A Different Ending

Prologue: The Robbery

Suyin, better known as Su, Beifong glared at her "friends". "Guys, you shouldn't do this," she insisted.

"Oh, and you're going to stop us?" One sneered.

Su shook her head. "I can't be caught helping you!" She protested.

"Why the hell not?" The other snapped.

"Did you forget who my mother is? She's Toph Beifong and is the Chief of Police!" Su exclaimed. Please, please, someone notice this robbery. Then I get the officer to tell Mom I was forced into this.

The two men exchanged a glance and quickly knocked Su out. Binding her hands and feet, gagging and blindfolding her, they threw her into the trunk and drove off.

Regaining consciousness, Su twisted against the ropes binding her desperately. She had to free herself. Lin had been right—these guys were losers. Tears slid down her face as she thought of her big sister. She would probably never see Lin again.

Meanwhile, Lin was driving her police car in the direction that the two members of the Terra Triad were coming from. Her radio suddenly went off. "Calling all units. Robbery reported at the corner of Fifth and Harbor. Suspect's vehicle heading south on Howl Boulevard. Units responding, identify," the police station ordered.

"Unit three responding," Lin said calmly.

The car from the robbery sped by her and Lin whipped her own car around. She sensed three heartbeats—all beating in fear, but one felt familiar—too familiar—almost like Su.

If her suspicions were correct, this wasn't just a robbery. It was also a kidnapping. She quickly stopped the car and seized the two men. Shoving them into the back of her police car, Lin immediately began searching their car.

Lin rapped on the top of the car and located Su shaking and crying in the trunk. What the flameo had they done to her? Lin quickly popped the trunk and pulled out the trussed up form of her baby sister. She quickly removed the gag and then the blindfold. Lin then asked, "Su, are you alright?"

Su rubbed her eyes for a few minutes. "Lin?" She asked shakily. "Lin! I didn't think I was ever going to see you again!"

"What happened?" Lin asked as she untied her sister's hands.

"I tried to talk them out of robbing that store, I really did, Lin-Lin, but they knocked me out and I'm guessing they tied me up and shoved me into the trunk," Su explained, shaking violently. "And I was so scared that I was never going to see you again."

Lin nodded. "Aren't you going to untie my feet?" Su asked.

"You've got that covered," Lin replied, tapping Su's right bracelet.

Su grinned, despite her tears and she quickly cut the rope binding her ankles together.

"Come on, we're going to tell Mom," Lin said firmly.

"But what if she gets mad at me?" Su asked, shaking again.

"I'll protect you," Lin promised.

A few hours later, the two members of the Terra Triad were in jail on charges of robbery and attempted kidnapping of the daughter of the Chief of Police.

The two sisters sat in Chief Beifong's office.

"Captain Beifong? What is the meaning of this?" Chief Toph Beifong demanded of her older daughter. "You were only supposed to be stopping a robbery—not a kidnapping!"

Lin took a deep breath. "I did capture the robbers, however, I sensed Su inside their car. She was absolutely terrified and I decided to see if I could find her. She was tied up, blindfolded, and gagged in the trunk," Lin explained. "I'm pretty sure that qualifies as attempting to kidnap my little sister."

Toph turned her attention to her younger daughter. "Su, is this true?" She asked.

Su nodded, through her tears. Toph growled angrily. "Lin, take your sister home," Toph ordered.

Lin led Su to her car and drove home in silence. "Are you okay?" Lin finally asked.

Su shrugged.

The two entered the house in silence. The radio phone went off. Lin sighed and answered it. "Hello?" She said. "Tenzin, um, no, I can't, Su just had a pretty rough day and right now she needs me. Maybe. I'll ask Mom. Su, you want to go over to Uncle Aang and Aunt Katara's?"

Su nodded eagerly. "OK," Lin turned her attention back to the phone. "Just let me call Mom and tell her."

Tenzin replied, "OK, Lin. See you and Su later."