My anger and frustration always got the better of me. My mom always complimented how intelligent I was and she admitted that it was funny that sometimes I could outsmart my brother. "In any situation Khai, it amazes me that you can outsmart Bo" she would say.

I put the parcel under my arm and left home, into the city. Once I got onto the street it seemed always busy. Venders, market stalls, and shops filled every sidewalk. I couldn't walk down any street with being offered a papaya or some type of fruit and the thing was I always accepted. My family had it perks, one being I would get free samples everyday of fruit and meat.

I passed onto one of the first market streets, which happened to be my favorite. Everyone was cheerful, prices were cheap, and it seemed to be the only market place without a chalk outline of a body on the ground. Automobiles, mostly coal and steal transport units ruled the streets but it was nice to see such an speedy industrial city.

"Khai, my good friend how are you? Hoped you saved some room for some cooked duck!", said Bozu. Bozu was a big guy, round in shape, but evidently he had taken a liking to me ever since he met my father. They would talk their mouths off about the Equalist party, they were good friends.. which was surprising. I smiled and nodded "Always great to see you Bozu, hows business? Working hard?" I replied.

Bozu stood in the exact spot almost everyday serving the best roast duck I've ever tasted. However today seemed like he might pack up early, if the lack of customers did get to him, the heat would. "More like hardly working kid, your like my seventh visitor. It's like everybody disappeared!" He exaggerated of course, these markets were filled with people from all over the city, I'm not sure why they weren't coming to his stall. Who wouldn't want a smoking hot duck leg in this Scorching heat. Khai laughed to himself at this thought. He wiped the sweat from his brow and smiled.

I started to say "well I better be off Bozu, I have to deliver this parcel to Shino in district 10, I would talk more but my father-" when he interrupted me. " Your father oh come now don't let me from holding your from your duties, here take a cooked duck leg on the way". The mention of my father made him excited. They were good friends and he knows that he was a powerful politician.

"Thanks Bozu, good luck" I said taking a bite of the duck and walking away waving. "Don't mentioned it kid! Hey tell your friends about me!" He shouted over the sound on oncoming traffic passed by him. A Coal truck passed through and the flow of the smoke had entered his lungs. I could hear him coughing and swearing at the ongoing driver.

I grinned, even for an Equalist I still considered him my friend even if he was forty years older.

That was rare, ever since my father got into the Equalism party when we moved here, I chose to ignore Equalists except for one other I met in the at the College of Kyoshi. The College was none other then a learning center where all teenagers of Republic City, 13-18, had to attend. Children 5-12 attended a lower level college.

I stopped at the corner of the market and tried to remember the direction I had to go, Bozu had disappeared within the crowds of people, and besides I didn't want to turn and ask for direction. Dammit what was it? The heat had affected my head, I had to get under some shade. I went straight across the street looking for a familiar way but found none. I kept walking straight until I came across the first shaded spot I saw, the trash ally. I didn't care I needed to get out of the sun.

Running around the corner I sat down on a metal trash can that was leaning against a dumpster. I felt the trash can crunch down a a bit but it felt good to get a little rest of my legs. I laid the parcel next to me on the ground and tried to find out my location. It took me a few minute to see Bieu's Cold Goods store across the street. I remembered my location and went on after a few more minutes rest. I walked for about thirty minutes and found myself at the border to district 10. It had been a grueling walk but it would soon pay off. Now my knowledge of the district borders had been strong, they were all the same and were always very caution about what people brought in.

The thing about district 10 was that is was nicknamed "The Sand Pit" and it was mostly a sand bending district. It was the closest bending part of Republic city to Kyoshi Way others were more Equalist parts. Now district guards had to let anybody in their borders, that was a city rule. It doesn't mean however that they would treat you with a smile and a high five.

I had a feeling they would give the son of a high Equalist politician some trouble before letting me through. District borders had rules and in these days they were strict.

I knew what they would do to me if I tried to enter district 10 and going back to get my father's aid would not make him happy. Why would he respect me if I always went back to get his aid for things. It wasn't an option, I had to make a choice. After five minutes of preparation I was ready to enter. The side walk border itself was nothing more than a large metal door that opened vertically. The street Borders were just metal posts that sank into the ground when they allowed a vehicle to get through.

I approached the border gaurd. He was wearing a traditional sand uniform, tan turban covering everything but his eyes, and a brown metal studded chest torso peice, covered with a brown civilian shirt to make himself seem less then threat. He also had tan cloth wrappings around his arms and legs.

"Identification" he said with the least bit of emotion. I handed him my papers. When I took the job of courier for Republic City Mail they gave you many papers one of which being a quick passport allowing someone to pass through the borders, following Republic City regulations of course. He ignored my paper and seemed to have take a notice to my parcel. He snickered.

"Is something wrong" I asked. He glared at me "Come on Equalist filth you expect us to let you in with an unknown parcel? You must take me for an idiot. The rules don't allow us to check the parcel itself but to deny anyone under the age of 21", he almost laughed while saying it to me.

"What, since when has that ruled been established? I've been delivering parcels for a year now, this has never been a rule?", he could sense the frustration in my voice and only laughed as his spit on the hot pavement. I was angry not only was the sun kicking my ass but now I have this guy to deal with. I remember about hearing about some extreme Equalists detonating an explosive in district 22 which was mostly water benders. When my father, Bao heard about it he called it a "Noble act", even though nobody could find out who did it. I guess word got around in The Pit so they strengthened security.

"I've never seen you before. Beat it kid", he said throwing the parcel at my chest. "Equalist dirt", he added. I couldn't let my anger get the better then me, what the hell was I suppose to do attack him? Try to run past? No that was just stupidity. I turned around and started walking, there was nothing more I could do.

What was I supposed to tell dad? Sorry I failed because you weren't holding my hand? No that's just a bunch of bull. I had so much on my mind right now, my father, my fight with Bo, and not to mention I'm not going to get paid until this parcel is delivered. I sat down on a sidewalk bench with the parcel next to me. A flute player across the street had gotten my attention. His melody's seem to have gotten my spirits up, despite all that has happened.

All of a sudden his soft melody was silence, in fact everything went silent, All sound that was on the flute player side of the street had been completely deafened by the sound of loud explosion that had gone off overhead.

The force had thrown large chunks of cement and metal across the streets. Glass had shattered and pieces flew like shuriken through anything that came it's way. The flute player that had once been playing the melody of peace was crushed by the overhead balcony that had fallen on him and now the spirit of death stands in his position smiling, mocking, and laughing over what has happened. His blood seeped onto the streets. In fact is wasn't just him. A border guards neck had been slashed brutally by a piece of glass, and many civilians lay spread across the blood soaked pavement, dead.

There bodies, some severed, now lay cooking under the harsh sun.