Author's Note: Also be sure to check out the tumblr page for this story. Link on my profile page.
Mella was still trying to figure out who they were talking about. This had been at least the fifth time "Director Tyler" had been brought up, and it still made no sense to her.
"Quick question, Nate. I don't mean to interrupt or anything. Who are you talking about when you say "Director Tyler?" I'm still kinda out of the loop."
Nathan had the look of deep thought before he heard his name. "Director Tyler runs this base. Each base has their own director. There's no one above them. So each base runs a bit different from the other. But they're similar. Very similar. You'll be meeting him soon. He wants to meet with all three of us."
"By 'soon' do you mean now?"
"We've got a little over an hour. He wanted to make sure you were situated before we went in." Nate responded, looking at his wrist watch. His gaze returned to the table, thinking. So many things were going through his head. The ambush, everyone's stories, how everything changed so instantly. But what troubled him the most was the talk about a mole.
"Oh, alright. Hey Josh, would you mind grabbing hot chocolates for the three of us? I think I saw a place on the way in..." Mella really wanted to talk with Nate, who had that distant look in his eyes again. Josh nodded and got up. He started toward one of the food lines. One of the extremely long food lines.
As soon as Josh had left, Mella spoke up. "Nate, what's bugging you so bad?" she asked quietly.
Nate sighed. "Where do I even start? Okay, guess we'll start with the biggest problem. The Sun Station. How did they know it was there? Most new recruits have a hard time finding the base for the first few weeks. Whoever the mole is, they've been in STAR for a while. But the mission to get the Avatar had never been on file. Too risky. This person has insider information. Then there's the ambush. That motel was a spur of the moment choice. And before that, the base exploded right in front of our eyes. How could that timing be so perfect? My guess is the car. I'm stripping it today to find a tracker or something. For me to have not found it, or really for the security system to not pick it up, this person would have had to have access to the specs. That aren't around anymore and haven't been for months. Director Tyler is right though, we can't trust anybody. If that mole knew about the plan to get the Avatar, he would have to be high up there with the Director. We didn't even know about it and there were no logs."
Everything was becoming different. The system he thought he knew so well, was a mystery. And he hated it.
Mella listened as Nate vented. Nothing made sense, and her questions were echoed backed at her: how had someone found out? With information like that, only a Director or someone very close to a Director could know. Nate had just said no one was above them. Mella had another idea. It was horrible to think of it, but anything was possible.
"Nate, the specs...you said they don't exist. But what about the other two who helped out? Only someone who really knows your car could do that. I know it sounds horrible, but there's something else: who could get into your garage if you keep it locked up?" Mella remembered how Nate talked about his car on the way to get Josh what felt like ages ago. He loved his car, and Mella had the feeling if he wasn't near it, no one else would be.
Nate frowned, "I've been trying to reach the guys all morning. Still no word. But the thought did cross my mind." As much as it pained him, they were on the suspect list. No one else would know that much about the car. But he trusted those two with his life.
"Alright then, what about back at the infirmary? What else was bugging you?"
"More of a weird thing I have. When I was a kid I took a really bad fall, airbending problems, you know. I was out for a week. They didn't think I would make it. Scared me. I was thirteen." he answered, shifting slightly in his seat. There weren't many things that scared Nate, but that event scarred him.
Mella felt bad for Nate, and slightly guilty. Seeing her practically dead to the world must have made him remember. Mella hesitantly reached out and grabbed Nate's hand. "But you pulled through, and you're okay. And look, I'm fine too. I pulled through, and we're gonna figure out everything we can. You aren't the only one who's scared sometimes. I can't deal with small spaces...thank you sucky childhood. I can barely handle the elevators because of it."
"Gonna have to avoids those then." he smiled slightly, snapping himself out of the depressing mood of memories and thoughts. He looked up when he saw Mella look over his shoulder. Josh was heading back.
"Feel better?"
He nodded. "Yeah. Thanks." He didn't share that often. It was weird. But it definitely brought things to light that needed to be let out.
Josh came and sat the cups of cocoa on the table then took a seat. "So now we wait?" he asked, unaware of everything that had just happened.
"Yeah...I guess. Thanks, Josh." Mella took her mug and drank it carefully. She wasn't a fan of coffee, so hot chocolate or tea was her thing. An idea came to her. "There's a computer lab or something around here right? I think I can figure out where they were going to try to take us the other night, if they had caught us." It was an idea, and it would be something to do once they were done talking with the director. The other thing was probably figuring out how Josh was going to bend, and everything else that went with it.
"Yeah. One level down from this floor. But be careful. The servers are monitored. You know how to open a secure connection? It would have to be invisible to both ends." Nate warned. Something that important was going to need to be secure. Especially with security leaks. He picked up the neoprene cup and took a drink. He was definitely used to stronger forms of caffeine. But he would never turn down hot chocolate.
"Yeah, I can set the connection up so it'll look like nothing ever happened when I'm done. But that can wait 'til later. On to our resident newbie." Nathan nodded. He applauded Mella. Good skill to have. He was starting to see more and more reasons Carlisle put them on the case. Mella smiled and set down her cup. At least she wasn't the newbie anymore. She looked over to Josh, then she spoke to Nate. "What'll he be learning first?"
He chuckled slightly at the newbie comment. "Earthbending. Next part of the cycle" he answered with a smile.
Josh raised an eyebrow. "Cycle?"
"Yeah. Okay, crash course on the Avatar cycle." Mella knew she was about to sound ridiculous, but they didn't know who might be listening."Pretend you're the Avatar. You're born as a bender: either earth, fire, air like Nate, or water like yours truly. Eventually you'll learn the other three in order of the cycle. The cycle is so you don't end up with a line of firebender avatars or any other type of bender stretching over generations, and every element shows up evenly. So, Avatar Aang was a airbender, then there was Avatar Korra, a waterbender, and whoever's next is an earthbender."
"Pretty simple, as long as you don't try to over think it." Mella looked back over at Nate. "Is it time yet?"
Nate nodded. "Yeah, just about. We can start heading over."
As they got up out of their chairs, Josh had so many more questions. "So the Avatar, he," Nate glanced at him. "or she," Josh corrected himself. "has to learn all the elements? In order?" That sounded extremely confusing and complicated. How in the world was he supposed to do that? Plus keep the fact that he was the Avatar a secret. That would be interesting.
"In order of the cycle, yeah." Mella looked over at Josh, who looked like he was waayy over thinking things. "Relax Josh. I'm sure the Avatar, whoever it will be, will be well looked after." Mella wished they could talk normally. It just didn't feel right hypothetically talking about the Avatar when Josh, the new Avatar, was right there. The mole theory had even screwed up their way of talking.
Josh understood the importance and wasn't bothered by the hypothetical talking. Though it was a bit strange,he preferred this over being attacked again. That didn't mean he was any more relaxed. They weren't the ones having to learn it all. "Yeah, I guess. But that still sounds like a lot of well, everything. How long did it take you all to get just one element down?"
"Depends what you mean. There's learning an element and being able to manipulate it in even just the most subtle ways, then there's actually getting mastery over it which can be fighting, pro bending, not to mention the tricks. Air has a couple. But water has a few more like freezing and stuff. So does Earth and Fire. Everyone learns at their own pace. I didn't start the fancy stuff until I was about 10. And I came to STAR at 6. Mella?"
"Guys, I've only been here about three months, remember? But Nate's right. Everyone learns at their own pace. I can manipulate water, and freeze it as you saw the other night. They had me starting on healing right before we came to get you, but I don't have it down yet. I haven't learned anything fancy, I just improvise." Mella didn't know why she learned things so fast. It freaked out the master benders that she could master what they taught in days. Her lessons were always changing, and she switched bending classes at least twice a week.
There was a huge difference between about three months and four years. Josh had never thought about just how long he would be doing this. It was insane. Would he be well into his thirties before he barely even had the basics of the elements? Not that he expected it to be a summer camp, but sixteen plus years of just training was a bit overwhelming.
"You okay?" Nate asked. Josh was completely flushed out. All the blood was drained from his face and he was white as a sheet.
Mella looked over at Josh. He was having a reality check, and looked like he was about to pass out. "Whoa, Josh, it's okay. Maybe you should sit a sec." Mella knew it looked strange: a trio of teens(or twenty-somethings...Mella didn't know how old Nate was) just randomly sitting in a hallway, but she didn't care.
Josh looked at Nathan with a look of 'do I have to?' Nate was actually thinking the same thing, but looking at Mella who was already sitting, he followed that lead. This was strange. Maybe that's how she rolled in other places, but in STAR, people didn't randomly sit in hallways. But he did it anyway for Josh's sake. Poor kid did look like he was gonna bite the dust if he didn't sit. The Avatar-soon-to-be-in-training started to slowly sit down, but ended up plopping onto the floor.
"Josh, listen to the girl with the freaky eyes. Don't set your standards for yourself off of what we said about our bending. We are different. You're different. You're going to be fine. Like I said before, you have us." Josh just listened to Mella speak, finding her words reassuring at best, but his mind was still reeling.
"Look, man. I know it's overwhelming, but Mella's right. Whether you like it or not, you're stuck with us. Even if it takes forty years," Josh winced slightly. "which it won't," Nate caught himself again. So sensitive! "You'll always have backup. Besides, with you being you," still couldn't use the 'a-word' in public, "you're pretty much hardwired to catch on."
Josh nodded. The color was still drained but he wasn't feeling faint anymore. "Thanks. Both of you." he said. He may not have like this situation very much, but at least he wasn't alone.
Mella smiled a little. At least Josh was feeling better. She stood up and held out her hands to the guys. "Alright...let's go see what the Director wants." Hopefully everyone was feeling better now.
Both guys took one of Mella's hands but used their own strength to get up. It would have been awkward to drag her down with their combined weight. Josh nodded. "Let's go." And so they started once again down the halls through numerous corridors.
