"We're almost there Lin," said Tenzin as the skyline of Ba Sing Se just started to creep over the horizon. They had decided to take Oogi since it was supposed to be a short trip and they wanted to keep a flexible schedule. The president of Republic City had asked Lin to meet with the Ba Sing Se guard force to consult on the unrest that had been quelled under the Kuvira's unification, but had again exploded after her downfall and report back the current situation around the capital. Resources were already stretched in the city, but the president did not want further trouble brewing just outside Republic City's borders either. Many parts of the government, military and police forces had broken up to try and take advantage of the power vacuum, leaving only a skeleton group that still upheld the principles on which they were founded. King Wu had only just begun the process of trying to bring these factions together and could only focus on the larger political problems, leaving many smaller matters floundering in the hands of regional or local officials with minimal oversight. There was hope that Lin could also help to bring greater unity to the fractured forces since she was highly respected both as chief of police and from her earth kingdom background. Lin did not quite share in the optimism, but decided she might enjoy whipping some people into shape while also being given the opportunity to lay down new foundations for the Ba Sing Se guard. Tenzin had decided to join Lin to meet with King Wu, shore up ties with Republic City and offer the continued support of the air nation. He had planned on this for some time and the timing worked out well. Oogi landed near the royal stables. Tenzin patted the old girl and said goodbye. She quickly started working on a pile of cabbages, hay and other greens that had been set out when their arrival had been noticed and laid down for a well deserved nap.
Lin moved from meeting to meeting for most of the day. First inspecting what remained of the troops, then hearing reports from the captains on the primary problem areas in the city and surrounding areas. She offered insights when prompted into some of the processes she had put in place in Republic City for training and to handle bureaucratic matters. Much to the chagrin of the guard, she also was quick to point out security deficiencies around the palace of which she pointed out there were many. She quickly tired of all of this and began to again question why she was sent to handle these matters.
Lin had no qualms about getting up close and personal with the captains. She questioned them, "What kind of a presence do you keep in the middle and lower circles?" A large man, probably twice the size of Lin (and not from an overdose of fried dough either) who in any other setting could have been a source of significant intimidation, floundered at a response. "Most of the guard is kept back to protect the upper ring from the unrest spreading out from the middle and lower wards," he weakly responded, knowing the response it would produce. Lin shook her head. "How do you expect to be able to attain peace and order if you cower up here around the nobles? Leaving the criminal element to grow around you allows them to strengthen themselves and being seen doing nothing only convinces more people to support them. We are as much about presence as enforcement; they need to see that you are there to support them so that they will in turn support you." Another spoke up, "but the nobles demand that their safety be the number one priority, if we cannot keep the nobles and politicians safe, how will anyone else have faith the city?" Lin chastised back, "without the people, what status or authority would any of them have? You must remember that the people of the city all depend on one another. It is this reason why you cannot be over-beholden to the king, nobles or anyone else, your responsibility is to the city and the kingdom!" The others looked at each other; they felt a renewed energy among them. Perhaps the president had been right to send Lin, whether or not she accepted it, she could be a powerful leader to the right group. After a few more questions for the officers and from her assessment of the general guards, she had enough for her assessment. It would take a lot of work to get even the capital back into order, but there was also a lot of hope with King Wu's ideas of a democracy giving everyone a feeling that something better could be built and they may be a part of it. Lin just wasn't so sure there was the will to get the work done.
There was no word from Tenzin. Much to her surprise, he did not have a set itinerary for the day. A house had been prepared for them in the upper circle with all the amenities people of their stature might expect, but she did not have a desire to turn in just yet. Despite her background, she never felt comfortable with the Earth nation. The way in which it was designed from the start divided always seemed abhorrent. Even as Chief of Police in Republic City, she could have lived more luxuriously, even simply requested greater accommodation, but she never had a desire for such things. Thoughts of Suyin flashed into her mind, Lin smiled, "I guess we really were destined to be very different people." She stopped briefly to change into more appropriate earth kingdom attire, simple, loose-fitting light green pants and a darker green over-shirt with a sash, though she decided to bring her metal spools on on a belt under the shirt, no reason to take chances. Taking a quick peek in the mirror, she headed for the train away from the upper circle. Rather than wait around, she had decided to take some time for herself and see the people of the city.
Lin had always felt more comfortable among the working class. There she did not have to try and put on the air of formality and she did not have to be so careful about what she said, not as much anyway. They were not continuously probing for flaws in self or character. In Ba Sing Se it was even more refreshing since hardly a soul had an idea of who she was; she easily blended in. While not really interested in their end-products, she was still fascinated by the artisans, blacksmiths and other crafts-people still busy working on their wares. She stopped several times to observe and peruse the stalls; though she really had no intention of purchasing anything. She had simple tastes and all the material she desired. A wonderful smell caught her nose and reminded her of just how long it had been since she had eaten. "Perhaps that working through lunch to finish up earlier was not the best idea in retrospect," she now thought. She followed her senses to a noodle stand that looked very promising; busy but not crowded. Lin took up a stool and ordered a noodle soup with roast duck and a cup of tea. Again, she was mesmerized by the simple motions of the chef as she dropped her noodles into a basket to cook in a simmering cauldron of dark broth. After a few minutes, she retrieved the noodles and with barely a wasted motion shook the excess liquid off with amazing vigor then smoothly rolled them into a waiting bowl and returned the basket to its proper spot. Dashi was added with one hand while the other hunted for specific vegetables, already prepared, all with barely a glance in either direction. The duck was last, Lin could hear the crisp skin give way while the flesh underneath revealed how moist it was. Lin cracked a smile when she was presented with the masterpiece and the chef reciprocated briefly before moving on to the next order. Lin appreciated these things, people putting in their maximum effort at whatever tasks life gave them. It was this spirit that would pull the earth kingdom out of this trouble.
Lin had finished her noodles and was bringing the last sip of tea to her mouth when the evening was abruptly interrupted. A loud crash came from down the block followed by a rolling cloud of dust, screaming soon followed. The noodle stand patrons quickly ran away from the source and were joined by many others that had been in the streets at the time. A few stood, some from fear others overwhelmed by curiosity, but Lin, collected, moved forward to investigate, carefully choosing her path to stay as hidden from what was unknown ahead.
"You think that puppet of a king can protect you? We own you just like we always did and if you think you can get away with not paying up or being even a copper short then you are sadly mistaken," a voice yelled. "And let this be a lesson to anyone else here who thinks they have some ideas about going against us. We will find you and teach not only you this lesson, but you family, your children and your friends." Lin surveyed the group, from what she could see there were three, though she couldn't tell for sure. "This is a bad situation," she thought to herself. Many bystanders were nearby, likely the very people to which the address had been aimed at and she was alone and without her armor. She could see the crushed wreckage of a merchant stall under a large slab of rock, unable to even determine its craft due to its complete destruction. "At least one of them is a fairly adept earth-bender," she assessed, "more likely all of them had some ability." One of the attackers turned his attention to a man propped up on against boulder where the stall used to sit, probably the shop owner. He was the largest of the three, light complexion for an earth kingdom resident with short, black hair, shoulders as wide as a rhino-beetle and a neck nearly as thick as his head. "Now how can we impress upon you the importance of obedience. Obviously your business and your home are not important enough to you, but maybe..." The thick-necked man motioned to another who grabbed a young woman who had been laying on the ground. "...maybe you need to understand that your decisions affect not only yourself, but also those around you." The subordinate drew a small knife from his belt and held pointed towards the woman's side. Even Lin, who until now had been on the verge of a strike was now frozen. She did not want to provoke the attackers further. Internally, she realized she had under-estimated the viciousness of which they were capable. The merchant pleaded, "please don't hurt my daughter, she doesn't even have anything to do with my business!" The thick-necked man started again, "you obviously have not been listening to what I have been saying. You made her a part of this when you decided that you could operate here without paying proper respect to us." The woman yelled, "Please, no!" He quickly threw a glance to the other who responded, pushing the knife into the woman's side. A scream of pain erupted from her lips as her clothes began to darken around her waist. It was not a mortal wound, but served the purpose of inflicting pain. The man broke down, sobbing, "Please stop, I will give you anything you want!" The thick-necked man broke a smile as he turned back to the merchant, but his satisfaction was broken when Lin exploded out from the shadows.
Lin moved like lightning that night. Having witness the build up for this attack, her blood was high and she knew that restraint may be difficult even for her because of the barbarous nature of these attackers. She first targeted the man with the knife. A stray brick was the chosen weapon which flew to the intended target's head, quickly knocking him unconscious. The most immediate danger to the woman subdued, she turned her attention to the thick-necked man. Surprise was still on her side, he had almost no time to react to what was happening as she released her metal lines, once hidden, against him. He instinctively drew up a barrier of stone to block the incoming reels, staggering backwards. Lin was not fazed and used her left to cleave the paltry barrier in half, again exposing the man. She followed up with the right to snare his upper body, trapping his arms down against himself. He tried to run, but Lin raised him up and smashed him against the ground, heavily disorienting him. She released the spool leaving him tied up. The third attacker had enough time to process what had happened and was able to better plan an offensive. He squared himself, squatted down in concentration and caught Lin by summoning a column of rock which rose up and punched into her side. She let go a guttural sound as the column knocked the wind out of her. She was now wishing she kept her armor on instead of going for the casual look. On the ground, she swung her arm down and was able to pull the ground down under the attacker's foot, setting him off balance. This gave her just enough time to right herself and regain stature. He sent a volley of rocks toward Lin; she dodged them adeptly, though sprayed with shards of stone from behind as the rocks shattered against the building behind her. As he pushed his arms forward for the next salvo, Lin evaded and sent her remaining metal line out to catch his arms. She was only able to capture one arm and he quickly raised up a large piece of earth to send at Lin, but as he started his bending motion, Lin instead used the line to pull him and close the distance between them. As they met, she swung forward with her free arm. The crack of her fist on his jaw left the attacker with nothing but a vision of stars and then darkness.
Lin shook out her right hand and flexed her fingers, "nothing appears broken," she thought, but the pain of the impact was just beginning to sink in. She gripped her side where she was hit and began to take control of her breathing; tender to the touch she would not be surprised to have a cracked rib or two. She yelled to the few people left, "Go find some guards, quickly!" They scattered. She quickly surveyed the three men to ensure they were either incapacitated or at least bound and after a few adjustments to the metal bindings turned her attention to the injured woman only to find that someone else already had.
Avan was of average size for an earth kingdom resident, average build and with the typical earth-kingdom features, dark brown hair, the deep tan skin that one only achieves with many hours outdoors, strong facial contours, handsome, but not so much that it would draw one's eye. Lin estimated him to be in his late-teens. Lin was startled by his presence at the side of the woman; she had not noticed his approach. He was kneeling with his back towards Lin as she made her way towards. As she drew closer, Lin's own breath betrayed her surprise, "You're a water-bender!" She composed herself, "I'm sorry, there aren't a tremendous number of water-benders around and to find one in the middle of the earth kingdom was unexpected. I'm Lin." Avan did not turn his attention away from the injured woman. "Avan Pae, it's nice to meet you. I heard the fighting and tried to get here as quickly as I could," he said. "She was in bad shape, but she should recover. The bleeding has stopped and they didn't strike anything vital." Lin asked, "Do you know who 'they' are?" "Yes, they call themselves the Rock Wolves. They have had a presence in the lower circle for some time and have been pushing the middle ring merchants for just a couple years." Lin spoke up, "You look to young to be a part of the guard force." "I'm not," Avan responded, "but I have been trying to do what I could to help the people around me, especially those who have helped me." Lin looked down at the woman; the merchant had moved over to join them. "Thank you so much for healing my daughter, I am sorry we put both of you through this. We don't know what to do, the more we give them the more they demand. I couldn't even keep enough to take care of my own family, we have to take a stand sometime, but now look at what it bought us... I have lost my business and my daughter lies here on account of me." Lin reassured him that these events were not his fault and that things would begin to turn around, explaining why she was even here. She wasn't so sure her speech would be convincing, but it was enough to settle his nerves. Avan advised, "She needs to rest most of all, she should be able to heal fully on her own now, but she will have to take it very easy for at least a couple of days." The merchant took up his daughter and moved off, pausing to look at the remains of his stall.
"Let me look at your side," Avan said. Lin realized she had been gripping her rib cage the entire time. "It's okay, I'm tougher than I look." "Aren't we all," Avan responded as he pulled out some water from a flask set down by his side. She was again astonished when Avan brought his hands to her side. Water-healing was nothing new to Lin, she had had her fair share of past injuries, but the sense of relief that this healing brought over her was something she was quite sure she had never felt before. "You have some cracked ribs, but this should help." A sense of warmth flowed from Avan and radiated out from Lin's side, relief from the pain came quickly. He grabbed her hand as well, noticing the bruised knuckles and eased the ache she had been feeling since dealing a knockout blow. With a small smile on her face, Lin offered her gratitude. Sitting close to Avan, she noticed one remarkable feature, his eyes which were expectedly brown but with a subtle, deep green iridescence. She noticed that when the light was reflected at just the right angle they almost had a dark green glow to them with a background of deep reds or orange.
"Do you live in the area?" Lin asked. "Not exactly," Avan answered. "Where are you parents?" "Gone." Lin looked at him inquisitively, waiting for something more. "They died a while ago, along with my sister. I don't have any family." "But where do you stay, how do you survive?" Avan took in a deep breath, "When I said that I try to help those who helped me, I really meant it. That merchant there, Manik, and his daughter, Avani, they have given me work in the past and even let me stay in their spare room a couple times. Others around here have given me food when I needed it and other places to stay and in return I have tried to help them or do work for them to pay it back. It isn't much, but it let's me survive." "You are quite resourceful," Lin responded. She thought for a moment, "Why tell me all this?" "You know, I think you are the first person in years to ask about me. Everyone is concerned more about surviving, they just don't think to ask about others most of the time. Tonight you saw it for yourself right? People don't want to get involved." At that, guards finally arrived. Lin stood up and brushed off her clothes and addressed them, "Book those three for destruction of property, extortion and assault with a deadly weapon. The two in metal shackles are earth-benders, I'm not sure about the other, but to be safe, assume he is." One of the guards turned back and countered, "Just who do you think you are telling us how to do our job?" One of his companions quickly gave him a punch in the back, "That is Lin Beifong, Chief of the Republic City Police and she is the reason there is a police force being stood up, why you have a job and someone I suggest you show some respect." The other guard then nodded to Lin and executed her orders. Avan now turned his attention toward the gray-haired woman. Lin quipped, "What can I say, that's me. Do you have anywhere to stay tonight?" She couldn't quite put her finger on why she asked this, it was quite out of character, but something about Avan compelled her. "They are putting us up in some pretty nice digs and there is plenty of room and at least one free meal in it for you. I at least owe you for the healing you did for me"." Avan looked down at his clothes, they were somewhat tattered, dirty and had been patched who knows how many times. "Don't worry about that, no one is going to say anything if you're with me." Finally, Avan just offered a terse, "OK." Lin the jested, though only partially, "And maybe we can convince you to come back to Republic City and put your healing to good use."
Author's Note:
So I admit I didn't know anything about the Avatar universe a couple months ago, but I finished watching TLoK and really enjoyed it and went back to check out ATLA. I had started thinking about some what ifs and discovered fan-fictions so here we are. I created Avan (is coming up with a name hard for anyone else?) to work through some of the ideas. While my intention is to try to keep people in character, I expect to take liberty with them as needed without reservation.
I read in the forum that it is better to not mention if something is your first fan-fic, but this is, so there. I appreciate feedback, good or bad, regarding how I represent the characters, writing style, grammar, anything really.
I obviously don't own any of the Avatar stuff (except my OC), but I see others putting disclaimers in for some reason, so this is mine.
