Dead Air

head in the clouds

"geez Yin." Bumi groaned, "that hurt!"

"sorry, old man." I chuckle helping him up, "maybe I don't know my own strength!"

"let's go again!" he challenges, "I'm ready for you!"

"nah. I got to take a dump. you take over Kai!"

I walked down into the airship's living area. with an area as big as this, they should add signs to the nearest bathroom. takes me a couple minutes to find the toilet, and you all know what happens next.

I look up at my reflection, trying to see myself as the man I promised to redeem. we both had the same brown eyes. we both had dirty blonde hair, but mine was tied into a long pony tail, and he shaved his after he was exiled. but there was something about his expression that didn't match up. Zhao looked stoic and determined in all the pictures I've seen of him. and me? I tried to hide it, but if you looked close enough, you could see my uncertainty. my doubt. but I wouldn't let that stop me.

"I'll redeem you pop-pop." I mutter looking at the ceiling, "I'll bring honor to the family. make us known again."

I walked back up to the balcony to see Bumi chasing Kai, who had the former commander's wallet in hand.

"keep away!" Kai called to me, tossing the wallet to me.

"dang!" I exclaim, "how many war bonds do you have? you are loaded, old man!"

"give that back!" Bumi snapped, reaching forward.

"nope!" I yell, sliding down the stair railing.

I hurtled over couches, tossed the wallet to Kai, then blew Bumi's jacket over his head as he turned around. Kai tripped Bumi, tossed the wallet back to me, and we took off running down the hallway. and crashed into the avatar.

"slow down there!" Korra chuckled, before noticing the wallet, "what've you got there?"

she reached down and picked the wallet up. she looked over it for a minute then tossed it over to Bumi.

"I thought I told you guys to not steal anything." Mako scolded us, walking in behind Korra, "I'm serious. last chance."

"whatever, dad." I scoff, emphasizing that last word, "besides, I'm to awesome to be thrown overboard. not so sure about Kai here, but hey I'm covered."

"sure." the firebender said, rolling his eyes, "we'll be landing in Ba Sing Se soon, so be ready."

I throw on my leather jacket and grabbed my bag, as we land down in the Earth Kingdom capital, that stretched for miles in every direction. we touched down in front of the castle. our big group walked down the stairs, and we were met by an official of the queen. he talked for a bit, then we met the earth queen, then me and Kai got bored and wandered off. what? we're kleptomaniacs. after a couple hours, we needed a place to crash, so we bought a place at a luxury hotel.

"Master Fong, do you need anything?" I say mocking the attendant that had come to help us earlier, "Master Ding, would you like some appetizers?"

"I know!" Kai laughed over his turchick leg, "this place is so stuffy!"

"at this point we might not even have to go back!" I chuckle, hopping on top of the bed.

"well, maybe. I thought we'd just run around for a couple days then go back."

"what?"

"I'm tired Yin. I don't want to keep stealing from people. I know I didn't talk much about my family, but I miss them. I want to make them proud of me. do you know how that feels."

my mouth went dry as I thought about the silent vow I made to myself.

"not really."

the next day we ran into Mako and Bolin.

"that's it!" Mako snapped, grabbing us by the collar, "we've given you more than enough chances at this point! you're coming back with us to the queen, and you're going to be turned in."

we board the monorail. I pick-pocketed Bolin (poor guy) then Mako (screw him) before Kai blasted Mako off of us. we dashed through the monorail doors as they closed, leaving Mako and Bolin for the lower ring.

"nice." I say grinning, "I guess we can't go back yet."

me and Kai keep doing what we're doing until the night falls. I  hide in an alley, blowing people's hats off as Kai takes their fancy jewelry and money, until I feel a stony hand clasp over my mouth. next thing I know, I'm in some dark, and admittedly too damp for my taste, cell.

I'm shoved along to some sort of training session, where I beat this one guy easily, and witness Kai getting attacked for trying to help his opponent up. never got this ethics thing he had going on. he always had to help the other guy up. and then when we were blocking earth bending attacks, he got beat on again for helping the same guy out. this time I couldn't stand by.

"leave him alone." I say, pushing the guard away, "he was just trying to help."

"like you are?" the guard asks, "there's no point in being the hero, not down here at least. send these two into the hole!"

we were tossed into even darker and damper cells for the rest of the night. that was until the door opened up. at first I thought that it was even more guards. then Kai poked his head in.

"hey." he said, his mouth breaking into a grin, "who's the man?"

"...what?" I asked confused.

Bolin looked in, with an equally idiotic grin.

"guess what happened?"

"Jinora kissed Kai." Mako said, "now let's go."

we were quickly cornered by guards in the cramped hallway but we took them down easily. I grabbed one of the guards by the collar and lifted him up.

"where's my bag?" I growl, "now!"

"down that hallway." the guard said trembling, "take a left and go to the door marked 'confiscation'."

"thanks." I say, before stomping his head into the ground.

"need me to go with you?" Kai asked.

"no!" I say hurriedly, "no, no that's fine. it'll take me less than a minute. go on with out me."

I jog down the hallway, and to the room the guard directed me to. inside it was lit by a singular lamp, casting a shadow on the nearby guard. the one from the training sessions. my bag sat in a couch behind him, already opened. an open scroll sat in the guard's hands.

"the foot whirlwind technique." the guard listed, "the sixty hand storm technique. the typhoon fist technique. these could be used to teach a new generation of airbenders. this would make a the earth kingdom a global superpower. with you as a head commander. join the queen. help us- urk!"

I blasted the guard into the wall and caught my scroll, gingerly rolling it up. I looked at the guard, my anger flaring to new highs. I clasped my hands around his throat and squeezed the life out of him. after his flailing and gagging stopped I let go, spit in his face, and put the scroll back in my bag.

"no." I answer, before putting out the lamp.