"Unbelievable!"

The police station was relatively quiet except for the occasional sound of footsteps and low murmurs of conversation. Suddenly, the air was pierced by a bone-chilling scream that reverberated through the walls and sent shivers down the spines of anyone within earshot. Two police officers who happened to be walking by the room where the scream originated were startled by the sudden noise, causing them to flinch and immediately hurry away from the area.

The moment that voice echoed through the room, everyone froze in fear. They recognized the voice all too well - it belonged to none other than their superior. The mere thought of dealing with their boss's explosive temper was enough to make them want to disappear.

" It's the third time. This week alone, there were three robberies by that gang." A woman with black hair that contrasted with the white strands that gave her an older appearance, said. Her pale green eyes were filled with a mix of anger and discontent as she stared intently at the man seated in front of her. The clenching of her jaw accentuated the scars that were etched on her face, making them more prominent and noticeable. "Not to mention the increase in cases of benders losing their ability to bend; which, even trying to maintain secrecy about the situation, begins to alert citizens."

Lin Beifong asked through gritted teeth as she placed her hands on the table, leaning her body forward, thus coming face-to-face with the man. "And I wonder, Saikhan. Where. Are. Our. Men?"

"Our men are doing their best to find out where these come from, Chief Beifong." Saikhan, who had a frown on his face, said in a mild tone. He might not let it show, but he was nervous. The small tremor in his hands was proof of that. There was no way he wasn't nervous. The woman in front of him was too intimidating. "For now we only found out the name of who is taking away the bending and the reason for them."

"So, what are you waiting for to tell me about what you know, man?" Lin ordered impatiently as she leaned back in her chair. "Tell me about what you discovered."

'They are a group. A big one. And from what I heard, they call themselves The Equalists.'

"I was informed that those responsible for the bendings thefts come from a group called The Equalists," Saikhan said after a few seconds.

' In this area, there is always one or two of them protesting about... how do you say? Yes. Inequality between benders and non-benders. '

"Some of them stay around the park protesting the inequality that exists between those who have a bending and those who have none."

"And their location? This... informant of yours. Don't they know anything?" Lin asked as she swallowed all the information.

'What? Are you crazy or what? Do you want me to follow one of them? And risk losing my bending as well? No way!'

Saikhan, feeling a bit uneasy, made a small sound to clear his throat before giving his answer. "I'm afraid not, Chief Beifong. The location is still unknown to them," he said with a hint of concern in his voice.

Lin's expression remained stern as she listened to Saikhan's report. Her eyes narrowed as she processed the information he had just shared. After a moment of contemplation, she nodded her head in agreement. "Ask your informant to find ways to immediately discover the location of this group," she instructed, her voice firm and assertive. "These little groups are causing problems in my city, and I do not like it."

Lin leaned back in her chair, her gaze drifting out the window to the snow falling softly outside. She took a deep breath and then turned her attention back to Saikhan. His hand was absently running through the few strands of hair that remained on the top of his head, a nervous habit she had noticed before.

"And what about the Triple Triad?" she asked pointedly. "Why does this group still roam my city?" Her tone was even, but there was a hint of frustration in her voice. It was clear that she expected results from her trusted advisor, and she wasn't going to settle for anything less.

Beifong abruptly cut Saikhan off as he was about to speak and made her intentions clear. "I am not interested in hearing anything else. All I want is for these insignificant street dwellers to be removed from my streets, and that's final. Is that clear?"

"Affirmative, Chief Beifong," Saikhan replied, his head nodding in agreement as he acknowledged her order.

"Excellent. You're dismissed." Lin gestured towards the door with a wave of her hand. " You can go back to your tasks."

Saikhan nodded once more and finally left the room.

--

The room was shrouded in darkness, with only a dimly lit lamp that swung above casting a faint glow. She was seated on a cold metal chair, her senses on high alert as she tried to make sense of her surroundings. Despite the chandelier's presence, her vision was obscured by the shadowy corners of the room, with the only other occupant being a man whose intentions remained unclear.

"I want the locations of the Triple Triad hideouts. Now." Saikhan says bluntly, making Sora pay attention to him. The man was standing, with his arms crossed behind his back, watching the teenager who was looking at him with a face free of any emotion.

Sora leaned forward, her arms crossed on the table as she stared at the metallic surface. A shiver ran down her spine as her skin made contact with the cold metal. "You know," she said, her voice low and serious. "We can't keep meeting like this, you know? It's too risky."

Saikhan, feeling frustrated with the teenager's attitude, decides to brush off her last comment and get to the point. He says, "I'm not interested in arguing with you, so just tell me what you want. Once we resolve this issue, you can leave." Despite his annoyance, he tries to remain calm and composed, not wanting to escalate the situation further. He knows that the teenager is intentionally pushing his buttons to test his patience, but he refuses to let her get the best of him. Instead, he focuses on finding a solution that will satisfy both parties and put an end to the disagreement.

The white-haired teenager just shrugged off what he had said and continued ignoring him.

"Maybe next time you could tell your men not to drag me down the street? I have a reputation to maintain, you know? And if they continue to treat me like a thief, it would tarnish it." Sora says as she leans over and begins to carefully remove the dirt that has accumulated underneath her nails. With a focused expression on her face, she gently scrapes away the debris until her nails are clean again.

"But you are a thief." The middle-aged policeman squinted his eyes, trying to make sense of the situation at hand. He let out a deep sigh, clearly frustrated with the behavior of the teenager standing in front of him. As he faced the young teen, he raised his hand to his forehead, feeling a slight tension building up in that area. Despite his years of experience, dealing with difficult teenagers like this one was no easy task. At that moment, he couldn't help but feel grateful for not having any kids of his own.

Sora shrugged a hint of resignation in her expression. "I understand," she replied. "However, I want to clarify that I am not a thief. I am simply someone who is trying to survive by doing what I can." Sora's tone was calm, but there was a subtle edge to her voice that hinted at the hardships she had faced and the difficult choices she had been forced to make.

Saikhan's voice was sharp as he spoke, "Let's cut to the chase. We made a deal, remember?"

Sora's frustration had reached its boiling point as she suddenly jumped up from her chair, slamming her hands against the table. Her sharp gaze pierced the police officer, and she pointed her index finger at him. Her voice was loud and clear as she spoke, "You know there isn't a deal! You intimated me!" The officer had threatened to arrest her and her friends if she didn't spill everything she knew about Triple Treat. Sora's tone grew more heated as she continued, "So, no, Commander, there is no deal. Especially when I know that I'll be the one who gets screwed later!"

Sora mentally cursed the day he had found her on the street, and her bad habit of fighting anyone who looked at her the wrong way on the streets of Republic City. It's because of that that she was in this mess.

Saikhan looked at the teenager's face with a gentle expression as he spoke in a reserved tone, "Calm down or you will force my hand to do something you will not like." However, there was an underlying threat in his words that made Sora realize the gravity of her mistake. She quickly lowered her finger but remained standing. Saikhan noticed this and added, "Now... sit down."

Sora felt a wave of frustration wash over her as she reluctantly complied with the request. She walked back to the chair and slumped into it, feeling defeated. Resting her elbows on the table, she ran her fingers through her hair, trying to calm herself down and prevent any further mistakes. After taking a deep breath, she spoke in a resigned tone, "I've already provided all the information I have about Triple Tread."

"This time I want their location." Saikhan pressed, leaning against the table to place his hands on the metallic material.

Sora's voice was slow and deliberate as she spoke. "I don't know where they hide," she said, her words weighted with a sense of detachment. It was clear that the location of her targets held no interest to her - the only thing that mattered was completing the job and receiving her payment.

"You are lying to me," Saikhan stated.

Sora inquired with a hint of skepticism, "And how exactly are you so certain of that?" The girl's brow furrowed as she tried to comprehend how the man had detected any indications of deceit in her words. Her gaze scrutinized him with intensity until she noticed the way his hands were firmly planted on the table in front of him. Abruptly, it clicked for her and she uttered, "Oh."

Sora's emotions were in turmoil as she tried to understand what she was feeling at that moment. Was it fear, because she had been caught lying to the police? Or was it a rush of excitement, bubbling up inside her at the way she had been caught out? She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but her heart was racing and her mind was spinning as she tried to make sense of it all.

"Alright. You caught me lying." Sora lamented, raising her arms in mock performance. "I'll give you their location. But... with one– no, two conditions."

"You are in no position to make requests," Saikhan says in a dry tone. "I shouldn't even hear what you have to tell me. But by all means... let me hear it."

"In exchange for locating the Triple Triad hideout..." Sora began by saying. "I want you to teach me this thing you did with your hands."

Saikhan's expression changed as he raised one eyebrow, seemingly waiting for more information. "And?" he inquired with a hint of curiosity in his voice.

As she uttered the words, "I also want to join the police," Sora couldn't help but feel a sense of irony wash over her. Giving her background. But she needed the money. The meager amount she had saved up was nowhere near enough to cover her father's medical treatment. Despite her reservations, joining the police seemed like the safest and most practical option for her in these uncertain times.

"Did you hear what you just said?" Saikhan exclaimed in disbelief. "There is no way I can put someone with a criminal record on the police."

"I'm risking my safety for you. I think that's the least you can do." Sora says. "So... do we have a deal or not?" Sora reached out to Saikhan.

The man stared at the teenager for a long time as he analyzed her proposal. He knew that if he agreed to this he might get into trouble with his superiors. His eyes flickered from Sora's eyes to her outstretched hand.

He is filled with unease and apprehension as he contemplates the decision he has made, fervently hoping that it will not turn out to be a mistake that he will regret in the future.

Then, raising his hand, Saikhan firmly shook Sora's hand. Thus sealing the agreement between them. "We have a deal."

--

Hikari, with a heavy heart, knew that his time was running out. He had come to terms with his inevitable fate, but his daughter Sora was in denial. She refused to acknowledge the reality of her father's failing health. It was painful for Hikari to witness the light in his daughter's eyes slowly dimming with each passing day. The heart-wrenching realization that he would not be around to see his daughter grow up was almost too much to bear.

Each time he glanced at her, his heart shattered into a million pieces. He could no longer see the bright-eyed, carefree little girl who used to light up his world with her contagious smile. Instead, all he could see was a vague silhouette of the child she used to be. The sparkle in her eyes and her infectious laughter had faded away, leaving behind a shadow of her former self.

Hikari was fully aware that the recent change in Sora's behavior was inextricably linked to the unfortunate accident that had taken place a few weeks ago. He had realized that Sora was taking unnecessary responsibility for something that was not her fault. Hikari knew all too well that the accident, which had resulted in him falling into the icy lake, was solely caused by his carelessness and no one else's.

That had happened in the first days of winter. The father and daughter duo decided to go to the lake – at Sora's request – to skate on the frozen water with the skates that Hikari had improvised for them. Everything was going well. Hikari and Sora played, laughing, and having competitions to see who could do the most pirouettes. But the situation worsened when Hikari – in a false step – buried himself on top of a thin layer of ice. But when he tried to get out of there, Hikari's added weight caused the ice to crack beneath him, causing a surprised gaffe to leave his lips as his body was sucked into the freezing water.

As he tries to recollect the events leading up to his current state, he remembers a vivid image of Sora, frantically rushing toward him. Her eyes were wide with fear and despair, and tears streamed down her face as she hastily took off her coat. He noticed that her hands were covered in blood, and he couldn't help but wonder what had happened. Without a word, Sora wrapped the coat around him, gently cradling him in her arms. This was the last thing he could recall before losing consciousness.

Hikari struggled to keep his eyes open as he heard a voice say, "I'm back." Despite the heaviness in his eyelids, he managed to pry them open to see who had entered the room. He let out a low groan of discomfort as he tried to turn his head to face the person speaking. His neck muscles felt strained and sore from what he assumed was a long period of lying in the same position.

Hikari's voice was barely audible as if he had been screaming for hours. His throat was dry and scratchy, and he struggled to speak. He managed to force out a weak, hoarse question: "Where were you at this time of night?" The words hung heavily in the air as if weighed down by the intensity of the moment.

Sora stood still, deep in thought, as her father's question hung in the air. Slowly, she made her way toward the small fire that was crackling in front of her and crouched down, resting her weight on her heels. With a deliberate hand, she began to carefully move the branches that had been piled up next to her, making sure not to disturb the delicate balance of the fire. As she worked, her mind raced with thoughts and emotions, trying to come up with the right words to answer her father's query.

Sora quietly answered the question as she got up from her seat by the fire and walked towards her father's side. She knelt beside him and gently pulled the blankets closer to Hikari, who was shivering uncontrollably due to the cold. "I was with Mako and Bolin," she said, trying to keep her voice steady despite the worry that was gnawing at her.

Hikari questioned while wheezing, "Why did you come back so late? You never stay out until that time."

Sora stood up and stretched her arms as she looked around the space. "It's still nine o'clock at night," she said, her voice trailing off. She walked over to the corner and began to tidy up the space where she would sleep. "Please don't worry about us," she said, turning to look at her father. "We are too old for you to be concerned about our well-being. Just focus on getting some rest."

Hikari, with a look of concern etched on his face, shut his eyes tightly as a harsh cough wracked his body. Despite his physical distress, he still managed to speak in a quiet and unsteady voice. "As your father, it is my responsibility to worry about you. And especially you, Sora. You have always had a knack for finding yourself in trouble."

Sora let out a frustrated sigh as she finally finished arranging her sleeping place. The room was uncomfortable and hard, hardly deserving the title of a bed. She lay down on her side, using her arm as a makeshift pillow to prop up her head, facing her father as she did so. "It's not my fault," she muttered, her voice tinged with a hint of irritation. "It's like trouble just follows me wherever I go."

Hikari chuckled, his laughter sounding slightly broken as he spoke. "You know, ever since you were just a little girl, you always seemed to find yourself in some kind of trouble. And that's something you got from me, I'll admit." He shook his head slowly, still chuckling to himself. "Your mother used to get so worried about you, her hair almost standing on end at times." Hikari's eyes took on a nostalgic glimmer as he spoke. "But you know what? Despite it all, you were always my little troublemaker, and I wouldn't have had it any other way."

Sora gazed at her father with a mix of curiosity and apprehension, her lips tightly sealed as she struggled to find the right words. It had been ages since they last spoke about her mother, a topic that always seemed to be off-limits between them. Every time Sora tried to broach the subject with her father, Hikari would quickly shut down the conversation. Despite her best efforts, Sora had learned to keep her thoughts and emotions about her mother bottled up inside.

"Do you think mom– wherever she is– thinks about us?" Sora asked in a whisper, paying attention to how her father's chest rose, caught, and then fell with each gasp of air. Many times—especially at night when she stayed up all night to check whether her father was breathing or not—she found herself thinking about her mother.

Sora's heart sank as she was met with nothing but silence in response to her question. She already knew that the answer was silence, but she couldn't help but feel a small twinge of disappointment. Trying to hide her feelings, she spoke up again, her voice now tinged with embarrassment, "I'm sorry, it was a foolish question. You don't have to answer."

"I don't know, Sora," Hikari says after a while of silence. "I don't know how to give you that answer."

The father and daughter were silent, both lost in their thoughts.

"Dad?" Sora says, voice thick with a hint of hesitation. "Can you describe to me what mom was like?" Sora felt ashamed when she admitted that she no longer remembers her mother's face. "I... I don't remember what she looks like anymore."

Hikari turned his head and looked at his daughter. And he came face to face with the eyes that haunt him so much. Those emerald green eyes that looked at him curiously were the eyes of the woman he once loved. "You have her eyes." Hikari gently ran the back of his index finger across the dimple that graced his daughter's right cheek. "You two have the same dimple. But hers was on her left cheek." He then curled his finger through the curly white lock that fell over Sora's forehead. "The same curls. But hers were curlier and darker."

Hikari swept his eyes over Sora's face slowly, as if he was trying to memorize his daughter's image. His little girl was so big. " Come here. Lay with me."

"Why?"

"Just come here," Hikari called her closer to him with a hand. "You must be cold." And since he knew the daughter he had, he stopped her before she opened her mouth to complain. "You don't have any blankets to keep you warm. You just have your coat and scarf to protect you from the cold. And I can keep you warm with the blankets I have with me."

Sora felt a sense of resignation wash over her as she realized that she had no choice but to comply with her father's wishes. She got up from her place and made her way towards Hikari, crawling over to him. As she snuggled her body next to his, she could feel his warmth enveloping her. Finally, she rested her head on his shoulder, feeling a sense of comfort and security in his embrace.

" Come closer." "I'll put more weight on you–" "Nothing like that." Hikari scolded his daughter. "I want you close to me, with you lying on my chest while I stroke your hair. Like when you were little. Can we do that?"

Sora gave a slight nod in response, indicating her understanding. She then slowly readjusted herself, lifting her head from her father's shoulder and placing it gently on his chest. As she lay there, she could feel the gentle and fragile beat of her father's heart pulsating against her ear. She closed her eyes and savored the moment, feeling the warmth and safety of her father's embrace.

Meanwhile, Hikari ran his hand over her head, his fingers delicately passing through the strands of her hair, massaging her sensitive scalp. As his hand moved in a circular motion, Sora shivered, overwhelmed by the sensations coursing through her body. She felt a sense of peace and contentment, knowing that she was safe in his embrace.

Hikari's voice was barely audible as she whispered, "I'm proud of you." Sora's eyes snapped open, and as she lifted her head, her gaze locked onto her father's bearded chin. The room was silent except for the sound of their breathing. Sora's voice was filled with a mixture of guilt and shame as she spoke, "If you knew about what I've done, you wouldn't feel proud, old man."

The man with a head full of white hair chuckled, and a sound of amusement escaped his lips. "Sora, I was the one who raised you, and I know you better than anyone else. I trust that whatever you are doing, must be for a good cause."

Sora gazed intently at her father, searching for any hint of disapproval or disappointment in his expression. However, she was met with a warm and understanding gaze that put her at ease. She couldn't help but feel relieved upon hearing her father's reassuring words. He knew that she was doing everything she could to make things right, and he wouldn't judge her for the mistakes she had made.

Feeling a sense of comfort, Sora rested her head on her father's chest once again, feeling his steady heartbeat against her ear. She let out a soft yawn, the exhaustion of the day weighing heavily on her. Despite her weariness, she spoke with conviction, determined to get them out of their current predicament. "I'm going to find a way to get us out of this situation, Dad. You'll see," she said, her voice filled with a quiet determination.

"I know you do," Hikari says snuggling his daughter's head closer to him when he hears her yawning for the second time. "Are you sleepy? You should rest."

"Will you wake me up in the morning?" Sora asked. Little by little she could feel her eyelids getting heavier, wanting to close with tiredness. The heartbeat that sounded against her ear helped lull her to sleep.

"You know I will," Hikari said. When he felt Sora's calm breathing, and how her body relaxed against his, he deduced that the youngest was slowly heading towards dreamland. Hikari ignored how his body screamed in pain from the additional weight, but didn't let any moans of pain escape his lips. He didn't want to wake his little one in any way. "I love you, snowflake."

Hikari leaned forward and gently pressed his lips against the soft, unruly tangle of white hair that crowned Sora's head. With a tender gesture, he placed a chaste kiss on his daughter's forehead, savoring the moment as if time had frozen. As he pulled back, Hikari paused for a moment, gazing into Sora's sleeping figure with a mix of love and sadness, before finally placing one last kiss on her head, with a silent promise of eternal affection and protection.

As Hikari closed his eyes, he could feel the image of his daughter lingering in his thoughts. The memory of her smile and laughter etched into the back of his mind as he surrendered to the darkness with a peaceful expression on his face. The silence around him was only broken by the sound of his gentle breathing as he drifted off into a deep slumber.

"Sora!— Hey, Sora! Are you hearing what I'm saying?"