A/N: So I was tied up between writing a Sokkla story and writing a story of their child.
This will go up on the A:LOK section while its companion story, 'Notorious', which will be a Sokkla story, will go up on the A:TLA section, and will serve as a prequel to this.
Be sure to check it out!
This takes place when Korra is approximately 9 years old, so Tenzin and Lin BeiFong are still together.
Some of the details might have received a slight chronological tweaking (Both intentional and not), but I did my best to make it as accurate as possible.
He thought he'd have to sink a lot further before he'd be here.
Actually, that was a lie. He knew he'd be in trouble with the law eventually in republic city, it was given. But damn it if he hadn't at least hoped he'd have lasted longer than 15 hours. He had only rightfully burned the face of a man who had been following him, asking for Yuans. "You have to have change with clothes like that, whippersnapper!"
The man was lucky Kuzon had chosen against doing the full body treatment.
He glared at the metal box he was sitting in, tapping his foot rapidly. The damned chief or captain or whatever had been gone for at least a half an hour. These metalbenders had apprehended him in less than two minutes, a new record, surpassing even his experience with the Dai-lei, and yet it took them this long to speak with him? It was enough to drive him insane.
Finally, after exactly 44 minutes, 32 seconds of waiting, the metal "Doors" swung open again. In strode the Head Metal girl and a bald man with arrows that Kuzon knew all too well.
Kuzon was also very familiar with the look of disappointment on his face.
"Hello, Kuzon." The man sighed. Kuzon met his gaze evenly and was unable to hold back the smirk that overtook his features.
"Cousin."
"You will not speak unless spoken too!" The metal-clad woman barked at him.
Kuzon blinked at this most un-hospitable woman . "Wow, earthbenders really are as thick as their element." He snickered, "I was literally just spoken too by Tenzin. Was your mother deaf as well, or did you inherit that from your father?
Lin blinked stupidly, before her pale face hardened again. "Be that as it may, stay quiet. I don't like your attitude."
Kuzon smirked. "And here I thought we were getting along famously! I was even hoping you'd join me for lunch next Tuesday!" He snickered again at his own, stupid jokes.
Lin gave him a "If looks could kill" glare before turning to face Tenzin. "He;s facing pretty heavy charges."
Tenzin sighed, rubbing his temples. "Dear.."
"No. I want him put in prison. He's exactly like her."
Kuzon visibly glared at what was quite obviously a crack at his mother. Lin folded her arms and now directed her angry eyes at her boyfriend. Tenzin sighed. "Which is why you know better than to let him get to you. He's the child of your mother's friend, can't you-"
"No, I will not pardon him simply because our parents used to go off on adventures on a damned buffalo!" She shouted. Tenzin visibly flinched as her face inching closer to the airbender's after every word.
"Lin, please. He's my cousin. Could this not be a personal favor?"
Lin's glared waverd a little as her boyfriend calmed her. "Fine. I can give him an official pardon as long as he pays the fines he now owes and leaves this city immediately."
"Deal." Tenzin said, hugging her tenderly. The subject of debate, however, was not satisfied. "What!?" He snapped, blue flames erupting from his nostrils. "No deal!"
Lin grinned and moved towards the table, slamming down on the metal, denting it. Kuzon didn't even flinch. "I'm fine with putting you in prison for the next couple years or so."
Minutes later, Kuzon was trailing behind his cousin., rubbing his wrists where the metal cuffs had been. "Well, you're girlfriend is quite a…uh...keeper, there Tenzin." He mocked.
"I don't even want to hear it. What you did was foolish, unnecessary, and entirely idiotic."
"Don't 'foolish' and 'idiotic' mean the same thing?" Kuzon teased, "Besides, I'm not a baby anymore Tenzin. Stop treating me like one."
Tenzin's grey eyes met Kuzon's blue, and he huffed in exasperation. "Dammit, Kuzon, I will stop treating you like a child when you grow up!" Kuzon's eyebrow's rose, surprised at this out-of character behavior from his older family member.
"You're using inappropriate language and I need to grow up? Hypocrisy is not a quality befitting of a monk."
Tenzin glared down at the man. "I've never met a 31 year old man who would be willing to permanently deform a defenseless man, just because he asked for charity."
Kuzon grinned widely at this and spread his arms. "Well, there's all kinds of people in republic city, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that some don't like being harassed by dirty old hobos."
Tenzin shook his head, exasperated that such a sarcastic man could exist. In a way, he was the perfect combination of his parents. He had the sarcastic jokes of his father, but they where laced with the sadistic and manipulative nature of his mother. He had a hearty appetite, and was a master of various fighting arts, including swordsmanship, various fire nation and non fire-nation non-bending styles, and most prominently, firebending. He had tan skin, though it had been whitened by his mother's genes. The general shape of his face was identical to his mother's , though his eyes where a stark blue.
"You're right, there are all kinds of people here. Unfortunately, it's about to lose one kind." He mused sarcastically as he climbed onto Oogi, his air bison, who had been waiting loyally outside the Republic City police building. "Get on, we're taking you back to the fire nation."
"Wait, you where serious?" Kuzon asked, hopping onto the air bison. "Well great, that's two places I'm officially banned from."
Tenzin had the air bison up in the air and headed west before he registered what he had said. "Two?" he yelled. "Don't tell me-"
"Yup. Fire nation's off limits for a while. My dear old cousin didn't appreciate some moves I taught Iroh."
Tenzin raised a brow, rather surprised. "As I recall, you where a rather suitable instructor. You and Iroh got along quite well."
"I know!" Kuzon said, throwing his hands into the air and falling back onto the bison's saddle. "He was ready to learn more than basic kick and punch techniques." Tenzin nodded. "She is a rather over-protective mother."
Kuzon really was a great firebender, a prodigy as a child, like his mother, and was now one of the best in the world, thanks to extensive training in place by his late mother. And tenzin was reminded in the back of his head that he had been dealing with a very pressing issue; the reincarnation of his father needed a firebending teacher.
Korra, the 12 year old avatar, had her earthbending put on hold when Toph had been called to the earth kingdom to help deal with the Dai-lei, who had, without anyone's notice, reestablished themselves in Ba-sing-sei. And the Avatar had been, rightfully, demanding a firebending teacher instead.
And suddenly Tenzin had a plan to fix both his problem and his cousin's place of living related one.
"Kuzon, how would you like to be the Avatar's firebending teacher?"
Kuzon raised an that was out of the blue. "What would be in it for me?" He asked, boredly sending small jets of blue fire in the air and watching them dissipate. "After all, I am the best. I can't be offering my services for free."
"You'd be offered a place to live in the south pole for the time being, you'd be helping train possibly the most important person on the planet, and I'll do my best to alleviate your pair of banishments ."
Kuzon sighed. How was he expected tot teach the avatar firebending in the south pole, of all places? But he supposed he could only accept this offer or move to the Earth Kingdom. And, judging by the experience he just had with one, he had absolutely no desire for that.
"Fine, I'll do it. But only because the extremities if my situation call for it. Normally my price would be much, much higher."
Tenzin only grinned through his beard as they sped through the sky.
They landed in the souther water tribe about a day later, and as oogi touched down in a snowy clearing, a group of blue-clad water tribe members approached. Kuzon slid off the Bison's tail as Tenzin hopped off her head.
A woman with graying hair approached the pair, smiling widely. "Hello Tenzin." She cooed, wrapping her son in a hug. "I've missed you, Mother," Tenzin said cheerfully as his mother released him. Katara turned to the slightly shorter man and wrapped him in a hug as well. "Kuzon! What a surprise!"
"Hello, Aunt Kat," He said, uncomfortably trying to squeeze out of her arms. "What Brings you here?" She asked, allowing him out of her arms but continuing to hold his upper arms.
Kuzon lightly brushed her arms off of him but returned her smile. "I'm here because Tenzin has given me an…Interesting job offer."
"He's going to be Korra's firebending teacher, mother." Tenzin said, finishing the sentence for Kuzon.
Katara's eyes widened in surprise but the smile never left her face. "That's great, Kuzon!" She'll be so glad to meet you!"
Kuzon nodded curtly. Had he imagined that dark look that had crossed Katara's eyes? He shook his head and followed the mother and `son as they wadded through the water tribe crowd. He nodded at the many blue eyes that followed him.
Kuzon wished he could say that his father's blood ran true to him, that he felt at home among the snow. But the simple fact was that he never felt more alienated then when he was at either of the poles.
He mused quietly to himself as he trailed behind the two, who were talking quite a lot. He looked water tribe. Well, mostly. He had the blue eyes, and had tan enough skin to pass as a tribesman. But these people knew who he was, and that went further than appearances.
They passed the walls to a great, white city. They walked for a very long time, exactly 56 minutes and 11 seconds, according to Kuzon. They finally arrived to a group of igloos and huts at the edge of the city. They crossed over to one hut in particular and disappeared under the entrance curtains.
Kuzon stepped in seconds later and looked around the hut. It was a quaint one, and very stereotypical at that. The wall was covered in animal skin, water tribe insignias and lots and lots of blue. He turned to see that everyone in the room was facing him, observing him.
There was a tall man whom he easily recognized as Tonraq, a man who had been banished from the north all those years ago. Next to her was his wife, of which Kuzon had no recollection, and of course, Tenzin and Katara.
And then there was the Avatar.
She was only 9, technically almost the same age her predecessor had been when he had defeated the fire lord. She stood almost as tall as her fathers' chest, and her arms where crossed, examining him.
"Well if it isn't little miss Avatar!" He said with as much enthusiasm as he could fake. "So wonderful to finally meet you."
He stayed where he was, opposite of the small group of people, and he felt uncomfortable, like these people were all against him. He pushed his paranoia away and strode over, offering a hand to her. She didn't take it, only meeting his gaze. "Why are your eyes blue if you're a firebender?" She suddenly stated loudly.
"Korra!" Her mother reprimanded loudly. "He owes you no explanation-"
"I'm part water tribe," Kuzon stated, retracting his hand. He turned to Tenzin, one eyebrow raised. "You should have been more concerned for finding her a tutor in etiquette, cousin."
Tenzin opened his mouth to offer a curt reply, but Kuzon cut him off. "But then again, I could always use one as well." He pivoted to face the father and mother, who did not seem pleased about the insult Kuzon had thrown their daughter's way.
"I'm Kuzon. I'm the greatest firebender on the planet, ya-da, ya-da, and I'm here to teach your wonderful little bundle of joy firebending."
He room fell silent for a minute while Korra's parents studied this man up and down. Finally, Tonraq allowed a small grin to spread across his face. "I'd like to see some of your work, if you don't mind."
Kuzon cocked his head slightly, unsure of what the older tribesman meant.
"My bending against. Outside, in the quarry."
Kuzon positively beamed. Although he found it very stupid and primitive to challenge someone to a duel based on a single remark, he gladly accepted the request.
Moments later, the two man stood some 20 feet apart from one another in the quarry outside. Kuzon yawned, removing his simple red robe from his shoulders, revealing a simple red tunic with black trousers. The news of their sudden little duel had somehow spread, and now it was surrounded by a wall of blue parkas.
This annoyed Kuzon; now he would have to show more limits when facing the water bender. But he would prevail, he hadn't lost to a waterbender yet.
He heard many, negative murmers spread across the crowd as he offered the traditional fire nation bow to his opponent.
He straightened himself only to be struck down by a wave of water. How positively barbaric, to attack someone when they were trying to show you respect!
His inhibitions gone, Kuzon fell with the wave, twisting and finally landing on his feet as it disperse around him, earning some rather astonished noises from the crowd. Kuzon grinned menacingly and punched the air more rapidly than humanly possible, sending large, blue fireballs at the man.
Tonraq tried his best to counter them, but he simply wasn't quick enough. He blocked the first two with a thick wall of ice, but the rest melted it as easy as butter and he felt a wave after wave of heat strike him as he fell to the ground.
Kuzon wasn't done yet. If this man would not honor their fight, then he would receive no mercy. He flipped sidewise into the air, sending a torrent of fire from his feet that Tonraq was only just able to dodge.
Kuzon landed with ease and blocked the water whips that where sent his way by disapting them with fire. He sent two quick kicks at the older man, unbalancing him yet again.
The two men were now only about 10 feet from one another. Tonraq, managed to get to his feet again, and yelled a wild war cry and lifted himself up into the sky with a typhoon, sending ice spike at his opponent. Kuzon dodged these with ease and smirked when he realized such an easy way to end this fight.
The crowd went quiet with astonishment as Kuzon, quite simply, jumped into the typhoon. Tonraq didn't even have time to react as Kuzon erupted from below him, striking him on the chin with a blue-blazing fist.
The two hung in the air for what seemed like ages, the water tornado dissipating below them, Kuzon continuing to rise thanks to his momentum while Tonraq began his decent. Kuzon raised his leg and kicked the tribesman down with his own tornado of fire.
While Tonraq struck the ground, bounced, and finally landed in a daze, Kuzon did a simple backflip and landed on the ground, directly next to where Korra, her mother, Katara, and Tenzin were watching. He stood up, pushed the damp hair out of his face and turned to them with a sly smile etched on his angular face.
"So…When may I begin?"
A/N: Don't worry, the whole story will not simply be Kuzon teaching Korra firebending, there'll be conflict, I guarantee it!
Review please, it's what drives me to continue.