Who the F*** is Kanto?

Chapter 10 - Leader of The Terra Triad

23 years after Lin's born

Day 0

"Where're you going, Lin?" the female firebender snickered.

Lin couldn't hear her, however, her ears were still ringing from the explosion and her mind was in the earth listening for her partner's heartbeat. She couldn't sense anything, but that didn't mean... She was never good at this, Jun could still be alive. She had to get to him... Had to check. Had to protect him. Crawling was too slow, she had to... Had to get up.

A kick to the stomach brought her back down. She coughed up blood.

"I wouldn't worry too much about him." The other firebender was now right above her. "Your cop buddy is done for."

Lin gritted her teeth. "We'll see about that." She turned suddenly and sent some loose gravel flying right into that smug asshole's face.

"Bitch!" It hit.

She used the time that earned her and her last bit of strength to crawl to her partner and finally check his pulse. It was there. Thank the Spirits, he was still alive!

"Jun. Jun, can you hear me?" Lin tried get him conscious, but he wasn't cooperating.

It was an ambush. The two of them were responding to an anonymous tip and these two were waiting for them with explosives. Jun had been closer to it... She had to get him to a doctor and fast.

"Jun, get up. Snap out of—" She ducked in a hurry covering her friend's body with hers as a stream of fire flew just above them.

"Time to say goodbye—" The woman stopped talking once a metal cable flew out of nowhere and wrapped around her arm.

"Republic City Police! On your knees!" In seconds a dozen officers flooded the alley. "Put your hands on your head and get down!"

"Hold on, Jun. We're gonna be okay..." Lin sighed in relief.

oooooooooo

Day 1

"I'm a grown woman, and you can't keep me here against my will." Lin's gaze clarified she wasn't referring to a legal inability, but rather a physical one.

The nurse, tired from explaining Lin's injuries were severe and in need of monitoring, gave up, sighed and signed the release papers. Lin snatched them and left the hospital. In her mind it was all a big exaggeration. She hadn't even been that close to the explosion. Her right hand was broken, that would be a problem, but the rest of her was fine. A couple of bruised ribs was nothing... She had worse injuries from training with her mother.

Tenzin waited for her in front with Oogi. They met in a careful hug.

"I'm not going home, you know." She walked up to Oogi next, petting him, then set off in the opposite direction.

"Then where?" Tenzin followed, but she wouldn't meet his eyes. She hated how he looked at her when she was hurt. Like she was made out of glass and not hardy Beifong stone.

"To the station. I'm a bit late, but it's still morning and I can still help out."

"Lin, no one expects you to bounce right back."

"I expect me to bounce right back!" She should not have taken that tone with him, but her ribs were killing her, and she wasn't even halfway to the station. "Jun's in a comma right now, cause I'm shit backup, so I have to do something!"

"Did you at least sleep after I left?"

"I slept enough."

Despite their differences, he walked her all the way to the station, no doubt hoping she'd change her mind. She didn't. She waved and slipped into the building leaving him no time to make any more complaints.