"Why did you do that?" Lin asked, her eyes turning red from the tears that the rain masked.
"It just happened," Akashi shrugged as he walked. "Let's go somewhere more private. I don't like making a scene."
She followed him through the streets of Republic City to a parking lot that had no people around. Cars were a new thing and were expensive. Not many people had them yet.
"Why were you crying?" Akashi asked.
"This relationship was wrong from the start, I knew. I didn't want to take your future away—you having kids and living happily—by binding you to an old woman like me. But now, you've even lost your job because of me." She admitted. "I've never done so much wrong in my life. I'm sorry."
Akashi chuckled, as if he heard something cute.
Lin's tearful eyes turned furious. "What's so funny! You could have been promoted, had a future and glory ahead of you. You could have looked at your kids and seen them proud of you. Now, your career is out the window."
"You are so wrong," Akashi said. "It's not because of you... well, partially because of you... but mainly, I had collected enough money, and I have a few businesses that need much of my time."
"Partially?" she asked.
"It was obvious that my promotion was just a cover to force you to retire and buy my silence. You had worked your whole life to get to that point in your career, and you wouldn't die peacefully knowing that it ended like that. I didn't give it all my life. And I didn't like to be a pawn in their hands, used and tossed away when they have no use for me. And so, I left on my own terms." Akashi hit his chest proudly. "And it's not like you can't hire me as a consultant... anyway. The law is full of loopholes. And though I may do it or not... depends on my mood."
He patted her on the shoulder and added, "And most importantly, I have something that you don't."
"What's that?" she asked, her tone not improving.
"I still have my youth in front of me." Akashi said. "I've got nothing to lose. You, on the other hand..." Akashi started shaking his head slightly.
It's not like he was a man with nothing to lose. But when it came to a career, he was a man who, even if he lost everything, still had the most important thing.
"So, you are calling me a cranky grandma?" she asked, veins appearing on her forehead.
Akashi smiled, "Now that's more like you."
She rolled her eyes, "But are you certain? You seemed to have thought about this through. I can't go back and tell them it's all a lie, because you will face jail if I expose your false testimony. I will have to ask. Won't you regret it?"
"I would have regretted it if I didn't." Akashi said.
It had been the plan all along.
Pay his debt, do business, and make money, while praying that Korra doesn't ruin the real estate market.
"But to resign like that?" she looked at him with hesitant eyes.
"I've left the organized crimes department for a far petty reason." Akashi shrugged.
"Amane. She complained. I know." Nodded Lin.
"She did, huh?" Akashi said.
"Yeah. And now, the homicides will come over and demand you back or whatever." Lin sighed.
"They can hire me for consultation. I can help if the case is interesting enough for me." Akashi replied.
"Fair. I think." She sighed, opening her arms for a hug.
Akashi hugged her back.
"Thank you, for everything." She said.
"You're welcome." He said, "By the way. Tenzin seemed to be a bit jealous."
"Don't mind him." Replied Lin.
-x-X-x-
After Lin and Akashi departed, the latter found himself with a lot of free time.
The first thing he did was buy the building he had his businesses in, that, and others. He also bought a nearby house. And even then, he still had a ton of money.
Thanks to gambling, some good guesses, and future canon knowledge, Akashi had managed to accumulate enough wealth.
The last thing he did was go to his office in the police station to collect his belongings.
There were a few higher-ups that begged him, starting from the captain's rank to the dubiety chief's rank, to stay.
But he refused, and he wasn't even non-rude about it.
After all, it's not like these guys wanted him because he solved cases.
More likely, if Lin had been taken down, almost everyone would have gotten promoted.
The real ones who seemed to be sad about him leaving were his lieutenant and the detectives and officers he supervised.
"It's okay." Akashi announced while holding a large box. "If someone needed a consultation to solve a case, you can hire my services. Though, if it's not a psychopath killer, I don't want to hear about it. Or else, you'd have to pay a large commission fee."
"That's the previous sergeant for you;"
"We'll miss you, sergeant... I mean, Akashi."
The coworkers started bidding him farewell, shaking his hand on the way out.
"Oh, god damn it. No more parties and free booze." Someone complained.
"That's life," Akashi shrugged. "See you all later."
And then, he left through the door. It may sound dramatic to leave like that, but his new house was like two blocks away. It didn't take much time to arrive there, as not even the air resisted him on his way. And better yet, his new stats and perks made it feel as if he took two steps.
Akashi reached his house and sat down, all alone. There were no mobile phones to call chicks, nor did people hold phones with them whenever they went.
"I should probably force Hiroshi to make it. But to do so, he needs to go to space and launch a satellite." Akashi muttered to himself, feeling bored already.
If there were a few more things to consider, it would be Amon and Tarrlok.
These two would surely be taken to the Earth Kingdom. They may testify that Akashi was the one who took them down, and they may not. But the equalists, or the anti-benders he had knocked out, wouldn't remember. The oxygen had been cut on them during that battle, and to lose awareness like that, it would have made them feel confused the moment that they had woken up.
As Korra took the credit, Akashi wouldn't get into the radar of the most dangerous people in the world. He had given Korra credit for a reason, and it was to take a short break.
And so, Akashi did take a nap, until he heard a knock on his window.
He opened his eyes slowly, only to see Tenzin sitting on the flying bison's back.
He slowly sat up and opened the window.
"If you are here to talk about Lin... just drop it. She's a woman with needs too." Akashi said, bored, as if he had expected this already.
"I have 3 children and a wife, and they have been with me for a long time." Tenzin said, "I didn't come to talk to you because of that."
"Then because of what?" Akashi asked.