Sitting on his private couch, Akashi faced Hiroshi, who wiped his forehead with a paper towel.

'This man is afraid. His eyes have dark circles, as if he hadn't slept much. And there are more wrinkles around his cheeks and lips. He's lost weight and fakes a smile too much.'

Akashi analyzed the man in front of him, feeling pity for him.

"So, my friend, how's the family?" Hiroshi asked aloud, while the police in the department walked around. Hiroshi seemed to fear that someone might hear them, considering that there were agents on him all the time.

"You can talk freely." Akashi waved his hand. "I'm controlling the sound waves, disturbing them with airbending. No one will be able to eavesdrop on us."

"Really? Or are you planning to set me up because of the deal I made," Hiroshi said, understanding that what he had done could be considered a breach of trust between him and Akashi. He knew that he had a beef with the Earth Kingdom royalty, and Hiroshi was selling them weapons at a bargain price. Even if the smart detective had figured out everything, he was still human, and beyond logic, there were emotions.

Akashi chuckled and shook his head. Then, he screamed loudly.

"Fuck you! And fuck everybody! Fuck the President. Fuck the Council!"

"Hey, you could get in jail…" Hiroshi covered his face with his hand, afraid.

Yet, what happened next shocked him.

Nothing changed. The cops continued walking, as if they hadn't heard Akashi. Not only that, but they didn't give even a slight reaction. Not even a slight flinch. It was as if they were mecha suits that looked like humans.

"See." Akashi pointed forward. "I'm a man of my word. If I tell you something, it's something."

Hiroshi's mask dropped, revealing a large frown.

"They still can see you, so pretend." Akashi said, "Don't look afraid, worried, or like you are complaining."

Akashi reached into his pocket and grabbed a cigarette, lighting it up.

"I'm not stupid. I understand that much. It's just hard to do so when I'm finally able to talk about this to someone. The last few months were very stressful." Hiroshi said, sighing deeply. "They threatened me with the life of my daughter, attacked the staff of my house who were like a second family to me. And they threatened to expose my secret as one of the Equalists' leaders to the public."

"Hmm…" Akashi nodded. "So, what are you planning to do, now that you've given them planes and who knows what other weapons. You realize that they will not stop blackmailing you, even after they win. That bitch is crazy, and would do anything to have a stronger army serving her. She tried to kidnap me just because someone said he could repopulate the airbenders using my genes. Imagine what she would do when someone like you, who can create weapons, makes a bunch of benders weak against a regular man."

"True." Hiroshi said, "But I don't care about myself. I'm only here to ask you to protect my daughter."

"And how do you plan to make me protect her without alerting her?"

"The Glacier Spirits Festival. The Avatar will get back home to attend it. You, logically, will follow her. I made my daughter go there, so she could ask Varrick to invest in our company. Though I know he won't, it's just to get her out of Republic City. You will be there, so keep her alive." Hiroshi clapped his hands, as if pleading with him to do so.

"I get it," Akashi exhaled some smoke. "Now, write me a check for 20 million."

"What!?" Hiroshi turned to Akashi. "And here I thought you were a decent bender—"

"After you leave, the Dai Lee will question you. They will ask you why your body language said you were desperate to have a favor from me." Akashi lifted his hand and chopped Hiroshi's forehead.

Hiroshi held his hand in slight pain.

"You're going to be honest with them. I know your secret, and I'm blackmailing you for money. I blackmailed you for a hundred million before. And now, I'm blackmailing you for twenty."

"By telling them that, they will be happy, knowing that you have a grudge against me. They will feel like you're on their side, having a common enemy, and they will make you feel like you own them by acting like your saviors."

Hiroshi thought for a second, a sad expression taking over his face.

He sighed in defeat and grabbed his check and pencil, writing the amount on it.

"Will you return the money later? I need it." Hiroshi said.

"It's the tax you pay for being stupid." Akashi took the check. "People communicate 20% with words. The other 80% comes from body language."

"I see, thank you for your help." Hiroshi stood up. But instead of bowing to Akashi, he glared at him and left, stomping.

As Hiroshi left, some men slipped out of the department, as if they were trained assassins that no one could pay attention to.

-x-X-x-

Outside, it happened like Akashi had predicted. Just as Hiroshi got into his car, two agents followed. One of them acted as his driver.

"What did you talk about with Akashi? And why were you talking as if you were asking him for a favor?" The agent said.

"He's blackmailing me for money, like he had before. Since he knows that I'm an Equalist, he let me go. But it's not free." Hiroshi said, angry. "Last time, he took a hundred million. I avoided him on purpose. But today, I didn't expect to see him at the police station. And that motherfucker took another twenty million from me!"

The driver said, "I've read his hand. He wrote on that check, 'To Mr. Akashi. 20 million.'"

It seemed that the driver was someone trained in reading hands. And if he were, he would be trained in reading lips.

"And what did he say?" asked the agent.

"I couldn't hear them. And considering that people were walking all around, I couldn't read his lips. I only got that he said 'please' and 'why.'" Said the driver.

"What about Akashi? What did he say? He's taller, and was less surrounded?" asked the agent.

"I couldn't read his lips. He had that cigarette around his mouth and was talking. It made it so hard to get a glimpse of what he was talking about." Said the driver, "But we can confirm Sato's story by tracing his money. You said he took a hundred million before and twenty now."

"Yes." Hiroshi nodded, feeling awed by Akashi. That man, even his act of smoking, was for a purpose.

-x-X-x-

"Still, can't believe that you rejected a flight on the Flying Bison just to go through a yacht earlier." Korra grumbled, walking along with Akashi, looking at his back.

Akashi had a backpack, holding his clothes and all.

"And aren't you rich enough to rent someone?" asked Korra. "Asami does that."

"What can I say, I grew up poor." Akashi shrugged, not wanting to tell Korra the logic behind it. Because if he did, she'd be alerted to the enemies around. Any potential enemy can access his belongings if they weren't with him, and they could learn a lot through them if they were smart.

"Okay… But why not go through the Flying Bison?" Korra extended her hands. "It's faster, and it's better."

Akashi wrapped his hand around Korra.

"Sorry about that. I just wanted to spend more time with you on our way to the South Pole, without all of the wind and cold on the way," Akashi said, "so, I got us a room. But it seems that you don't like it."

"Why didn't you say that from the beginning?" Korra replied, eyes wide open in surprise.

"Thought you'd get it, so I let it be a surprise." Akashi replied, raising an eyebrow at her.

Korra faked a chuckle, "Hahaha… I guess I wasn't paying attention with all that Avatar's job being thrown around."

And she blamed it on her job.

Very soon, they stopped in front of a massive ship, or a cruise. Akashi nodded to himself. The trip to the South Pole in this one cost a lot of money.

Korra looked up, saying, "Wow. It's so big."

"It did fit," Akashi scratched his chin.

Korra blushed and punched his shoulder.

"Looks like a building." Korra said, "Though, it's my first time using one."

"Me too." Akashi admitted.

And someone stepped out of a car in front of them.

Korra looked at her and waved her hand.

"Korra!" Asami called, walking to Korra. After some complaining, the two became friends.

"Asami."

They hugged each other.

"And I see that Akashi is here as well on this trip. Though, I didn't expect you to take a cruise." Asami let go of Korra and gave Akashi a hug for greeting.

Korra tightened her eyes at Asami while the latter just acted as if she was in friendly terms with Akashi, which she was. Though, her body was quite alluring to hug, Akashi wasn't focused on it, which Korra appreciated.

Akashi's eyes darted left and right, scanning the surrounding.

"Yeah. I wanted to take my time with Korra behind the air nomads' family and all," Akashi admitted. "So, what brings you?"

"Just my dad, wanting to secure an investment," she sighed as she let go. "Though, I'm glad you guys are here. At least, I will have someone to talk to."

"Yeah, you can talk to me," replied Korra, her tone quite strict.

Akashi's lips curled into a smirk, as he found what he was looking for.