Maintaining the Balance: Ch. 30 (Patreon)

Seated in a luxurious office located adjacent to the Pro-Bending Arena's VIP boxes was a bald man with a large nose, thick brows, beady brown eyes, and a fu manchu mustache.

The man, known simply Butakha, was the sole owner of Republic City's Pro-Bending Arena, the proprietor of various teams, and the Director of the Pro-Bending League as a whole. He was one of the wealthiest people in Republic City. However, due to the aspirations he had inherited from his late father, he had no intention of settling down until he had become the wealthiest man in the entire United Republic.

Just as Butakha was thinking of ways to increase the profitability of Pro-Bending, one of his many young and beautiful Secretaries knocked on his door, revealing, "Director Butakha, a duo claiming to be the Avatar and her 'boyfriend' have requested a private meeting. Would you like me to bring them up?"

Forgetting the woman's name, Butakha briefly paused before asking, "Is the girl from the Southern Water Tribe?"

Though Korra had yet to make her public debut, information about her had spread throughout the Four Nations. As someone who frequently bumped elbows with the wealthy and affluent, several of which were affiliated with the White Lotus, Butakha was at least aware of Korra's country of origin.

Nodding her head, the bespectacled woman, named Sulengxi, held up a clipboard and answered, "Yes. Her name is Korra, and, according to the information she provided, she recently turned fourteen years old. As for her companion-"

Not caring in the slightest about Korra's 'tagalong', Butakha interrupted Sulengxi's explanation, saying, "Reschedule my afternoon meetings and have someone prepare whatever tea is most popular in the South. I will meet her in VIP Conference Room 1."

With Sulengxi quickly departing, Butakha stood up from his disk before approaching a standing mirror. He wasn't what most people would call conventionally handsome, but he was still one of the most sought-after 'bachelors' in the city. 

Money and charisma went a very, very long way in capitalistic societies.

Finding no faults with his outfit, Butakha popped his collar, adopted a sly smile, and muttered, "Now then, let's see what this generation's Avatar is like. If it turns out she's just some brat from the backwaters of the South Pole...hehe..."

Though he wasn't foolish enough to overtly take advantage of someone like the Avatar, Butakha was confident he could play a young girl from the South like a fiddle. He might not be able to touch her, but he could benefit from her status to propel Pro Bending even further into the mainstream...

...

..

.

"Is it just me, or is everything in this place covered in gold...?"

After being escorted to one of the most luxurious rooms she had ever seen, Korra couldn't help gawking at the ridiculously expensive items decorating the interior. She had no idea how much they were worth, but they were certainly shiny.

While Korra was distracted by the room's decorations, Kahn was silently taking note of every vent, door, and painting adorning the walls. He didn't think they would be attacked so soon after their first excursion, but there was no harm in being cautious.

Expecting a response to her previous question, Korra turned back to find Kahn standing silently and vigilantly near one of the corners of the room. His strange behavior caused her to become alert, water condensing from her surroundings to form fists of ice as she inquired, "What is it? Did you notice something?"

Blinking in surprise, Kahn alternated his gaze between Korra's face and fists as he answered, "No. I'm just alert by nature, and I'm distrustful of anyone who makes a living pitting people against one another for profit."

Dissipating the ice around her fists, Korra's expression became slightly remorseful as she asked, "Does that mean you don't want to join the Pro Bending League with me? Though I was looking forward to it, we don't have to if it makes you uncomfortable..."

Surprised by Korra's uncharacteristically sympathetic response, Kahn found himself at a momentary loss for words. Immediately afterward, however, he waved his hands from side to side, an awkward expression on his face as he said, "No, no. It's nothing like that. I'm happy just being able to spend time together? It's difficult to put into words..."

Equally surprised by Kahn's behavior, Korra's expression blanked before she spontaneously burst into a fit of stifled laughter. She was so used to Kahn being calm and confident that she couldn't help finding his current behavior both cute and hilarious.

"..."

Unamused by Korra's laughter, a flawless deadpan developed across Kahn's face as he briefly considered getting 'even' with her. Instead, he inhaled a deep breath before saying, "Pro Bending Teams require at least three players and a substitute. The organizers will most likely limit you to either Earth or Water Bending. Whichever you end up choosing, we'll need a third Bender to cover the remaining Element."

Shrugging her shoulders, Korra answered, "I didn't know that. Maybe we can find someone among the other teams' substitute players? So long as they aren't a girl, it doesn't really matter to me. I can't imagine the two of us losing to any ordinary Benders."

Resisting the urge to point at that Pros were anything but ordinary, Kahn emulated Korra's shrug, his gaze shifting to the door as he said, "I guess we'll find out soon."

Immediately following Kahn's words, a tall, muscular, and slightly rotund man with a shady expression and a bald head strolled into the room with a massive smile on his face as he said, "You must be Avatar Korra! My, my, you're even more radiant than my Secretary said. They really know how to grow them in the South, don't they? Hahahahahaha-"

Though he was about to walk forward and shake the bewildered Korra's hand, Butakha's body tensed when a vice-like hand clasped around his shoulder, followed by an unamused voice stating, "You'll go no further..." in a tone that left no room for argument.

Turning his head and looking down, Butakha's envy immediately reached a critical threshold as he locked gazes with the unreasonably handsome young man gripping his shoulder. Though he was still growing, Kahn had the kind of appearance most men could only imagine themselves to have. He had sharp eyes, heroic features, and a lean body with no visible signs of fat. It didn't help that he was wearing a skin-tight black shirt that left very little to the imagination.

"You've quite the grip there, young man...however..."

Jerking his shoulder free, Butakha took a moment to fix his coat as he said, "You shouldn't be so quick to antagonize others. You may be the 'companion' of the Avatar, but that is even more of a reason to act with restraint. The next time you lay a hand on me, don't be surprised when I press charges against you for assault..."

"Hey! Who the hell do you think you are, threatening Kahn like that? I'll have you know-"

Before Korra could potentially disclose his status as the Avatar of Fire and Absolution, Kahn gestured for her to calm down as he stared into the very depths of Butakha's beady brown eyes. 

Feeling as though a massive beast was suddenly staring at him, a shiver passed through Butakha's body as he instinctually averted his eyes and said, "Well, let's just leave it at that. For now, how about we all introduce ourselves? My name is Butakha. I'm the man in charge of this whole Pro-Bending shebang. I heard the new Avatar wanted to meet with me, so I cleared my schedule and came running. Though we seem to have got off on the wrong foot, it's a pleasure to make the acquaintance of the Avatar and her friend."

Extending his hand for a handshake, Butakha promptly retracted it when he realized Kahn had no intention of returning the gesture. Fortunately, as frightening as Kahn's presence was, Korra's was like a refreshing southern breeze as she adopted a friendly smile and replied, "Wow, so you must be the man to talk to about forming a new team, right? I just recently arrived in Republic City and figured Pro Bending would be a fun way to set off my career as the new Avatar. What do you think?"

Though he was still cautious of Kahn, Butakha adopted his best business smile as he enthusiastically replied, "What a marvelous idea! A true stroke of genius that only the Avatar herself could have come up with!"

Demonstrating that she was still a little naive, Korra's expression lit up in response to Butakha's words. She was still a little annoyed by his attempt to threaten Kahn, but she also felt the latter was partially responsible for suddenly grabbing him by the shoulder. If he hadn't creeped her out with his remark about girls from the South, Korra would have thought Butakha was a pretty nice guy.

Affected by Butakha's friendly demeanor and smile, Korra responded with an enthusiastic, "So, where do we sign up? We don't have a third member just yet, but I'm sure we can find one in the next couple of days."

Pouring water upon Korra's good mood, Butakha adopted an ostensibly apologetic expression as he shook his head and reluctantly replied, "I'm afraid it isn't that easy. We're currently in the middle of the season. While I want nothing more than to help you form a new team, the brackets and matchups have already been decided. Your only options at this point are to join an existing team or wait until the start of a new season. If you want my advice, I would encourage you to wait, find a sponsor, and scout out a few additional teammates. Any team would be lucky to have the Avatar on their roster, but creating your own would benefit you the most in the long run."

Though he wanted nothing more than to have Korra join one of his teams, Butakha got the impression neither she nor Kahn would accept being split up and forced to join separate teams. Thus, instead of trying to trick them using his usual methods, he gave them legitimate advice with the intent to establish some positive rapport with the new Team Avatar. His instincts as a businessman and someone who meddled with the underground told him Kahn wasn't someone he wanted to anger.

Furrowing her brows into a pout, Korra wanted to complain but ultimately decided against it. She reasoned it would be pretty selfish of them if she and Kahn joined a team and promptly replaced two existing players. Thus, while she was eager to join the Pro Bending Circuit, Korra demonstrated a rare moment of clarity as she said, "Then we'll be back around the end of the season. Sorry for troubling you with such a selfish request."

Dismissively waving his hand, Butakha maintained a friendly smile as he said, "It's not a bother whatsoever. In fact, it was my honor to meet the Avatar and her companion. If there is anything I can help you with during your stay in Republic City, don't hesitate to ask. The same goes for you, young man. We may have gotten off on the wrong foot, but I believe we could be good friends if you gave me a chance."

Once again extending his hand to Kahn, Butakha waited until the former grasped it before adopting an even bigger smile as he added, "You really do have quite the grip..."

Though he had been tempted to try and crush Kahn's hand in his grip, it only took a brief moment of contact for Butakha to realize the futility of such an action. The texture of Kahn's hand was remarkably soft, but its firmness was comparable to steel. Kahn might be much smaller than him, but Butakha got the impression he would be the one at a disadvantage in a contest of strength...

...

..

.