"Rai, get a move on!" Keno yelled, turning back to the young boy who was struggling to carry a box down the road after his father.
"This isn't exactly easy, pops," said Rai, whose face was glistening with sweat from trying to handle the large parcel.
The Fire Nation emblem adorned Rai's suspenders, which held up his black slacks and stretched across his white shirt. His father's suit and derby matched the color scheme as well. As the two walked down the sidewalk, carrying their luggage, they marveled at the newly built city. Rai was so enthralled by the sights, he would regularly trip or fall behind.
His father's eyes shifted to every passerby, as if he was afraid they might be jumped at any moment. Rai's attention left the sights long enough to notice this. "What're you looking for?" he asked, his eyes suddenly wide in imitation.
Keno cleared his throat and looked back to his son. He slowed down a bit so Rai could catch up. "Just being my old weary self. Your mother was always the courageous one. Honestly, moving to a big city like this makes me quite nervous." Keno moved one bag he was carrying to his other hand and began to twiddle his short mustache.
"Mom... well, she's doing important work." Rai said with a nod and hrumph.
Keno grinned. "That's right. Brave work too. Not everyone would go to the boondocks of the Earth Kingdom just to help out some refugees, bender or not. She's what got us this grant, you know. To move here, contribute to the city."
Rai rolled his eyes. "Yes, Dad, you've told me. But you can't say all those awards you've received in your field didn't get you some attention from the Fire Lord."
The boy's father chuckled as they turned the corner. "That's a good man, the Fire Lord. He really believes that science is the way of the future. If it wasn't for that airbender spiritualist, who knows how far we'd have advanced by now, under his guidance." He then switched both bags to the other hand and waved at a young lady who walked by them.
Rai's eyes narrowed at the mention of Avatar Aang. He knew his father was a great nationalist and believed the outside influences on Fire Lord Zuko took away from the ruler's accomplishments. It was something Keno and Rai's mother could never agree on. Rai sympathized with his mother. "Without the Avatar, we'd still be in war, Father." Rai said, trying to remain respectful.
"I don't buy that. It was all political. Lord Zuko was on his way to the throne without the airbender and his allies from the start."
Rai raised an eyebrow. "I don't understand how you can be so biased," he looked up to a statue of Aang under construction in the bay. There were earthbenders all around, lifting precut pieces while firebenders fused them together. "This entire republic is a testament to the future and it's built on the nations working together. Why else would Lord Zuko give the Avatar a big honkin' statue right in the middle of the bay? He obviously feels he owes him for all of this."
"Here we are." Keno said and halted abruptly in front of a door to an apartment building, causing Rai to bump into his back. "Leave the box here. Go have some fun." Keno said and patted Rai on the head.
Rai set the box down and saluted his father. "Yes, sir!" As the boy hurried off to explore, Keno shouted to him; "Watch out for those waterbenders, they're still bitter!" By the time Rai was out of earshot, he remembered to add: "And don't bend unless you have to."
Rai snapped his suspenders as he rocketed down the blacktop, dodging the odd satomobile that crossed his path. Following the smell of the water and what he could see of a large bridge, he made his way to a small pocket-park overlooking the bay and docks below. There was a couple in deep conversation beside a pond, Rai decided to move to the other side of the park and rest on a bench.
Laying down, he quickly began watching the zeppelins lazily drift across the sky, a strange human creation mimicking the clouds above them. The sun falling on his eyelids and the gentle caress of the breeze eventually caused him to drift off into sleep.
Rai's eyes slowly wound open as he realized where he was. He raised his eyebrows as he got off the bench and looked around. It's dark? He noticed, as it looked like the sun had just gone under the horizon. Dad's never going to let me out of his sight again.
Rai shivered and saw his breath in the air as he exhaled. The city was alight with electricity and the bustle of its citizens. There were fireworks being set off across the bridge, exploding and then lazily drifting into the water. "Hey, kid, you in the right place?" came an inquiring voice from behind him. Rai turned from the display and sought out the owner of the voice. There he saw a teenage girl and boy, the couple from earlier. The girl seemed to be a few years older than him, the boy a few years older than that.
"We were just about to leave," the girl continued. She was wearing a short green dress, with her hair done up in a tight bun. "And we just wanted to make sure you were all right."
"I remember when I could nap all day," the boy chimed in with a smirk. His hair was slicked to the side and dyed to match his blue and white blazer. "Good for you for making use of such a good spot. I can never get any rest where I sleep, not when this girl's around," he said, nodding toward her. She giggled and lightly elbowed him in the side.
Rai smiled at the couple's antics and held out both his hands. "Hello, I'm Rai. I just moved here with my father."
They each awkwardly took one of his hands and shook it. "It's a pleasure to meet you," said the boy. "I'm Oyen and this," he gestured to the girl, "is Mururi."
"My friends call me Mu-mu, though," she explained with a wink and flash of her eyelashes.
"Nice to meet you both! I'd love to stay and keep talking, but I'm afraid my dad doesn't like me to be out after dark. I think our new address is Four, Tower Street, do you know where that is?"
Oyen cupped his chin in his hand and hmmed. "I think so. But there's a trouble part of town between here and there."
Rai tilted his head slightly. "Really?" he wondered. "I didn't see anything bad on my way here."
Mururi sniffed. "The city is pretty swell during the day, but night breaks and it's a whole 'nother story. That's why I have Oyen here,"
"To protect you from the big bad gangsters?" Oyen interrupted.
She looked at him and chuckled. "No, to throw you in front of them as a distraction." Turning back to Rai, she said, "But enough of us being incredibly cute, we gotta get you squared away." She took his hand and he noticed she was wearing the most pristine white gloves.
"Were you to on the way to a gala?" he asked them as Mururi led them up a path and onto the street.
Oyen followed them at a steady pace, his hands folded elegantly behind his back. "That's just what we told Mu-mu's parents. Had to dress the part when I went to fetch her, of course."
Mururi pouted and squeezed Rai's hand a bit firmer. "My parents are big shots, see. They own half the building contracts in the city, and a good portion of the patents. They couldn't fathom their daughter just hanging out with a common athlete at a park."
"Stop calling me an 'athlete,' Mu-mu. You know I'm a glorified street fighter." Oyen said, peering at his feet as he walked.
Rai looked at him, wide-eyed. "You're a fighter?"
"That's the look I always get." Oyen said and looked across the street to a noodle shop with steaming bowls in the window. "I'm not in any of those new glamorous leagues with the bending teams."
"That's pro-bending. Oyen's not a bender." Mururi explained.
Oyen walked a little more upright. "Nah, I fight in the minor leagues, where benders go up against non-benders, weapons are allowed, and we get paid by the number of seats we fill and teeth we knock out."
Rai contemplated for a moment. "That doesn't seem legal," he said after walking in silence for a few minutes.
"It's not... strictly. But I've seen as many lawmen down at the arena as criminals." Oyen said. Something caught his attention in front of them and both Oyen and Mururi stopped.
Rai took his eyes off Oyen and looked forward again. "We're not there, yet, are we?" There was a small group of both men and women walking toward them. They were all similarly dressed in that they showed quite a bit of skin and were covered in tattoos depicting various mechanical devices.
Mururi let go of Rai's hand and pushed him back while Oyen moved to stand next to her.
"Stay back, Rai. It's just a couple Mechs, they're harmless... if you catch them on a good night," Mururi said, failing miserably to be reassuring.
The gang formed a sloppy oval around the three and remained silent. The tapping of a cane could be heard as the small crowd parted to reveal a young man with a diamond-headed cane, long flourishing hair, and half-monocle. "Greetings," the man said.
"Hello, there." Mururi put on a goofy smile and curtsied. "We're just passing through on our way home."
The man looked Oyen and Mururi over, seeming not to notice Rai. "In such fine attire?" he finally asked with a smile, revealing a set of crooked front teeth. "Well, how glad am I that you happened to come into my territory tonight. They call me Dapper."
Oyen tipped an imaginary hat. "Good evening. May I ask if you need something?"
"We're not looking for any trouble." Rai interjected, causing Mururi to turn back and make a shh gesture at him.
Dapper bent down to see Rai, who was peeking out from between Oyen and Mururi. "Why, of course not, lad. Do we look like a troublesome group, to you?" At this, the whole group chuckled in unison, causing Rai to flinch and shoot off a small ember of fire from his hand.
Struck in the arm with the ember, a dastardly looking woman behind Rai gasped and grabbed her forearm. "The little punk just bent at me!" she screamed at no one in particular.
Oyen reached into his suit and brought out a switchblade in one hand and brass knuckles in the other. Mururi took on a stance that reminded Rai of a fountain sculpture.
Dapper backed up a bit and frowned. "Why, look what we got here, folks, it seems a new gang has sprung up in the midst of our fine city! Why, it's our duty as citizens to take care of them, wouldn't you say?"
The Mechanics cheered and brought out an assortment of weapons themselves, while the odd few assumed various fighting positions.
"This can all end now," Oyen tried to coax them. "We just want to get this kid home. He made a mistake."
"The only mistake here was that you didn't run away the second you saw us," Dapper clarified as he turned around and began pacing away. "Have a little fun with them," he ordered with a flair of his arm.
Rai was instantly separated from the older couple by the surge of combatants rushing toward them. A bald man with a handlebar mustache seemed to be the only person to notice him. The man was large to the point where his bow-tie was nearly popping off of him and every button on his shirt looked as if it were about to snap and take someone's eye out.
Rai's first reaction was to back away and wave his arms in from of him. The man came barreling at him with a broken metal pipe. He planted one foot in front of him and wound up for a full swing. Rai had ample time to prepare and flung himself onto the ground as the pipe flew overhead.
He then reached out and grabbed the man's trousers, instantly setting them ablaze and burning his flesh. He yelped and dropped the pipe, which fell right on Rai's back.
Rai clinched his fist in frustration and brought it up in an uppercut. It connected with the man's chin and he fell flatly to the ground. Rai stood there, looking at his fist, which was bloody and numb from the pain.
To his side, Oyen was flowing through the crowd, using his knife defensively and his knuckles to fight off anyone who got too close. In all, his fighting style was very loose. He sacrificed many opportunities to dodge just to get a shot in himself. At this point, his blazer had been ripped off a bit, revealing many wicked looking scars and bruises beneath.
Near Oyen, Mururi was using the water from a nearby drain to fend off her attackers. With each wave of her arms a new torrent would rise up and push back the vagrants. Whereas Oyen's expression was that of harsh anger while he fought, Mururi's was a more tranquil fury.
Rai brightened as he thought of an idea to get them out of this mess. He hopped on a short man's back and started pounding on his head, while yelling; "Mururi! Send some water my way!"
Mururi showed no indication that she had heard him, but simply included another movement in the dance she had been repeating, quickly sending a cone of water toward Rai's general position.
Rai pushed forward with both his hands, resulting in a thin yellow jet of flame colliding with the water in the air. The resulting steam covered and blinded everyone involved with the tussle. Rai connected one last wild punch with the short man's temple and jumped off of him.
He was trying to think of a way to signal his friends when a tendril of liquid wrapped around his wrist and pulled him to Oyen and Mururi as they escaped the steam.
They began running down the street as fast as they could. Rai took a look behind them and saw Dapper emerging from the cloud, a crooked smile wrapped around his face.
He looked Rai right in his eyes and said, "I know you live 'round here, kid! We'll see each other again."
Rai spit in his direction and turned back around, booking it with the others.
A few quick stragglers who were able to escape the steam chased them, but they were swiftly taken care of with more than a few whips of water and blasts of flame.
Oyen pulled Rai and Mururi into an alley. Catching his breath, he said, "Nearly every part of this city has crime troubles, but I didn't think the Mechanics had muscled into this neighborhood yet."
Mururi leaned back against the brick wall of one of the buildings. "I'll talk to my father about it."
Rai perked up. "Your father has connections with the police?"
She nodded. "He also has a security team the size of a small army. They're not going to be able to walk around here freely for a long time." When she noticed Oyen examining a rather deep cut on his arm, she asked, "Are you all right, honey?"
Oyen smiled at her. "I'm fine. You don't have a scratch on you, huh? Lucky for me. If you went home in the shape I'm in, I'd be in just as much danger as those Mechs."
"Speaking of which, we better get going soon. Rai, how're you doing?"
Rai showed her his fist. "I'm fine, it only stings a little. I've never been in a real fight before."
Oyen reached over and patted him on the shoulder. "Really? You were pretty good with that firebending."
Rai's shoulders shrugged wearily. "Well, I've had some formal training. The closest I got there was minimal-contact sparring. Honestly, that was kind of exhilarating."
Oyen looked right into his eyes. "I know what you mean, but trust me, you don't want to be doing this for a living. I grew up with it, you have so much opportunity to do more here in this city. Don't squander it."
They arrived at Four, Tower Street soon after that. With a hasty exchange of contact information, Mururi and Oyen hired a rickshaw to take them to the wealthy district.
"If you ever need anything, we're here," Oyen said as the rickshaw started to roll down the road. The last of the couple Rai could see was Oyen pretending to yawn and extending his arm around Mururi.
Rai displayed a toothy smile. What strange people, he thought. I hope I see them again soon.
Snapping back into reality, he turned and ran into the apartment building, taking the steps to the second floor two-at-a-time.
When he came to the door which his father had described on the train ride to the city, he gingerly knocked on it a few times and twiddled his thumbs, waiting.
After a few seconds, the door swung open and banged against the wall. A rather disheveled looking Keno stood there, his wild eyes boring into Rai.
"Oh Rai, where have you been?"
He bent down and embraced his son, letting his derby fall to the floor. After one long squeeze, he stood up and ushered Rai into the apartment.
He didn't say anything more as he brewed tea in their modest kitchen. Rai sat on the couch, his eyes unconsciously avoiding his father. "I was in a park, near the harbor," he finally explained.
Keno put his hands on the counter in front of the stove, not bothering to turn around. He let out a deep sigh before responding, "It got dark. And you know what, I thought, 'He must have found some friends. His mother is always telling me to let him be a kid, give him some freedom.'"
Rai's eyes began to tear up. "I love Mom."
Keno spun around. "As do I, but she doesn't know what this city is like, not really. She glamorizes it." He stood up straight, and tried to straighten out his mustache. "So, it got dark. I worried, but didn't panic. Then I heard from a neighbor that a gang-fight broke out not far from here. And a little boy was seen."
Rai's expression became defiant and he sat forward. "I am not a 'little boy.' I'm practically a man!"
Keno let out an angry chuckle. "You're barely fourteen. Maybe in some parts of the world that would be considered a man, but where we're from, you're still a child."
Rai grumbled and crossed his arms. "Well you can see I'm fine, can't you?"
"Fine?" Keno ran his fingers through his hair, disrupting the gel that was holding it in place. "Your knuckles are bloody and bruised. Do you think I'm stupid?"
Rai stood up and looked his father right in the eyes. "You know I don't think that. It's just," his voice cracked slightly, "Why would Mom even give me those lessons if you two didn't want me to defend myself?"
"Of course we want you to defend yourself, that's not why I'm upset." Keno placed his hands on the partition separating the kitchen and living room. "I think it's time to tell you the real reason we were so eager to get out of the Fire Nation in the first place."
Rai perked up and walked quickly to the partition. "What are you talking about? It was to contribute to the alliance; to make use of the opportunity Mom gave us."
Keno looked away from his son. "That's... partially, true. But far more grave circumstances led to your Mom volunteering and us coming here. There was a group after us... a Fire Nation supremacist group."
Rai shook his head. "That makes no sense. Why would they be after you? You're practically a zealot about maintaining the purity of the Fire Nation! "
"That's why I joined them." Keno said, an ashamed expression adorned his face. "I was young, and radical. Your Mother pretended it wasn't happening. I thought things were okay for awhile. Then, the people in the group became obsessed with tracking their lineage, as if it would further prove their determination to the cause."
A sharp shriek broke his concentration, and he found himself reaching back for the teapot. He removed the apparatus which held the tea leaves and poured two cups, offering one to Rai and holding the other in his hand.
After a few sips, he continued, "My parents were long deceased. All I knew was that my family came from some barely-inhabited island on the outskirts of the nation. Unfortunately, I found no record of their immigration on the books."
Rai raised an eyebrow. "The Fire Nation is meticulous about keeping accurate records."
Keno nodded. "This I know. I did, however, find an arrest record for two waterbenders who had tried to smuggle themselves into the nation, and had later escaped custody. They had the names of my grandparents. Eventually, I put it all together."
Rai's mouth hung slightly open and his eyes were wide. "You're from the Water Tribes?"
Keno looked positively sick. "My ancestors are. I even have some rudimentary waterbending skills, I would come to find out. Healing and such."
"I still don't get it, so you found out you're a waterbender, and...?"
"So did the group I had been with. By the time they knew for certain, I had already told your Mother and the arrangements were made. You had received some training, she got the position, I got the grant to move here."
The muscles in Rai's back and neck relaxed. "So that's why you've been so sketchy for the last few months."
Keno chuckled. "And it's also why I freaked out when you didn't come home and I heard about gangs being sighted. I thought... they'd found you somehow."
Rai moved around the partition and hugged his father. "I'm so sorry. I didn't know." They separated and Rai said, "Would this mysterious group really have influence in Republic City? What're they called, anyway?"
Keno took another sip of tea. "I had hoped not, but we'll never know for sure. And I'm not telling you, you're a hothead and I don't want you getting mixed up in my business."
"But, Dad,"
"No. This discussion ends now. Later, you can tell me all about this little late night stroll you took. I'll need some time to think of a proper punishment, anyway."
Much later in the night, Rai laid in his bed, thinking. His father had tended his hand while he told his tale, with Keno making comments periodically. With a kiss to the forehead and a shove in the right direction, Keno had sent him to bed.
His sheets were soft, and the breeze from the harbor reached in through his window to embrace him. The far lights of downtown gazed at him, the bridge and statue creating wondrous silhouettes.
This city is positively beautiful, he thought. And I get to be a part of it. My first day living here and I've met a princess and a pauper, fought a gang, and found out I'm mixed.
This means Mururi and I are kin! Ah, I can't wait to see what this place and its people have in store for me. I'm sure in a few years that pesky crime problem will be gone. The Avatar, living as long as one does, will unify men of all nations, benders and non-benders.
Rai rolled over and tucked his arm under his pillow. Great spirits, bless you for giving me this fate. I wouldn't want to live in any other time period. This is when the progress happens.
I believe, this is when we will change the world.