Thunk. Thunk. Thunk

Mako groaned as he was slowly woken by quiet repeating thunks. Curious to what that annoying sound might be, he got off the mattress that Bolin forced him to take the night before and began his search. He soon located the origin of the thuds in the big rock garden that served the Beifongs as a backyard. The rising sun barely illuminated the two figures standing there. Lin was standing in front of his brother while he stomped on what had to be a slab of metal by the sounds of it. So, Bolin was a metalbender too...now he was really going to have to figure out lightening.

"Can you even see anything in the metal?" Lin asked, breaking Bolin's rhythm.

"...No." Bolin gave a frustrated growl, "Why can't I see anything?" So he wasn't a metalbender...yet. Well, that gave Mako a little time to catch up.

"Metal is more stubborn than earth. You can't just stand your ground, you'll have to be completely unmovable."

"I thought I was."

"That's the trouble." Lin shook the earth so violently that Mako fell down and Bolin had to take a step back to balance himself, "You thought you were, you have to know you are...you alright, Mako?" She watched from her spot as he picked himself up and dusted himself off. The young metalbender-in-training took off his blindfold.

"You alright?" Bolin repeated.

"Yeah. I'm fine."

"Hey Mom, can we stop early today?" Bolin asked, Lin drew in a disapproving breath which caused her student to rethink his question, "...or maybe...I could practice with Mako for a bit?" Two birds with one stone that way, he got to spend time with his new found brother and he got off the metal slab. It was perfect.

"Fighting a different element couldn't hurt." She reasoned, because spirits forbid that she let the kid think he was getting off the hook for once.

"How 'bout it, big brother?"

"Uh, sure." This might be a bad idea.

"Bow." Lin ordered as the brother's faced off in the rocks. Bolin immediately bent forward, Mako didn't know if he should be doing the same bow or maybe a Fire Nation bow since he was a firebender. He decided just to mimic Bolin's movements, but it came out little bit less refined than his brother, "Begin." They both just stood there, Mako because he wasn't quite sure how to begin, Bolin because he was waiting for his opponent to make the first move.

"Okkkayyy...I'll go first." Bolin grinned as Mako's foot sunk fell into a newly made hole. He stumbled, but didn't completely fall and quickly jumped out of the little trap. The earthbender ducked under a fire blast and chucked a rock at his brother. Mako was quick, he managed to dodge it, but was tripped by a protruding rock and fell to the ground.

"Get out of his sight, Mako!" Lin hollered from her spot by the door.

"You're helping him?" Bolin stopped to ask. That was Mako's chance, he threw a few fire punches at him. Bolin hit the ground and didn't get back up. He started towards him, convinced that Bolin was seriously hurt, but by the time he reached his brother, he was gone. He'd sunk into the ground somewhere and Mako had no clue where.

"Well, that's that." Mako had seen earthbenders do that all the time. When they were beaten they'd hide or run underground where other benders couldn't follow.

"He's not hiding, he's charging!" She warned. Mako barely had time to brace himself as a wall of rocks came crashing into him, "For spirits sake, Mako! Get your feet off the ground!" Realization finally dawned on Mako. She'd said to get out of his sight, which made no sense because he couldn't see underneath his blindfold. But she wasn't talking about his eyesight. Yesterday Bolin said he could feel him if he was touching the earth, so he needed to get off the ground. But where...too late. While he was pondering that, Bolin encased his feet in earth then knocked him on his back. Now Mako was staring up at a skull sized boulder.

"Well, that's that." The earthbender smiled, dropping the rock in his hand and breaking the bonds. Mako leaped to his feet and turned his head away from his brother in an attempt to hide his embarrassment,

"Yeah. You win." 'Shouldn't that have been the other way around?'

"You really singed me, Mako." Bolin took off his shirt which had two fist sized holes. Under the shirt, Bolin's skin had reddened and already begun to peal.

"Uh, didn't mean to give you that much heat," he admitted, "you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine." He waved Mako off, "I think we got some burn ointment somewhere. Hey Mom! We got any-" A jar of brown liquid came hurling his way, he caught it and started to apply it."yeah that's what I needed. Thanks."

"I'm leaving. Take your brother out and get him some cloths." she threw some money on a small rock table.

"Okay."

"And get him a haircut or I'll do it myself." The boys both winced as a huge blade extended out of Lin's armor. Mako didn't want that thing anywhere near his head.

"Okay. Bye, Mom." Bolin waved with a sticky hand, "So we gotta get you some new duds...I got an idea."

"Why do I have a bad feeling about this?"

...

"You came to the right person." Asami steered the satomobile down the street, "So what kind of clothes do you like, Mako?" she glanced in the rear view mirror at a boy who was trying to look like this wasn't his first ride and he wasn't having fun.

"I don't know." He looked at her like she was crazy. How many kinds of clothes were there? "Just clothes."

"Nothing fancy." Bolin said from the passenger seat, "But he needs everything. Where do you think we should go?"

"Here." She said as the vehicle came to an abrupt halt, "This place should have everything we need."

"Uh, Asami. This is one of those high-end places." He whispered.

"They can make simple clothes." She assured, "And it's on me."

"Mom left me some money for him."

"No. Call it a birthday present." she turned to Mako, "You're birthday's in a couple of days, right?"

"Yeah, how'd you know?"

"You're on file at Police Headquarters." Bolin answered for her. Mako paled a little bit.

"Uh...I am?" He asked nervously. That wasn't good news.

"Yeah, we both are since...you know."

"Oh." Okay, he was safe. His sordid past was still under wraps.

"Well that and the 'petty thief about to become a Triple Threat' report." Bolin added casually. Mako stopped dead in his tracks.

"I don't know what your talking about." He insisted.

"Sure you do, 'Ash'." Bolin's eyes narrowed and his lips curved up into an almost evil grin...almost. And a tense moment followed,

"But...how did you..."

"Mom told me this morning before training. Said that someone from the upcoming triad unit recognized you. That's why she left in the middle of your talk yesterday." That...actually explained a lot. "Don't worry," the younger brother laughed suddenly causing the older one to worry about his mental health, "Everyone in the family has a rap sheet. I got petty theft on mine. Mom's got theft, destruction of property, vandalism, vigilantism, drunk and disorderly in public and multiple counts of assault."

"Are you making that up, Bolin?" Asami eyed him skeptically.

"No, no. Sad part is, it's all completely true. Grammy took me to the station once and we measured everyone's rap sheet. Mom's rap reaches from her shoulder to her knuckles. I don't know what's on Grammy's, but it was taller than she was. And they're both cops, so it's okay. Really. Now come on," he opened the shop's door for the both of them, "you got get some clothes."

"Welcome, Ms. Sato." a snooty, balding man bowed low, "To what do I owe the honor of your visit to my humble shop."

"Actually, I'm treating my friend here to an entire new wardrobe." She put a hand on Mako's arm for indication, "Everything needs to be simple and functional. Well, while we're here, we'll get him a suit."

"Of course, Ms. Sato." The man grabbed Mako's arm and pulled him toward another room to be measured.

"Hey, Bolin." Asami whispered to her friend as his brother disappeared through the door, "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah." he said somewhat sadly, "Hey!" he perked up,"Why wouldn't I be? I finally have Mako back."

"Bolin, he was about to join a triad. I know that isn't 'fine'."

"Look, most street boys join triads, all right?"

"I know. But if you want to talk about it..."

"I know, I know." He put on his best smile, "Thanks Asami."

"Hey, what's the big idea?!" They heard what sounded like a yipe from the firebender.

"I need to measure your inseam, Sir." a tailor explained. Bolin and Asami laughed.

...

By the end of the day, and 'end of the day' meant late at night, Mako had most of his new wardrobe with only a suit and a few formal pieces on order. He'd been given a haircut, been treated to a day at the spa and finally a fancy late dinner. He'd been poked, shoved around and cleaned in places he didn't even know he had. And now, thankfully, it was all over. Asami had just pulled up to Beifong's house.

"Thanks for everything, Asami." Bolin waved before grabbing as much clothing as he could carry.

"No problem." she waved as the boy walked into his house, "Hey Mako." she gestured for him to come closer, "I think you should talk to your brother."

"About what?"

"I think he does have a problem with your...history. He just won't say anything."

"He said it was fine. Didn't you hear, the people he's been living with all have records."

"But not for joining organized crime. He loves you, Mako, but I know Bolin. Something's bothering him."

"He's fine. He knows what I did and he's fine with it!" he stormed into the house. Asami huffed and steadied her eyes on the road. Soon Bolin came back for the rest of Mako's things.

"Is everything okay with you two?" Bolin asked.

"Yes, everything's perfect." She didn't take her eyes off the road, "I'll see you later, Bo."

"Bye, Asami." he frowned as she drove away, "Yeah, something's wrong." He went to the sitting room and dropped off the rest of the stuff, "So, you and Asami don't like each other?"

"No, she's great. Let's just turn in, Bro, it's been a long day."

"Hey, you called me 'bro'!" He grinned.

"Well, that's what you are."

"Yep, that's what we are." They each grabbed armfuls of cloths and started up the stairs, "Hey, we forgot to grab a bed for you." Bolin suddenly remembered along the way.

"I'll sleep on the floor tonight."

"No you won't. One, you're my brother and you've spent enough time sleeping on the ground. Two, I'm an earthbender, and I'll be completely comfortable on the stones."

"Well, I'm a firebender. Doesn't mean I like to sleep in the fireplace."

"Haha. You're taking my mattress and that's final-oh, never mind." He opened the door to see that after his mother got home from work she took it upon herself to do a little rearranging. The room itself was bigger, the wall adjoining the storage closet had been moved a few feet inward and their personal closet was put in the new space. There were a few more shelves up a new desk over by the window. Bolin's mattress had been placed where their closet used to be, with a slab of rock a few feet above it. On that slab was a real bed with the legs removed, "Bunk beds, sweet!"

"I'll put this stuff up tomorrow." Mako threw everything on his desk before taking off his new shoes, "I'm tired."

"Aaaaawaaaaawh, yeah, goodnight, Bro." Bolin ducked to get to his bed.

"Goodnight." Mako jumped to get to his. As sleep came upon him he heard his brother from beneath him,

"Why were you gonna do it?"

"Do what?"

"Join the Triple Threats." Silence was his only answer, "I mean, I get stealing and everything but...a triad? They're just like the guy who killed our parents."

"You think I don't know that?! I told them I'd have to think about it."

"What was there to think about?"

"Look, I wasn't raised in a nice house by a powerful bender and I don't have any rich friends! You don't know what's it's like on the streets. I did what I needed to do to survive!" He put on his shoes. Bolin had no right to judge him. And if everyone thought he was so bad because he got in with the Triple Threats then he had no reason to stay.

"Where you going?"

"Apparently, I don't belong here." He stalked out, expecting for his brother to call after him. And he'd never admit that he was disappointed that Bolin didn't. Well, good riddance. The firebender was all the way down the street when he was suddenly sunk up to his chin in the ground, "What the-"

"Hell." Bolin finished for him, "Sorry, Big Brother, but come on...it was just a question! Yeesh! I remember what's like to be cold and hungry and alone. I don't think I could be in a triad, but I get it!" He held up his hands like scales, "I may have a problem with you almost joining one," he lifted one hand, "but I'll get over it." he balanced it out with the other hand, "And one more thing. In this new family we got a rule, 'you stick beside your family, you don't turn them in and you don't turn your back on them', got it?"

"Yeah well, I turned my back on you."

"No, you got mad and stormed out. Let's just go home."

"I knew Beifong took you in." he whispered. Bolin just stood there in silence, like he was wondering if he'd really just heard his brother say that.

"...How long? You came as soon as you found out...right?" Yeah, that had to be what Mako meant. But he just shook his head,

"I've known for a long time-I thought you turned me in! I was mad...I thought you wanted her more than me."

"Why would you think that? You're my brother..."

"I know, it was stupid, I just...I don't know."

"You know what I've always wished?" Bolin sat down beside Mako's head, "I've always wished that our parents had never died and we'd still be a family, maybe I could have a little brother of my own. I'd still want to meet Lin, have her be a close aunt or something, but in all my daydreams I never once chose her over you. Never."

"Look, make me feel worse." he shot sarcastically.

"Well, you left me!" the situation finally inplanted in Bolin's mind, "I spent the better part of eight years searching for you and you just ditched me!" he let Mako out of the ground, "Just go! You didn't want me to find you so, GO!" He chucked a rock at his brother and turned to go home. Mako almost called after him, but his brother was right,

"I'm sorry, Bo." he turned to go back to Triple Threat territory where he belonged.

"And where do you think you're going, Bolin?" Lin was standing in the doorway when he got to his house.

"Mako and I had a fight."

"I heard. I repeat 'where do you think you're going'?"

"He hid from me for years! He ran off, why should I try to get him to come back?"

"Because he's family. And no matter how stupid they are, or how much they piss us off..."

"...We never turn them in, or turn our backs on them." He recited.

"And you couldn't hold a grudge to save your life. So, where are you going?"

"..." he sighed, "To bring my big brother home..."

"That's better."

"Mako!" He ran down the street, "Mako!" He finally saw flying scarf illuminated by the street lamps, "Mako!" What? Was he not going fast enough?

"I'm leaving already!"

"Oh no you're not." He cut in front of him and grabbed his shoulders,

"You're a rotten big brother...but you're the only one I got. So you're gonna go home, and you're gonna stay there, and you're gonna like it!" he pointed in the right direction, "Now!"

...They stared down each other...

"...Whatever." Mako turned on his heel and headed back to the Beifong house, "So...are we gonna be okay?"

"Yeah, sure."Bolin put an arm on his shoulder, "Like mom says, 'all children are crazy or dense'. I'm crazy, you're dense." Of course, Mako could've told Bolin that he seemed to be pretty dense himself, but he'd keep his mouth shut just this once.