A School Like So Many Others, an avatar: last airbender fanfic

AN: Thanks to Loopy being my beta

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"Yo bruv, check out the bozo."

"What he doin' here? What crew he from?"

"He looks fresh, bruv."

"Aiight, hench up, lockdown dis bozo."

"Yo, bozo, what you doin'?"

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Aang looked up and saw two boys his age - 15 years old - dressed in heavy winter clothes despite the mild weather. "Excuse me?" Aang asked. The boys had surprised him, the streets had seemed deserted, the chilly weather and grey skies sufficient to keep most inside the block towers that made up the neighborhood.

One boy snarled, "You lost, bozo?"

Aang lit up, "Yes actually, do you know where West Hoffman Street is?"

The boys pulled back. The shorter one burst out laughing while the other glared. "What you lookin' for, eh? This our endz."

"I'm looking for," Aang paused to remember, "Sokka and Katara. Do you know them?"

The one boy stopped laughing and the two shared a glance. They were no longer glaring, their eyes were careful now. "What yo business with'em?"

"I'm moving in with them." Aang answered brightly.

That silenced the boys and for a moment they turned away from Aang and whispered between themselves. When they turned around, they were all smiles. "Aiight, bruv, we bus ya to Sokman and Katana, no prob. It be strange 'round here, alie?"

Aang blinked, the accent having finally broken him, "Uh, what."

"We take you to'em." The boys smiled and Aang could see that one was missing a front tooth. "Trust, bruv."

They took the scenic route, naming streets despite the confusing lack of street signs - "keeps the feds out, bruv" - and introducing themselves - "Pest and Scoot, hardcore ex-Golems, alie?" and pointing out the local secondary school that they, Sokka, Katara and soon Aang would be attending come spring, Four Corner High.

It was a disgustingly large building in the shape of a U with a stretched-out bottom. There were only five stories and whatever windows there were were laced with metal wire. The opening of the U-shaped building seemed to be the yard where students were set loose during lunch and even that was caged in with a fence designed to keep giants from getting out. Similarities to a prison aside, the most interesting fact about the school was that all five-stories of the school were absolutely covered in grafitti. In a swirl of red, green and blue, three tags dominated, Flame, Golems and Ice.

"Nice, eh?" Scoot grinned as he looked at the graffiti ridden wall.

"It's actually pretty well-drawn." Aang said, impressed.

"Ya think?" Scoot's grin grew bigger and the missing tooth made its presence known again, "I drew that one myself." He pointed up to the biggest Golem tag on the wall.

"Ya," Pest piped up "Rinsed for the Golems and what they do? Boot us. Ungrateful gits."

Aang turned to look at the two, "What happened?"

"New boss, a wifey-"

"Ain't no wifey." Pest cut in, "Gotta be a man under there."

"Her name Tuff cause she tough. She boot us since we was tight with the old boss, LF."

"Now we freelance, alie?"

Scoot gave Aang a meaningful look, "Maybe even link with the Ice crew?"

Aang looked back, perplexed, "I don't know what good I can do for you there."

"What!?" Pest snarled, the two boys' mood souring in the blink of an eye.

"That's serious deep, bruv. Show some props." Scoot said, frowning.

"I... I mean, thank you for all your help." Aang couldn't help looking hurt even as he stammered his apology, "I just don't know how I could help you get into the Ice crew?"

"What you mean you don't know?" Pest pressed his lips together.

"He don't." Scoot said before Aang could answer, "He don't know he bummin' with the bosses of Ice crew."

"You mean... Sokka?" Aang took another second to process what Scoot had said, "And Katara?!"

"Sokman and Katana, yeah, they serious gully. Real hazard types."

"I... I didn't know." Aang thought back on what Gyatso had told him of the siblings and realized that other than the picture he had been given of them, he knew nothing about them.

"Stay on their good side, alie?"

"I mean, I was already planning to." Aang said with a faint smile.

"And try giving us some props when ya link with'em, yaherd?" Pest added shamelessly.

"Sure, I'll try."

Scoot clapped his hands, "Well, that 'bout sum it up. The endz, the school and the crews. Let's bus back, eh?"

Aang was just about to agree before he realized they had missed something, "What about Flame crew?"

Pest and Scoot looked at each other and wrinkled their noses like they had just walked into an outhouse. Pest spat to the side while Scoot sighed as he tried to order an explanation.

"Just..." Scoot sighed and pressed on, "Just stay clear of'em, yaherd?"

"That all you gonna say?" Pest glared at his partner, "Come on, bruv. Boy better know."

Scoot gave a withering glance to Pest before resigning himself to the duty. He put a hand on Aang's shoulder and waved the other at the school, "Look... Most us who go to Four Corner go cause it's the only school that'll take us from the endz." He took a deep breath, "The Flame crew though... they different." Scoot took a heated breath, "They all rich yoots who got booted from every other school till they landed in the endz. And I do mean every other school."

"Pampered yoots, the lot of'em."

"Pampered yoots who can clash real live," Scoot pressed a finger into Aang's chest, "So stay clear, yaherd?"

"Uh, okay." The accent was still too heavy for Aang to fully get what was being said, but he could at least understand the meaning. Danger.

"Their boss he a real number, called Zuko, just Zuko. He an aggy gully, blows up at the tiniest disrespect."

Pest chuckled, "I be mad too if my face was half bacon."

"Yeah, well that 'bout it." Scoot grinned at Aang, "Welcome to Four Corner."

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The warehouse was supposed to be abandoned, condemned and planned for demolition in the coming months. The Golems liked the spacious environment though, more room to fit their many members who sat on every rafter and filled each corner. They had gathered that night to watch the two facing down at the center.

"What you want, battyman?" The shorter figure - a girl who couldn't be older than fifteen - called out to the other.

The large man, who had entered puberty full-swing with a good mix of steroids, faced the girl down and sneered, "The Boulder wanna know what we got a wifey playin' gully here fo'."

"Ha!" The girl laughed, "I'll say it once, else ya better step up." She stuck her thumb to her chest, "Boy better know, I'm yo boss and I ain't no wifey," She smirked, "I'm Toph."

"See," The Boulder turned to his side of the warehouse where members sent glares Toph's way, "Me and the mandem disagree. Yo beef with LF, all you got. No one got you clocked." The Boulder put his large hands together and started cracking his knuckles, "So wifey better know the Boulder's takin' over."

Golems on one side of the warehouse hooted and cheered while the other side just watched.

"A clash, eh?" The girl smirked as she spread her feet and raised her arms, "You gon' get merked, battyman."

"I warnin' you, wifey. Clear off before I clear yo head."

"Stop yapping, what you waiting fo' chi-chi man? One o' yo manz to fight fo' you?"

The Boulder's face burned red and twisted as he charged forward, "Get lamped, bi-"

As the larger man stomped his way towards the girl, his arms already raised to strike, the girl took two quick steps where she was suddenly very close to the Boulder. He was already locked mid-step, barely registering that the girl had moved at all. Her foot found the outside of his outstretched knee and pressed down hard. For all the muscles in his body, the Boulder's joints were just as fragile as anyone else's and with a snap that echoed throughout the warehouse, the Boulder's leg bent in half in all the wrong ways. The large man swung face-first into the ground, the shock hitting him immediately, paralyzing him, but stopping the pain at least temporarily. Still, his addled brain tried to make sense of why his foot seemed to be pressed against his stomach even as the girl placed hers on his head.

"I BE THE GOLEMS' BOSS!" Toph cried out, striking a victory pose over the fallen man, "YOU GOT BEEF, I'LL BUN YA UP ANYTIME!"

The warehouse was silent for a moment before they all burst into cheers and chanted, "GOLEMS! GOLEMS! GOLEMS!"

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Gyatso's picture of Sokka and Katara did not quite match the real thing. They had certainly looked uncomfortable in the formal wear, but Aang hadn't realized by just how much.

"What this... yootdoing here! He gonna mess up all my plans!" Sokka yelled, very pointedly ignoring Aang's existence on the couch.

Katara had her finger jammed in Sokka's chest and she pushed it with every breath. "He's Gyatso's fam, which makes him our fam."

"Never seen him," Sokka said with a sneer, "Ain't no fam o' mine."

Katara locked eyes with her brother and didn't budge. "Believe, bruv."

Sokka's face scrunched up as Katara's glare bore down on him. He gave one last accusing look to Aang before grunting, "Allow it." He whipped back at Katara, "But I got a war, babysitting's on you."

Katara rolled her eyes. "Whatever."

Sokka stormed off into his room, flipping a sign that hung off a shelf from "Open" to "Get Bent".

"Disregard my blud." Katara sat on the couch next to Aang, "He like to think he's a serious gully." Katara smiled, "Anyway, how's Gyatso these days?"

"He's dead." Aang said flatly.

"Oh. Er." Katara coughed and she leaned back into the cushions, "Sorry, I didn't think..."

"No, it's fine." Aang said with a smile that said just the opposite.

A silence fell over them, one that got heavier the longer it went.

When Katara spoke up her voice cracked slightly, "So, want a tour of the yard?"

Aang looked up, "You have a yard? But this is an apartment."

"Er, sorry." Katara said, again tinging red, "Yard is what we call apartments. I guess you're not used to how we talk here in the endz."

"It's not too confusing."

Katara stared at Aang.

"Okay, it's really confusing, but I'll figure it out."

Katara smiled, "Well anyway, let me show you 'round the place."

The apartment belonged to "Gran Gran", Katara and Sokka's grandmother. Their mother, Katara explained in a manner similar to how Aang talked of Gyatso, was dead and their father was "away". As for the living arrangements, Katara's room was a refurbished hallway that was the sole path to the apartment's single bathroom. With only a thin cot for a bed, the only real perk to the room was that besides Gran Gran's room it was the only one with a door. Sokka slept in a corner of the living room that was partitioned off by a heavy bookshelf, giving him only walls to provide privacy. However, if anyone were to head to the kitchen, his whole room - what little there was of it - could be seen in its entirety which is why he had the "open"/"get bent" sign on the shelf. The only real bedroom was Gran Gran's and Sokka and Katara mostly avoided it because of how it smelled like mold and wet dog hair. Gran Gran made her appearances outside her room only to watch her soaps and if Aang really wanted to meet her all he would have to do was wait about 2 more hours for "Days of Our Lives" to start airing.

"So," Aang asked a little sheepishly, "Where can I sleep?"

Katara sighed, "I'd say get some blankets and try to find a soft patch of floor."

Aang deflated, "I was afraid, you'd say that."

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"Happy birthday, dad."

"Thank you, son, daughter." The father took out the single lit candle from the cake and rubbed it out in an ashtray. To his right, another man covered in scars and tattoos and the finest Italian suit held a knife out. The father took the knife and began cutting the cake.

The man's name was Ozai, "So how are you two doing in school?"

The daughter - Azula - spoke up first with the certainty of success, "I'm at the top of the academy, father. Academically, physically," She smirked, "And territorially."

"That's good to hear." Ozai said and placed a slice of cake on his daughter's plate. "What about you, Zuko?"

The son had his eyes closed till that point and opened them painfully as his father looked at him, "Four Corner High is... proving difficult, father."

"Oh?" Ozai put the knife down as he turned his full attention to his son, "How so?"

"The whole school is delinquent, father. There were already two large crews there before I came. They're no match for my crew, father, but they're quite experienced nonetheless."

Ozai stared at his son for a moment and a frown pulled at the man's lips. "I see."

Zuko did not look away. His father would not allow it, he knew, so he endured his father's gaze. They were eyes that said so little of the man who possessed them, they were eyes made only for accusing and Zuko felt crucified.

Finally, Ozai looked away and he signaled to the man marked with scars and tattoos. Wordlessly the marked man took the knife away and retreated once again to the background.

"Well, this was a lovely dinner." Ozai stood up, "Thank you, you two, but I must be going now. Business to attend to." Without waiting for them to respond, Ozai turned and left, the marked man following quietly behind.

The door snapped shut and Azula looked at her brother, "Good going, idiot."

"Shut up." Zuko muttered as he stared at his empty plate.

Azula leaned back and sighed, "I don't even like cake, so this has been a big waste of time."

"None of us like cake."

Azula smirked, "Most especially you, right? I guess that's why dad didn't bother cutting you a piece."

Zuko glared at his sister, but she just seemed to bathe in his silent loathing. "Shut up."

Azula batted her eyelashes, "I'm sorry, Zuzu. How about I give you some cake?"

Zuko stood up very suddenly, his head feeling hot, "Don't worry about me." His jaw tightened, "I'll earn my share soon enough."

"Haha! You idiot," Azula smiled like she was talking to a child, "It's just cake."

The look Zuko gave his sister would've made anyone else tremble, but Azula just giggled. She would never understand, Zuko knew and he hated her for that. Life for Azula was a breeze while everything was an obstacle for Zuko, mountain after mountain blocking his path. Four Corner High was just the latest in a long history of setbacks, but Zuko would take it down just like he did all the other schools he'd been to. It was taking longer than it should've, but he'd succeed, Zuko clenched his fists, he had to.

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A strange noise stirred Katara from her magazines and her cot. Knocking. Normally Sokka or Gran Gran would just burst through the doo (no lock), ignore Katara completely and make their way to the bathroom. Living with someone who had some actual courtesy was going to take some getting used to.

"Go ahead." Katara called out.

Carefully Aang opened the door until he could clearly see that Katara was in fact, dressed. "Sorry, I'm not bothering you, am I?"

Katara laughed, "It's safe." She jerked her thumb over her head, "Bathroom's that way."

"Thanks, but uh, that's not why I knocked."

Katara sat up on her cot and stared at the fifteen year old boy, "What?"

"I... I wanted to ask you a question."

Katara blinked, "Uh, sure."

Aang shuffled his feet for a moment and then looked over, "Uh, can I sit down first?"

"Was that the question?"

Aang gave a short laugh and blushed, "No, sorry, I just want to talk to you for a bit."

Katara shrugged and made some room on her cot. "Go ahead, ask away."

Aang sat down on the cot, arms placed inside his lap like he was afraid he'd lose them. He sat there silently for a while until finally in a quiet voice, Aang asked, "How did you know Gyatso?"

Katara stared like a deer caught in headlights. "That's... I'm sorry, I was just..."

"You don't have to answer if you want to!" Aang said apologetically, "I know, it's kind out of nowhere, but..." Aang gave a determined look, "I'd just like to know."

Katara coughed, "I'm not sure if I could really tell you right now. It's kind of a..." Katara met Aang's gaze and her words trailed off. She sighed and she let herself sink into the cot, "Not really long story, just one I don't like talking about."

"That's fine, you don't-"

Katara looked up at Aang with an understanding smile,"No, boy better know." Katara let her head tilt back until it hit the wall and stared up at the ceiling as she gathered herself. When she spoke, her voice came out as a whisper, "My mother was murdered ten years ago."

Aang's eyes immediately went down to the floor.

"Gyatso... I don't know if he's still..." Katara bit her lip, "At the time, he was part of a community outreach program, grief counseling or something. He came and helped us out when we were hurtin'. Not that..." Katara swiped at the tears that had started to flow, desperately trying to maintain composure, "Not that Sokka or Dad appreciated it. They just wanted him to bus off, but he stuck with us anyways and when..." Katara breathed and started again, "When dad left, Gyatso was there. He kept us out of the lost'n'found and put us up with Gran Gran. For the longest time... he'd just... he'd come by and make sure we were alright."

"Hah." Aang laughed even as his eyes streamed with tears, "Yeah, that sounds just like him."

Katara choked back a sob,"God, I'm sorry, just gushing like this, it's-"

"Thank you."

Katara looked up at the boy who had until an hour ago been a total stranger to her. He was smiling so honestly. There was something genuine about him, an openness that Katara had only seen once before... in Gyatso.

"Thank you, Katara." Aang said again and he did something Katara never would have expected. He hugged her. She'd have been embarrassed to admit how long it'd been since anyone had hugged her, but Katara was busy trying to figure what to do with herself. Slowly, awkwardly, she wrapped her arms around the shorter boy and hugged back.

"You're welcome."

END CHAPTER 1