"Aww!" Yuze winced as she rubbed her butt that is hurting because of what happened a few hours ago at the police headquarters earlier, "That woman has no mercy! I made her tea and in return, she gave me this!"
Yuze continued grumbling to herself as she walked towards the kitchen to prepare her next plan when she sensed a familiar beat of heart running. She walked towards the window and peeked, then she saw Korra running towards the cliff and jumping.
She frowned as she look at where the Avatar going and raised an eyebrow, "Oh, the rebellion era had begun?" but she shrugged and continue walking, "Well, I don't give a damn 'cause I only have one goal," her eyes shone with determination, "and I will not give up until that is achieved."
Lin rolled her neck and bent her back as much as she could on her armor to stretch. She turned her head to glance at the wall clock and saw that lunchtime was ending, and she still had not yet had her lunch. But then her gaze turns towards her desk with tons of paperwork.
She sighed and picked up the pen. She'll be having her lunch at dinner. Again.
"Damn this paper. I've been here even before the sun comes out and seems like it didn't decrease even just a little," Lin grumbled as she took one of the papers and signed it then set it to the done papers, "If I can only bury these to the ground," she stapled three papers together and move to the next one.
"Why am I even doing this and why am I here doing here?" she asked no one then she laughed nonchalantly, "Yeah, right. For the approval," stapled, "For the responsibilities," stapled, "And for the legacy."
She brought down the staple a little too hard creating a little noise, "Fuck this life! Fuck the universe!"
The door opened, "Hey, Beifong!"
"And fuck you!"
Yuze's hand went to her chest with a dramatic gasp, "Why? What did I do? I didn't do anything, I just got here."
Lin glared at the Firebending Master standing in front of her as she slammed her pen down on her desk, "Why are you here again?!"
From her peripheral view, she could see her officers peering cautiously and secretly as if that was enough for Lin not to notice them, "What are you all looking at?" and all of them scrambled back to what they were doing, either gossiping, eating or anything else (please don't judge them, it's still lunch break). Though they still occasionally glance at them. Lin tsk in exasperation as she looks back to the younger woman who seems to be assessing her.
"What?" Lin snapped.
"You seem grumpier than usual," Yuze in bemusement, "Let me guess you're still not having lunch, aren't you?"
Lin huffed as she went back to her work, not answering the young adult's question, because why would she? She's not obligated to answer her.
"Knew it!" she heard the firebender exclaim, "Well, good for you, I made a lunch. Don't worry, Pema didn't cook it, I did. And yes, I'm not a very good cook but I can make fried rice. Not perfect and not on par with fried rice cooked by professional chefs, but I assure you it's edible."
Lin keeps signing, not looking up as she says, "What's with the lunch now?"
"Because I want to show you that I'm a good candidate to be your assistant. Because assistants should know how to take care of their workaholic, stubborn boss and make sure they always eat on time," Yuze said while smiling widely.
"And I told you I can handle myself properly, and besides I'm not hungry," Lin said but stopped in the middle of signing when her stomach growled.
"That's what I'm talking about," Yuze said lending her hands toward the Chief's stomach, "How will you take care of the city if you're not going to take care of yourself? If you have an assistAHHHH!"
"I don't need an assistant. Goodbye," Lin waved her hands and the ground below Yuze sent her flying through the door. She swiped her finger to close the door and snapped her fingers to lock it.
Then loud knocks came to her door, "Beifong, at least give me back the food or you can have the food but return the lunch box! You see it's not mine!"
Lin didn't reply but instead stamped her feet and smirked when she immediately got the reaction she wanted.
"CURSE YOU, BEIFONG—"
Lin stamped again her foot to return the ground she made a hole to its original form. And because she knew that the firebender was a stubborn woman, she picked up the telephone and dialed the ground floor.
"Yes, Chief?" came from the phone.
"Do you know a woman named Yuze or are you familiar with the Avatar's firebending master?" Lin asked, one hand holding the telephone while the other was holding a paper, reading the contents.
"Yes, ma'am."
"If you ever saw her, don't make her enter the headquarters. She's banned from this building, understood?"
"Yes, Chief. Understood."
"Good," then she ended the call, "What's with this report? I could barely read it."
Lin massaged her temples for a moment to ease her headache, "I'll deal with the report later. I'm going to need a decoder for that one."
She was about to get to another paper when her eyes caught the lunch box in a cloth. She went back to the papers but her eyes unconsciously went back to the lunch box.
Lin shook her head, "Focus, Lin. Don't be distracted. And remember one of the simple rules in this world, don't take the food someone just gave."
The Chief nodded and looked down at the now-opened lunch box, "I'm just a curious person. I'll just going to taste it, and that's it."
Lin shoved a spoon of fried rice, "That woman was not lying, she really is a bad cook," she set aside the lunch box and took a paper.
The Chief of Police continues signing the endless paperwork with an empty lunch box beside her.
/The next day/
"What do you mean I'm prohibited from entering this building?" Yuze furrowed her hand holding a paper bag.
"I'm sorry, ma'am. Chief Beifong told us that you're now banned from this building," the officer from reception said.
Yuze pursed her lips as she turned around and left the building, "I need another way in—" she stopped walking when a group of familiar teenagers blocked her way, "Oh, hello."
"Hi!" the girl, if she's not mistaken, named Jiayi smiled while waving.
"What's up?" Yuze asked her feet bouncing.
"We just want to say thank you for your help a few days ago," the boy named, Luhan said.
"Oh, it's okay. I'm glad I'd help," Yuze smiled warmly, "If that's all, I'll be on my way now."
Yuze was about to walk beside them when they moved to block her way again, "Wait. I— We—"
Yuze raised an eyebrow as the earthbender boy stuttered, "I'm sorry, but if you need something maybe we can talk about it next time we meet. I need to go—"
"We want you to teach us how to fight."
Yuze blinked and stared at the firebender boy, named Zhen, looking at her with determination, "I'm sorry?"
"We want you to be our teacher," Zhen said looking at her dead in the eyes, "We want you to teach us how to fight."
Yuze arched an eyebrow, "I'm sorry kid, but I never had taken a student. Ever."
"How about Avatar Korra?" Jiayi asked.
Yuze's mouth opened then closed before she decided to answer it, "Well... Except her. I've been obligated to teach the Avatar firebending, and believe me it's against my will," she sighed, "Well, if I may excuse—"
"Please, teach us," this time, Luhan was the one who talked. And Yuze almost gave in when she saw those puppy eyes of him.
"I'm really sorry, kid," Yuze said and hurriedly walked around them.
"We will not going to stop until we make you agree!" Zhen promised.
Yuze scoffed, "Well, good luck with that," then she walked towards the alleyway beside the precinct, "Now, how will I enter this building?"
"... according to our resources the—"
Jin tuned out the rest of what Deputy Chief Saikhan said when his ear caught a faint noise above them. The Lieutenant glanced upwards with a frown.
"... Lieutenant Jin are you listening?"
Jin was brought back to the present. He looked down and saw some of the officers and the Deputy Chief were now looking at him, "Ha?" then he remembered the question, "Ah, yes, sir."
Deputy Chief Saikhan didn't look convinced but he nodded. Jin listened as Saikhan continue speaking while his ear caught a faint "Damn" somewhere.
Lin stirred from her sleep Wait, did I just sleep? When she heard the sound of pouring seems like a liquid. Her eyes fluttered and saw a blur of red.
"Oh, finally you're awake!"
Lin nodded in reply before she closed her eyes again, intending to return to her sleep when she realized who had just spoken and who was in front of her.
Lin's eyes opened and stared at the woman in front of her. The woman on the other hand just continues on what she's doing while humming.
"What. Are. You. Doing?"
"Pouring you a wine," Yuze replied as she put the cork on the bottle and turned it to show the older woman what she was holding, "See? Wine."
Lin's eyes widened when she saw the wine Yuze was holding, "Wait. Is that—"
"Yes. This is the famous Shìjì wine, from the Fire Nation. It's the wine that was buried at the deepest part of the volcano for it to be fermented. It is also rare as it was being fermented for a maximum of 500 years and a minimum of 100 years, hence the name of the wine," Yuze explained as if she were a saleslady that's convincing to make Lin buy what she was selling, "And let me tell you, what I am holding right now is the rarest among the rarest because it's the limited edition Shìjì, that was fermented for 700 years. How did they ferment it for that long? I don't know. I just know it was fermented that long."
Lin couldn't speak. She's looked at Yuze then at the wine then back to Yuze. Her eyes were looking at her in shock and disbelief, "W—what— How?"
"Hmm?" Yuze hummed while smiling brightly on the outside and smugly on the inside, This is the moment. I know she's now going to say yes! I can feel it!
"How on the spirit world you get that?" the Chief asked in disbelief.
"Because I'm Yuze," the younger woman smirked.
Lin wanted to glare at the young woman but didn't as she was still in shock, "May I hold it?"
"Of course," Yuze smiled, Yes this is it!
The firebender handed the wine to the hands of the earthbender. The Chief of Police held the bottle of wine with care as if it were a baby.
"Well... Am I now hired as your assistant?" Yuze leaned closer to the older woman. She grinned when for the first time since she met Lin, the older woman smiled at her. Bit weird but still—!
The earthbender lowered the bottle of wine on her desk carefully, "First of all, thank you for this gift, Yuze. It's very appreciated," Yuze bowed her head with a smile, "And secondly, no. Goodbye!"
"Wait, wha— OUFFFF!"
The firebender went flew through the wall of Lin's office. Thankfully, the earthbender has kindness in her and opens a portion of the wall for the firebender to not really go into the wall.
The earthbender then went to the bottle of wine and lifted it carefully, "Oh, you're so precious," then she frowned when she realized something, "Wait, how did that girl even get inside?"
"That damn, Beifong!" Yuze grumpily said, walking limply. The officers were either looking at her with curiosity or amusedly, "I'll pile a demand on her— Oh, wait. Right, I can't. She's the Chief of Police —"
"So you're the one I heard from the ventilation?"
Yuze turned her head to the one who spoke, "Oh, Lieutenant Jin, we met again."
"Hello, Master Yuze," the man greeted with a smile, "I see you're still not giving up."
"Of course," Yuze scoffed, "The woman might be challenging and grumpy but I will get through her and I'll make her hire me. And please, just Yuze. I'm not used to that title."
"I'll take that in mind, though I'm curious," Jin said, crossing his arms, "Why do you want to become Chief Beifong's assistant so badly?"
Yuze shrugged, "Honestly, I don't know," she looked at the sky outside the window, "It's just, there's something that's making me gravitate towards her."
Jin observed her for a moment before he smiled, "I hope you succeed in your goal."
Yuze tilted her head, "Why?"
Jin looks outside the window, "I've been friends with Lin since the Academy. She's grumpy, silent, always do pranks—"
"Wait, that woman knows what prank is?" Yuze muttered in disbelief.
"—funny in that unique way of Beifongs," then Jin smiled, "And though she was all that, she was also warm, kind, and had this light aura surrounding her," then his smiled faded, "But a lot has happened, and now, her eyes that were once full of light, are now gone," the older man sighed and looked beside him.
Yuze realized what the man wanted her to do, "Oh, you're rooting for me to become her assistant because you are hoping that I can put that light back in her eyes?"
Jin nodded.
"That's a lot of pressure on me, sir," Yuze said, "And besides I don't think I could do that or it will work. I am nothing but just a retired Captain who's now convincing the Chief of Police to hire her to become her assistant."
Jin looked at her and smiled, "I know you can. I could feel it."
The two stared at each other's eyes in silence, but that was broken when an officer came to them.
"Good Afternoon, sir," the officer saluted which the Lieutenant returned. Then the officer turned to the firebender, "I'm sorry, ma'am but Chief Beifong assigned me to escort you out of the building."
Yuze raised an eyebrow as she looked down at the ground, "Oh, because she sensed that I'm still here?" then she glared at it before she turned and walked towards the closest wall, "I know she could sense it," then she traced to the wall 'I am going to be your assistant, Beifong.'
After that Yuze turned to Jin and bowed, "Nice to meet you again, Lieutenant."
"Nice to meet you too, Yuze," Jin smiled also bowing.
Yuze and the officer turned and began to walk when the firebender looked behind from her shoulder and saluted, "See ya, whenever I see ya, Lieutenant."
Jin was stunned and speechless as he watched the retreating form of the young woman.
Because just in a moment he saw the young version of Lin Beifong.