"Why?" I heard my mother say when she saw me bend for the first time. I understood what she meant years later. For a long time, the Bei Fong family has been proud earthbenders. Hell, even Grandma Toph had my mom, a proud earthbender, with a simple nonbender. So, naturally, my mom chose a different kind of bender to have me. I never knew the firebender that made me, except that he died before I was born, leaving my mom alone to raise me. I knew that at age four every bender knows what they bend, they get a taste of the experience. That's when I found out that I was a firebender, not the normal Bei Fong earthbender.
"Well, he could still help people. He may be able to generate electricity for the city." Grandma Toph told my mom, upon meeting me when I had my powers. A few years later, when I was partaking in "Take your kid to work day," I knew I wanted to be on the police force, to help my mom, Lin Bei Fong, while she was arresting people. "Honey, I'm sorry, but you can't help me." She told me that afternoon, when we went for ice cream. "Why not Mom? I can help you, and I could wear a cool suit like yours, and I'd take down a whole bunch of bad guys down with sheer force alone!" I pleaded to her. "Honey, it's much more complicated than that, I'm on the police force because I'm an earthbender." She further explained. "So? Aren't I an earthbender too?" I asked her. "I'm sorry, Gemi Ni Bei Fong." She started off with, "You are a firebender. You will never be able to bend metal, or earth for that matter." " So, I can't ever be a police officer, like you?" I asked her. "You can help in communications, or with paperwork. That would make my job a whole lot easier." She told me.
At the age of sixteen, I performed a crime. I went into the Police station, and I took one of the metalbending suits that they had for a spare. "They won't ever notice." I said to myself. After I managed to get the damned thing on, I went to a secluded place in the woods, my fortress of solitude. "I am Gemi Ni Bei Fong, and I am the greatest metalbender to ever live!" I announced to no one. I then was throwing my arms around, imagining the cords of the suit attacking invisible enemies. After a whirling from my arms, I accidentally activated the cord, shooting the line at a dead tree. "Oh crap!" I said. As soon as I thought of it needing to retract into the suit, it came back, as fast as when my mom does it. I was amazed, because it can only be done by a metalbender.
"Having fun, Gemi?" I heard from behind me. I whipped around to see who it was, to see Grandma Toph. "Uhh, Grandma, how's it going?" I said, rubbing the back of my head. "Alright. So, how does that police uniform suit you?" She said. "Uhh... What suit?" I said. "You've forgotten Gemi, I can tell whether or not someone lies to me." She said. "Right, so, how much of that did you feel?" I asked her. "Enough to see you metalbend." The blind woman said. "What? That's impossible. I'm a firebender, not an earthbender." I told her, creating a ball of fire in my hand to remind myself. "I know, and I don't know how, but you can bend two elements at once." She said. "What? But only the Avatar can do something like this, and that title goes to some three year old down in the Southern Water Tribe." I reminded her. "As I have said before, you are different than the others. For some reason, the spirits have bestowed upon you the ability to bend two things at once. I would not take this ability lightly." She told me. "What should I do? Be a superhero? Besides, how sure am I that you didn't just metalbend the cord back into the suit yourself?" I asked her. "The suits are designed to only work with the person it's on." She explained. "OK, but if I'm going to use these powers for good, then I'll need a mask." I told her. "I'll buy you one. Don't worry about a thing." She told me.
Shopping for a mask was much harder than I had anticipated. I thought that I could just pick one and leave, however, after seeing a few of the masks, I decided that I needed to have one that resembled my powers. "It's a shame that I can't even see what you're buying with my money." Grandma said. I noticed two other masks in the corner. I went over to them and picked them up. The one in my left hand was definitely stupid. Why would someone wear something with black circles and lines, made to look like a stupid spider's web, on a red background, along with two gigantic white spaces, obviously trying to be eyes. I put it down, then looked at the other mask. In the top, it had the forehead and one eye of a baboon, but on the bottom, the mouth, nose, and an eye were that of a young woman. "Oh, you wouldn't want that one, son." The guy selling was saying. "Why not? Who does this mask represent?" I asked the man. "It represents Koh, the face stealer. The one with many faces. It is a very dark mask, I would advise against it." He told me. I looked to my Grandma, who must have been thinking of the same thing as I was. "I'll take it." I told him.
I stood upon the roof of the Council house that night. I had put on my mask, along with my suit, some gloves, and a shroud to help protect my identity. "People of Republic City, I am your new hero. I will be swinging in to help you very soon, for I am, THE BENDER!" I said to myself, loud enough for myself to be audible, but not as to wake anyone up.