"Who would have guessed that Amon would act as a witness, of all people?" Akashi spoke calmly, as if he had anticipated that.

Truth be told, he had expected everything except Amon throwing himself at Akashi, and above all, showing up with his real face. At worst, he expected Amon to track him down to save his brother. That had been the reason why Akashi used super speed and moved in zigzag patterns whenever he wanted to visit Tarrlok, so that no one could see him when he did that.

But Tarrlok was seriously getting on his nerves. Akashi had deliberately given him water and drinks, and the latter hadn't attempted to escape.

"Not going to show enough courtesy by using my real name." Amon replied, sneering. "Or, you don't know that yet."

Amon was quite perceptive. Akashi had hinted to him that he knows his past, his abilities, and all. Yet, it seemed that he doesn't know his real name.

Truth be told, Akashi wouldn't remember that name from a show he had seen years ago. And 'Amon' was a word easier to remember than a native Water Tribe's name.

"It's up to me to reveal what I know and what I don't whenever I want to." Akashi scoffed, closing his notebook. "And if you think I know or not, you're welcome to guess. I find it amusing when people do that."

"You really like to play with people's minds." Said Amon.

"And you like to put your mind into people's businesses." Akashi shrugged.

"I'm someone who is trying to better this world." Amon justified, "Every day, the stronger get stronger, and the weak get weaker. The benders are out of control. They form gangs, steal, and murder the powerless people. The world needs someone like me… No, the world prayed for someone like me."

"Even though you are a bender yourself." Akashi sighed.

"Especially since I'm a bender myself." Replied Amon, "And you, someone who lived 20 years as a nonbender, must know what it's like."

Amon's words had some truth to them.

But to Akashi, the existence of non-benders and benders was necessary. It's like in ancient times, where people used to be divided into strong and weak. The weak created weapons, martial arts, and all. It's all in the name of evolution.

"You're not here to give me a lesson on morals, are you?" asked Akashi. "I'm a capitalist, in case you haven't noticed."

Amon sneered, "Very well. I didn't come for that. Matter of fact, I'm here to talk to you about a different matter," Amon admitted.

"And what could that mean?" asked Akashi.

"The deal with the Earth Queen is a mistake," Amon said, "initially, it was her demanding you to be handed to her in return for her funding our technologies. It was wonderful at first, but she's applying more pressure and demanding more, like half of our productions and ownerships. Not to mention, she manipulated the terms to put us in debt."

"So, at first, you thought that it was an easy deal with an old woman. But you made a deal with the demon." Akashi scoffed a laugh. The Earth Queen was someone who was not to be underestimated. Despite being an asshole, she had enough intelligence to manipulate the Avatar. Enough madness to get whatever she liked. And enough wisdom to let the people's bellies full and not rebel. It's not an understatement to say that her nation was depending on her, and if she fell, the whole nation would fall, like after Zaheer had killed her in canon.

"Yes." Amon said, "the same demon who's after you."

"But you are not innocent either." Akashi smirked. "You are eventually planning to stab her in the back."

"Well, it's within my plan to spread equality across the world," he replied. "Everything was planned for, in the right time. But now, It seems that I have to get rid of her at first."

"And how are you planning to do so?"

"I can suggest a cooperation between us. You help us, you get to shack her off your back, and then, everyone is happily living after." Amon suggested.

"Hmm… You're being pressed by the Dai Lee's agents, aren't you?" Akashi said.

"You surely know too much." Amon smirked.

This man came here to make a deal with Akashi, to throw off the queen's Dai Lee agents.

By now, it was obvious what this plan would be.

And it would be beneficial to Akashi, to some extent, to piss off the Earth Queen and make her send real units to take him down, or to throw her off for once and all.

But there was no guarantee that Amon wouldn't stab him in the back.

Even with him holding his brother as a hostage, Amon here seemed to be a man who fights for equality. And the fact is such leaders, in history, wouldn't hesitate to sacrifice their family members to achieve their goals.

So, in case, Akashi decided to make sure that Amon knows who is the top and who is the bitch in this deal.

"I know something you don't know." Akashi said, "In case you don't know, I have strong proof that you are a bloodbender."

"And, so? My people will believe my story and not yours." Amon laughed.

"Really?" Akashi titled his head, "You know. A few months ago, the Earth Queen sent envoys on the day of your brother's arrest. These guys had been brutally murdered. The style of killing is confirmed to be by using waterbending. And some were killed by ways only possible through bloodbending.

"The prime suspect in that unclosed case is a bloodbender. But Tarrlok has an alibi that time. So, the one who would take the whole blame is another bloodbender.

"I wonder what happens when you are giving speeches to your little followers, and then suddenly, there is an arrest warrant in your side. You may resist, or not. But once you're taken or surrounded, you're doomed to be exposed as a bloodbender. Not only you'll lose all of those anti-benders people, your credibility, but you'll also lose your freedom and go to the execution chair for murdering envoys of the Earth Queen.

"No. It's more likely that you'd be sent to Ba Sing Se for proper punishment by her majesty." Akashi said. "But for some reason, I didn't know, did I?"

The smug smile on Amon's face dried and withered like a flower in the hot desert.

"You brat has planned all this along." He said.

Amon would now reconsider his position.

"Why not go to a more proper place, to discuss the deal." Akashi hinted with his head.