Shiro Shinobi: [Narrating a newsreel.] After three years, Kuvira has finally united the former Earth Kingdom states under her new Earth Empire banner! But one holdout remains: Zaofu. During that same time, Asami rebuilt the company her father created and helped redesign the city's infrastructure. And, most recently, the airbender kids found the Avatar! Korra rid herself of the residual poison in her body and is ready to return to action!

[The scene opens with a nature shot, a view of a cliffside punctuated by a narrow cleft. Through the crack, a flock of birds scatters as, in the next moment, a massive Earth Empire airship appears through the void in the rock, cutting through the air close to the ground. Cut to a wide shot, showing the closed parts of Zaofu sitting in the foreground at the head of its narrow valley; Kuvira's airships, in the distance, round the bend in the valley and steer toward the city. As the ships advance on the city, the shot cuts to a guard outpost, where one of the guards, seeing the force bearing down on them, whirls around and rushes to a radio, picking it up and speaking urgently.]

Guard: We have an emergency!

[Shot cuts to Suyin, riding on a train; the frame is focused on her face, facing away from the front window as the train rushes through a tunnel. The shot zooms out, revealing that her twin sons are with her; Baatar walks up to her, grasping a bar for balance as he speaks.]

Baatar: [Concerned.] I'll contact President Raiko. He'll send the United Forces.

[The train emerges into brilliant sunlight as it exits the tunnel. The four of them look into the distance; Kuvira's forces are massed in the valley, both airships and ground troop.]

Suyin: [Stands up and looks at the army.] Call whomever you want, but they'll never make it in time. [Quick zoom on Kuvira's army.] Kuvira's already here and she brought her entire army.

[After a longer shot of the whole of the force, the shot cuts to the train. Baatar Jr., standing in front of the map of the Earth Kingdom, fixes his cufflinks before turning and joining Kuvira at the window. They look out at the world flying by as the train moves through the countryside.]

Baatar Jr.: By this time tomorrow, my mother will have signed the treaty, and the Earth Empire will finally be united.

Kuvira: Don't get ahead of yourself. Securing your hometown won't be like every other city. [She walks over to the map, leaving Baatar Jr. at the window.]

Baatar Jr.: [Turning toward Kuvira, pausing briefly before he speaks; bitter.] Zaofu stopped being my home long ago. I'm ready to take it by force.

Kuvira: No. The eyes of the world are on us now. We must do this right. That's why we need Bolin.

Baatar Jr.: Do you really think we can rely on him?
Kuvira: [Turning back to the map.] Su trusts him. She'll listen to him.

[The scene cuts to a wide shot of Pepper flying through the air. As Jinora speaks, it zooms, showing Jinora piloting the bison while Korra, Ikki, and Meelo sit back in the saddle.]

Jinora: Are you sure we should be going to Zaofu? Dad wanted us to bring you back to Republic City.

Korra: [As the shot zooms on her.] If Kuvira's heading to Zaofu, so am I. She needs to know that the Avatar is back. [She looks to her left, away from the others.] The world needs to know.

[Meelo jumps to his feet, yelling as he balances himself on the saddle.]

Meelo: Woo-hoo! Avatar fight! This is going to be awesome!

Korra: [Smiling up at him.] Meelo, there's not gonna be a fight. Kuvira saved my dad. She was a captain in Su's guard; I think she can be reasoned with.

Meelo: What? No fight? Why did we go through all that trouble to save you if you're not going to beat someone up?

[Quick cut to Kuvira's train, gliding through the mountains on its track. The scene is shown briefly from the perspective of a camera in Varrick's laboratory in the rear car of the train; Varrick himself has his head shoved into the frame; he looks confused.]

Varrick: Zhu Li! Is this thing on? [Withdrawing his head, taking his position in front of the camera.]

Zhu Li: [Voice-over.] We're rolling, sir.

Varrick: Okay. I'm Varrick, of Varrick Industries, International-- [He smiles as he says his name.] --and this is Spirit Vine Experiment 3-02. Hand me the thing!

[Zhu Li walks into the frame from the right, carrying a glass tube, within which is a fragment of spirit vine. While Zhu Li, dressed in a white lab coat and protective observation goggles, carries the tube easily, Varrick staggers under its weight as she gives it to him. He waddles over to the machine behind him and places the tube in the machine as Zhu Li checks an electrical connection in the wiring on the floor.]
Varrick: [Narrating his procedure.] In this stasis capsule is a preserved spirit vine sample weighing approximately two "Zhu Lis".

[Zhu Li casts a glance at the camera as the view cuts away from the camera's point of view; Varrick walks to the right side of the machine and pulls a lever. As he walks back toward the camera, the machine begins to hum, and the vine in the capsule is enveloped by electric pulses of purplish power.]

Varrick: I have postulated that these spirit vines are a form of pure energy that's unstable in what we call-- [Making quote signs with his fingers.] --"typical earth conditions". [Point of view switches back to the camera.] This machine should transfer the energy from the vine into a battery using electrical currents, reverse magnetic polarity, and a little-known phenomenon I like to call-- [He pushes his face back into the camera.] --the Varri-Effect!

[The point of view moves out of the camera as Varrick moves to observe his machine. The vine crackles with energy, a high-pitched hum permeating the room, then a separate glass tube above it begins glowing with the same purplish light.]

Varrick: [Excitedly.] It's working! It's registering five "Varricks" of power. [The glow increases.] Now seven Varricks!

[As soon as the words leave his mouth, the power conduit leading to the glowing battery overloads, and bolts of energy begin to arc along its surface as Varrick stares at it, dumbstruck. The energy dial suddenly shoots to the top of the scale; the light bulbs on the side of the machine shatter as alarms sound.]

Varrick: Whoa! What is this? What's going on?

[As the hum of the machine rises in pitch, a sudden arc of energy flares from the machine, knocking Zhu Li against the wall with a cry; the point of view jumps back inside the camera as Varrick dives away from the machine. The camera falls onto its side as Varrick yells, climbing toward the camera.]

Varrick: Zhu Li! Shut it down! There are too many Varricks!

[As the point of view leaves the camera once again, Zhu Li rushes to the lever and pulls it, looking up at the arcing battery. Since nothing happens, she pulls the lever a few more times, to no effect. As she stares, panicked, at the intensely glowing battery, it explodes, sending a focused blast of pure energy through the back wall of the train. A quick outside shot shows the entire rear car of the train being thrown into the air by the shock of the blast. Varrick and Zhu Li are both thrown backward, toward the gaping hole in the car. While Varrick hits a piece of wall and crumples to the floor, Zhu Li tumbles through the hole, screaming as she dangles over the tracks flying by in a blur.]

Zhu Li: Sir!

[Varrick crawls to the hole and, grabbing both of her hands, tries to pull her back into the train, groaning.]

Varrick: You're too heavy! You know, you could stand to lose a few Zhu Lis!
Zhu Li: [Veiled desperation.] I think you're just weak, sir! Pull harder!

[With one last great effort, his eyes bulging with the exertion, Varrick pulls Zhu Li back onto the train. He falls backward as Zhu Li, off balance, falls on top of him. As they realize how they are lying, chest to chest, they look at each other for a moment. Zhu Li, a tiny smile on her face, moves her safety goggles onto her forehead as Varrick looks back into her eyes.]

Zhu Li: [Softly.] Varrick ... you saved me.

Varrick: [Putting a hand to her face, speaking softly as well.] Of course I saved you.

[As he puts his free hand on the other side of her face, he directs her face toward the wreckage of the car, a sudden change in his demeanor from romantic to his eccentric self.]

Varrick: I can't clean this place up by myself! [He sits up.] Grab a broom!

[As he sits up, Zhu Li leans away from him, looking put out. Kuvira and Baatar Jr., having felt the shock of the explosion, enter the room.]

Kuvira: What happened? Were we attacked?

Varrick: [Getting to his feet and dusting himself off.] No! We were spirit-vined! But don't worry! I'm putting the kibosh on this project.

[He slides a lever on the wall down and the greenish light bathing his samples, set into notches in the wall, lessens and goes out.]

Kuvira: No, you're not. Do you realize what we could do with this kind of power?

Varrick: [As he goes around the room, shutting off the glowing green lights one by one.] Yes! I do! And that's why we gotta put an end to it! What if it fell into the wrong hands?

Baatar Jr.: [Arms crossed.] Since when does that matter to you?

Varrick: [Hushed.] I know, it's not like me, right? Usually I look at a project like this and think, "Wow! I could make a ton of money off this!" But recently, I've been having these strange feelings ... inside. [Confused.] It's like I'm ... concerned with others. And there's this nagging voice in my head constantly telling me what's right from wrong!

Zhu Li: [Sweeping the floor next to Varrick.] I believe that voice is your conscience, sir.

Kuvira: [Unwavering.] Well, I'm the other voice in your head, and I'm telling you you will continue with this project.

Varrick: Sorry, no. I just really gotta stand my ground on this one-- Whoa!

[The metal plates that make up the shoulders of his outfit have slid up and tightened around his neck, lifting him into the air. As the frame shifts, Kuvira is shown metalbending. She begins walking him backward, toward the hole in the back of the train.]

Kuvira: And now there's a voice in my head telling me to drop you on the tracks. [She floats Varrick out into the emptiness as he yells.] Should I listen?

Varrick: [Pleading for his life.] No! No! Head voices are liars, what do head voices know? I'll work on the project! Please don't drop me!

[Kuvira smiles. She pulls Varrick back inside the train and he tumbles to the floor in a heap. She steps over his body as she leaves, Baatar Jr. in tow. Zhu Li rushes to Varrick's side and they both watch their superiors leave, anger etched into their faces.
Cut to the Republic City prison building. A zoomed shot shows a stack of letters, their wax seals unbroken, sitting in front of a pair of folded hands. The shot changes to reveal that Asami Sato is sitting at the table, looking down at the letters. A voice breaks the silence and she looks up.]

Hiroshi: Asami, you came.

[Hiroshi pulls out the chair opposite his daughter and sits, the shot showing a bespectacled, somewhat downfallen face; his hair has gone gray. A moment of silence passes between them as they sit facing each other.]

Asami: [Pushing the stack of letters across the table toward Hiroshi.] I came to return these.

Hiroshi: [Looking at the letters, saddened.] You never opened them.

Asami: Stop writing me. I never want to see or hear from you again. [She rises to leave.]

Hiroshi: [Desperately.] Please, just let me say one thing, then I'll never contact you again.

[Asami stands still for a moment, then sits back down, not looking her father in the eye.]

Hiroshi: I can't forgive myself for all the horrible things I've done. And I never expect you to forgive me. I tore our family apart, and destroyed our good name. [A flash of regret on his face.] But in a life of regret, you're the one thing I look back on that makes me smile. [Asami averts her head even more. Cut to a panning up shot from behind Asami, showing that she is tearing up.] I just want you to know I'm so proud of you, Asami. You are the greatest thing I ever created.

[The tear that threatened to spill while Hiroshi was talking, breaks through and rolls over her cheek. Asami quickly rises and runs from the room without saying a word. Hiroshi watches her leave before hanging his head in sadness. Cut to the train, still speeding through the mountains. Bolin sits in a chair, facing Kuvira and Baatar Jr.. He seems apprehensive.]

Bolin: Am ... I in trouble?

Kuvira: No. In fact, I have good news. We want you to be a part of our inner circle.

Bolin: [Excited.] Inner circle? No way! Yes! [Catching himself, he clears his throat; serious tone.] That is a great honor. What does it mean, exactly?

Kuvira: It means you've proven your worth. We're so close to uniting the Empire, but Su has some resentment towards me and Baatar that might cloud her judgment and stop her from making a wise decision. We believe you can help her see clearly.

Bolin: [Eagerly.'] I can do that! By the time I'm finished telling her all the great things we've done, she'll be begging to join!

Kuvira: Good. Because we're here.

[Kuvira metalbends the shades on the windows up, letting outside light pour into the car. Sitting in the bottom of the valley below are Kuvira's forces. Bolin looks at the massive army for a moment before turning back to Kuvira.]

Bolin: Aren't all these troops gonna send the wrong message?

Kuvira: The army is here to project strength. You're here to present peace.

[A wide tracking shot follows the train as it moves on its elevated track toward Zaofu. Cut to inside the city; a set of double doors opens wide and Kuvira, Baatar Jr., and Bolin enter the room. The view zooms out and turns around to reveal Baatar Sr., Suyin, Wei, Wing, Huan, and Opal facing the intruders. Opal, who is sitting on the large table in the center of the room which carries the scale model of Zaofu, stands upon their entrance, her hands on her hips.]

Bolin: [Happy.] Opal! You're here, too! [Trying to embrace her.]

Opal: [Turning away from him, crossing her arms.] No! You've chosen your side.

Bolin: Sides? There shouldn't be sides! [To both groups.] I know, why don't we all stand in a circle, huh? Maybe hold hands?

Suyin: [Ignoring Bolin.] I'm not giving up Zaofu. I don't care if you brought your entire army.

Kuvira: Su, I didn't bring my army to threaten you. I wanted to show you all that your son and I have accomplished.

Suyin: [To Baatar Jr.] You must realize what you're doing goes against everything your father and I tried to teach you.

Baatar: Son, you belong here.

Baatar Jr.: [Bitterly.] Why? So that I could go on living in your shadow?

[The view cuts to a side shot of Baatar's look of astonishment and Suyin's visible anger.]

Suyin: Don't say that! Can't you see she's brainwashed you!

Kuvira: [As Baatar Jr. smugly crosses his arms, smirking.] Ha! I didn't brainwash him! I set him free! And now he's accomplished more with me than he ever could with you.

Bolin: [Laughing awkwardly.] Okay, guys, obviously, there's a lot of personal, painful history here, so what do you say we just all forget about that stuff, huh? I mean, that's the past! [Cut to a shot of Wei and Wing as Bolin slides up into view behind them.] Right Wing? Right Wei? You guys know what I'm talkin' 'bout, right? High five! [He stands between them, offering said high-five to them both for a few seconds before giving up and sliding smoothly out of frame.] All right. No, that's cool. [He walks back to the center of the room.] You know what I think we need to do? Focus on the future! And the future is bright, let me tell you! [Speaking to the Beifong clan.] I've seen it! Yeah! [Chuckling enthusiastically.] Saw it last month! We went to this town that had nothing. Most of the people there had never seen a Satomobile before. Now, they have two Satomobiles, running water, and a magnet train that goes right through their town! I mean, how awesome is that?

Opal: They might have been happy when you first arrived, but I've seen what happens after you leave. Citizens are forced to work as slave labor, dissenters are sent off to who-knows-where!

Bolin: You're wrong, Opal! Now, I don't know what you think you've seen, but I am giving you the one-hundred-percent Bolin guarantee that we're making the Earth Empire a better place to live!

Suyin: [Advancing on Kuvira.] I can't believe you brought Bolin here to try and sway us. Leave! Zaofu will never accept you as their leader!

Kuvira: [Matter-of-factly.] Then you leave me no choice. You have twenty-four hours to agree to join the Empire, or we take the city by force.

[Quick cut to Bolin, who looks astonished by Kuvira's sudden ultimatum. The scene changes back to Pepper, still airborne. Cut to Korra and Meelo, the latter perched on the front of the saddle, looking into the distance with the aid of a spyglass. He cries out suddenly.]

Meelo: I see it! Zaofu! We made it! [The bison crosses over the ridge into the valley and the army of the Earth Empire unfolds beneath them; voice-over.] And a bunch of other people are here, too.

Korra: [Staring down at the force.] Oh, no. I hope we're not too late.

[Cut to the same room as in the previous scene where Korra opens the door, followed by the airbender kids. The family in the room looks at her silently for a moment.]

Suyin: Korra? I can't believe it, where have you been? [Embracing Korra.] You disappeared; everyone was so worried!

Korra: I'll tell you the whole story later. Right now, I want to help you stop Kuvira. What can I do?

[The scene changes to Kuvira's tent in the encampment in the valley. Inside, Kuvira sits at her desk, while Baatar Jr. and Bolin stand in front of her. Bolin seems a bit on edge.]

Bolin: You were just bluffing, right? I mean, you're not really gonna attack Zaofu ... are you?

Kuvira: When people don't cooperate, we must find other ways of convincing them to join.

Bolin: [Timidly.] Other ... ways? How many ... times have we used these "other ways" in the past?

Kuvira: [Standing.] It's not for you to worry about.

Bolin: So, uh ... what does happen to all those towns and villages after we leave? I just realized I'd never really ... gone back and ... checked on them.

Kuvira: [Rising and walking around the table to face Bolin.] Those people are my loyal subjects, and they contribute to the Empire however I see fit. Now that you're in the inner circle, you're going to have to accept some hard truths.

Bolin: Maybe ... I'm not really an "inner circle" kind of guy. Or--or maybe, we don't take over Zaofu! Maybe we can just--let them be on their own, and then, "Yay! The Empire's united! Congratulations to us!"

[Bolin falters, cowering as Kuvira advances on him angrily.]

Kuvira: I didn't know your personal feelings for Opal were stronger than your loyalty to me. Zaofu will join us. The only thing I'm second-guessing is my decision to bring you along. Maybe you need to spend some time in a reeducation camp.

Bolin: I ... thought that's where we sent people to learn new trade skills.

Baatar Jr.: [Unsympathetically.] Hard truths, Bolin.

Kuvira: [Menacingly.] Your loyalty seems to be wavering.

Bolin: [Panicked.] No--no, I'm totally on your side, completely, one-hundred-percent loyal.

[Bolin gives a hearty salute, while Kuvira, skeptical, glares down at him. Cut to the Zaofu metalbending courtyard, where Korra and Suyin stand in darkness.]

Korra: How did things get so bad between you and Kuvira? I thought she was your protégé.

Suyin: She was more than that. She was like a daughter to me. I took her in when she was eight years old and nourished her talents. Kuvira was smart, a natural leader, and quickly rose through the ranks. I saw myself in her.

Korra: What happened?

Suyin: [Turning to face Korra.] Three years ago, after the fall of the Earth Queen, Raiko and Tenzin came to see me.

[The scene sinks into Suyin's memory of the meeting. Suyin and Kuvira stand at the head of the room, while Raiko and Tenzin sit on the sofas on either side of the room.]

Raiko: The Earth Kingdom is in chaos. There's a vacuum of power, and I'm concerned about what will happen if someone doesn't take control of the situation.

Suyin: And you think I should be the one?

Tenzin: You're the perfect person to take charge. The world leaders trust you, and, as a Beifong, you have credibility in the Earth Kingdom.

Suyin: I'm honored that you thought of me, but I'm not interested in imposing my ideals on an entire nation. [Behind Suyin, Kuvira's head turns slightly toward the matriarch as she hears her refusal.] I'm afraid I can't help you.

Kuvira: Suyin, I know this isn't my place, but I think you should do this. Zaofu has always been a beacon of modern progress, and now you can share that with everyone.

Suyin: What would you have me do? March into Ba Sing Se with an army? We'd be seen as conquerors and greeted with nothing but war.

Kuvira: There are already wars. The Earth Queen nearly destroyed our nation. This is our opportunity to change things.

Suyin: [Fiercely stern.] It's not going to happen.

[As Suyin turns away from Kuvira, her face fills with hurt, then ices over with resolve. In the present, Suyin is still speaking to Korra, but the scene stays in the past, where Suyin is walking across a vast platform toward a line of airships.]

Suyin: [Voice-over.] I didn't realize it at the time, but that moment put a rift between us. Kuvira turned my own son against me, and together they plotted behind my back.

[Kuvira and Baatar Jr. are standing near the airships, taking boxes on board. As Baatar Jr. walks away, Suyin walks up behind Kuvira.]

Suyin: What do you think you're doing?

Kuvira: [Without turning around.] We're doing what you don't have the guts to do: We're going to Ba Sing Se to help bring order back to the Earth Kingdom.

Suyin: [Furious.] No! You will stay here!

Kuvira: [Calmly turning to face Suyin.] And who's going to stop me? Your security force was more than happy to join my cause. They're some of the best fighters in the world, and they are tired of being treated like exotic birds in your cage.

Suyin: If you leave now, you will never be welcomed back.

Kuvira: When I choose to return, it'll be on my own terms.

[As Suyin speaks in the present again, the shot shows the propellers of the airships beginning to spin. The shot changes to Suyin watching as her airships rise into the sky, then fades back to the present.]

Suyin: [Voice-over.] Kuvira and Baatar left that day with Varrick, my security force, and a few of Zaofu's wealthiest citizens. After Kuvira proved herself by stabilizing Ba Sing Se, [Cut back to Korra and Suyin in the present.] Raiko and the other world leaders made her the provisional head of the Earth Kingdom. When she refused to step down, I knew it was only a matter of time before she made her way back here.

Korra: I want to fix this.

Suyin: You can. Go into the Avatar State and demolish her entire army. Remove Kuvira from power once and for all.

Korra: [Seeming reluctant.] Fighting is something the old me would do. That always made things worse. Let me talk with Kuvira. Maybe I can reason with her.

Suyin: [Adamant.] Kuvira doesn't listen to reason.

[The scene moves to Avatar Korra Park in Republic City; a variety of different people are doing exercises on mats, walking and talking, or sitting under the statue of Korra which stands in the center of the area. Asami sits on a bench, alone. Hunched over, she sits up straight and looks at the two people at a stone table in front of her. A young girl, dressed in green, is playing Pai Sho with her father. She makes a few moves with a tile, then sits back and smiles at him. The man reaches over and takes his daughter in his arms. Asami smiles softly. The scene cuts to Varrick's workshop, where Varrick is leaned over the railing on the upper level, as Zhu Li stands behind him, making tea.]

Varrick: [Angrily.] I can't believe Kuvira locked me in here like a prisoner! I'm not feeling well! I think I'm running out of air! Zhu Li, hold your breath!

Zhu Li: [Calmly pouring tea.] I'm not holding my breath.

Varrick: [Exasperated.] Great! Now we're both gonna die!

[As Varrick hangs his head, a noise of creaking metal and a whisper permeate the room; Varrick lifts his head.]

Bolin: [Whispering.] Varrick? Varrick?!

Varrick: Ahh! And the head voices are back!

[Varrick is looking at Zhu Li, who points a finger up at the ceiling. Varrick turns his head up and sees Bolin's head poking through a hatch in the top of the car.]

Varrick: Bolin! Thank goodness you're here! Where did that hatch come from? Forget the hatch! There's something important I gotta tell ya!

Bolin: Well, there's something important I gotta tell you, too!

[He falls through the hatch, landing on his feet, and as he turns to Varrick. They both take each other's shoulders in a fervent panic.]

Varrick and Bolin: [Simultaneously.] Kuvira's crazy!

[They stare at each other for a split second, then talk frantically.]

Bolin: How'd you find out?

Varrick: When I refused to build her a superweapon, she threatened my life!

Bolin: She threatened me, too! And she's threatening Zaofu and it turns out, she's been threatening villages this whole time! [The men let each other go.] We gotta get outta here.

Varrick: I couldn't agree more, kid.

[Varrick motions to Zhu Li with a finger. As Bolin watches, she mounts a table next to the wall and jumps up through the hatch. Varrick walks toward Bolin, his hands raised. Zhu Li's hands appear above Varrick, grasp his hands, and pull him upward in a flash. Bolin promptly mounts the same table Zhu Li used and makes his own escape through the hatch. The view changes to a wide shot of the encampment before focusing on Korra, who is walking with Baatar Jr. They stop, and Baatar Jr. speaks.]

Baatar Jr.: We have an unexpected guest. The Avatar is here to see you.

[The view pans left to show Kuvira standing with two of her soldiers. She nods to them and they leave her. She then turns and walks over to Korra.]

Kuvira: Korra, it's such an honor to see you again. The last I heard, you were still healing in the South Pole.

Korra: Well, I'm feeling much better now.

Kuvira: That's wonderful news.

Korra: I'm here to ask you to back down. Please. Take your army and leave.

Kuvira: I think we both know that's not going to happen.

[The two women exchange a long, inhospitable stare.]

Korra: I can't let you take Zaofu.

Kuvira: Look, I was tasked with bringing stability to the Earth Kingdom. Zaofu is the last holdout. Why should I treat it differently than any other state?

Korra: What you're doing isn't right!

Kuvira: I understand you're just trying to do Su a favor, but you can't come to me as I am on the verge of reuniting my nation and tell me to stop. The world was descending into chaos while you were gone. [Korra hangs her head.] In order to fix it, I had to make some tough decisions.

Korra: I know what that's like. I've had plenty of people mad at me about decisions I've made.

Kuvira: [Walking up and putting a hand on Korra's shoulder.] Exactly. Korra, if you really want to help, go back to Su and try to talk some sense into her. Let's call a temporary truce. I won't make any moves until you talk to her and get back to me.

Korra: [Agreeing.] Maybe that will be for the best.

[Cut to the platform, where Baatar Jr. walks up to the door of Varrick's cart, guarded by two soldiers.]

Baatar Jr.: Have you seen Bolin?

Guard #1: He came by to see Varrick, but we turned him away.

Baatar Jr.: [He gets a suspicious look in his face.] Open the door.

[Cut to inside the cart, where Baatar Jr. and the two guards stare at the still-open ceiling hatch.]

Baatar Jr.: We have some fugitives to catch.

[Cut to just the mountains bordering Kuvira's camp, with the army and Zaofu in the background. Three mecha tanks walk uphill, away from the army. One of them stops and turns around, watching over the camp, and tries to come up with a strategy.]

Bolin: Okay, I say we go up and around the mountains-- [Opens helmet.] --and sneak into Zaofu from the rear.

[Varrick and Zhu Li also stop, turn around and open their helmets.]

Varrick: We're not going to Zaofu, that place is doomed! We gotta head to Republic City!

Bolin: What? No, nonono, we gotta help here.

Varrick: We'll be helping by warning the world about Kuvira's potential superweapon!

Bolin: [Doubtful.] Well, that's helping, but it's a completely different type of helping. [Bringing the arm of the mecha tank up to his chin.] Hmm. Let me think about this.

[He suddenly gets zapped by lightning and tumbles off his feet. Three mecha tanks are charging down on them, one of them piloted by Baatar Jr.. He lunges toward Varrick, who lets out a yell and ducks back into the safety of his cockpit. Zhu Li steps in front of him, arms raised. A massive cloud of dust rises as Baatar Jr. lands with crushing force. As it clears, Zhu Li stands firm, holding his fist back with both hands, having caught Baatar Jr.'s attack. He is tackled by Bolin, leaving Varrick and Zhu Li free to fend off the other two tanks. With a ferocious snarl on her face, Zhu Li's helmet slams shut, before boxing with one of the other mecha tanks and knocking it backward. She shoots a bola and catches the other tank off guard as it was charging at Varrick, who is lying on the ground, his helmet opening and closing quickly.]

Varrick: [Slamming a metal hand against the helmet, trying to get it to work.] That's not the flamethrower! What idiot designed these things?

Zhu Li: You did, sir!

Varrick: [Pointing in Zhu Li's direction.] Less lecturing, more saving my life!

[She turns just in time to catch a punch from a tank in the head, hard enough to make her fly backward a good distance. To stop sliding, she jams a spike into the ground and uses her momentum to swing around on one leg, kicking the other tank in the chest with enough force to throw it into a tree. The shot pans around to show Baatar Jr. throwing Bolin's tank around. Baatar Jr. uses the hand piston to punch Bolin's tank onto its back temporarily. Bolin is slightly groggy from the blow, but quickly regains his senses and sees Baatar Jr. leap for him. He opens the tank, rolling out a split second before Baatar Jr. lands and completely crushes the suit. Bolin earthbends at Baatar Jr., but the former uses cables to jump out of the way of the flying stones. Twisting in midair, Baatar Jr. retracts one of the cables, allowing his free arm to operate the flamethrower. Bolin rolls out of the way of the stream of fire and bends up some cover for himself.
In the background, Zhu Li is holding off the other two pilots on her own, while her boss is up in a tree, struggling with the controls of the mecha tank.]

Varrick: Hey! I think I figured it out!

[Zhu Li throws away one of her attackers and Varrick aims to shoot him with lightning, but shoots Zhu Li instead, knocking her over.]

Zhu Li: [Tiresome.] Sir, you're making this very difficult.

[She is picked up and thrown around, while to scene goes back to Baatar Jr. and Bolin, who is still covering from Baatar Jr.'s flamethrower. Bolin launches the boulder at his former boss, giving him time to roll away and uproot a big tree, bringing it down on Baatar Jr.
Meanwhile, Varrick is forced to flee his tank as it was entangled by a bola and in the clutches of an enemy tank. As he tumbles out, the other pilot throws Varrick's abandoned suit down and gives chase. Camera pans to the right where Zhu Li is gaining the upper hand now that she only has one opponent. She punches him back and launches cables into the ground around him, reeling herself in to kick her opponent hard. She opens her helmet and sees that Varrick is being chased up a mountain by the other mecha tank. She shoots a cable around a boulder, launching it at the mecha tank attacking Varrick, successfully knocking the suit off the cliff. Zhu Li moves in to knock him out permanently, but a bolt of lightning strikes her, knocking her down. Scenes cuts to a frontal shot of Zhu Li's former opponent charging at her while Varrick's aggressor gets up as well.
Bolin, who was on higher ground, jumps off a small cliff, yelling angrily, and uses his lavabending to trap the two other tanks who were fighting Zhu Li. Zhu Li manages to jump out of the way of the wave of lava in the nick of time and her opponents are forced to abandon their vehicles as they melt into the lava. As Bolin traps them with earthbending against the wall, Baatar Jr.'s voice rights out and the camera pans upward to reveal him standing on the cliff, the visor of his tank down, holding Varrick by the head over the edge of the cliff.]

Baatar Jr.: Stop! Turn yourself over, or else ...

Varrick: [Angrily.] Thanks a lot, Zhu Li.

[Zhu Li's face contorts in anger as she averts her gaze, gritting her teeth. The scene cuts back to the prison where Asami is sitting at a table; a guard is escorting Hiroshi into the room. He sits at her table.]

Hiroshi: You came back.

Asami: When I first came here, it was because I wanted to tell you face to face that I never wanted to see or hear from you again. I wanted my words to hurt you so that you would know how you hurt me.

Hiroshi: I'm sorry.

Asami: But when I saw you, it wasn't anger I felt. It was sadness. You tainted our past and destroyed our future together.

Hiroshi: I want to make amends.

Asami: I'm not sure I'll ever be able to forgive you. But that doesn't mean I shouldn't try.

[She reaches down to her bag and pulls out a small Pai Sho board.]

Asami: I thought we could play some Pai Sho. Like we used to.

Hiroshi: [A smile appears on his face.] Nothing ... would make me happier.

[Fade away while they start their game.
Cut to Kuvira's camp, where Baatar Jr. leads Varrick, Zhu Li, and Bolin through a doorway. The troopers push them through the entrance and they find themselves, to their horror, facing a furious Kuvira.]

Bolin: [Terrified.] Don't ... torture us.

Kuvira: [Stands up and leans on her desk.] Send these three away on the next train. Bolin and Zhu Li will be going to the reeducation camp for our most severe dissenters. [Walks up close to Varrick.] And you will continue work on the spirit-energy project, under close, armed supervision. I want it weaponized immediately. [Turns her back on the three deserters, walking back to her desk.]

Zhu Li: [Walks forward and falls on her knees, begging.] Please! Have mercy on me! Don't send me away! Take me back!

Kuvira: [After a moment's hesitation, turning to look at the figure below her.] Why would I?

Zhu Li: [Penitently.] Because my only mistake was being loyal to the wrong person. I was blindly devoted to Varrick, and I looked past all the times he ridiculed me, or ordered me around, or made me clean his disgusting feet-- [Looking angry at the mention of the last instance.] --because I thought he possessed the most brilliant mind in the world. But when I met you, I realized I was wrong. Compared to you, Varrick's a fool.

Varrick: [Insulted.] Hey, come on! I'm right here!

Zhu Li: I believe in everything you've done, and I believe in your vision. I want to devote my life to you. I pledge my allegiance to you, Great Uniter.

Kuvira: [Stares at Zhu Li before addressing Varrick and Bolin.] You two could learn something from her. Rise, Zhu Li. I'll give you another chance.

Varrick: [Astonished, to Zhu Li.] Think about what you're doing! We're partners! We have history!

Zhu Li: [Angrily.] I did everything you ever asked of me, and you never appreciated it! [Points to the exit.] Guards, do the thing!

Varrick: [As the troopers grab him and pull him outside.] No! Not the thing! Zhu Li!

[The door slams shut as Varrick and the guards exit. Cut to Suyin's garden in Zaofu, where Baatar is anxiously pacing back and forth. Korra runs up to him.]

Korra: Where's Su? I have to talk to her.

Baatar: [Worriedly.] She's not here. She took Wing and Wei. They're going to sneak into Kuvira's camp and put an end to this.

Korra: [Visibly distressed.] No!

[Roll credits.]