zayatlafan: Glad you liked the kataang bit I threw in as well as Hahn's introduction. I hoped the cliffhanger would be a good path to lead to his arrival.
phieillydinyia: THe Sokkaang friendship is always a plus to have, I;m glad you liked it. And I had to throw in Kataang at some point or this story would be way too boring ;).
naravilhosa: Undercover stories are the best! Since I know that only a few people who read this have seen the movie, so I had hoped everyone else would like the surprise. Also, it's great to see Sokka and Aang warm up to each other, and of course the kataang :).
one sad kataang writer: Yeah, I loved writing the scene with Hasook, I tried to give some comedic relief despite the guys being held at gunpoint. Always good to see some Sokka humor.
wil02: So glad you're enjoying the story! I was skeptical of mixing the two universes together but I'm so glad I went through with it. Hope you're ready for this chapter ;).
TheBakingQueen: So glad you caught up and are enjoying it! Knowing that people can enjoy this despite not knowing a lot about cars makes me really happy :).
TheQuietReader23: Glad you liked Aang's reveal, and you're right, I think if I didn't get the ball rolling soon then it wouldn't roll at all. I'm so excited to write the next chapters and see how Aang's secret affects the story!
jonners2314: I'm so glad you checked my fic out! Yours is one of my favorites, it means a lot that you're enjoying it :). I hope it'll be as good as yours.
clichekataang: I made sure that despite it being a modern-ish AU that I keep the same personalities but also mix it with the movie personalities. So glad you're enjoying it :)!
Okay! First, apologies for taking longer than usual. School was extra tedious this week and next week will be similar if not worse so sorry in advance if I take longer than normal. I hope this chapter makes up for it. Also, I get kinda nerdy for a bit so hopefully, it isn't an issue hehe. Enjoy!
I do not own ATLA or Fast and the Furious.
Sokka and the gang were hard at work in Sokka's garage when a truck carrying a car backed into the lot.
What the hell did he just bring me? Sokka thought.
"Nice to see you, Aang, but what the hell is this piece of junk?" Sokka asked him.
"This is the car I owed you," Aang replied.
"This is my car?" Aang nodded. "Aang, I said a ten-second car, not a ten-minute one, Sokka joked.
Toph examined the car, even giving it a quick knock to see if it would just fall apart into a pile of scrap. "I mean, you could probably tow the car across the finish line," Toph added on.
Aang wasn't hurt at their jokes, he knew it was a piece of junk, but he knew there was potential. Especially with Sokka and his team. But one person who would help him the most was someone he had no idea would be this intricate with cars.
"Wow, no faith, huh?" Aang said with a smile.
"Oh, I have faith in this, but this is a garage, not a junkyard," Sokka said.
Aang knew how to convince them to give this car a chance. The car may have looked like it's been rotting for years on end, but under that hood stood the legendary engine that all car enthusiasts knew.
"Pop the hood," Aang started.
Sokka was curious. "Pop the hood?" he replied to Aang.
"Yep, do it, pop the hood," he told Sokka. "Maybe you'll be more convinced once you see what's under the hood."
Sokka was beaten. He needed to know what was under that hood. They lowered the car onto the pavement and rolled it into the garage.
The Nissan R34 Skyline was a god among other cars. Sokka knew they made different variants of this car, and those variants had various engines. The one sought after by all enthusiasts was the RB26 engine. A twin-turbo, inline-six-cylinder engine that was said to make about 276 horsepower. But what most people didn't know is that this engine's potential was nothing like anyone has ever seen. Sokka had seen RB26's tuned to over a thousand horsepower. The potential of this car made his mouth water with anticipation. Sure, he was a muscle car guy at heart, but no one could turn down a JDM car, especially a Skyline.
As they set the car in the garage, Aang went into the car and pulled the lever to open the hood. Lo and behold, there it stood, the RB 26 in all of its glory.
"Well, no shit Aang, you outdid yourself with this one," Sokka chuckled as he gawked at the beast of an engine in front of him.
"An RB26 engine? No. Fucking. Way.," exclaimed Toph. Aang knew Sokka was fascinated with the car but to say Toph was excited was an understatement, as she was literally shaking.
Suki was the first person to check in on Toph's shaking and made sure she was okay.
"Hey Toph, you okay, babes?" She asked kindly. She put a hand on her shoulder, and Toph looked up at her and had the biggest smile on her face.
"Suki, this is one of the greatest motors to have ever been put in an engine bay, not to mention this car is a piece of Japanese perfection," Toph exclaimed.
Everybody just laughed along with Toph. She had always been on the quieter side compared to everyone else, but when she was able to be herself, she was rough, tough, and ready to speak her mind.
"This car will decimate all, but only after you put about 20 thousand dollars into it, or more if we have to overnight parts from Japan. After that, I doubt anyone would want to race this beauty of a machine," Toph said eagerly.
"Well, for now, we can just put parts on my tab at Pasang's," Sokka told the group. He looked back at Aang and smiled. "I need to get you racing again so I can make money off your ass."
"Your car has six more cylinders. It's no surprise you won the race," Aang said, trying to come up with an excuse.
Sokka laughed at his weak excuse. "Yeah, yeah, you keep telling yourself that. Anyways, there's a showdown in the desert called Race Wars. That's where you'll do it. When you're not working at Pasang's, you're working here," he said as he got serious. "If you can't find the right tool in this garage, Mr. Shigatse...you don't belong near a car."
As Aang looked back into the engine bay to figure out how they were going to revive this beast, Katara walked up to him and put her hand on his shoulder as she whispered in his ear. "He owns you now," she said with a giggle.
Speeding down the road like a flock of birds, Katara drove with Aang in a work truck provided graciously by Pasang, along with Sokka and the gang. The truck was overflowing with parts for their new, soon-to-be ten-second car.
As they arrived back at the garage, they laid out all the pieces they got. The list was plentiful. A turbocharger, a turbo manifold, and spark plugs. Along with various piping and tubing, intercooler parts, an engine cover, a new crankshaft, and last but not least, a big tank of NOS.
Once the parts were prepared, Aang sat down with Toph at a computer while she went over the dynamics of the car.
"Tell me what you think about this," Toph started. "KSport suspension. This will save us about two pounds. Also, they're going to give us better traction for the holeshot. Alright? This is your basic layout of the car. And that's pretty much what it could look like when it's finished. Any color your heart desires."
Aang couldn't help but stare at her in amazement. "Wow, this is incredible, Toph! You should be at RCU or something," he exclaimed.
"Yeah, maybe, but I hated school. Math was my only good subject and everything else I flunked. So I decided it was best for me to drop out. Besides, I don't need those prissy degrees to tell me what I can and can't do. I'm perfectly fine with having no degree, working on cars for the rest of my life. When I'm in the garage, it's like nothing else matters. Just me and the vehicle, and I couldn't ask for more," Toph explained, a smile forming on her face.
Toph's approach might've been unorthodox, but Aang couldn't help but smile. He was glad that despite her shortcomings in school, she could still find something that made her happy.
The sun began to set on the horizon. Sokka, Katara, Aang, and Toph were helping prepare a barbeque for dinner. Suki, Jet, and Zuko arrived shortly after. As they all got out of their cars, Jet caught onto Aang's eyes. Aang gave him a cold stare, he wasn't going to take any more of his shit, and he made sure Jet knew that. Jet threw his bag of food over to Zuko and got back in his car. "Fuck this, man. I'm out of here," he spat in disgust. Suki and Zuko just looked at each other and shrugged, not knowing why Jet was being such a pain in the ass.
Sokka tried to get him to come back. "Jet! Get your ass over here and give us a hand," he shouted at Jet.
Jet didn't even look back as he shouted back at Sokka. "Looks like you got all the help you need, brother."
He backed his car out of the driveway and sped off into the distance.
After Jet's unnecessary outburst, everyone decided to forget about it and enjoy the meal. Toph and Aang grabbed a bunch of Corona's, and Katara grabbed a big bowl filled with salad. Knowing her friends, she knew no one would eat the salad except Aang, as she knew he was a vegetarian. As for everyone else, they would eat Sokka's 'world famous', as he likes to proclaim, barbeque chicken.
As everything finally got put on the table, Sokka immediately went for a piece of chicken. He went to take a bite before Katara stopped him.
"Uh uh, Sokka. Since you were the first to reach in to get the chicken, you say grace," she said in a motherly voice. Sokka was about to protest but seeing she was not going to take no for an answer; he gave up.
Sokka sighed and began the prayer. "In the name of Tui and La, our family thanks the spirits for blessing us with all this wonderful food. As well as providing us with a direct port nitrous injection, four-core intercoolers, and ball-bearing turbos and titanium valve springs. Thank you."
Katara smiled at Sokka's comedic yet meaningful prayer. "See, Sokka? That wasn't so hard now, was it?" she said with a smirk.
Sokka rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, whatever, sis. Time to dig in!" he exclaimed, licking his lips.
Toph's mouth was watering just as much as Sokka's was. "Yeah, what Meathead said. Let's eat!"
Aang took a second to look around the table. He couldn't but smile as he felt so connected with this group. His eyes soon met with Katara's. Both of them blushed out of shyness. Her presence made him so happy, and his day was always better when she was around. Although he didn't know it, she felt the same way about him.
Not long after they started eating, Jet walked up the driveway towards the table.
Zuko smirked and called out to him. "Well, look who it is, the pain in the ass himself. I thought you weren't hungry, pumpkin," he joked.
Jet sighed in defeat. "You know I got to eat."
Suki smiled as she let out a chuckle. "He's always hungry."
"C'mon," Sokka motioned his hand to let Jet know he could sit down. "Come sit down, big guy."
Jet gave Sokka a 'thank you' pat on the back. As he went over to his seat, he put his hand on Katara's shoulder and said hello to her. Aang took a big deep breath and chuckled. Well, shit, this dinner is going to be awkward, he thought. But he kept a smirk on his face as he sat down. Jet grabbed a beer and stared Aang down, but Aang showed no signs of being intimidated.
Suki turned to Jet and gave him a pat on the back. "Let's eat some grub, man," she said with a smile.
The gang watched a movie in the living room while Katara was in the kitchen cleaning the dishes. Aang walked in and offered to help clean. "Need a hand with anything else?" he asked.
Katara smiled at his question, appreciating that he offered on his own. "No, I'm good. You can go join everyone else and watch the movie."
"Well, the cook doesn't clean where I come from," he replied as he gave her a lopsided smile.
Katara blushed as soon as he smiled. She loved his smile. "I'd like to go there. It sounds like a great place to be.
Aang grabbed a few dishes and started scrubbing. He and Katara continued to glance at each other and blush. Aang decided since they were alone, he would do something he's been waiting to ask her ever since he laid eyes on her. "I think we should go out sometime," he said confidently.
Katara blushed profusely. There was nothing more she wanted than that. But she loved toying with him, and that's exactly what she was going to do. "Sorry, but I don't date my brother's friends."
Aang's smile immediately turned into a frown, but it immediately went away after he caught Katara smirking. "Huh, that's too bad...guess I'll have to kick his ass then," he shot back with a smile.
She couldn't help but giggle at his bravado. "I'd love to see that. In fact, I would pay to see that."
Meanwhile, in the living room, Jet got up from the couch and walked into the kitchen, overhearing Aang and Katara's conversation.
He rudely interrupted them, not liking that Aang was trying to steal his girl, even though she was never his girl. He grabbed a bag of popcorn and threw it into the microwave. "Wash my car when you get done," he said with a weird laugh.
Katara turned around to see what he meant. "What was that?"
Jet looked up and continued. "No, Kat. I'm talking to the punk," he spat. He looked at Aang and came a little bit closer. "Wear your favorite dress, 'cause when you're done, I'm putting you on the street where you belong, cutie."
Katara became furious, but she didn't show it. This asshole had no right to barge in and start a fight for no reason. So she decided to end this once and for all. "Hey Jet, what was that Water Tribe restaurant you wanted to take me to? The one with the sea prunes and-"
Jet smiled to his ears as she finished what she was going to say. "And the ice statues and chandeliers."
"What was it called again?" She asked him, knowing the answer, but wanted to lead him on.
"The Little Otter-Penguin, yeah, that's the one," he said, feeling like he was on cloud nine.
Katara kept a smile on her face for a few seconds before turning and walking over to Aang. She looked him right in the eyes. "Well, actually, Aang will take me there. How's Friday at ten sound?" she asked Aang with an almost seductive smile.
Aang smiled back, amazed with the beatdown she just gave Jet. "Yeah, that's perfect," he said. He looked back up at Jet and gave him a smirk. Now stay away from her, jerk, he thought.
Jet looked like his head was about to explode. On his way out of the kitchen, he punched the door and walked through the living room to the front door. Before he left, Toph asked if he made any popcorn. "Make your own fucking popcorn!" he shouted at them. Zuko grabbed a fire gummy from his pack and threw it at Jet before he went out the door.
Aang was busy at work when a bunch of cars pulled up in front of the shop. There must've been at least five cars. The shop door opened, and in came Rulan and his gang.
"Pasang. What's up, dog?" he said as he greeted him with a smile. Pasang smiled and gave him a friendly pat on the back. "Nice to see you, Rulan. Come on in, man."
Aang was working on a computer when he noticed Rulan come in. "Damn. What do we got here? Did Pasang hire some new help?" Rulan said with a smirk.
Aang came around the corner and greeted Rulan. "Don't even get me started, man. What's up?"
"What's up, Aang? How are you feeling?" Rulan asked.
"Pretty good. What do you need?" Aang replied.
"I need you to hook me up—three of everything. I made a list," Rulan explained as he pulled out a sheet of paper. "Why don't you look that over?"
Aang looked over the sheet and nodded. "Alright, I can get all this. When do you need this stuff by?"
"Tomorrow, today, now. As soon as you can get it to me would be good," Rulan replied.
Aang went over to the computer and began putting the items on the list into the order sheet. Rulan pulled a wad of money out of his pocket and put it on the counter. The wad had to have been at least three inches thick, probably totaling out to thirty thousand dollars, most likely.
But the money never caught his eye. The parts Rulan requested were all for fourth-generation mustangs. The same cars that are used in all the heists. This can't be a coincidence, Aang thought. He also got enough parts for three cars, the same number of cars used in the heists. This can't be good.
Later that night, Rulan and his gang were partying at The Flamin' Panda Lily. Cars were scattered around, and everyone was hanging outside the club talking and laughing.
Across the street was what seemed to be an abandoned garage. Aang drove through the alley in his car up to the entrance of the garage. Sarge had told him earlier that they suspected the mustangs used in the heists were stored there, so he volunteered to check it out.
Aang climbed up a fence and hopped onto the adjacent roof. As he walked towards the window, he saw Rulan and a bunch of others at The Flamin' Panda Lily. He quietly snuck by, hoping he wouldn't catch anyone's eye.
As he got to the window, he punched out a frame. The glass scattered across the floor. Let's hope no one is here to hear that, Aang thought with a chuckle. He reached his hand in to find the latch that opened the window. He slowly hopped over the opened window into the garage's attic and found a set of stairs that led downstairs into the garage.
When he got off the last step, he grabbed his flashlight and began inspecting the garage. Some cars were covered, some were left uncovered. There were cars of all shapes, sizes, and ages. Aang went over to each covered car and removed the cover, one by one, he checked and didn't find what he was looking for. Was this a false lead? Did we get tricked? he thought. Before he decided to cut his losses, he saw three cars huddled in the corner, covered. He walked over and removed the covers to find three identical fourth-generation mustangs—all with the same tires that Sarge said they had.
Aang pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. "What the hell? First Rulan is buying parts for not one, not two, but three fourth-gen mustangs. Now, across the street from the club he's at, I happen to find the same cars used in the heists? What the fuck is going on, man," he stuttered.
He knew he was overstaying his welcome and decided it would be best to leave as soon as possible. He went back up the stairs, vaulted out of the window, and climbed down the fence. But as soon as he got down, he was hit across the head with what felt like the butt of a shotgun and was knocked unconscious.
His body was dragged to a different location, most likely in the same plaza. But when he opened his eyes, the shotgun was pointed directly in his face. He looked around and saw nothing until someone emerged from the shadows.
Aang took a big gulp as he saw the man as he stepped into the light. "Sokka?"
A/N: Hope this was to your guy's liking! I loved this chapter. Not much racing or driving but more character and plot development. I think it's a good break from the action. Let me know what you thought! See you guys next week :).