4 YEARS LATER

Bolin-14

Mako-16

Mako

The moon light shined through the window and they were all sitting down at the table eating dinner and exhausted from the days activities. Taya exhausted from cleaning the house all day. Tao exhausted from the work he put into stopping a burglary that day. Mako exhausted from looking for Bolin all day. Mako knew that Taya and Tao just wanted to eat and go to bed but he needed to tell them something he has been thinking about for weeks now. "Tao, Taya, I have something I need to tell you." They both looked at him with tired expressions that showed that they didn't really want to hear it at the moment but Mako wasn't going to wait, he needed to tell them.

"I..I...I want to join the police force."

Tao and Taya tired expressions quickly turned to surprise and they were dumbfounded by what they just heard. They gave each other a glance for a moment as if they were having a whole conversation with only eye contact and then returned their gaze to Mako. There was a moment of silence before Tao cleared his throat to speak. "I don't really think that's the best idea Mako."

"Why?" Mako was a bit confused with Tao's answer.

"Well the job of an officer is very demanding. You have to be committed to it and ready to work whenever it is needed. Sure I love my job of keeping the city safe but there are days where I wonder if I made the wrong choice when I decided to become an officer. There are days where I wish I had another job that let me spend more time with Taya. On top of that it can be a dangerous job when on patrol. Just today I responded to a burglary and when I got there I saw two crooks attacking a fellow officer. They were too much for him, if I didn't show up as backup he may have been seriously injured or worst. It's not the best profession to get into and once your in you can't get out of it, you have to be devoted to it. I just don't think it's a job you want to get yourself into."

Mako was silent for a moment to think of what to say next. "I know it's a demanding job and that it can be dangerous. I've been thinking about it for a couple of weeks now and I know everything I'll have to go through but I want to do it. I need to become a police officer." The tone in his voice was full of passion and determination. "Why do you want to become a police officer Mako?", Taya asked. Mako looked down with a bit of a frown collecting the words he was going to say and then returned his gaze towards Taya and Tao. "I..I want to become a police officer because...because...I want to use the privileges of the job for a better chance of finding Bolin."

Taya and Tao looked at each others eyes with the same surprised expression. Whenever they looked each other in the eyes it seemed like they were having an entire conversation without words. Mako never really understood how they did it but he figured it was a marriage thing. They both looked back at him and smiled. "So, you really think you'd have a better chance of finding your brother if you become a police officer yourself.", Taya said in a happy tone. Mako returned a small smile to them.

"Ya I do."

"Okay than...", Tao said patting Mako on the back, "if that's what you want, then I'll enroll you into the police academy tomorrow. Classes start in a few weeks so you better keep training. The classes mat be a little harder for you since we don't really have any firebenders on the force to teach you but I'm sure you'll do fine. If all goes well than you'll graduate and officially be part of the force by eighteen."

Mako's small smile grew bigger, happy that they accepted his request. "Thank you. I promise I'll pass and when I get the job I'll make sure to be careful. After all I'll have Tao to keep an eye on me too."

"That's great Mako, now finish your dinner." Taya got his chopsticks and handed them to him. They all smiled and ate their dinner.

Bolin

"Here's your payment for the job you did this morning.", Shady Shin said as he walked into Bolin's bedroom and threw a small bag of yuans onto his stomach. Bolin sat up in his bed and picked up the bag off his stomach to count how much he got. Fifty yuans, the usual payment, that would be enough for a week worth of food. Bolin smiled his usual grin and placed the bag of yuans into his pocket. "Thanks Shady."

"I told you to stop with the nicknames Bolin.", Shady Shin said in an annoyed tone.

"Okay Shady Shin. Whatever you say."

Shady Shin dropped his annoyance and smiled at Bolin. "You did good Bolin. You managed to deliver the package without any trouble." Bolin's grin grew even bigger. He enjoyed being praised for doing a good job. "Go on.", he said gesturing his hand for Shay Shin to continue. Instead Shady Shin let out a laugh and patted Bolin on the shoulder. "I like your personality kid, it might be part of the reason I let you work in the Triple Threat Triads. That and your talent at earthbending." Bolin's grin somehow grew even bigger than before.

"Okay that's enough with the complements. Listen Bolin, I got another job for you and I hear the pay is good."

"How good?"

"Five hundred yuans good."

Bolin jumped out of his bed and stood in front of Shay Shin eagerly wanting to hear his job. "Five hundred yuans! What do you need!"

"Easy there Bolin." Shady Shin placed his hand on Bolin's shoulder to calm him down. "It's not what I need, it's what Lightning Bolt Zolt needs."

Bolin looked at him with a confused look. "Lightning Bolt Zolt?" Sure he knew who Lightning Bolt Zolt was, the man in charge of the Triple Threat Triads, but he has never seen him before. The thought scared Bolin a little bit but he didn't show his fear.

"Ya Lightning Bolt Zolt. In case you haven't noticed Bolin, you've made quite a name for yourself over the past four years. Apparently Lightning Bolt Zolt heard about you and decided to assign you a job. Do you know what that means Bolin."

"No. What does it mean?"

"It means your considered one of the best in the gang and Lightning Bolt Zolt wants to see if it's true...and at the age of fourteen. Now that's impressive." Bolin's confused look turned back into a happy grin. "So tomorrow at noon I'll come get you and take you to his office so you can receive your job. Until then rest up and enjoy yourself."

"Will do...", Bolin said falling back into his bed, "see you later Shady Shin."

"See you later Bolin." Shady Shin left the room closing the door behind him.

Bolin was tired from the job he did earlier and from earthbending training during the day and it was getting late so Bolin decided he should try and get some sleep. He undressed and put on a baggy pair of shorts leaving his built torso bare. He laid back down in bed and tried to sleep but he couldn't, all he could do was think of what his job from Lightning Bolt Zolt would be. He figured if the payment was five hundred yuans than it must be something a little more dangerous than what he usually did. Lost in his thoughts, Bolin started to remember his first job four years ago.

He successfully managed to deliver the package that Shady Shin had given him. When he returned Shady Shin told him he did a good job and gave him ten yuans as payment. He felt so happy and independent, he ran to the first food stand he saw and for the first time he bought his own food with his own money. He continued to do delivery jobs that Shady Shin gave him so he could earn his own money to buy his own food. He felt happy whenever he got his payment. He knew the deliveries he made weren't legal and he felt a bit bad whenever he was doing a job but he tried to ignore it. He was fine as long as no one got hurt but he still knew Mako wouldn't be happy about what he was doing. He missed Mako everyday and wished he could just see him and tell him he was safe and alive but he was scared that Mako might hate him for getting involved with the Triple Threat Triads. Bolin shook his head to get his brother out of his thoughts, he always felt terrible when he thought about Mako. When the thought of Mako was gone Bolin started to remember the first time he led a job.

After two years of delivering packages Shady Shin surprised him when he told him he was going to lead a man twice his age on a job. The man he led hated that he was being led by a twelve year old but had to obey Shady Shin's order. Despite leading a man that hated him his first job went well. They just escorted a man with a hit on him to a safe location. Bolin continued to lead jobs with men at least ten years older than him. The jobs were often escorts and security. Bolin felt great to be in charge but on the fourth he led he realized he was responsible if anything went wrong.

He led a job to escort a man running from police but somehow the police found them and arrested the man. When he returned to tell what happened they grabbed him, tore off his shirt and pushed him against the wall. They pinned him against the wall as another member firebent a whip. Bolin tried to get out of their hold but they were too strong. He wished Shady Shin would help him but when he looked over his shoulder he saw him just watching with a plain expression in the back of the room. The next thing he felt was a tremendous amount of pain go across his back. He screamed out in pain and burst into tears. When the hands holding him against the wall were gone he fell to the floor and curled into a ball wishing the pain would go away. He felt a sting in his back and when he looked he saw Shady Shin healing his back with the same plain expression.

Bolin sat up in bed and stretched his arm behind his back and smoothed his hand across the scars on his back. Six scars. Six times he messed up a job. Six times he was punished for it.

After the third time he stopped screaming in pain but he still cried. Bolin shook away the painful memories and laid back down in bad to try and fall asleep.

"So you're the talented Bolin I've been hearing about."

"Um...yes Mr. Zolt sir." Bolin was sitting in the chair across from Lightning Bolt Zolt with Shady Shin standing behind him.

"How old are you kid?"

"Fourteen...sir."

"Fourteen? Wow that's something." There was a silence in the room. Lightning Bolt Zolt looked at Bolin with a grin and Bolin tried to seem calm but inside he was completely terrified. "So Bolin...I have a job for you. Do you think you can handle it?"

"Y...yes sir."

"Sir, I like that." He opened a drawer and handed Bolin a piece of folded paper. "I need you to go to this address on the paper. When you find the address burn that paper and take care of the guy living there. He'll put up a fight but he's a non-bender so it shouldn't be too hard."

Bolin looked at him completely confused. "Take care of him?"

"Ya you know take care of him, get rid of him, take him out of the picture...kill him."

Bolin froze in complete shock. Kill someone. He couldn't kill someone. Lightning Bolt Zolt kept talking but Bolin didn't hear a single word. All he could think of about was the task he was given.

"Hey kid you alright?"

Bolin snapped out of his shock and realized he showed how shocked he was in his face. "Umm...I'm sorry Mr. Zolt but...I can't."

Lightning Bolt Zolt looked at Bolin with surprise in his face. "What do you mean you can't?"

"I...I can't. I can't kill someone. I just can't do it. I'll admit I'm a crook that has done nothing but illegal jobs...but I'm not a murderer."

Lightning Bolt Zolt looked at Bolin with a disappointed look and then looked up at Shady Shin behind Bolin and nodded his head slightly. Bolin felt a sharp pain as Shady Shin grabbed him by the hair and pulled him up from the chair. He let go of Bolin's hair and bent a stream of water around both his wrist to hold him in place. Bolin didn't get mad whenever Shady Shin didn't help him or even assisted in his punishments. He knew it hurt Shady Shin on the inside whenever he saw him being punished and he knew if Shady Shin were to do anything it would only make things worst for the both of them. Lightning Bolt Zolt stood up from his chair and walked towards Bolin with a twisted smile. "You need to understand Bolin, there are certain rules in the Triple Threat Triads...and one of those rules is to never turn down a job. Especially if it's assigned by me. So I'll ask you one more time. Do you think you can handle it?"

Bolin looked at him in the eyes and tried to put on a strong face but he was still terrified. "No. I won't do it."

Lightning Bolt Zolt's smile grew and shook his head. "If that's your decision than I guess you'll just have to be punished. Unfortunately for you kid the punishments from me are a bit more...intense." Bolin looked at him with confusion and thought what he meant. Intense? What does that mean.

Lightning Bolt Zolt stood a few feet away from Bolin. He suddenly thrust his hand forwardand sent a jolt of lightning out of his fingertips heading straight towards Bolin. Everything was a bright for a second and then he felt it. A jolt of pain in his chest, the worst pain that he ever felt, spread throughout the rest of his body. He screamed out in pain and fell to the floor clenching the spot on his chest where he was hit. He still felt small jolts throughout his body when Lightning Bolt Zolt signaled Shady Shin to heal Bolin. The pain started to ease away as he was being healed but it still hurt to move. When Shady Shin finished healing him he helped Bolin out of the office and back to their house for him to sleep the pain away.