Disparate Youth

In the course of events, and with Katey missing, the first thing Cody and Janae decided to do was look around town. Specifically, to check where Katey normally worked. First, they had to wake up Chris. This involved a sock, a bucket of cold water, and unfortunately, a Satomobile muffler. Don't ask where Janae got it from, but it worked, and when Chris was awake, they set off to looking,

Now, they were standing in the middle of the parlor, each holding a separate cone with one scoop, idly licking at it awkwardly.

"Let's keep looking and eat at the same time."

"Yeah," Chris nodded, "We should do that."

Cody just bit off a chuck of his ice cream.

They had set to the streets, walking and walking, passing stores.

"Where would she be?" Chris asked, looking at Janae. She shrugged, and then snapped her fingers. "Oh! Well, she might be at Jereme's!"

Cody shook his head. "No, he would be working, too. She always goes to his house when he gets off patrol – after work."

"Oh."

Chris nudged Janae's shoulder, and nodded towards a bench on the other side of the street. "Janae, look, it's that guy – with the flippy hair and the biznitches. From last night, remember?"

"Let's ask him if he's seen her!"

Using a crosswalk, they walked over to Tahno's bench, trying to avoid the people walking on the sidewalk. Tahno sat, hunched over something, until they realized he was getting something out of his pocket – an unlit cigarette.

"Tahno," Janae said, getting his attention. He looked over the three of them with mean eyes, his eyes landing on Cody, or in his mind, that douchecanoe who laughed at me in front of my biznitches last night. Cody glared at him, holding his ice cream almost threateningly and gesturing from his eyes to Tahno with two fingers.

"Well, if it isn't the losers," Tahno finally said, and looked at Janae, "babe, light me up, will you?" He smirked. Janae did as well, lighting his cigarette and splashing some fire in his face with a flick of her wrist. Before Tahno could say anything about it, Janae changed the subject.

"We're looking for our friend – have you seen her anywhere?"

Tahno snickered, "Friend? There are more of you? At least tell me what she looks like."

He was answered with mixed responses from the three of them before Janae told them to shush and explained what Katey looked like, and what she could've been wearing.

"No, haven't seen her. Sorry, baby."

A snicker could be heard from Cody, and Tahno ignored it. That kid was really getting on his nerves.

"Well, who were those people from last night?" Chris asked, taking a small step forward.

"The Equalists?" Tahno asked in reply, and the three were silent, prompting him to explain.

"They're the people in Republic City who stand for equality between benders and nonbenders. They're lead by this guy… Amon. That's his name."

Janae sighed, and scratched her cheek, then licked her ice cream. "Yeah, well, thanks for your nonexistent help, Tahno. We'll see ya."

Tahno flicked his cigarette and stomped it out as the three walked away, but Cody had other thoughts. He looked back, and his eyes flickered to his ice cream. Suddenly, he turned around, sprinting in Tahno's direction and chucking his ice cream at the waterbender, "This isn't even my final form, fucker!" Cody screeched, running back to his group as Tahno angrily pawed at his curls to get the ice cream out.

…

"This is horrible." Janae yawned. It was late at night in Republic City – not a very good time to be wandering around. The moment reminded Janae vaguely of her dream, except for the fact that she wasn't lugging her probending equipment and a bag of cookies.

"I know, it's getting kind of scar – " Someone said before some jimmies were jostled, and they were being shoved into the back of a huge truck with blindfolds on.

Janae tried to keep track of how many steps she took, but she lost count at fifty-something. The three were lead somewhere, lined up, Janae could feel it. She heard footsteps in front of her, bustling people, and more hands pushing her away, along with more people.

When the blindfold finally came off, she was relieved, and looked around to see Cody and Chris in the same room – yet she didn't make sound, for the man of her dreams was a mere three feet away from her, and she was choked up. Yet somehow, she had the gall to say, "You stole my cookies…"

"What?" The masked man stops, turning his head towards her. Janae stops, feeling quite awkward as she thinks of how to explain her words to the man of her dreams.

"I – nothing. Cookies."

Amon glances at the man with the goggles and the particularly long moustache, and he shrugs. Amon moves on, pacing. This went on for a quick moment before he is interrupted by Chris breaking the horrifying silence.

"You took our friend," he says.

"And what do we have here? I assure you, you naïve, impure, little boy, that I've taken away many… friends."

Chris is quiet, glaring into the holes of Amon's mask where his eyes would be. Janae is genuinely scared for Chris ; so is Cody. Their eyes are wide as Chris challenges the masked man with eight words.

"But you took mine; and that's a problem."

Chris's original plan was to punch Amon so hard that his mask would crack, but he was stopped when Amon caught his fist and twisted it, and the Lieutenant had crept up, punching Chris in his sides with a certain pattern just as the Equalists had last night.

Amon twisted Chris's wrist so hard that he was forced to kneel, and he put his free hand on the ground, keeping himself up – the masked man placed his thumb on Chris's head, in between his eyes, and for a moment, he was gone. His eyes had glazed over, and he was free from impurity, but he was back the next moment, Amon letting his hand go and letting Chris fall over on the ground, just laying there. He felt pathetic.

"Tell the tale of your friend's demise, for he is now cleansed; now Lieutenant, get them out of here."