Chapter II

Getting to know each other

Eli hated Mako.

Plain and oh so simple. The other firebender loathed the spikey haired drama-king. To the small blonde, he was just another kid searching for fame and fortune in this rough, unadulterated life of pro-bending. He was arrogant and boastful about his skills, and normally, Nasko would praise him and agree. This set Eli on an even higher edge.

She knew the bending brothers had been through a lot though, and this was most likely what determined their fate with her. Eli knew that Mako had to have taken pretty good care of his brother, and for that, she accepted that the firebender couldn't have been all bad. Though, she really didn't care for the fact that he had a thing with Korra but a relationship with Asami.

Eli didn't mind Asami. Though the girl was sweet and quite generous, she took a lot of the spotlight from her and Kama, the only single females in the Catacomb. Eli knew she shouldn't be jealous, but, aside from all resentment she had for her ego, the jealousy was still there. The blonde just honestly couldn't understand how the younger woman kept her hair so perfect.

Korra, on the other hand, was one of the most genuinely amazing people she had ever met. The water tribe native was compassionate, and impatient, yet she was quick to try her best. Eli admired those traits, and most of all, her skills. She was an extremely capable bender, and though she had not yet mastered air, Eli was jealous of her other skills and especially her agile movements.

Last but not least, Bolin. She could say that she resented this bending brother almost as much as the other. The sweet talker was built like a brick wall causing a bit of intimidation among the ranks. The earthbender was the most skilled she had seen in years, and she hated admitting it. His animal, Pabu, was adorable and quickly won her heart over. She found that she liked his pet more than him, making her laugh. One thing she hated the most? The sixteen-year-old was a light hearted soul, one who wanted to make friends with everyone… Making friends wasn't something Eli did.

"Hey! Wait up!" the familiar voice of the larger bending brother echoed off of the catacomb walls. Eli glanced over her shoulder to see the boy chasing after her, waving his arms about in a distracting manner. "Hey! Hi! Hellooooo. I just wanted to say hi—"

"You just said it 4 times, kid," she cut him off, turning and continuing on her trek to the kitchen for a midday snack. From behind her she could almost hear the boy's frown.

"Uh, yeah. Right. Sorry. Anyways, uh, my name's Bolin. I don't think I've met you yet but I'm sure—"

Eli proceeded to slam the kitchen door in his face.

Pabu squealed and clung to his dark haired friend, only before the boy's shoulders slumped in dismay.

"Hey, kid," a voice from behind spoke up. It was deep and traces of amusement were clear it in as Bolin turned around. He came face to face with a large, tan man who was sporting a mean goatee. Eyes widening, he let the man speak, "Pay little mind to Eli. She's kind of a hothead. Friends have never been her thing, 'kay? Name's Maru. I'm the earthbender for the Zebra Frogs."

"Kind of? This is the third time she's completely ignored me," Bolin sighed, and Pabu made a rather sad noise too. Maru laughed at this.

"Three times? Wow. I'm surprised you're still trying," he snorted, "Eli's just not a friendly person. Don't take it personally. She just doesn't know whether or not she should trust you. After all, a few weeks ago, you were launching disks at her in the arena."

Bolin only nodded and turned back to the kitchen door. Shaking his head, he figured he'd try another time, maybe when Eli trusted him enough.

She was in the training room the next time Bolin approached her.

Eli, though knowing she was not the best bender out there, always praised herself for skills. The firebender loved bending more than anything, and to her, it was her way of showing others who was boss. Though, her downfall was mainly probending on a team. Eli knew she wasn't close enough to her teammates, and though she tried, the connection simply wasn't there. The Catgators weren't in sync. They were a mess.

But Eli was always in sync with herself, she thought.

Kama was the only other female in the catacombs who played on a probending team. She was the firebender for the Zebra Frogs, working alongside Maru and Jeina. The young girl was a talkative, flirty and pretty teenager who was just as skilled as Eli was. Eli and Kama were close, and Eli counted Kama as her best friend, though she'd never say that to her face.

Sparring was always dangerous when it was between two firebenders. Kama or Eli always emerged from the training area with a burn or few, but nothing too severe. Bolin knew his mistake the second he stepped in the room.

With a hot and fast fwip, a large blast of fire singed the wall just by his head, making him squeak. His eyes went wide as he watched the violent and graceful exchange of heat between Kama and Eli. The blonde fired a ball directly at Kama, who in one swift movement, directed it back at Eli who was in mid-air, trying to catch the ground. Her legs swung high above her head as she landed on her hands, twisting and flipping quickly, dodging Kama's fire.

With a few angry grunts, the blonde and the redhead were soon engaged in hand to hand combat, punching and dodging one another. Escaping the flurry of movements, Kama sprung back, tumbling in a roll. Eli's eyes widened as she made eye contact with Bolin, who was gaping at the scene before him.

She opened her mouth to scream at the earthbender, but was cut off, a wave of fire approaching her. It caught her off guard and she quickly covered her face. With the red, flaming wall disappeared, Eli's eyes were red with anger.

"What are you doing in here?" she cried out, approaching Bolin, "You ruined it! You could have gotten killed, you idiot!"

Bolin shied away from her, holding his hands up defensively, "I-I-I didn't mean to!"

Kama poked out from behind Eli's shoulder, "Oh c'mon, El. Bo's harmless. He woulda been fine."

"Incase you didn't notice, the door was closed, kid. That means it wasn't open. That also means you can't just waltz in!"

"Eli, c'mon…"

"I didn't mean to… I just wanted to see if you were busy…"

"Of course I'm busy!"

"Sheesh, okay, okay…" Bolin's hands raised once more, a hurt look on his face. Frowning and turning to leave, he sighed, "Whatever. Nice to meet you too."

As Bolin left, Kama gave Eli a look, crossing her arms.

"Dude. What is with you?"

A/N: Alright! It's late and Bolin is being hated on by Eli. It'll change soon though. Don't worry. Eli's got an ego and a trust-issue, but hey, give it time, will ya?

Also, what would you guys like to see in the next chapter?