The Satomobile was uncomfortable and stuffy, and didn't handle the rough roads of the Earth Kingdom very well. Not like that mattered, Rohan scowled. It had the Equalist stamp of approval, which meant that, once Amon had taken over, the machines from Future Industries wiped out any competing companies.
Howl steered the satomobile with a practised ease that gave Rohan the impression that he had made this trip many times before. He wondered how many times the White Lotus had to investigate rumors of the Avatar, or what other duties they had. Since bending went underground, there wasn't much information about a resistance movement to the Equalists or a plan to fight back.
The landscape slowly gave way to paved roads, and the van slowed down to a stop in front of a looming building with dangerous looking electric gates in front of it. On either side of the building, a sparking fence stretched into the distance, protecting the city limits of Ba Sing Se from any monsters trying to get in.
Or any people trying to get out.
A masked guard made his way to the stopped vehicle. His uniform bore the insignia of the Equalists on his left arm, and he wore an electric glove on his right hand.
"Please state your name and business in Ba Sing Se," the man said in a tired tone. Rohan briefly wondered what he looked like under the mask, if such weariness was showing on his face.
"My name is Chin and this is my son, Lee," Howl replied without any hesitation. "We are here to sell grain and herbs." He gestured to the back seat, which was filled with the latest crops from Rohan's home.
"I see. We will need to search your vehicle, sir." The guard was joined by another Equalist, who both went to the back of the van to open the trunk. They overturned several boxes of herbs, and one of the guards pulled out a knife and sliced open a bag, letting grain spill out in a wave onto the ground.
"Hey!" Rohan cried. "Those are our crops you-"
Howl put out a hand to stop him, and Rohan bit his tongue. The Equalists spared him a brief glance before continuing their investigation. A few minutes later, they stepped back and waved the van through.
"That is absurd," Rohan grumbled as they drove away. "They can't just treat us that way."
"Unfortunately, they can treat us any way they like," Howl replied. "They are in control of the city, and of nearly the entire Earth Kingdom. The Fire Nation fell years ago, and the only stronghold left is the Northern Water Tribe."
Rohan frowned. "If the Northern Water Tribe is still fighting, why can't they help the rest of us?"
"They are holding out for the right time." The White Lotus sentry's reply was short and cryptic, and closed the door for any more of the questions running through Rohan's head. He sat back in his seat and crossed his arms across his chest, frowning.
"Where are we going, anyway? Ba Sing Se is a large city."
"One of the outer rings," the man's tone was casual, but his tight grip on the steering wheel gave away his anxiety. "Our lead pointed us to a small merchant shop on the outskirts of the city. We will go there at dusk."
The shop was small and unassuming, and looked like it sold mostly general wares. Flashlights, gloves, ice boxes, building tools. All things that had grown in popularity since bending was deemed illegal.
The outer ring of the city was quiet after the sunset, most people disappearing into houses or hiding in secluded alleyways. The main streets were deserted, save a few elephant rats sneaking food out of trash cans.
Red and black Equalist flags dominated every large intersection, and Rohan felt a sense of gloom just by looking at them.
Howl knocked politely on the door to the left of the shop, which looked like it lead to a small apartment above the store.
"Of all the times..." a grumbling voice could be heard behind the door, along with the footsteps of somebody descending the stairs. The door flung open to reveal an older woman, dark hair tossed up into a haphazard bun, with one hand on her hip and an impatient expression on her face.
"Excuse us for the late hour. Are you Miss Yumi?"
The woman eyed him warily. "Yes." She crossed her arms in front of her and stood defensively, taking up the whole doorway to the house. Rohan wondered what dangers the citizens of Ba Sing Se had to face to cause every citizen to act so paranoid.
"Does your family own this fine establishment?" Rohan's companion swept an arm at the shop and Rohan had to hide a snicker. The store was a far cry from a fine establishment.
"We do. What exactly do you need?"
Howl bowed politely, and Rohan quickly followed suit. "I do not mean to intrude, but I was hoping to be able to speak with your daughter."
Yumi's posture didn't change, but her eyes flashed dangerously at the mention of her daughter. "What reason do you have for seeking out my daughter?"
Howl swallowed, and Rohan recognized the nervous twitch in his hand. He was trying to find the right words. "We believe your daughter may be a uniquely skilled individual, and we were hoping to talk to her about-"
That was apparently the wrong thing to say. The woman's muscles tensed and she took a step back into the apartment, one hand on the door. "No you may not! I don't know who you are, but you have no business to try and come here in the middle of the night and-"
"And what business do you have with me?" A new voice filled the cramped hallway, and the woman's eyes widened with shock. She pulled her hand off the door and turned slightly to the newcomer.
"Seina, don't you dare-"
"Mama, I believe it's time for us to accept this." The voice belonged to a young woman about Rohan's age. She brushed her stuttering mother gently to the side and stood in front of the doorway, shielding her. She had straight medium brown hair brushing past her shoulders and wore similar clothing to Rohan's, cotton pants and a shirt in brown and green. Her hair was a lighter shade than normally found in the Earth Kingdom, and Rohan wondered if perhaps her father had Fire Nation lineage.
But her eyes were tell-tale Earth Kingdom green, and right now they were staring right at him. "What do you want?"
"Don't talk to them!" Her mother wailed from behind her. "They want to take you away from me!"
The girl's green eyes narrowed. "Equalists? Where are your uniforms?"
"No!" Howl forced out, clearly trying to regain a handle on the situation. "We are not with the Equalists, we-"
"If you're not Equalists than what do you want? Money? Are you trying to blackmail us? I will willingly walk into the hands of the Equalists myself before I let you swindle my family."
"Seina," the older lady cried softly, tugging on her daughters sleeve. "Please, leave this be."
"No, mother!" she said. "I will fight to keep them from hurting you."
"We are not trying to blackmail-" Howl began again.
"Then why are you here?" she scowled, subtly shifting back into a bending stance. Howl stiffened.
"Seina-"
"Miss, please, we are not here to-"
"STOP IT!" Rohan yelled, speaking out for the first time. City inhabitants were even more paranoid than his neighbors in their small village! "We are not here to kidnap you or blackmail you," he huffed. "We are here because we are like you. Look!"
He thrust his hands out, creating a small vortex of wind between his palms. The girl's eyes widened in surprise, and her mother gasped and put both hands over her mouth.
"Are you...airbending?" the girl-Seina-demanded in a low whisper.
Rohan pulled his hands back and nodded, and beside him Howl hung his head in defeat.
"Please, may we come inside?"
Both mother and daughter nodded mutely, stepping back into the apartment and allowing them to pass. Seina stayed behind to close the door as her mother led them up a narrow set of stairs. Rohan had to duck at the top to keep from hitting his head on a low hanging doorway.
"Please excuse my rudeness," she said as they entered a small but comfortable living room. "The Equalists are combing the city day and night, making sure that our children are properly 'cleansed.'" She spat the last word out with disgust.
"We completely understand," Howl replied. "The Equalists have needed to restart their search for benders since a new generation was born under their watch."
Yumi sighed and folded into a seated position next to the short table, gesturing for Howl and Rohan to do the same. "I know, but it has made us so worried. We had been lucky to have her escape their notice the first time around. They took my bending, but she was too young to be of worry." She spread her hands and lowered her eyes. "I would give anything to keep my daughter from receiving the same torture, but she is too stubborn to let me protect her."
Howl put his hand consolingly over the woman's outstretched arm. "You have been very brave, my lady."
She gave a long sigh and looked back up. "What does bring an older gentleman and an airbender to my door?"
Howl cleared his throat uncomfortably. "We are here because of your daughter's bending," he answered, ignoring her remark about airbenders.
"What about her bending?" she asked worriedly. "Has she endangered herself in some way?" The stairs creaked, announcing Seina's entrance into the room, and her mother turned to her with fire in her eyes. "Seina! I told you to stop sneaking off to that teacher, it's too dangerous!"
"Mother!" she snapped back. "I can't just sit around and do nothing! I've been very careful!"
"Not careful enough, apparently! Your earthbending has been noticed!"
"Please, my lady," Howl interrupted. "But it is not her earthbending that has gotten her noticed."
Yumi looked back at him as her daughter's eyes went wide. "What do you mean?"
He lowered his eyes and said the next phrase so softly Rohan had to concentrate to hear it.
"It is her firebending."
The older lady gasped and put both hands over her mouth. Seina stumbled back a couple of steps, resting shakily against a wall before sliding down to sit on the ground.
"I thought...I thought it was a fluke," she said, voice trembling.
It troubled Rohan to see the girl who had, moments earlier, fearlessly stood up to them now sitting terrified on the ground. How bad had it been in the city, if she was so terrified of the idea of being a uniquely powerful bender, a spiritual link between worlds?
"Do you think you could do it again?" Howl asked the girl softly. From his coat he pulled out a small matchbook and lit a match, holding it out to her.
"I...I think so," some of the earlier stubbornness returned, and she stood up warily. She took a casual bending stance and drew a deep breath, closing her eyes. Carefully, she moved her hands forward and back, almost as if beckoning the flame closer to her.
The small fire on the match jumped and then, without warning, grew into a long stretch of flame that soared into Seina's outstretched palms. She held it there for a minute, eyes wide with disbelief, before leaping backwards as if she were burned. The flame extinguished the minute she jumped away, but her haunted look remained.
"Oh my..." her mother said, one hand on her chest and eyes wide as tea saucers. "This can't be so..."
Seina slumped to the ground again, staring at her hands as if they were foreign objects.
"I'm afraid it is," Howl said. "Your daughter is the Avatar."
A/N: And so ends Chapter 2, with some pretty important characters introduced! This story is going to update a bit slowly for a while until I can get a good buffer or chapters, but hopefully I won't keep you guys waiting too long until Chapter 3.
Reviews and constructive criticism are always appreciated :)