Sadly I do not own the Avatar Universe, nevertheless I like writing about it. Of course the story is non comercial and the figures I invent are free to use. I hope you´ll enjoy the tale I have to tell...Greetings In the Hood

chapter 1 : the travel never ends

I was cleaning the floor, while the sun was shining brightly. It was usually here in Lau An. The summerly breeze drying the water on the oaken floor of the dojo in an instant. I am Lee Bei Gao fifty-two years old – you may have heard of me – or you haven´t. For twenty-two years I am living in Lau An, the home of Yumis family. Yumi was my sun – metaphorically spoken but the birth of our daughter almost killed her and for the seven years that remained for her to live she never again was the daring, sporty girl I fell in love with. One may ask how a shangyang streetrat became a dojo owner in a provincial small-town of the firenation and I may give you the short version of it, because the long one would not be entertaining for anyone besides bored old men. As some of you may know, me and Yumi left Republic City after the whole Yakone incident for vacation.

We had planned to be away two months but in the end it became two years. Two years in which we got to know more interesting people and watched more sunsets in strange places than in the rest of our life's. In retrospective it was the only time, the two of us really were - tumbling in the wind. And it was back then I fell in love with the fire nation, damn it – I even learned Nidhongo! When we arrived back in Republic the growing Metropolis somehow had lost a lot of its charm, nevertheless we both went into security business because Chief bei Fong had kicked me out of the police force for good. Interestingly there was no ill blood about it, and I really was glad about that. The need for security always was there and so me an Yumi ended up running a company with 24 employees seven years later. It was then Uncle…chrm I mean - Councilman - Sokka died suddenly. It hit me hard, much harder than the death of my father – Avatar Aang- would. But it was not just me who was left dazed by the hole the death of Sokka, son of Hakoda, tore, Chief Bei Fong was just a shadow of her former self, as were her daughters.

Suyin turned to crime, while Lin toughened up far more than it was good for her. Me and Yumi had to work our butts off to keep the company running and I admit that working soothed the pain a lot. Again it was that sassy Adachi Yumi that kept me sober and functional, but even she did not manage to keep Chief Bei Fong in check. The woman existed in the states drunken, working or sleeping – and then, after her daughter was arrested for robbery, she threw her badge down and disappeared. Till today I don´t know what has become of her – believe me I would give a leg for tha,t but sadly spirits don´t bargain with mortals that often. I guess the destruction of my patched up family lead to Yumi deciding that she wanted a family on her own.

I still was hesitant about having kids, mostly because I knew that the most Adachi women had died in childbed. And since Republic City, or big cities in general, are a shitty place to grow up we decided to move to the countryside – to be precise to Lau An. We bought an old dojo with a big garden, it is located in the outskirts of the small town. The people were friendly and rather soon we got students – mostly due to the fact that the big national dojos were closed off one after another. Firelord Zuko drove on his demilitarization politics mercilessly, which I could understand well. Nevertheless, it seemed that Yumi would not get pregnant. We tried out a lot of silly stuff, going as far as planting squirreltoadfeet under our bedside. And as we already had given up hope – it happened, I still remember Yumis terrible moods, and my rather hilarious hovering behavior for remarkable nine months.

Nine months that ended in one and a half day of terrible pain and misery for my wife. It still drives icy showers over my spine when I think back to these days, the smell of blood and Yumis terrible screams are still in my ears. While Yumi almost died and was tied to her bed for over four months, our daughter was as healthy as a boarcupine. Naming a child is something rather difficult but it´s traditionally done by the mother. I still think it was a bad idea to call our daughter Sokka – which means as much as "grumpy Face" in Inuktikut. Interestingly there are not much gendered names in the water tribe Language. For example, I met both, a woman named Katara and a man named Katara. In fact, the gender mostly is just transferred in pronominal words; for example, the crazy wets say "She Sokka takes up Elderberry red" and not "Sokka takes up the red Elderberry".

Sokka turned out to be anything besides a grumpy face. She was always smiling, stumbling around without a care in the world. Even if her recklessness still gives me the chills sometimes, I have to admit that I deserve no better. I myself have been a similar child, just that I had to grew up much earlier. Of course she turned out to be a daddy child, mostly because Yumi never was able to play swordfighting, chase the Avatar, or other games little children like very much. Even if I worried about my wife occasionally I still hoped she finally would get better, but when Sokka turned seven the winterly fevers that glued Yumi to her bed won the upper hand and I had to bury a wife. Actually that day was the only one in my life I did not give a fuck about people seeing me bawl my eyes out. But life had to go on, because I had a daughter to raise.

Nevertheless, it almost tore my heart out, when the little kid talked about mommy watching from the spirit realms as if it were natural. But even if Sokka told everything was ok it was – of course - not. She became sassy and violent, lost her friends and I could not even blame her because I too wanted to smash things on a daily basis. Luckily time is a great healer and even if I miss Yumi, her jokes, her company, I can call myself a happy man now. There is a lot of joy in the small things, a good brewed tea, an interesting painting – a bickering daughter in her teens. Interestingly I catch myself not thinking about Yumi for a whole day sometimes, which definitely is what she had wished for. In fact, Yumi – who knew she would not become an "old hag" proposed many canditates for me to marry after she was death. Not that I am interested in one of the women she jokingly mentioned.

They all are much to – womanly – yeah that might be the right phrase. I did not close the dojo after Yumis death because I needed the money, but the students mostly packed their backs and left. That also is because there seem to be more and more people born benders. When I was a child one in twenty had the gift but today – I guess one in five at least. If we listen to legend, the spiritual awakening is typical in a new circle of the world, and since the harmonic convergence four years ago we live in a new age. But I am a ranting old man, please forgive me, my dear readers. The story I am about to tell started on a day in summer – a day on which I was cleaning the dojo floor. The reason why I was cleaning the floor furiously was an offer of Harada Mining, which was a bigger offspring of Sato Industries. I still like the old name better – future industries – can you think off something that sounds even more cliché?

Well I could not. Soujirou Harada wanted to hew an iron Mine into the mountains around Lau An, but therefore he needed my slice of land. I was not the only one who did not want to sell, but I am amongst the last who stood strong angainst Haradas "persuasion force" of gangers. Actually I had to bend some of the guys out of the dojo, I still had some bruises from that day. Also Sokka was threathened, which really made me think about selling. I heard so from the neighbours, Sokka handles her problems herself – maybe I shouldn´t have raised her like a boy. Orhterwise, the world was not holding back on princesses. I could of course not forgive me if something happened to my sweet girl – after all I knew what this kind of scumbags did for fun. I wrung the worn out cloth and smashed it onto the floor furiously. I would not get much money for my estate – also I guessed I had to lick Haradas boots to not just get thrown out when the building process started. I still had two moth left, though. This house had become dear to me, with an angry snort I toppled the bucked and watched the soapy water flood the floor.

I rose "Just go and fuck yourself Harada. Fucktards like you ´ll never know what it means to have a family." I snarled while I thought of gripping his nicely cut suit and throwing him on the floor after a solid beating. I knew perfectly well that this would not be an option. Soujirou Harada always had armed bodyguards at his side, and he knew perfectly well that I was dangerous. Damn it he even knew that my daughter was dangerous, because I taught her how to hold a sword since she was three years old. But over the last weeks something else was going on in Sokka. she was nibbling on her bottomlip when we were eating and avoided my company whenever she could. If she were a usual nineteen-year-old girl I would have suggested that she had a boyfriend she did not want to introduce to me, but since my girl had her first boyfriend aged fourteen – not counting the tree that followed until she reached adulthood.

I was sure that was not the case. She did not keep them a secret from me, and I of course grit my teeth and pretended to like them, even if I just liked Shiro - the first one. The people of Lau An called me a bad father because I let my daughter whore around – as they phrased it – but Sokka had to learn to make her own choices, and furthermore I would not take advice from people who bragged with their lazy assed sons chasing skirts! If you speak from the demon he surely will appear and such it was with Sokka. As she stood in the entrance of the dojo and looked at me I gulped. It was a strange feeling to see the baby you had held in your arms towering above you. There stood a determined young woman with short cropped, black hair and piercing silver eyes. She was sunburned and showed a complexion that reminded me a lot of her mother – the smirk that played around her lips made the similarity almost disturbing. "You thought about drenching the slope in water and landsliding Harada n his fuckers into the afterlife?" she joked.

"Bite me Sokka. Even if I would love to just do that." I sighed furrowing my brows. This whole Harada story was my business, my daughter would not need to be dragged into this, what kind of father would I be if I couldn´t even handle my own problems. As a matter of fact I could not and that left a sore feeling in my throat, along with a simmering anger. "So- what´s it you have done again?" I asked sighing and prepared myself for what was to come. "Ähm." Sokka eyed the floor intensely and then straightened herself as if electricity was running through her veins. "Well dad – I´m nineteen years old and still live in this gods forsaken place called Lau An. Gods – I work part time in a fucking bakery. You know it´s time that um…I live my own life?" she finished questioning herself. The whole serene sifu thing I tried to pull off failed miserably. "WHAT YOU´RE NUTS? Come on Sokka your friends are also living with their parents! Have I ever hindered you to go out, have a boyfriend – spirits damn it kid - what do you even want! Just listen to yourself, you don´t even have a plan! This world is no happy go lucky place you can waltz through just because you want!" I yelled, while I was worried that Sokka simply would run away and leave me behind like a pair of old shoes.

Not to imagine in which heaps of trouble she would maneuver herself – the lone thoughts made my heart flutter, while I aged about ten years in a mere heartbeat! I had to catch my breath as she looked to the floor ashamed, her fists balled. "I-I…why am I even here and talk to you! I should be on my way dad… I´m no little girl anymore. You just want to clutch onto something, gods damn it search a woman!" she griped furious. "Especially you have to keep your mouth shut dad – if even HALF of what Ma did tell me…." I interrupted her loudly. "Don´t bring your mother into this Sokka, just because I had to grow up on the streets and become a criminal you don´t, and like HELL I WOULD LET THAT EVER HAPPEN!" I thundered gripping her top. That kind of stuff would have been underwear in my youth – I noticed. "Don´t fucking touch me." She yelled and hit me on the nose with her flat hand. I let her go and staggered backwards, my little one knew how to throw a punch. "S-Sorry dad. Hey are you alright." She hurried towards me, obviously worried, which put an even bigger knot in my throath. I sagged on the floor, suddenly feeling battered. Why was I even holding onto this dojo?

I should have noticed long ago that Sokka never wanted to take it over from me. She for sure wasn´t the legacy type, as I wasn´t myself. "Dad – talk to me…please!" Sokka pleaded, while I was sitting on the floor and shook my head. That I could be surprised by something so obvious. Lau An was too small for somebody like my daughter – I should have known that…damn it I was the man who raised her! "Where you wanna go?" I managed to choke out, nevertheless I sounded rather whiny. Sokka blinked. "You´re not gonna disown me – lock me into the basement or something?" she asked round-eyed. She looked so earnest that I had to snort.

"You think I´m some kind of demon Sokka?" I let out a deep sigh. "It´s not easy to let your child go, that's all there is kiddo." I nodded and got up from the floor. Sokka stood there, then she jumped at me with a cry of joy. "You´re not mad? You´d really let me go and see the world – thanks old man. You´re just awesome sometimes." She responded babbling while I just hugged her back with as much strength as is could muster. "Nah – enough cuddle time." I responded and cleared my throath. Spirits I wasn´t Sokkas boyfriend! "Too much to handle for an old geezer like ya right?" she smirked and wiggled her boobs. I just let out a gargling sound that made her laugh. She plopped down beside me. "I don´t really know – just somewhere – big." She responded. "Also I don´t know how long it takes to arrive somewhere…like Republic City. I guess I´d like to see that." She responded with a glint in her eyes that reminded me of my own youth. I smiled. "It´s not that great at all – hm but an old geezer can say that I guess. You know Sokka – just do what you want…and don´t be to proud to come to me if things go south." Is sighed. "Yeah…" she responded and added "You know dad – actually I´m a bit run over with you just – giving in." she left with light steps.

I had a meal to make, and a lot to think about. That I would sell the house was for sure, but the question was what I would do afterwards. I was not in the mind to fly through the four nations with a noodle wagon or move to some other remote village and just pretend nothing ever happened. I could, of course return to Republic City and stir up the place. I highly doubted that I would be welcome there, Sokka most likely wanted to go into the world without her old father in her footsteps, which I could understand very well. Otherwise, we could avoid seeing ourselves for years – Republic City simply WAS that big! Hell, after Yumi died I did not even write letters to anyone anymore, and even before that happened it weren´t many letters. One shabby friend I had been. I could drool along when I head prepared my special turtle duck ramen, Sokka loved the dish. The knife rattling and dough kneading calmed me down a bit. I did not see Sokka until I was finished with the noodles. This girl somehow always knew when I had prepared food, and like her namesake she started slurping the noodles before greeting me. I made myself a bowl and added some sliced chillipeppers.

With the age came a love for the strong tasting cuisine of the firenation, but on the other hand I still looked like forty – black hair and all. That had made the widows of Lau An really annoying until they finally got that I was not interested. "About that trip to republic Sokka – we have to talk about the house." I responded flatly after the noodles were finished. "What do you mean dad? You´re frightening me old man!" she responded as I remained silent. I cleared my troath. "Well kid – I heard that these guys followed you." My daughter was laughing out loud. "Awww come on dad – Y´know I could have fucked these assholes up if I wanted to." She sounded a bit too cocky to be authentic. "It´s not just about that – Harada sent five guys to the dojo to sign the contract…I had to use my bending to get rid of them and my back still has blue freckles on it Sokka." I responded. "These fucktards…" she hissed furious. "If I get my hands on those sorry asses…I´ll go get the boys and THEN!" she piped up. "AND THEN NOTHING SOKKA!" I growled with hurt pride. "This is not about some for hire thugs – if we beat them up, Harada just will sent the doubled amount until we can´t put them down any more." I responded "And you know that as well, don´t you." I added.

Sokka hit the table in fury. "But that´s just so unfair. What the fuck is this asshole – this hilarious suit wearing fucktard is nothing without his cronies!" she hissed, her face distorted in anger. "He has money kid – in other words, he holds power I´ll never hold." I responded defeated. "I´ll have to sell the house or they are going to take it anyways – at first I did not want to believe it but – that´s the way it is." I sighed kneading hands. I feared what would undoubtedly come next. "And- And moms grave?" Sokka asked with teary eyes. I actually had to wipe my eyes myself. "You don´t need a grave as long as you live in people's hearts Sokka." I responded sadly. "But we can´t leave it to – to these scumbags." She raged while tears were streaming down her chin. I walked around the table and cupped her chin in my hands. "They won´t even know it was there kid, I´ll take care of that myself before I sign this over, you could rip out every piece of grass around the house." I responded. Those bastards would not set a foot in my house, and sure as hell they would not piss on my wife´s grave! If I had to leave they would get nothing besides scorched earth! "Why that dad?" she asked startled "not that I couldn´t let some steam off." She sounded eager, I almost felt pity for the poor bushes.

"Because I´ll burn the house down before I sell it to Harada – no way I´ll let him set a foot in here." I responded. It was then that my daughter realized what it meant to leave home behind. She blinked, gulped and left the room with long strides. I also felt like taking a stiff drink, but of course I did not. I knew where that would lead. Since Yumi died I never had touched anything besides water, and I better kept it that way. I headed upstairs, into my bedroom and rummaged in the drawers until I found my old rucksack. It was dusty and looked worn, nevertheless it still would do its duty. I stuffed some of my clothes in there, as I did with all the money I had left. I carried it down and left the house. I knew where Haradas office was – I took the scrolls that made me the owner of my home with me. While I slowly descended the slope and watched over the town of Lau An I was wondering what would become of it. Without a doubt the mine would bring people here, and with the young people a fresh wind would blow through its cobbled streets. Maybe it also was overdue to change myself. With my dojo gone I undoubtedly would have enough time to think about that. Nevertheless, I felt as if I was carrying mount Fuji un my shoulders as I walked. I carried the papers open and heard the people whisper as I passed them.

The stubborn Adachi is selling, see nobody opposes the big money…and so on. The office of the Harada mining incorporated was located on the market square, to be precise direct opposite to the manor of the mayor. It was an old building, now featuring a giant yellow sign which promised " Harada Inc. a bright future lies ahead". I would have laughed about this if it had not been my house on which this bright future should be built. I closed my eyes and steeled myself. I had to make the best of today, and that meant reaping as much money from those assholes as was possible. I entered the building which smelled of wax and papers. The floor was shining and the big office floor was running busy, or at least the employees pretended to be busy. I just walked towards the first occupied desk, where a slim built man in a finely tailored green suit was seated. "The gods blessing sir." The man rose his head and a hidden smile flashed across his face. He knew that buying my house would be a plus in his records. "The gods blessing Mr. Bei Gao. Please take a seat, do you want some tea?" he asked almost sickeningly friendly.

"Could you finally be convinced to sell your estate?" he asked with a false smile. Even if I had loved to bury my knuckles in the bloody remains of his nose I managed as smile, which led to him gulping hard. "That might depend upon your offer dear sir, actually I thought about leaving Lau An – which would mean that there is no dojo left in this city. Something the governor would appreciate…" I smiled deviously. The man's eyes flew wide. "Well – you are late with this insight sir. Actually I can´t pay you ten yuans per square feet anymore, I may be able to pay you one in hard cash." He responded. That was a hilariously low price. Not even Lau An was remote enough for THAT! "Twelve, and I may leave this city without causing any bad press for you guys, I may even let your persuasion squad kick me out of here – in public." I responded dryly. I could take a beating for the money. "Well – add a night with your daughter and Mr. Harada might consider it… that or my budget - which is thousand yuan." The man responded,

"Don´t take this personally I´m just doing my job here." I just saw red for a second and gripped his nicely bound tie. "One more word about my daughter and I promise you that I will cut everybody in this place down – including Mr. Harada." I hissed, while my hands were trembling with rage. What in all ninety-nine hells did this sons of bitches think they were. I would never sell my daughter and as long as there was blood running through my veins I would not let these fuckers even touch a hair on Sokkas head! The man became white as a sheet and a heavily built guy rose from a chair in the corner. He held a Jian sword in his hands. "Just give me the money." I hissed, releasing the man. I put the scrolls on the table. The clerc fiddled with his tie and responded "I´ll fetch it – no need to intervene Jet Kong, we´ve got ourselves a deal." He responded and disappeared while I fixed the heavily built man, who doubtless was an enforcer of some triad. He almost looked disappointed that he did not get the pleasure to fight me.

The man returned with a small bundle of a thousand yuan, which was roughly a tenth of the money I had invested in the dojo, without considering the materials and countless hours of work I and Yumi had put into it. Let go your eartly tether – the old masters should go and fuck themselves! I gripped the small pouch and left the room. It was best to leave the town as fast as possible because I still feared that Harada might think about some sort of payback, being the lowly scumbag he was, that was not farfetched. I just sacked the money and hurried out of there, I actually ran back home until I was drenched in sweat – but I still was furious and panting. When I arrived at the wooden porch a already saw Yumi who was waiting before our rucksacks. "How did it go dad?" she asked concerned. I smiled an honest smile – it seemed my daughter was well, so I couldn´t give a shit about those yuans. "Enough to make it to republic and get a start. Nevertheless, there will be no retirement for me I guess." I shrugged. "What? But this should be about 20.000 yuan – that´s the price they paid in the beginning!" she griped. I sighed. "Well – it´s never wise to fuck with the triads kid, let's get the hell outta here." I responded and took up my rucksack. Sokka followed me pouting, but I had to stifle a smile. The slate of wood, which was Yumis grave sign, was sticking out of her rucksack.

She had gotten this sentimental side from her mother, I myself would simply have burned the thing, after all Yumi was here no more and there was no way I would need a piece of wood to memorize her. We had halfway reached the post station as she responded. "So how much money did the give you?" she would not let this slide; I knew my daughter well enough. "A thousand." I responded shortly. "What – how could you accept that – it´s hilarious!" she yelled. "It´s better that way kid." I responded and something gave me away, because Sokkas anger dissipated at once. "No problem old man – just rely on me sometimes and I´ll hit it big in the Republic - you´ll see." She responded and cocked her head. Her youthful enthusiasm was quite refreshing, but indeed – it could have been worse. "I not THAT old Sokka." I responded smiling fondly. "I´m always saying you should get yourself a girlfriend dad – you´re the one acting like some grizzled firesage!" I had to laugh at that, Sokka really had no idea how grizzled firesages did behave. "So – when have you been sneaking off into the temple young lady?" I mocked her and got a slight jab into the ribs. "Screw you." She bickered. I was wondering – somehow I indeed felt different than before and it actually was a good different.