Yan and Ripper further the conspiracy

Yan was nervous. He had less than a week to fully implement the plan and if anything went sideways, he suspected he would spend the rest of his life in a cold, dark cell.

If the Avatar didn't straight up kill him.

Vaatu, who was tired of his vessel's anxiety and indolence, snarled deep within him and Yan closed his mouth. He had wanted to be the master of the world, to rule over women in power. But he was quickly turning into a tiny puppet in something beyond his control.

"And why should I help you?" Wonyong Keum asked. He was an old man, his sly, silver fox handsomeness had gone down the drain, along with most of his company's assets after the disaster with Tokuga and the Spirit Portal. His hair was white now, and his face a map of wrinkles.

"It's been seven years since the Avatar and her girlfriend ruined you." Ripper said, flicking open the knife in his hand. "Seven...long...years..."

He smiled, ghoulishly. "Me and Yan here...we can get you ****, Mister Keum. All you gotta do is be willing to provide the smoke-screen."

Wonyong frowned. "I don't work with people like you anymore, Mister Ripper. I swore off it after the last one tried to kill me.

Ripper nodded, slowly, his scar-tissue covered face having trouble demonstrating the slightest sign of emotion. "No risk this time, Mr. Keum. All we need is an evening at your house, with Republic City's best and brightest..."

Keum, who was bitter, but not insane turned away. Ripper began to snarl at the sign of refusal and stood to see if intimidation would work better, but Yan stood up before the madman could be let loose.

He put a hand to Ripper's chest, before quickly pulling it away and grinning nervously at his ally. "Allow me to handle this, please?"

His companion opened his mouth to let out another bestial snarl but seemed to notice Vaatu's presence within Yan. He turned away and sat down, grumpy he wasn't going to be allowed to remove someone's fingers tonight.

"Mr. Keum," Yan began. "Once Asami has disappeared, and the Avatar is out of the picture, you will be able to take over Sato industries. You will rule the business empire which destroyed your own fortune. And your involvement will never be suspected, since no one will ever remember what went wrong."

Keum's weakness was greed, that's what Vaatu told Yan. Greed and that old wound, that Asami Sato had never taken him up on his offer for their corporations to work for each other, and by doing so had more or less doomed his almost bankrupt company. Like Yan, he was fed up with a world that punished him for trying to succeed.

He took a deep breath and then he shook Yan's hand.