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The Rampage rolled down the road as Mako headed for their next destination, wherever that might be. He didn't have an exact plan in mind but Jinora had given him the idea; travel to different areas and teach Ryu one element at a time. The difference was that he was going to do it away from Republic City and with people he trusted implicitly. As an added precaution, to keep Toadman off their backs, he was also going to avoid towns as much as possible. He wasn't exactly famous, but being The Fetchling automatically drew attention…usually bad.

In the passenger seat, Ryu had his feet casually resting on the dash while Juji was resting on his lap.

"So, how are you going to teach me to use the four elements?" the teen suddenly asked. "You're only a Firebender and I don't need to learn that."

"I have connections," Mako replied. It was the truth, even if he hadn't spoken to any of those connections yet about training the Avatar. He'd cross those bridges when he came to them. "And get your feet off the dash."

Ryu gave him an ugly sneer but did as he was told.

"I can show you what I know," Koji said.

One of the few things Mako knew about Koji was that he was an Earthbender. That, and he apparently liked movers a little too much according to his parents. He wondered how the teen would handle not having a Televiewer for however long it took to train Ryu.

"That's good to offer Koji, but we're going to start with Firebending," Mako stated. "That's Ryu's native element so that's the best place to begin."

"I just told you, I know how to Firebend, I learned on the streets," Ryu smugly stated. "There's nothing you can teach me."

"Oh really?" Mako replied, accepting the challenge.

He brought the vehicle to a stop at a rocky clearing hidden amongst a series of small hills. There, he lead the boy onto the stone ground to face-off while Mari and Koji watched from the sidelines. Juji was left in Mari's care who hugged him around his chest. The bird didn't seem to mind as he hung contentedly in her arms.

Once they were positioned, Mako slid his glasses into his jacket breast pocket and turned to the boy.

"Alright Kid. Let's see what you can do."

"It's Ryu." The teen reiterated his name with an annoyed scowl. Then, he immediately launched a series of fire fists to start the sparring match.

Mako kept his good arm resolutely behind his back, the other still in its sling, and easily dodged the fireballs. That definitely upset Ryu because the next attack was both fists coming together to create a stream of fire. The flames reflected off his horns as he casually side-stepped them; then he charged. Ryu was taken by complete surprise when he tripped him with his tail as he zipped past.

"Hey!" Ryu yelled from where he had eaten dirt. "No fair using your tail! I thought we were supposed to be Firebending!"

"You're supposed to be Firebending," Mako corrected. "And fair doesn't mean much in an actual fight."

Ryu picked himself up off the ground and launched another series of attacks all of which he deftly dodged. The boy was clearly getting frustrated and suddenly charged, fire bent around his fist. The flames instantly evaporated in his grasp when he grabbed Ryu's fist mid-strike.

"If you're going to get close. You better make those strikes count," Mako stated as he clutched the boy's fist. It was a lesson he'd learned in the pro-bending arena. "Bending is making the elements work for you. Get in close and you're more likely to get hurt." He proved his point by tripping the teen again. Now Ryu was mad. The teenager came at him full-force, kicking and punching—fire flying everywhere. Mako continued to taunt the boy as he effortlessly dodged each wild swing.

"C'mon already!" Ryu yelled in-between strikes. "Is the big bad Freak of Police afraid to attack the Avatar!"

Insult aside, Mako decided to give the boy what he wanted. He went on the offensive.

Ryu was surprised when a large blue fireball flew from the Chief's fist. It hit him square in the chest and sent him tumbling across the rocky ground. He quickly righted himself only to be greeted by twin waves of fire that had come from the Chief's leg and tail. Heat washed over his back, the twin flames barely missing him, as he dove to the ground and covered his head. After the flames passed, he braved a look only to see that the man wasn't done. A stream of blue fire rushed towards him from the Chief's mouth. The blaze reflected off his face as it came mere centimeters from his nose. It was enough to prove that the Chief could have roasted him had he wanted to. The man then returned his glasses to his face, a clear sign he was done sparring.

"You have some good techniques for a street bender, but you still have a lot to learn," the Chief said.

Ryu sulked, but he knew when he was beat.

"That fire breathing thing was kind of cool I guess," he grumped, refusing to look at the man. He wasn't about to admit how cool he really thought it was.

"Kid, that's just the start of what a Firebender can do," the Chief replied and offered him a hand off the ground. He quickly swatted it away.

"The name's Ryu," he glowered insistently before he marched back to where Koji and Mari had been watching.

Mako watched as the boy stormed away and reclaimed his pet. He wasn't too offended. He didn't expect immediate acceptance from the teenager. It did give him some insight however. There was going to be a lot to work on besides Ryu's bending. As Asami had noted, he was going to have his hands full.

"Let's make camp here," he finally said after rejoining the teens.

"We're going to camp?" Mari spouted excitedly. "I've never been camping before."

"Honestly, neither have I," Mako admitted. It wasn't something he could do after his parents died. Later, it wasn't something he was really interested in doing.

"If we're going to camp, can I make a suggestion…sir?" Koji said sheepishly. It was obvious the teenager was nervous around him.

"Go ahead Koji."

"It's all stone here." The teen tapped his foot on the solid surface. "Unless you want me to Earthbend the stakes, it's going to be hard to put up tents."

The poor terrain hadn't even occurred to him. He'd only suggested it because they were already stopped.

"Way to go Chief," Ryu immediately snarked. "You're supposed to teach me to be the Avatar and you can't even camp properly."

"Even adults make mistakes Ryu," Mari stated, ever quick to defend her grandpa.

Mako put up his hand which stopped any further bickering.

"It's okay Mari. I appreciate it but you don't need to defend me," Mako began. "And you're right Kid, I don't know how to camp…"

A smug smile spread across Ryu's face which quickly vanished when Mako sternly stared down at him. "What I do know is how to protect you from that other Fetchling and how to teach you to defend yourself. That's why I'm here."

Ryu stuffed his hands in his hoody pockets and stubbornly looked away. "Yeah, whatever…" he replied with an annoyed scowl.

That was an all-too-familiar statement Mako hadn't heard in years. Prior to this, it had mostly come from his own son. He quickly shook the memories from his head.

"Let's just get back on the road," he finally said. The teenagers took that as their cue and hopped back inside The Rampage.

They found a more adequate camping area tucked in a woods several miles away. An old dirt trail allowed the large vehicle to navigate through the trees until they found an appropriate clearing.

"Alright. It's already late so let's hurry and get the tents set-up," Mako said.

While Mari and Koji helped unload the equipment, Ryu balked.

"Why are we putting up tents anyway?" the boy asked. "There's beds in The Rampage. Why don't we sleep in there?"

The Rampage was essentially a motor-home. It had four beds, stacked two on each side, a small sink, stove, bathroom, and plenty of storage. It even had an icebox, which was unheard of in a vehicle, and everything was powered by an internal generator that could be charged by the truck's battery or a quick bout of Lightningbending. Even though it had all the amenities, Mako didn't want to rely on it for everything.

"It's a warm night, it's not going to hurt to stay outside," he replied. "Then, we don't need to use the air conditioning."

"Well, I'm not sleeping out here. See you all in the morning." Ryu headed back to The Rampage and had to stop when Mako snagged his wrist with his tail.

"No…We're all sleeping outside," he firmly stated. Ryu wasn't going to get special treatment because he was the Avatar. Or any other reason for that matter.

Mari and Koji exchanged nervous glances as they watched the confrontation.

"You can't make me sleep out here!" Ryu snapped. Juji agreed with a loud hiss. "You might be training me, but you're not my dad!" Mako wasn't trying to be the boy's father and was momentarily taken aback by the statement. It allowed Ryu to rip his wrist free and continue his march to The Rampage. There was a loud slam as he closed himself inside the vehicle. Koji rushed to the door a moment later.

"Ryu? C'mon man. It's not so bad sleeping outside," he said as he tugged on the locked door. There was no response.

"Leave him be Koji," Mako interjected. He knew from experience forcing Ryu to sleep outside was only going to lead to resentment. He'd let the kid have his way…for now. "Let's finish setting up."

Ryu woke in the middle of the night covered in sweat. Even stripped down to his shorts, the vehicle was suffocating. Nearby, Juji was panting. The bird was also overheating which surprised him since iguana parrots were native to tropical locations. He quickly poured his pet a bowl of water who greedily lapped it up.

"Damn…" He quietly cursed to himself. Sleeping outside would have been better. He couldn't leave though. It would be admitting to the Chief that he was wrong and he wasn't about to have that. He left Juji behind and clambered over the rear seat that separated the living area from the cab. Maybe the Chief had left the keys in the ignition, then he could turn on the air conditioning. No such luck. The slot was empty. That wasn't about to stop him. Hot wiring The Rampage shouldn't be any different than a regular Satomobile. He flipped over onto his back and was about to pop open the steering column when the driver side door popped opened instead. He slowly shifted his head to see the Chief standing in the moonlight. The man's tail casually weaved behind him as he stared down his sharp nose at him.

How'd he even know I was awake?

"Looking for something?" The Chief dangled a set of keys from his fingers.

"No!" Ryu defiantly snapped and quickly righted himself. "I thought I saw a loose wire and I was going to fix it. Get all suspicious when I'm doing you a favor," he finished with an indignant huff.

"Uh-huh." Clearly, the Chief wasn't buying it. "Well…After you're done 'fixing that wire,' if you want to get a break from The Rampage, Mari set-up an extra tent. She was worried you and Juji might get too warm. You're welcome to use it if you want."

That did sound like a good idea. He decided to take his offered "out" to save face. "Hmpf…I guess since Mari went to all the work to set it up," he said. "C'mon Juji." The bird flew to his shoulder as he slid out of the driver's seat. It gave the Chief an angry hiss as he casually walked past the man to the tent.

Inside the tent was a bedroll and several pillows: one for him, one for Juji, and an extra one for whatever reason. There was even a blanket folded up in one corner, just in case. They were all spread neatly on the floor, evidence that Mari had prepared it herself. The cool night breeze that slipped through the screened window made him shiver. After sweating so much, it was actually chilly in the tent.

"I guess this isn't so bad Juji," Ryu said as he gave the bird an affectionate scratch under its chin. It was better than the old building he normally spent his nights in, but maybe not for the obvious reason. It was more because Mari had taken the care to set it up specifically for him.

Juji snuggled onto a pillow while he climbed into the bedroll and they were soon sound asleep.

"Alright. Everyone up!"

Ryu grumbled when he heard the Chief's voice. There was a warm glow outside his window, but it felt way too early to be getting out of bed. He yawned and rubbed his eyes as he dragged himself from his tent with Juji on his shoulder.

"Good morning Ryu." Mari was first to greet him with a bright smile on her face. She was already properly dressed and was neatly stacking twigs together in a pile in the middle of the camp. Probably for a campfire, but there was hardly enough to maintain a proper flame. Plus, with two Firebenders in the group, they weren't really necessary. Although, neither him nor the Chief could sit around and Firebend all day. When he took that into account, a campfire did make sense.

"Did you sleep well?" she asked. "You didn't get too cold did you?"

"It was fine I guess," he casually shrugged. His pride made him omit a proper thank you. "What time is it?"

"About six o'clock," came the overly cheerfully answer.

"Six? Why are you waking me up at six, Chief?" His voice cracked as he questioned the man. The Chief was already dressed too, but more casually than Ryu had seen previous. He was wearing a tank top over a pair of loose pants with his tail hanging out the back. As long as the limb was, the Chief kept it above the ground as he walked so it wouldn't drag in the dirt. His right arm was still in its sling, but his exposed left arm had a large red scar that went up nearly to his elbow. Ryu hadn't noticed it before and wondered what the story was behind it.

"Better get used to it Kid," the Chief replied. "It's good to get into a routine. That goes for you too Koji." He shouted across the camp to the other boy's tent. There was no response.

"Good luck with that," Ryu scoffed. "Koji's not a morning person." He had been best friends the other teen long enough that he knew that much.

The Chief walked over to the tent and knocked on the canvas flap.

"C'mon Koji. Time to get up."

Snoring was the only response.

"I got this Chief," Ryu said as he confidently strode up to the tent. "Koji! There's a chameleon rhino stampeding towards your tent!" He stomped his feet on the ground to add to the imaginary threat.

"What?!" Koji nearly ripped the door off as he burst out with his bedroll wrapped around his waist. He only managed a few steps however before he ended up face-first in the dirt.

"Ryu. That wasn't very nice," Mari scolded as she rushed to help Koji.

"It worked though," Ryu replied with a casual shrug.

"Next time, let's not use the threat of death as an alarm clock, alright Kid," Mako said with a deep sigh.

"Yeah, whatever…" Ryu remarked as he wandered away, his "job" finished.

"Are you okay Koji?" Mari asked. She helped him to his feet and used the furry tip of her tail to brush him off.

Koji flushed red. "Y, Yeah, I'm fine," he stammered as the soft fuzz brushed against his sleeveless arms. Similar to the Chief, he was wearing a tank-top, but he had a pair of shorts instead of pants. "That little stumble was nothing," he added with a confident smile. Then, he stomped his foot onto the ground. There was a loud yelp as Ryu tripped on a sudden stone that popped-up in his path.

"Hey!" Ryu bent a ball of fire over his hand as he set his sights on the other boy. He was surprised when the flame evaporated a second later. "What the—?"

"Why don't you boys save that energy for when we start training," the Chief interrupted. "Hurry up and get dressed."

Ryu took a moment to scrutinize the man. Did he extinguish my fire? If so, he wasn't making it obvious as he casually strolled around the camp site as if nothing had happened.

After everyone was properly dressed, Mako lined the three teenagers up in front of him in a small clearing. Mari stood at attention while the boys were a little more…relaxed. Ryu was slouching as if Juji was the heaviest thing in the world while next to him, Koji was barely able to stand. A yawn escaped the latter teen's mouth as he struggled to stay upright.

"I'm going to start you boys with some simple calisthenics: push-ups, squats, and basic forms," he instructed.

Both boys grumbled.

"Why am I out here?" Koji mumbled. "I'm not the Avatar." He shot an annoyed scowl at Ryu.

"This isn't a vacation Koji," Mako reminded him. "You wanted to come along so you're going to train like the rest of us."

Koji responded with an exasperated "ugh."

"Why do we have to do all this extra stuff? Can't we just get to the bending?" Ryu grumped next.

"No, we can't just 'get to the bending,'" Mako answered. "You'll need to stay in shape if you want to bend all four elements properly."

"I exercise almost every morning and I'm not even a bender," Mari added in an effort to motivate the boys. It didn't work. They both gave her ugly frowns which she reciprocated with an indignant scowl.

An idea came to Mako's head.

"I'll tell you what boys. If either of you can do more push-ups than Mari in say…sixty seconds. We'll get straight to bending," Mako suggested. Koji didn't seem keen on the idea as he slumped to the ground but Ryu was up for the challenge. A smile spread across his face as he slapped his palms on the grass. He probably thought it was going to be easy against a girl.

What he certainly wasn't taking into account was that Mari had been raised by two police officers. Plus, Mako was a former pro-bender. He and Shizuku knew the importance of training, and they didn't even need to compel her to do it. When she was little, she had to do everything her Papa Mako did. If she wanted to copy him exercising, they weren't about to discourage it. As such, she had been doing a regular regimen since she was four.

"And no cheating. I want to see you on your toes with your backs straight," Mako stated before turning to Mari. "Ready?"

Mari positioned herself above the grass with her tail over her back.

"Ready Papa," she replied with a look of sheer determination across her brow.

"And don't push too hard," he whispered in her ear, fairly certain she would put both boys to shame without trying. She gave him a silent nod. "You can begin."

All three teenagers shoved against the ground. Koji surrendered almost immediately and flopped face-down in the grass. Ryu was lasting longer but, in his effort to upstage Mari, he was going too fast. While she kept her steady pace, he huffed as he used the last of his energy to keep off the ground. By the end, it was no contest. Mari had easily outperformed both boys. She bounced to her feet once time was up.

"Good job sweetie," Mako said as he gave her a gentle horn bump.

"Thank you Papa," she graciously smiled.

"That wasn't fair," Ryu grumped from where he was wheezing on the ground, Juji on his chest. "She's a police brat." He was rewarded with another glare from Mari.

"If you thought it wasn't fair, why'd you accept the challenge?" Mako stated.

Ryu's scowl returned as he looked away. It was obvious it was sour grapes.

"Discipline, hard-work…these are things you're going to need to learn if you want to control all four elements, Kid," Mako stated. "It's not going to be easy, but I know you're up to the challenge, and so did Shizuku." The mention of his wife's name seemed to soften the boy's sullen attitude, albeit only a little. Apparently, she'd made quite the impact on him during their brief interactions. Mako wasn't surprised. She always had that effect on people. "So, give me ten sit-ups and then we can all get breakfast." After the impromptu push-ups, that seemed like a sufficient start.

"Fine…" Ryu huffed.

"I'm going to finish my routine Papa," Mari said.

"That sounds good."

While the pair went about their exercises, Mako went to check on Koji. The teen was dead asleep while drool ran out the side of his mouth.

"This is going to take some work," he sighed.

Koji was more productive after he had some food in his belly. He helped set-up a proper campfire, complete with a stone ring, and made sure to point out any poisonous plants that happened to be in the area.

Although Mako had said he didn't know how to camp, he wasn't a complete novice when it came to roughing it. He and Bolin had survived the streets of Republic City after all. Even so, he listened patiently to Koji's advice and recommendations. It seemed to help the teenager get more comfortable around him.

"How do you know so much about camping Koji?" Mari asked once the teens were settled around the campfire ring. Mako stood nearby, his morning coffee firm in his hand, while he listened to the conversation.

"My parents took me every year," Koji answered. "Mom called them her 'inspiration retreats.' She'd drag me around and show me how to bend different types of earth and rocks. Then I'd go fishing with Dad. It was usually pretty fun."

"It sounds like when we'd go to the Avatar Korra park in the city, right Papa?" Mari said. "Nana Zu would take us around the gardens and make-up stories about the flowers. They were silly, but it was a fun way to learn about the different species."

While the two teens exchanged stories, Mako noticed Ryu sulking in his chair. He couldn't be certain but, given the boy's temperament, he was was probably jealous. From what he had gleaned from Ryu's police record, the teen never had a consistent family. Listening to Mari and Koji talk about theirs, had to be difficult.

That's also when he noticed Juji glaring at him. Normally, he didn't have a problem with animals, but Juji was proving to be the exception. There wasn't a single moment when the bird wasn't growling or hissing at him; he didn't even need to be near Ryu. The iguana parrot just automatically hated him and he had no idea why.

The cheerful conversation stopped when Ryu suddenly shot-up from his chair.

"I'm going for a walk," he stated.

"Why don't we all go for a walk," Mari cheerfully suggested. "I want to find a pretty flower or something interesting to document in my journal as a reminder for the day."

"Then go with Koji," Ryu huffed. "I don't need a tag-along." He disappeared into the trees a moment later.

A disappointed frown fell across Mari's face as her tail curled around her legs.

"Don't let it get to you Mari," Koji said from where he poked at the small fire. "He does that to me too sometimes."

Mako placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"I know Papa…" She sighed before he could say anything. "He's just angry and doesn't know what to do with it."

Mako was surprised by that statement. He was only trying to comfort her after the rejection but he didn't realize how insightful she could be. Mari really did take after her grandmother when it came to reading people.

"I need to do my own exercises," he finally said. "You'll make sure nothing happens around here, right?" He winked at Mari, insinuating that she was in charge while he was gone, and her smile returned.

"Of course Papa," she replied with a happy wag of her tail. With the burden of responsibility placed on her shoulders, even just the campsite, she quickly pushed Ryu's rejection aside. Even though she was the youngest, thirteen to the boys' fourteen, she was probably the most mature. Of course, being his granddaughter meant he trusted her above the boys anyway.

Ryu tromped through the trees with Juji tight to his neck.

"'My dad takes me fishing,' 'Nana takes me to the park,' blah, blah, blah." He mocked the conversation as he swatted away branches. The only thing he'd ever learned from his families was rejection and how to steal cars.

He hadn't strayed too far when he heard noises. It sounded like Firebending. He followed the sound until he came across the Chief who was shadow-bending with a large rock. An angry growl came from Juji which he quickly cut-off when he pinched the bird's beak closed.

"Shhh…" he hissed as he hid behind a tree. When he was sure he hadn't been noticed, he peeked around the trunk. The Chief was going through a series of Firebending techniques; quick punches and jabs followed by wide kicks. Like he had seen when they were sparring, the man was even using his tail, all with his arm still in a sling. Ryu couldn't help but feel a twinge of admiration. Out of all his foster families, only one had had a Firebender in it and they had only taught him to use his bending to cause trouble. He continued to silently watch until the Chief winced after a fire fist. That seemed to be the end of exercising as the man shook his hand loose and plopped, cross-legged, onto the ground. Did he hurt himself?

"Did you need something Kid?" the Chief suddenly asked while he flexed his fingers.

Ryu thought he'd been hidden but apparently he was wrong.

"Nah," he replied as he casually stepped away from his hiding spot, like he'd meant to be there the entire time. "I was just making sure you were exercising. We shouldn't have to if you don't." Juji moved himself to the opposite shoulder with a growl as Ryu plopped himself next to the Chief. When he'd sat, the man's tail flipped away from him. Probably didn't want it to get accidentally squished.

"I don't expect you to do anything I haven't done, or won't do, myself," the Chief stated. "We all need to work together out here, as long as you remember I'm the one in charge."

"Yeah, fine…" Ryu replied. He plucked at the grass as the man continued.

"I don't know how your relationship works with Koji, but I want you to take it easy on Mari. You can sling your smart-ass comments and jabs, but you keep them aimed at me. She doesn't deserve it. She's going to have a hard enough time as it is," the man stated.

"You don't need to protect her. Mari's strong," Ryu replied. Even the short time he'd known her, he knew that much.

"She is strong," the Chief agreed. "But she shouldn't need to use that strength to defend against people who are supposed to be her friends."

Now Ryu understood. Mari was a Fetchling, and although she was probably used to being mocked for her appearance, he didn't need to add to that burden by unnecessarily attacking her.

"I'll try…" he replied.

"That's all I ask Kid."

"Ughhh…Do you need to keep calling me 'Kid?'" he huffed.

"I'll stop if you really want," the Chief offered.

He paused and thought about it a moment. Hearing the nickname from the man was actually kind of nice. Like so many other things though, he wasn't about to admit it.

"Whatever…Do what you want," he grumbled instead.

A gentle breeze passed over them as Ryu continued to decimate the forest lawn. He wasn't sure how he felt around the man yet. He didn't see him as just an annoying authority figure anymore, but he definitely wasn't his dad, foster or otherwise. More like a stern uncle who insisted they knew what was best for him.

"So, what happened to you anyway?" he finally asked as he looked at the scarred arm.

The man's tail flicked. "A lot of things happened to me. You're going to need to be more specific."

"Hmpf…And you said I'm a smart-ass."

"Don't dish it if you can't eat it," the Chief casually replied.

"What—ever," he responded with an exasperated huff. "Your arm. What happened to your arm?"

The man glanced at the scarred limb.

"That? I don't know how well you know your history, but that happened when a woman named Kuvira attempted take-over the United Republic years ago. She had this giant mecha that she marched into Republic City—"

"A giant mecha?!" Ryu interrupted. "No way. You're making that—" Images suddenly flashed through his mind: a giant metal robot with a canon on its arm, Republic City in ruins, a massive explosion of energy that swallowed him. Juji ruffled on his back as he grabbed his head to quell the noise.

"You alright? Still with me Kid?"

He came back to his senses when he felt the Chief's hand on his back. When he opened his eyes the man was looking at him with concern.

"I'm fine," he obstinately frowned and scooted away. Why did Korra's memories have to interfere. All he wanted was a normal conversation with the man. "I'm going back to the camp," he said with an aggravated huff.

"You don't want to hear the rest of the story?"

"I don't think I need to…" he groused as he walked away.

Ryu returned to camp to find Mari and Koji still chatting around the campfire.

"Hey Mari?"

The Fetchling girl turned at her name. If she was upset about earlier, she wasn't showing it.

"Tomorrow I'll help you look for flowers or whatever," he stated. That was as much of an apology he was willing to give.

She gave him a wide smile.

"Sure Ryu. We can all go."

That seemed to settle things. He joined them around the campfire and relaxed. While they were sitting, he thought about what had happened. Earlier, when he'd gotten upset, it wasn't just because they were "bragging" about their families. He was jealous because Koji was his best friend. Besides Juji, his only friend for a long time. He wasn't used to sharing. It was going to take some time for him to adjust to this new dynamic.