Who am I without you?

Like Always

"STOP WHERE YOU ARE!" The voice was echoing all around her, bouncing off the buildings as she ran through the alleyways of the city that she called her home.

The bottoms of her feet were sore from the small rocks and who knows what else she had stepped on. She did not care though; it was the closest to the feeling of freedom that she desperately wanted. Her soul was longing for more, always telling her to run, to keep going, to explore more than just this place.

There was more to life than just busy streets and skyscrapers, her parents were travelers, but she was always told that there was no reason to leave her family and have her own adventures when this city had all that she could ever need.

Her father was right of course. The city had everything, but the city was not what she wanted, and he never understood her wild spirit. Her mother on the other hand always had an open mind, she understood the thrill that she was seeking.

She was suddenly brought back from her daydreams when she found herself facing a tall barrier wall between two buildings. She had turned a few corners trying to lose her pursuers but could hear the pounding of their feet not very far away.

Two of the men, dressed in all-black and grey police uniforms rounded the corner. They smiled as they saw her backed into a corner, feeling that the chase was finally over. What they did not see was the vial that she had pulled from the leather holster around her waist.

"This is just too bad, you almost had me." She said, smiling at the two officers as she wove the tips of her fingers at her side through the air.

The cork of the vial popped off and a long stream of water flung out at the officers like a whip and then wrapped around her arm, giving her the opportunity to lash her arm upwards and hook over the wall.

"It was fun guys!" She said as she threw herself over and onto the other side, taking off running once again, knowing that she only had given herself a few extra seconds before they destroyed the wall and continued the chase.

She rounded a corner between two small buildings and out of sight in a dark crevasse to catch her breath and wait for the officers to move on. She replaced the water around her arm back into its vial as she watched the men speed past and round the next corner. As their footsteps had finally disappeared, she started to shift herself out of the small space and back into the alley.

She did a double take behind herself as she walked into the main alley to be sure nobody had seen her, and as she did, she was met with a hard THUNK and fell backwards onto the cobblestone.

The hard pressure of a foot was on her right arm, causing her left hand to shoot up and grab the ankle in an attempt to pull it away and free herself. A dark figure stood above her, dressed in what looked to be the same metal outfit that the other officers had been wearing.

"Hmpf". The shadow said as it lowered itself and knelt over her body. "I didn't think it would have been so easy to get you".

She squinted her eyes as a face came into view finally, she was met with vivid and piercing bright green eyes and a cocky smirk that just somehow completely fit the face of the woman currently crushing her bicep. She grimaced at the slight pain that was shooting through the new numbness of her forearm.

"You know, this kind of hurts Lin, you can get off now" She said to the green-eyed woman who was still looking as if she won a prize.

Lin shifted her weight slightly so that circulation could return to the arm. "Well how else am I supposed to keep you from running away from me?"

"Have you ever thought of maybe asking nicely?" She really was despising the fact that she was captured so easily this time. How careless.

Lin removed her foot from the arm and onto the ground just beside it, letting the girl stretch and rub her arm but staying knelt above her so that she still had the upper hand. "What makes you think it would work this time? You just ran from three of my officers for the last half an hour"

She smiled up at Lin. "Who's to say I would have run from YOU though" she said as she stuck her tongue out.

Lin grimaced and rolled her eyes. "One of these days your father won't be able to bail you out, then what will you do?"

She paused and stared up at Lin. Her black hair never seemed to get messy, always proper, and well kept. Lin was the definition of what a commanding officer should be, always on the straight and narrow, forever falling in line all while leading the pack. Nobody expected any less from the notorious Police Chief Toph Beifongs eldest daughter.

Any trace of the cheerful attitude fell from her face and was replaced by disgust. "I don't need him to take care of me. I deserve to create my own path."

Lin noticed the change immediately and sighed. "You're going to be the death of me" she said as she lifted herself away from the girl, stretching out a hand to help her off the ground.

She ignored the gesture and pushed herself to her feet, brushing off her clothing before turning to walk away. Nothing made her angrier than people making it seem like she was an entitled brat because of who her father was and the power that he possessed over the city.

"Excuse me?" Lin said with her hands on her hips. "You owe that woman a new fruit stand. You can't just water bend people who argue prices with you".

She did not turn and face her but instead just rolled her eyes. "I'm sure my DAD will take care of it". She snapped, walking down the alley back toward home.

Lin sighed. Why was it so hard to get through to her? They had known each other their entire lives. It isn't like they were best friends or anything, but She always felt like she could be a good influence on the girl...even if she was slightly older than her. "DONT GET INTO ANY MORE TROUBLE. I WILL TAKE YOU IN NEXT TIME!" She yelled after her.

"THAT'S WHAT YOU ALWAYS SAY!" She yelled back. Before she disappeared down another alleyway, she turned toward Lin, smiled, and winked. At that moment, a hose hanging on the side of one of the buildings next to Lin busted open, spraying her with water.

"KYA!!" Lin yelled as she shielded her face from the water. She looked up and Kya had already disappeared.

"Just like always." Lin thought out loud as she turned and walked back toward the station defeated. Kya knew that she would never keep that promise, but the threat was there at least.

Lin was so distracted by her own thoughts that she did not notice the figure on a nearby roof as she walked onto the main road.

Kya sat there against a chimney, quietly watching the metal bender leave.

Just like always.