists as any of them would like.<br/><br/>And then, the signal is given. A metalbender from each group sends a small metal ballbearing to the group next to them, signaling them to start. Almost as one the squads charge towards the warehouse, and Korra grips the reins of Naga’s saddle tightly as she leans forward and raises up a little on that saddle. The waterbenders manipulate the water from the edge of the pier and brings it crashing into the warehouse, that water instantly freezing some of the Equalists in place. The metalbenders one by one begin to engage and entangle the Equalists with the metal wires extending from their gauntlets. And as for Korra, once they are in, she leaps from Naga with a loud grunt, landing in a crouch. Some of the Equalists charge her as one, most of them seeming to be trained in some form of martial arts themselves. But against Korra’s skill, they don’t last long. One by one she takes them down, using a combination of bending and advanced hand to hand skills. Korra takes the initiative and runs deeper into the warehouse, Naga not far behind her. The rest of the task force still fights off the Equalists agents, who by that time have been joined by the chi-blockers. But Korra knows if there is some kind of new weapon or technology or whatever here, she wants to be the first to find it. And that’s pretty much what happens.<br/><br/>Korra turns a corner, and starts to sprint down a long corridor, ready to fight whatever happens into her way. But her sprint turns into a slow walk as something catches her eye in the darkness. A glint of metal, reflecting the moonlight through the high windows. Her first thought is that it’s an Equalist or something, and so she goes into defense mode. In one smooth motion she moves into a defensive en-guarde stance, and her hands are suddenly engulfed in churning fire. She calls out   “Okay, come and get it creep!”   But.. nothing. No movement. She blinks and stares at that dark spot against the wall, still not able to really make out what’s there.    “Hello?”   She says as she relaxes her stance, and now paces towards that spot. She holds up one of her hands, the fire around it intensifying. And once she is close enough to see it, she gasps softly. She has never seen anything like this… it looks like.. well it’s shaped like a man, but not quite. Made of metal, it’s limbs hideously thin, and it’s face almost like a skull with spikes extending from it. She finds herself shivering a little as she inspects it closer, having never seen anything even close to resembling this.. thing.<br/><br/>There is a sudden humming sound coming from down the corridor, and Korra jumps a little in surprise, facing that direction immediately and once more moving into a defensive stance. Her eyes narrow, and once more she takes off in a sprint in that direction. There is a large room at the end of the corridor, and a soft blue light glows within it. Not to a cautious sprint she goes, edging towards the doorway. And again what she sees she cannot explain. A large machine of some kind… almost looking like a globe sitting on top of a metal table. That’s about the best way she can describe it. There are hundreds of wires pouring out of the globe, and connecting to smaller machines all around it. And near the globe, 2 more of those skull machine people things. What is all this..<br/><br/>Something inside of her tells her that this is very bad, that she needs to stop whatever is happening. She doesn’t know why, she just knows she does. The globe starts to glow a soft blue color, and it seems to be drawing in energy from somewhere. The more it does, the more dire Korra’s instincts tell her it is. She now moves into the room, her hands in fists at her sides, and Naga now pacing right behind her, growling softly.   “Stop!”   A voice calls out from behind the globe suddenly, and Korra freezes, her eyes narrowing. The person emerges from behind the machine, a thin man who looks like he hasn’t slept for a few weeks.  “You can’t interfere! The compensator is nearly up to power!”   Korra scowls as she looks towards the globe, and then towards those odd metal skeleton things. A shiver runs down her spine as she sees one twitch, it’s arm. Her gaze snaps back towards the globe as she speaks in an angry tone.  “Yeah, all the more reason for me to interfere, chump!”   She starts towards the globe, one of her hands extended towards it, the other drawn back. The man tries to stop Korra, but Naga is suddenly there, bearing her teeth at the man in warning. Korra now thrusts her fist towards the globe, and a geyser of flame explodes from her hand, engulfing the globe.<br/><br/>She can’t say she succeeded, or even what happened next. One moment she was burning that globe to nothing.. and the next she was no longer in the room. She wasn’t sure where she was, really. It almost felt like a dream. Was she dead? No.. she could still sense.. something… there was something else there with her. It almost felt like she was being lead somewhere, and she couldn’t stop herself..<br/>