Disclaimer: I don't own atla or lok

"Su, get up!"

She jolted awake. Her vision was blurry as she tried to get a sense of what was going on at the moment. Suyin wiped a hand over her face to rid herself of her drowsiness.

Banging came on her door. "I know you're sleeping in there. Get up. You were supposed to be in school two hours ago."

She couldn't help the groan that escaped her mouth. It wasn't a well thought out move as the person on the other side of the door received confirmation that she was there.

"Su!"

That's when she decided to angrily get up And throw her bedroom door open. In front of her with her deep scowl was her sister.

Suyin crossed her arms. "You don't live here anymore."

Lin looked down at her younger sibling annoyed. "And your point?"

"You can't boss me around. Stop being such a drag and go be a police officer like you wanted."

The older Beifong only deepened her rigid features. "It's called being responsible which you obviously suck at. You've skipped school three times this week. What are you doing?"

"That's none of your concern. Will you just go away?"

"Sometimes I wonder if you'll ever be able to make it on your own. You waste your life away with these stupid games when you could be applying yourself. Mom would be disappointed."

The young girl scoffed. "Yeah right. She wouldn't care. She doesn't care."

Lin wa getting frustrated. "Just dress your ass up. I'll even take you to school."

"I don't want to go!"

"If you don't, I'll follow you around today." She crossed her arms. "I know I'll be able to arrest you for something. Then you can spend the day in jail. Does that sound more appealing?"

Suyin was frowning hard.

"Your choice, Su."

Lin walked away leaving her steaming in the door way. The older Beifong only smirked when she felt the door slam and Suyin beginning to get ready for the day.

She said she was going to school. She didn't say she was going to classes.

Presently, Suyin sat in the very corner of the library. It was her favorite spot and the librarian had given up in trying to get her to class. The older woman had figured if a student was going to skip class, at least it was in a library. Even Su hadn't realized that she had read half the shelf that she usually slept against.

That section just so happened to be fiction stories.

On her lap was an open book while her head leaned against the book shelf. She was still tired from last night.

"Excuse me."

The book bounced off her thighs as she woke up in an instant. Her head turned from side to side until she met eyes with a boy.

Suyin gave him a look of indifference. "Can I help you?"

He began pointing. "Would you mind if grabbed a book behind your head?"

"Whatever." She scooted over and the boy went to do his thing. Su observed his features. He wasn't big, but it was obvious he had a bit of muscle. His black hair was pushed to one side and his glasses made his green eyes look bigger. The way he moved was awkward and with the least amount of confidence she has ever seen. All in all, Suyin concluded he was a dork.

"You thinking of becoming a pirate?"

One again, she was startled. She answered him annoyed. "What a random thing to say."

"Not really." The boy picked up her book that was face down on the ground. He held it out for her to take. "I just noticed that you were reading a story about pirates is all."

Suyin quirked an eyebrow. "It's just a story. I'm pretty sure pirates don't roam the seas anymore."

"On the contrary, the papers say that there are still some that sail around the fire nation. My theory is that some of them are Ozai loyalists."

"You're a geek, you know that?"

He blushed hard all of a sudden and Su fought the urge to roll her eyes. "Oh, well I just read a lot. That's all."

"So do I." Her arms crossed atop her chest. "But you don't see me spewing out information."

That's when his face changed. Suyin noticed and was curious to what he was about to say.

"You're very sarcastic. Blunt. Not too friendly."

"I'd really rethink what you are saying right now before I sock you across the face."

He sat down next to her and continued talking. "You skip class, but decide to do it in the library. You could be anywhere else, yet you stay on school grounds. Why is that?"

"It's none of you business that's what."

"Unless someone has a reason to look for you. Like those two in the window."

Suyin turned her head and she paled slightly at the sight of the two boys staring at her. They weren't dressed for school, their clothes roughed up and torn in a couple places. No, these boys were part of a triad.

And they didn't look all too happy.

One of the boys gestured for her to come outside.

"Did you do something wrong?"

She ignored the clueless boy's question and instead asked him something. "Are you a fast runner?"

"Not really considering I picked the library rather than gym."

"Too bad."

In a second, Suyin hopped up off the floor and grabbed the boy's hand. With a tug, she began pulling him through the library, weaving their way through the shelves. The librarian gave up and yelled at them when they ran out the doors noisily.

Suyin halted once they got outside. Looking left and right, she jumped at the sight of the two triad boys spotting her from the left. Suyin pulled on the boy and they ran in the opposite direction. They rounded several corners before stopping and standing flat against the wall. She used her feet to monitor the boys' location.

Next to Su, the boy was breathing heavily. "So people are looking for you."

"What can I say. I'm famous." She retorted.

"Why is that?"

Her shoulders shrugged "Some people don't like me for some things I've done."

He pushed his glasses up. "What's your name?"

"Su. Su is fine."

"I see."

"And you?" She picked up the boys and realized they were on their trail.

"Bataar."

Every time she looked back at Bataar, he continued to look at her like she was dumb. "What?"

"We ran off school grounds to hide in the city's public library? Really?"

"Yeah, your point?"

"Who else is looking for you?"

Suyin was starting to get annoyed by the smart ass attitude of this boy. "Has anyone ever told you that you're nosy?"

"It's actually just the ability of deductive reasoning. It's a more appropriate term."

She groaned. "Oma, do you ever stop?"

"Tell me who's looking for you and I will."

The young Beifong crossed her arms and looked away. "Those boys are part of a triad. Their boss has some beef with me."

Bataar pushed his glasses up and put his elbows on the table. "What did you do?"

The way he had said it this time seemed less like he wanted to pry. Suyin contemplated if her ears were tricking her with the care in his voice. "That's none of your concern."

"Let's trade. I'll tell you a little bit about myself if you tell me."

"That doesn't seem like a fair trade. You're just going to tell me something stupid like your favorite color."

"I left my parent's estate to escape an arranged marriage."

She flinched. That was something she definitely wasn't expecting. Her eyes changed into curiosity, especially since he answered with a smile on his face. "Why is that? I didn't even know they still did arranged marriages."

He waves his hand back and forth. "Let's just say I come from a privelaged family. They like to keep traditions alive. Like that one."

"You're rich?"

"Not anymore." He laughed. "Now I just roam around looking for something interesting."

She leaned back in her chair. "And you were in a school library of all places?"

"Streets are crawling with police. They'll just throw me back into one for being out during school hours."

She just nodded in understanding.

They sat in silence for several moments before Bataar continued conversation. "So what about you? Why are you connected to a triad?"

Su hesitated before answering. She channeled her mother and set her feet on the table. Her hands went behind her head. "I was looking for some excitement and decided to so some jobs for the triad. I guess I was doing so well that the boss wanted me to become his right hand woman if you know what I mean. I want out, but they won't leave me alone. I guess I'm their best person."

He looked at her confused. "You don't seem like someone who would get involved with triads for no reason. You poor? Needed some money?"

"The opposite actually. Mom and big sis are part of the police force. Plus we were rich to begin with."

"Alright. So money isn't a problem. Needed a hobby and took up criminal activity?"

Suyin breathed heavily. "Yeah. Just bored I guess."

Bataar got straight to the point. "You hated it the first time didn't you?"

She put her feet down and listened carefully to his heartbeat. He was...actually interested. At that moment, she didn't know what came over her, but she buried her head in her arms upon the table.

Bataar stayed with her.

"Why don't you just leave the triads? Actually, why don't you just tell your mom or sister?"

Suyin just laughed sarcastically. "Yeah. That's going to slide well. The triad wouldn't be after just my ass, they would be after Mom's and Lin's. They already have people after them all the time."

Bataar smiled. "Wow. And I was worried that you hated your family. But you really do love them."

"I'm just saving them trouble. That's all."

"Whatever you say. I can see right through your personality." Bataar routinely pushes his glasses towards his face.

Suyin couldn't help but smirk slightly. "You are such a dork."

"Yes, but at least I'm open about it. I'm sure I can be just as stubborn and sarcastic like you, but that isn't fun." He tripped over a crack in the road. She laughed at him. Bataar just got flushed.

The two were currently walking through the market district of Republic City. With the crowds helping to cover them, they wouldn't be so easily found.

"How old are you?"

Bataar scratched his head. "I'm seventeen."

Suyin rolled her eyes. "Just like my sister. You wouldn't like her."

"Why is that?"

"Multiply my stubborn characteristics by a hundred and you've got Lin."

Bataar actually widened his eyes. "Yikes. I don't think we'd get along. How old are you?"

"Fifteen." She didn't know what caused her to say the rest. "I'm turning sixteen in about a week."

He smiled. "That's neat. The big one six. That's exciting."

"Not really. I'm just going to have some stupid family dinner like always. I'd rather travel somewhere like the fire nation or maybe Ba Sing Se."

She was shocked when Bataar began ranting. "Oh man! The train system in Ba Sing Se is phenomenonal. If they installed tracks towards the city, travel could probably be way easier. Also, the architecture is a master piece in the upper ring. The palace is quite the marvel may I say. The earth queen may not know politics, but she certainly has a taste for art. She's always constructing new buildings. I don't know who her architect is, but I'd sure love to meet him or her."

Suyin stared back at him. He suddenly became in embarrassed.

"I didn't mean to ramble."

Her frown turned into a smile. "Dork."

Bataar shook his head. "I'm not escaping that nickname, am I?"

"Nope."

"I thought so." He just sighed. "So what are you gonna do? You can't just keep walking around forever."

She waved the concern off. "I'll be fine. They don't know where I live. I'll just...talk to them tonight."

"Oh I'd definitely advise against that."

She stopped. "Why?"

He gave her a look that accuses her of being stupid. "They aren't happy with you and you're going to meet then in the dead of night? That's the most idiotic plan I've ever heard."

"How about you worry about yourself. I've got this."

Bataar just got angry. "No you don't. You don't even have a plan and you are just winging it."

"I'll be fine."

"No you won't."

"Jeez, leave me alone."

"I'm just trying to help you."

"Than do that by leaving me alone!"

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

The two turned away from each other and intended to walk away. They for about twenty feet from each other but instead ran into two particular people.

Suyin swallowed at the sight of the boys along with their boss in front of her.

Meanwhile, Bataar was face to face with an officer.

Officer Lin Beifong.

Since this story doesn't follow canon exactly. I decided to make it a bit more interesting. Also, if you guys could disregard the errors in the ages of Lin and Su. I started this story before we found out they were six years apart. So bare with me. Haha I'd appreciate it. Thanks for reading you guys!