Element Academy: The Light of the Avatar

The Bending Underground...Page

Crystal's brother said nothing as he lead the way to the parking garage his car is parked in. Page nervously looks around as they walk briskly with not a word being spoken the entire way.

When they reach the car, Page quickly looks around to see if any normal humans are around. She didn't want to get in Crystal's brother's car with them still soaked. Quickly, she bends the water out of Demetri's, Mahoney's, and her's clothes and sends it down a water drain. Jake watches her bend the water with extremely wide eyes.

Page notices Crystal shuffling her feet uncomfortably. "We need to get going guys."

"Right."

Everyone climbs in the car. Crystal sits down in the passenger seat next to Jake with the others in the back seats. They spend ten agonizing minutes on the road without anyone saying anything until Jake finally speaks. "What the hell was that?! Y-You made the water move, jumped in the air, and fire shot out of your fist!"

"I'm sorry I couldn't tell you before; I didn't want you to be put in danger with knowing what I could do," Crystal apologizes with a voice thick with dispair.

"None of that matters!" Mahoney interrupts. "What's a bending underground and why do they want you dead?!"

"They want you what?!" Jake exclaims.

Crystal shakes her head. "That's not important; we need to find out who they are."

"I can tell you that," Page offers quietly.

Everyone looks to Page expectantly with Jake being the exception. She tugs at a loose strand in her shirt and takes a deep breath before speaking. She doesn't want to tell Crystal the tale..."They call themselves the Bending Underground. They are like secret communities of rejected benders and benders alike. The rejected benders hate students who get accepted into the bending academy, because they're jealous. Since the Camp lets them take home their instruction booklets, they teach themselves how to bend and try to take on 'real benders' to prove they're worthy of being benders..."

"They attacked me yesterday on my walk home. I was reading the booklet to try and learn that spiral technique and four of them just came out of nowhere..." Demetri adds. "If Page hadn't intervened...I don't think I would have won against them."

Page watches Crystal carefully noticing her friend clench her fists tightly and fight to stay in control. "Crystal..."

She takes in a few deep breaths, her fists trembling slightly. Light blue flickers in her eyes. Page reaches out and covers Crystal's fist gently with her hand. She  doesn't want to continue, but Crystal deserves to know the rest. "Crystal...they don't like you because they don't understand. You went to the camp so they think you're only for the benders that were accepted into the camp."

"We tried to explain to the group that attacked me that the Avatar was for everyone, but they refused to believe us," Demetri explains further.

"Crystal, we need to get you someplace safe," Jake speaks with a voice full of panic and worry. 

When Crystal doesn't respond, Mahoney is the first to adress her. "Crystal? Please say something." 

Page eyes her best friend warily. She has never seen Crystal this tense or silent since the attack at the camp. She's refusing to meet any of their eyes, looking down at her other clenched fist. Her knuckles are growing white from the sheer tightness of her grip. They pull up to the house and what they see instantly shakes them all to the very core.

A line of people all dressed in black baggy pants with tops of varying colors have gathered in a line across the driveway halfway between Crystal's home and the end of the driveway. Jake immediately hits the breaks only yards away from them.

There's only one reason they're here. But how?! How did they find out where Crystal lived so quickly? Page's eyes widen. This is madness! Threatening Crystal's family?! Even though they aren't Page's family, they are her best friend's family and that means they matter to her. If they hurt any of them....

Crystal threw open the door, snapping Page out of her mental death threat. "Crystal! Wait!"