Triads, Try-Outs, & Tours

"We have to follow up on what he has said," Mortal replied, "We can't just take his word for it, so it would make sense to do a bit of leg work. He mentioned that some of the Red Monsoons we have could testify to what he claims, but we should probably broaden the net to the other gang members we have. I see no reason for Zolt to zero in on the Monsoons alone, and having a testimony of someone outside of Senthose's influence would add credibility to what he is claiming."

--

Noct stepped in at that point, "I agree with Keter. The duty of a council should be the betterment of all people. Any law that only affects one subsection of the populous is unjust. Firebending is no more a hazard than any form of bending. There are risks of drowning, crushing, asphyxiation, and all manner of things present in bending to make them dangerous, but when measured against their benefits, any perceived threat of bending should be seen as necessary." Noct gestured to Franz casually, "Would you outlaw cars because they crash?"

*Tirea hugs Gabe*

Tirea:<I can't believe we did it!>
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*Eve, who was waiting for this parts, leans forward listening to the debate*
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*Monu, on the another hand, just sits there eating*

Astarte found that she recognized Noctis and became a little more interested. Once she had spoken, Astarte found that she also agreed with her completely.

Dalia skidded to a halt and took in her surroundings quickly, looking for a way out. She hoped that the police would not know immediately that she was one of the Agni Kais.

"Good thinking. I think the Agni Kais would rather talk to you than me. I can question the Monsoons & the Purists. Then what, we tell Chief Beifong what we've found?"
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Franz<Fire is different, it is the only element that spreads indefinitely once released, and-->

Keter<...And that is why any Firebending Master worth her title stresses restraint, something which you clearly lack.>

*The man on the other side of Franz pats him on the shoulder.*

Tarrlok<Let us not squabble amongst ourselves when we have a common enemy: The Purists. They may be the smallest Triad right now, but they have the greatest estimated rate of recruitment. Aside from that, they are also different from the other Triads. They are statistically the most violent, with the most assaults compared to their size. They also universally admit to targeting all benders, with the intent to kill.>

Tenzin<I don't think it's wise to single out any of the Triads. Especially under the logic of some kind of bender-against-non-bender conflict.>
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*Out steps a pair of Metalbenders.*

<You are under arrest for assault with a deadly weapon.>

Noct nodded, "I agree with my friend, Tenzin. All of the criminal organizations in our city should receive an equal amount of scrutiny. There is danger to be had with all of them, and singling out one will only bolster its reputation, and give strength to its creed. The only important thing to concern ourselves with is that citizens are being harmed by triads, and that we need to protect them from criminals."

--

Mortal nodded, "Seems like a plan."

"Me? What makes you think I committed any crime?" Dalia tried to sound confused and bewildered while considering her chances of escape.

*One of the Metalbenders waves a hand, causing handcuffs to fly out of the vehicle & latch on to Dalia's wrists.*
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"Okay. We left the Agni Kais in Cell A13, if you forgot."

*She heads off.*
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Tarrlok<I am confused. Do you and Tenzin deny the statistics, or are you simply saying that we should not give devote appropriate resources to the criminal elements in our city which have proven to be the most dangerous?>

*The old people all kind of look at Tarrlok, intrigued. Even Keter has to take a step back & shut her yap after that one.*

"This is garbage," Dalia growled, standing completely still.

"And while you devote the lion's share of the budget for dealing with the triads on a single one of them, what is to stop the others from moving in on the open territory unopposed, or strengthening their position at their end of the city while attention is focused elsewhere?" Noct said, "I do not deny the statistics, I simply realize that there is more to the situation than numbers. Stop one, and the amount of crimes committed will still be accounted for as the others make up for lost ground, or in the race to establish power in the vacuum that will be created when the Purist leave. There is a clear and present danger, but nothing good can be accomplished with a knee-jerk reaction. We must let cooler heads prevail before deciding how to deal with the threat."

--

Mortal nodded, then headed off to the cell. Once there she looks at the members, "Word through the grapevine is that some of you feel wrongly convicted. I might be able to look into that if you could answer my questions. So, are you willing to cooperate?"

Eve:[Well, I have to agree that Purists are really dangerous, but all the triads are probably the same.]

OOC: I'm going to assume a few things.


Since she was still standing behind him, she twisted as he did, meaning that she managed to avoid the kick although she had forgotten in the excitement how much the firebenders uses their legs as well. So since she still is behind him she kicks him in the back of the knee on his standing leg so he falls over and then sits atop his back, then proceeds to squeeze her index fingers a little below his ears which made him after some struggle unconscious.

Tarrlok<I have no intention of leaving the city undefended. Once the Purists are dealt with, we can immediately move to the Triple Threats, and then the remaining Triads.>

*Fu Manchu gestures towards Tarrlok.*

Saxeus<I agree with my esteemed colleague, Tarrlok, and his proposal of a systematic purge of the Triads. With increased funding and training, I am certain our fine police department will be able to accomplish it. And to keep the Triads under control while this plan is executed, I am personally willing to arrange a large transfer of officers from Ba Sing Se.>

Tarrlok<Do you have an alternate strategy, Tenzin?>

Tenzin<We need to recognize what drives these people towards crime, and fix those problems. We cannot eliminate the Triads through force.>

Keter<I see no reason why we cannot do both.>

Tarrlok<Well, the majority of us seem to agree with my plan, but the decision ultimately belongs to the citizens of the United Republic. So perhaps we ought to move on to other issues?>

*Tenzin sighs.*
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R"Why is everyone talking like that Tarrlok guy already won the election?"
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1<Don't you hang around with that Dirt Girl?>

2<So, aside from being a cop, you're also a traitor to Fire Nation pride. Why should we tell you anything?>
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Cop 1<Tell it to the judge. And get in the back.>

*Cop 2 flings holds out his arms & twists them slightly, unlocking the doors at the back of the truck.*
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*The Purist Leader flings her sword in the air so that it attracts the lightning when the lookout fires it. The sparks then arch into the ceiling & fling the sword into a wall.*

Leader<We are running out of time. Someone go take that guy out and search the place.>

*Amon nods & slinks into the shadows. The Agni Kais he was fighting immediately try to follow him. The Leader hooks one of them around the neck with her bola & jerks backwards, smashing his head into the floor & knocking him out. The lookout, of course, begins charging another lightning bolt.*

By now Heide realizes that there are a spot of fire on her arm, quickly she starts to pat on it with her other hand covered in the sleeve. Once it's smothered she gets a look around and sees the guard who charges an attack. She could either dash and slam into him, hopefully making it before he manage to launch it, otherwise she will be caught in the middle of it. Seeing no other option, she takes the risk and makes a dash.

"He seems charismatic and intelligent enough for the role," Astarte replied. "Though... I do not quite agree with what he is saying."

Dalia sighed and climbed into the back of the vehicle.

Tirea:<I swear, some of these nominees are totally nuts.>

*Marcus stops beating in the face of one of the benders to perk his head up. He spots the lookout charging and makes a quick decision. He grips his machete tight and throws it with all the force he can muster at the lookout. Not ready to outright kill, he prays that the handle hits him, but Marcus knows he's gambling either way.*


*Syn sulks a little at her locker, still soaking from her second trip over the edge. She kept replaying the match in her head. How many times she dropped the ball. She had never played in the arena and it freaked her out. As her thoughts were drowned out by the heated debate from the ring, she shut her locker and vowed that next time would be different. She joined her teammates looking out at the debate.*

Syn: "Which ones?"

*Heide can't get to the lookout, considering he's standing on a staircase, which is perpendicular to her running path. Fortunately, a flying machete cuts him in the shoulder, at which point he grabs it with his other hand, accidentally electrocuting himself. Ivan & Vanessa finally begin to stir. As a quartet of new Firebenders approaches the door, the Leader swings her bolas at their handles, causing the doors to swing shut & become entangled.*

Leader<Time to leave. Vanessa, go pull my sword out of the wall. Ivan, track down Amon. Hopefully, he's found something worthwhile. Be prepared to fight reinforcements in the alleys.>
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*Roatha shrugs.*

"Personally, I have a lot more problems with the Agni Kais."
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*Dalia is in for a long ride to police headquarters, during which one of the officers radios in that they are bringing in a suspect, and a male voice responds moments later.*

???<Cell A13 lost its privacy. Take this one straight to interrogation.>

Tirea:<The one that's talking about banning firebending for starters. I think he name's Franz or something.>

Mortal shrugged, "I suppose you don't have to tell me anything, but I can't imagine you'd want to sit in there for the remainder of your sentence." She then smiled, "Besides, you guys talk an awful lot about Fire Nation pride, but they're pretty much empty words if you don't have the freedom to do anything with it."

--

Noct seemed her usual self as she waited for the topic of discussion to move on.

Keter<What about this Dr. Avici, the one the papers call "Dr. Lobotomy"?>

*Most of the delegates look confused, but Tenzin perks up.*

Saxeus<Beg pardons, but what about him?>

Keter<He claims his procedure is able to cure all mental illnesses, but do we know the risks? Instead of increasing his funding, we should ban further usage of it on human patience, until such time as he is able to demonstrate its safety with lab animals.>

Tenzin<I agree, but I don't think we should encourage him to test on animals. There are other ways to learn about these systems. Examining the patients' Chi flow, for instance.>
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<And if you catch the guy, you, Dirt Girl, and the rest of the filthy pigs get all of the credit. How's that help us, hm?>

"If this goes down, odds are some cops might be taken off the street. You get out, and have less of a chance of coming back in," Mortal said, "I know you see the benefits in there."

--

Noct had heard about the man in the papers, but was unfamiliar with the situation as a whole to have an informed opinion, so she decided to let the others talk for her.

Eve:[Dr. Avici, ah? He must have been the one the reporter was talking about.]

"Oh?" Astarte replied. "I have heard that they are a very belligerent group."

Dalia simply sat in silence.

"Yeah, they're pretty much jerks. They're really active in the industrial center, and I work at the power plant, so sometimes I have to deal with them on the way home. They've become even more annoying now that they know I live next door to a pair of cops. They always want me to steal police files, and other stuff for them. Like they keep those in their apartment."
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*No one else really has anything to say about that, so the moderator steps back up.*

<We're almost out of time. Are there any final issues any of you wish to bring up?>
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<...Can't talk to you. Have to see what the others want to do, first.>
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*True to their word, once they're in the station, one takes her to an interrogation room--revealed when he metalbends part of the wall away--which is fairly stereotypical, except that everything is made of metal, & the light is provided by a low-hanging lamp.*

<Have a seat.>

"Hmm," Astarte thought for a few moments. "I'm not really sure which of the Triads would be active in my area, but as far as I know we have never had any trouble with them."

Dalia took her seat.