A special task

Katara beats the Sh*t out of me

I knew this wasn't Katara's first time in Republic City, we had been here together way back when it was Crane fish town, but that was a long time ago. Somehow, she knew exactly where to go. She marched to the worst part of town and sat down on the curb. I cautiously sat down next to her.

"So uh what now?"

She looked at me scowling, but I didn't mind. I was just happy she finally looking at me as if I were a real person she's known since she was fourteen, not a coworker she's just met.

"Well you said they pick up kids into the Triads, let's make ourselves targets."

"Right."

  I wasn't super keen on Katara's plan of just sitting, but I wasn't super sure how to join a gang either. If we were going to infiltrate the triple triads I wasn't sure we could kindly ask to join. I tried to think of all the scams I pulled in the fire nation, that was sure enough to attract criminals. I hadn't even noticed that Katara left. I turned to my side and she was gone. I panicked.

    That was until I saw her across the street talking to two men. Was she flirting? I don't know why that made me so angry. The two men did look like thugs, I guess she was getting us a way into the gang but.. anger coursed through me, and suddenly pretending to be a fire bender didn't seem like such a challenge. She had a hand on her hip and was in deep conversation with the thugs.

    They were dressed in expensive suits, but you could tell they didn't earn them. One guy had long greasy black hair and looked middle aged. The other had short cropped auburn hair that was similar to Suki, a gold tooth, and looked like he was in his mid twenty's. I despised him the most. Suddenly I felt all three stare at me, and Katara turned back to them nodding. What were they saying? Perhaps Katara had done it, she had gotten us in.

I thought about the last couple of days I've spent with her. I'll admit, they did start out a bit tense to say the least ( lots of screaming and shouting ), but I'm finally starting to see what I didn't hate about Katara. The parts I've actually missed. I was snapped out of my thought by her walking towards me. I decided at this point I'd be kinder to her, however I quickly changed my mind when I tasted my own blood.

   I had been punched. Punched so hard, that I had fallen backwards. Granted I was a very tall and rather skinny guy, it wasn't impossible to knock me down. Except I was sitting on a curb and completely balanced. My first thought was to quickly tug the wig back on my head, which thankfully hadn't slipped much. My next to was to get up and stare incredulously at my attacker, which did I mention, was my ex girlfriend, Katara.

Before I could even react, I was whammed in the face by another water tentacle. I quickly recovered wiping blood off my mouth, this time I was ready. Whatever water she sent my way I'd send right back at her.

   She bent more water at me, and I was ready to strike back. Just was I was about too, she finally looked me in the eye, with a pleading look. "Damnit Katara" I thought in my head. Usually I don't even swear in my head (again if Toph could read my mind she'd be making fun of me). I let her pin me up against a wall, using water to freeze me to it. She got really close to my face, close enough where I could see every shade of blue in her eyes.

"Where's the sack of money?" she whispered.

I had so many questions, and I wanted to yell at her for the blood tricking down my arm. Instead I whispered back "uh..my right pocket".

"Just stay here for a minute, and then do some really elaborate fire bending."

  And with that she marched off with my money. I wasn't even sure how to react, so many thoughts going through my head at the moment. I watched as she walked over giving my money to the men. The younger one happily took all my coins, sliding it into his pocket. He then put his hand on her waist, which just about did it for me. I fire bended myself out of the ice that was pining me to the wall, but I didn't stop there.

I wasn't sure exactly who I was mad at, but I was mad. I walked towards Katara, and she looked at me encouragingly as if this were part of some plan. Then she assumed a fighting stance, so without thinking I shot fire at her. She dodged the fire, and for some reason didn't look mad. The two thugs from before had ran from the blast, but slowly came back. The one with the auburn hair rose the earth around my feet.

"Not another step." He warned.

He nudged his buddy and looked Katara up and down.

"Well well Kara, color me impressed, I think we'll find a nice spot for you in Triads."

Then he turned to me, sticking an ugly finger in my face. His nails were so long it felt as if he were denting my cheek.

"How about you, nasty little thing, what are we going to do with you?"

"Reckon we rough him up a bit, keep him quiet about what he's seen." Said the man with long hair.

"Take him in." Katara said.

Both men turned to face her. She pulled back her sleeve and my heart dropped. She pulled back her arm to show a burn, I had burned Katara. She winced in pain and she covered her arm again.

The man with the oily hair whistled.

"Well that's quite a burn." He admitted, and my head dropped.

I felt all my own pain wash away, and instead I was filled with regret.

"I know what kind of operation you two run, and he could be useful, he's clearly a powerful bender."

The men turned to talk amongst themselves. I tried to make eye contact with Katara, but she was looking firmly at the ground. Finally I felt the the ground beneath my feet sink, and the guy with the auburn hair turned to face me with a cold smile.

"Say Kid, how about you abandon your crappy life, and join us. You'll be working a.. hustle, but you'll be payed generously."

The guy with greasy black hair than spoke.

"You can say no, but we can't promise you'll leave here unscathed if you do."

Katara finally looked at me and I understood. I nodded my head.

"I'll join your gang."

I didn't anticipate the middle aged man to burst out laughing.

"That's cute kid, but San"

He said pointing to his partner

"Barely made it in, and Ms Kara over here has got to be the youngest, she only made it in because of sheer strength . But you my friend aren't powerful enough to be with the big kids, so you'll serve another purpose."

  He clapped my back leading Katara and I out. I now understood what had happened, Katara had joined a gang, and I was to become a child soldier. I wasn't even sure if mentioning I'm eighteen was worth it. I looked back at her  and she looked at me with concern, probably staring at the dried blood on my face. She had literally punched me, yet for some reason all I wanted to do was make sure she was okay.