Bolin had no problem hiding his new bike in the pay-by-day garage across the street from his apartment and slipping back into his apartment without waking Mako up. He knew he should get some sleep, but found himself staring up at his ceiling in thought.
Asami was right. He WAS too good for the mediocre life he was forcing himself to have. His heart wasnt in Pro-Bending...oh, who was he kidding, he wanted nothing more than to get kicked out of the Federation by purposely giving his own teammates illegal skull-shattering headshots.
What he REALLY wanted was to get back to his debt-collecting job. Participate in illegal no-bars-held non-bending fights, now that he was old enough and not too busy to actually enter. Maybe drag race, that could be fun. Anything, as long as Mako wasnt breathing down his neck.
Speaking of whom, Bolin shifted his eyes to glance across the room at Mako, who was sleeping like a baby. He hated being stuck living with Mako, being looked over like a baby, unable to properly drink or relax under his own roof.
Hells, it wasnt even his own roof...he was still living with his brother, even though he had the funds to get his own place AND furnish it. But that would only raise questions he didnt want to answer.
Growling to himself, Bolin leaned back on the bed and closed his eyes.
He'd deal with it tomorrow. Like he always did.
He knew what he was going to do first thing in the morning, when Mako was actually fighting back snickers at the piss-poor performance the Fire Ferrets did last night. He had to physically restrain himself from punching Mako's face in, and forced himself to eat his breakfast in silence before heading out.
There was no way in hells he was going to be a laughing stock of his own goddamned brother.
He walked into the Pro-Bending Federation's office without an appointment or an apology for his forwardness and made his intentions clear.
"I quit. I withdraw the Fire Ferrets completely from the roster."
Then he left, leaving the Federation officials stunned speechless, and rode off on his motorbike feeling like a million yuans. And just like that, his schedule cleared up exponentially, leaving him with plenty of time to run his 'errands'.
First things first...
Lightning Bolt Zolt slammed the phone back down on the hook, wishing more than anything that he could Firebend, just to get some stress off his chest. The lawyers against the Bending Blacklist had just called to say the appeal for the list had been denied, and his and those in his gang and those in the rival-turned-ally gangs were still written in red. At this rate, his children's children would be his age before the names were crossed off!
The facial tic he'd recently developed made itself known again when the phone rang, and he answered it. "What?" he demanded.
"Sir, someone is here to see you," came the timid voice of his secretary. Zolt massaged the bridge of his nose.
"Who?"
"...B...Bolin."
More ticking. "What the devil does HE want?" Muffled silence on the other end.
"...He said he has...business to discuss, and - HEY -!"
"Zolt, it's Bolin."
Zolt felt a shudder run down his spine, and couldnt help but feel a twinge of regret for his lack of foresight when it came to this kid. Ton Lee had told him time and again that Bolin had a lot of potential, and was backed up by Shady Shin after the former was carted off to prison. It wasnt until he had seen the kid's work firsthand in merciless bonebreaking torture did he wish he hadnt incurred Bolin's wrath with threats to his older brother.
"...What do you want, Bolin?" he asked, keeping the venom and fear he felt out of his tone.
"To talk business. I hear you, Zaru, and Takku are no longer at turf war, is that right?"
Zolt scowled. "Yes, AND? Your point?"
"I've just thought of a whole new enterprise for you and your new underground brothers. And it doesnt have to include bending, now how about that?"
Zolt clenched his teeth until his jaw cracked. "You had better just say what you want to say before I hang up -!"
"Dont get your trousers in a twist, Zolt, I'm making a bonafide suggestion here." Bolin sounded placiating, but Zolt could hear the warning in his voice. "Get together with Zaru and Takku and start discussing a more organized non-bending fighting tournament. Include higher cuts of pay, better bribes out of situations, and better prizes. Make it as official as possible. Make it LEGAL if you have to."
Zolt actually looked at the earpiece in his hand like it had begun speaking to him in Pigsquid-inese. "...Why are you suggesting this?" he asked slowly.
"Do you WANT your life to have meaning again, or not?"
Zolt's jaw tightened again. He knew that his chances of getting his name off the Bending Blacklist was zero to none at this point, and he needed a way to generate more income to the gangs before hundreds went completely broke.
"...Fine, I will," he finally said.
"Great!" Another tic. He hated that kid sounding all giddy. It was just WRONG. "I'll get back to you for detail information. You and the others play your cards right, I might be able to pull a few strings so a few names can be taken of the List. Oh, look at the time, gotta run! ...And Zolt?"
Zolt shuddered, glad he was having this conversation over the phone and not in person. "What?"
"I had absolutely nothing to do with this idea. Ciao." *click*
Zolt put the phone back on the hook and leaned back in his chair. He didnt know what that kid was up to, but he'd be damned to an early hell if he didnt do what he was requested to do.
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