The Tale of Lin

The metal panel collapsed within itself as Lin punched it furiously, each blow puncturing a new hole until it finally became unrecognizable- bent into a rough ball before being flung to the far side of the training room where it dented the wall with a resounding crunch.

Not good enough.

Sweat dripped down Lin's face as she took a second to gather her breath, preparing for the next metal panel- levitating it in front of her with her bending and then punching neat holes into it. It was something she had repeated hundreds of times for the past week, locking herself in her own personal training gym and working with the metal in order to get stronger. She remembered the first time her mother had shown her metal bending when she was five. The exercise involved throwing several coins at her and having her levitate them before they hit her.

Like most of her mother's students, she failed at the first attempt, and she remembered an afternoon where she was sent home with bruises on her body.

But Lin was stubborn, just like her mother. Some had looked at it as a weakness but she was proud of it, and turned it into her strength. Where many had given up before, she stuck with the program, locking herself in her mother's dojo and practicing with the metal day and night until she finally beat it down to a pulp.

Lin would never forget the proud look on her mother's face when she felt her own daughter levitate her first metal coins in the air.

"That's the way!" Toph beamed at her daughter, punching her shoulder lightly in affection. "Remember, to bend metal, you have to show it that you're the boss. You are stronger than it, you are tougher than it, and it answers to you!"

Lin pounded her fists together as the next metal panel bent and twisted into a crumpled state, the metal groaning under the pressure of Lin's bending. When she decided she had had enough, she quickly flung it to the pile of scrap that was quickly becoming a mountain.

"We're metalbenders kid, the most persevering of all benders. We keep fighting, and we never EVER give up!"

"I won't let you down." Her face was grim, determined, as she gazed her next target. In the training gym, with Lin and the pile of bent metal panels, was the object of her training.

An Equalist Mechatank.

She knew it was the next level, to bend a metal so pure and so stubborn that even her own metal benders couldn't touch it. Solid Platinum. There were rumors going around the prisoners from the Triple Threats that Hagane was able to bend solid platinum. Even Avatar Korra, after her first fight with the man, had told her how he was able to manipulate pure steel like it was water or earth.

Just knowing that made Lin furious, and she took it out on the metal panels that she had been practicing with all week. The exhaustion from the week's labor began catching up to her, and the Mechatank started blurring in her vision, shaking between each heavy breath.

Still, it was time.

She looked at the mechatank, assuming her mother's patented stance. The metalbender quickly produced a blindfold from her pocket, wrapping it around her eyes to heighten her seismic sense as it had for her mother. In fact, when she first started learning Earthbending, she remembered how her mother had thrown her blindfolded into the Badgermole caves to train, not seeing the sun for at least days on end.

Breathe. Focus your fighting energy. Your Chi. Into your gut.

Finally, she slammed her foot onto the ground, sending small seismic shockwaves out across the room. Within that instant, her entire world was focused into the chamber she stood in, the pile of scrap metal, the four walls, and the large mechatank sitting in the room.

Lin grunted, trying to focus on the impurities within the mechatank, when she thought she had it down, she thrust forward, intending to push it back.

The floor around the Mechatank shook as it exploded into various chunks of plaster and concrete from the force of Lin's bending.

But the Mechatank did not move.

Exhaustion was threatening to overcome Lin. She had been training for the better part of a week with little rest or food, and she barely had the strength to stand, let alone bend.

"Not even your renowned mother can bend metal so pure."

She gripped her fists, and tried it again, focusing with all her chi towards that stubborn mechatank.

Metalbenders never EVER give up!

The floor around the mechatank exploded into several enormous fissures, pushing the tank back, aside from that, it barely even moved.

"MOVE!"

She punched the platinum surface hard, the force pushing the Mechatank a few inches back, but the solid platinum armor remained undented. It was proving to be quite stubborn.

"Lin!"

A voice rang out in the darkness, and even without taking off her blindfold, she knew the voice of Tenzin anywhere. Only an airbender could have as light a step as he had while rushing down the stairs in a hurry.

Lin sighed, sitting down on a bench. She took off her blindfold and used it as a towel to wipe the sweat off her brow.

"What is it now Tenzin?" She was in no mood for any light talk. This had better be important.

"I heard you'd be down here, so I'd thought I'd drop by and check up on you." Tenzin replied with concern in his voice.

"I'm fine." Lin spat as she got back up, ready for another go at the Mechatank.

That answer evidently, did not satisfy the airbender. "No one's seen you for the past several days. It's like you've locked yourself away from the outside world. Are you feeling alright?"

Lin rolled her eyes in response to Tenzin's question. It was so typical of him to be like this.

"Maybe it's time to take a break." The airbender offered. " I think I speak for a lot of people when I say we're starting to get worried about you. I am starting to get worried about you."

Lin scoffed at Tenzin's concern, folding her arms across her chest. Even after all those years of being friends, he still had a tendency to underestimate her sometimes.

"The most dangerous metalbending criminal in Republic City's history is out there, and I wasn't there to stop him. Korra almost lost her life-"

"And you saved her." Tenzin countered. "You were there in time to help."

"Barely, and I couldn't catch him." Lin replied grimly, her eyes still focused on the platinum Mechatank.

"That can come another day, but the answer isn't to shut yourself up from the world like this. What's gotten into you? I've never seen you act like this." Tenzin left the last word hanging. Okay, maybe he had seen her like this before, but to these extremes? He had known her for almost all of his life, and whether or not there were still feelings between them was irrelevant- he still cared deeply for her. Despite her being one of the toughest people he knew, she was not invincible. One day, he worried, it would catch up to her.

People kept saying that Tenzin faced huge expectations from his parents, but few remembered the fact that Lin was also the daughter of Toph Bei Fong, the greatest Earthbender who had ever lived. If there was anyone in the world who had understood what she was going through, it was him.

"It's about Hagane isn't it?" Tenzin asked, with understanding.

Lin gritted her teeth at the sound of the name. What was she supposed to say? That they were both trained by her mother herself? That the monster was now using her mother's talents to terrorize the city? There was no easy way around it.

"As far as I'm concerned, he's my responsibility." She said firmly.

Tenzin nodded, seemingly reading her thoughts, he knew enough about Lin's past to venture his own guess. "I know."

"But he's also Republic City's problem too. You don't have to do this alone Lin. I was there too when you last faced him. I can help again. Korra, can help." Tenzin offered.

Lin softened her gaze as she saw the worry written on Tenzin's face. "I know," she replied. "and I will be there when the time comes."

The answer evidently didn't satisfy Tenzin, his face was still fixed in a state of worry.

"I'm fine, really. So please, lay off the speech with me, it's getting old." She smiled softly. "Kind of like us."

Tenzin sighed. "All I ask is that you take care of yourself. And remember, you don't have to do all this alone."

Lin nodded, and was about to continue her training when Tenzin cleared his throat.

"I...I never got to properly thank you for saving my family Lin." The airbender began awkwardly, tugging at the collar of his robe. "I just want you to know that it meant the world to me. I don't know how I can ever repay you." He said sincerely.

"You'll never have to Tenzin." Lin replied. "You would have done the same for me."

He stepped behind her, putting a hand over her shoulder. "Lin, I have to go now, the council is expecting me any minute. But please promise me you won't stay cooped up here forever. My family would love to see you for dinner sometime. And I know Korra still needs someone else to keep her out of trouble."

"Don't worry Tenzin, it won't be long." Lin replied with determination.

She grinned slyly. "I figured your nice approach wasn't working with the girl."

"No, you seem to inspire just the right amount of fear into your pupils, if I recall correctly." Tenzin remarked lightly, remembering all the horrified metalbending recruits she traumatized back in her prime.

"Take care, old friend." Tenzin waved goodbye as he left, and Lin found herself staring forlornly at him as he exited the room. A flood of memories both good and bad racing through her thoughts. She quickly shook them off, and focused on the present.

She had to get stronger, and fast. When the time came, she would be ready.

That's the end of Tales of Republic city. Next chapter is NOT going to be the Underground, it'll a surprise, I'll unveil it with my next update :) let's just say, it's more Bumi, plus another group that we haven't seen in a long time!

Pabulover - thanks so much for the review! :) And as for Rin...hehe, well let's just see shall we? :)

Another awesome thanks to Ninja-Curry-Girl for beta'ing, this fic wouldn't be half as good without her help! You are awesomah!