Chapter Text
Slam!
Snores cutting short at the sound, my eyes shoot open.
I know that familiar windshield smacking anywhere. Whether I’m parked on the side of an Earth Kingdom residential street or in the parking lot of a Fire Nation superstore, the parking tickets always sound the same.
Shit.
Maybe if I hurry I can meet the officer outside and explain myself.
I rush to situp only to be yanked back down by three hundred pounds of limp pressure on my left arm. Well, that explains why I can’t feel anything below my shoulder this morning.
“Garbage, you big lug!” I scold my sleeping black bear dog. “Get off my arm!”
Shoving his broad furry back with my free palm only earns me a grunt of annoyance and a suffocating fart.
Ew!
It smells so bad, like rotten eggs wrapped in soggy sheets. What have I been feeding him?
I’m running out of time.
I still have to get out of bed, out of the back of my van, and around to the front windshield before the cop is too far gone.
“Come on buddy, roll over.”
I continue to push him back with my right hand and both feet.
Please, please, please.
“Urugh~” Garbage sighs out the complaint in one closing protest before finally rolling his fat ass the other way and freeing me with an exaggerated sigh turned snore.
“Primadona.” I tease, sitting up as high as I can with the low roof and raised platform bed. “Now let me just reach over you to-” I reach as I talk, cut off by another whining groan from the beast. “Well if someone didn’t insist on always sleeping between me and my clothing you wouldn’t have to move now, would you?”
I hope to Raava whoever gave me the ticket was on their way into the Temporary Police Headquarters because then I might still have time.
It’s only been maybe twenty seconds but it should take at least forty to get from my van to the door. That’s just one of the perks of living in your car: You’re never far from where you need to be.
“I just need pants.” I explain.
Hoisting myself over him with a fistful of fur proves difficult as every heavy breath he takes lifts me closer to the ever encroaching ceiling. Sure enough, on a particularly deep breath, my skull makes contact with the hard steel above me.
“Ow!”
I huff out a deep breath of my own and yank some black slacks free from a half open drawer.
“Thank you, you lazy jerk.” I add as I slide back over Garbage’s sleeping form and onto my side of the bed.
I hastily pull on the pants while I crawl over to the door, just barely having the waist up and over my white tank top by the time I reach the back end.
The pocket handle in one hand, and my unbuttoned fly in the other, I push open the back of my bullnose van and leap out to the cold stone pavement. Little rocks that haven’t found their sealed down place yet cut into the bottoms of my feet like a very rude very painful alarm clock, cutting away any remaining grogginess.
Now time to find the officer.
Found her.
That wasn’t very hard at all.
About halfway from between me and the door, an armor clad metalbender with waved silver hair stops dead in her tracks.
It seems she’s also found me.
I quickly do my fly before starting towards her.
“Officer!” I call, scruffing up my flamingo ostrich bedhead with my fingers.
She growls as she turns around to face me, scowling green eyes piercing into my amber ones.
Wait a minute. I recognize this woman from the papers.
The sky high cheekbones, the chiseled jawline, the two viper shaped scars that slither parallel down her right cheek.
This isn’t just any old officer; This is, “Chief Beifong!” I beam. “Oh thank goodness.”
I let out a breath in my relief.
Lin Beifong. Chief of Police for Republic City and the woman that tracked me down by my reputation alone just to offer me a job upping her new k-9 unit. I’m positive that once I explain who I am, she’ll let me go without a fine.
She looks me up and down with those malachite eyes, silent and judging. That really is the best word to describe them too. Malachite. A crystal so majestic in color but that will boil you from the inside out if you breathe in it’s toxic fumes. I’m definitely breathing in her fumes now.
“I’m Y/N Y/L/N.” I offer up my best sugar making smile, “I know we haven’t officially met yet and figured that’s probably why you didn’t know it was me in the van but now that you do…” I lift both my brows and my voice to imply a question.
“You’re not getting out of the parking ticket.” The chief declares, voice as steady as those latched on trenchant eyes.
I can’t help but notice that even for an earth bender her eyes are so green. Looking into them now I can see a deepness that goes beyond the color though. In her eyes, I can see the kind of deep that I’ve seen so often before in my travels. People who’ve lost their homes to war have this kind of deepness; People that lost their children to predators have it too. Now I wonder what she has lost?
“Please,” I dim the fakeness of my white toothed grin, “I was only parked there for the one night. I’ll move it again tonight.”
“It’s illegal to park on this street.” She huffs, crossing her arms and pinching her scowl tighter. “You could block the patrol cars from leaving. And if you stayed here overnight like you claim I’ll have to up the fine.”
Is she serious?
She can’t be serious.
I haven’t even checked the ticket yet but I know from experience that it’s at least a hundred and fifty yuans for blocking the precinct. Blocking it overnight? I don’t even want to imagine it.
“Alright.” I sigh out in defeat, looking away from her and putting my hands up by my head like the criminal I am. “Won’t happen again, Chief.”
Not convinced, or maybe just curious, the chief leans into her hip to peer around me and into my van.
“Do you live in there?” She questions, the disgust obvious in her tone.
The judgment doesn’t surprise me as people have been judging my lifestyle for years. No, what surprises me is her own surprise.
Didn’t she know? She was the one who asked me here without an application. I figured if she knew where to track me down to then she would know I travel.
“Yeah.” I beam. Deciding to give her the benefit of the doubt, I motion to my metal boy with a cocked thumb. “You like him?”
“No.” She says flat.
Her eyes almost bored, she evens back out her weight. She takes the time to eye me head to toe one more time.
I consider teasing her by asking if she’s checking me out but with the way this conversation is going so far, I doubt that would end well for me.
Her green gaze fixates on my hair for a bit too long. She growls and tightens the grip on her arms prompting me to ask, “it’s a cool color, right? I just redid it.”
“Your hair,” Her eyes drop to mine with a silent thud, “...is pink.”
“Yep.”
She turns on her heel and storms into the building, leaving me here confused and still half dressed.
I don’t think she likes it.
Welp. Nice going, Y/N. Greeting your new boss in a wife beater and dog fur littered slacks.
I figure eventually she’ll get over it. Probably not long after I show up to work in an hour in a nice crisp outfit with pulled back hair and good attitude!
***
“Pink hair, really?!” I snap, my hand gripping the telephone’s receiver so tight I can’t feel it.
“Hello to you too, Lin.” My sister responds.
“You promised me a,” I read the highlighted description from the letter on my desk, “‘talented firebending prodigy worthy of the title of sage despite her young age, who has spent considerable time serving in Zaofu’s guard as well as years training and handling beardog type creatures.’” Growling, I grip the phone even tighter, my knuckles numb and surely turning white. “She lives in her satomobile, Su!”
My sister gives me a moment to make sure I’m done before she speaks again, her resumed tone vexingly calm.
“Everything I said about Y/N was true.” She defends, voice smooth and tricky as silk. She’s spinning a web right now, I can feel it, and I refuse to be trapped by this conniving spiderfly. “I may have, however, neglected to mention some key points in her life style because I knew that you would disagree with them.”
I tighten my jaw and she must somehow hear it because she sighs with all the prissy judgment I’d expect from her. “Lin, I know she has her quirks, but please, give Y/N a chance. Her parents are close personal friends of mine and they’re worried that she’s throwing all of her potential away. I know if someone like you just gave her the focus and discipline she needs that she’ll become the best-”
“She has pink hair!” I snap, the volume of my voice shocking even me. For a split second I become aware of the fact that the officers out in the bull pen might have heard me. Then the thought gets pushed away along with the unease it brings me and I’m back to my writhing anger.
“Well you have grey hair.”
“The grey is natural!” I shout, fluffing the back of my bob subconsciously.
When did this become about me? Damn Su always knowing how to push my buttons.
Prodigy firebender my ass! This ‘kid’, if you can even call her that at nearly thirty years old, is as unprofessional as they come. A drifter. A hooligan. A down right vagabond - by choice!
“I’m not working with her and you can’t make me!” I salm down the phone with a hmph.
Finally sitting back in my chair, I cross my arms and glare at the letter that’s still laid out before me.
‘Oh hire her; It’ll be great’ she said. Pathetic. That conversation better have drawn my line in the sand properly.
When will Su realize that I’m not like her? I don’t take in strays; I don’t fix people. That may work well for her but not here. If she really wants to set this kid straight she can do it in Zaofu. There’s no reason to get the entire force involved.
Damn Su.
Even now she’s as guileful as a slippery weasel eel.
Speaking of right now, right now I have a whole task force of puppy cubs just sitting around waiting to be trained and no one with the know how to do it.
I could always go running back to Tenzin for help, he did after all learn to train winged lemurs with Aang, but bear dogs are different.
There’s Korra, but Naga and her seem to have some kind of special bond that makes training easy. There’s no telling if that girl would be able to train anything else. Plus with her current vacation stint I’d be waiting quite a while.
I would do it myself, learning as I go, but quite frankly I want nothing to do with the animals. They’re slobbery stinky messy creatures - just like children. Then there’s the turf war that having half the city destroyed started. My focus needs to be on that.
Ugh.
Y/N really does seem like my best option.
Maybe I’m overreacting. Maybe Su is right and Y/N really will step up and impress me. I doubt it, and I’ll never admit it if this all works out, but I guess I don’t have any other choice.
My internal monologuing is cut short by the abhorrent ringing of my office phone.
I clear both my thoughts and my throat so that I can answer as professionally as possible.
“This is Chief Beifong.” I say. “What do you need?”
“Lin!” Ugh. Su. “Don’t hang up on me and just listen for a minute. I-”
“Don’t worry,” I roll my eyes down to where I thumb at my manicured nails, “I’m keeping her.”
“You…” She trails off, her voice lifting slightly. Then it’s back to that obnoxious glee. “Thank you Lin; I owe you one. Just one more thing.”
“What is it?” I sigh and shift forward in my seat as if doing so will help me hear her better.
“Y/N may be under the impression that you tracked her down for her skillset.” Su explains. “I would appreciate it if you didn’t tell her it was really on my recommendation.”
“Why would you lie about that?”
She hesitates, the beat of silence only serving to escalate my curiosity.
“I love Y/N.” She defends her still yet to come statement with the qualifier, “I do. But, she’s stubborn like you and knows how to hold a grudge. A few years ago, when her parents first reached out to me for help, I unwisely took her to Zaofu without giving her much of a choice.”
“You kidnapped her?”
“No.” She rushes. “Nothing like that. Y/N wasn’t against coming, she just didn’t make the initial decision herself. I think that’s why it ultimately ended with her resenting me and her parents even more than she already had. I know you can help her, Lin, but to do so you should lie. Let her think everything that happens has come to her naturally, without my help.”
I mull it over, not one for lies and coverups. It’s bad enough that I’m even feeding into Su’s savior complex like this. Now she asks me to keep it a secret?
“I won’t say anything.” I decide. “But if she asks me about it I won’t lie either.”
Rightfully sensing that this is all she’s getting from me, Su replies, “Thank you.”
***
My feet thud as they hit the pavement outside my van. Spirits, does it feel good to finally stretch my back.
I twist at my waist first towards the building then away from it and it’s on this away that my eyes catch on the two uniformed officers heading towards me.
Both men, the first one looks only a few years younger than me but he already has the stature of a detective. A sling holds his left arm crooked up by his chest, an on the job injury I suppose.
The second cop holds himself like he’s still a teen despite only being maybe a year or two younger than the first. His bright grin radiates puppy cub vibes, his wide eyes sealing in the image. Where Chief Beifong’s green eyes read malachite, mysterious and deadly, this boy’s eyes read green fluorite, a loving guardian stone that connects us to our hearts.
Both men seem intrigued by my van, albeit for obviously different reasons.
I flash the duo the same sugar making smile I’d given our lovely chief of police not too long ago and nod them over for a closer look.
The puppy cub man races over with heightened speed and sticks his head inside the back for a better view. The other officer makes no such attempt and continues his leisurely pace.
“You live in a van?!” The puppy cub one beams.
“You live in a van?” The injured detective questions, finally joining us. One of his shark like eyebrows rests well above the brow bone as his voice slides delicately onto the thin line between judgment and confusion.
“Yep.” I pop the p before coming to join the excited one at old red’s entrance.
Nearly jumping straight out of his shoes, the earth nation man scans the entire van like a kid investigating his first candy store.
“You can’t park here.” The boring one of the duo scolds.
“Is that a black bear dog?” The fun one asks, pointing.
I choose to focus on the fun one, taking note of the dirt beneath his fingernail. He’s either an earthbender or as unsanitary as they come. I’ll go with earthbender.
Garbage groans out a complaint, rolling onto his back with a huff. He never does like to be the center of everybody’s attention.
“Yeah.” I giggle, stepping one foot up on the tailgate so that I can reach in and scratch the big fatty’s belly.
Garbage jerks his back paw down towards the bed in swift repeating motions, his tongue hanging out the side of his mouth. Goofball.
“Okay,” The earthbender turns to me, hands moving out towards his sides as he continues to speak, “you are officially the coolest person I’ve ever met.”
“Thanks.” I laugh, climbing back down. Can’t risk getting too hairy after already pissing off the chief once today.
“I’m Bolin.” He introduces. “And that’s my brother, Mako.”
“It’s nice to meet you both.” I put out a hand that Bolin shakes immediately, matching my positive energy to a tee. “I’m Y/N and that’s Garbage.”
Garbage lifts a flopped ear up at his name but quickly decides that’s too much effort and plops it back down with a grunt.
“What made you name him Garbage?”
“That’s actually a really funny story.” I’m about to tell said story when Mako chimes back in.
“Hello?” He kneads together those shark fin brows and glares at me. “You can’t park there.”
Now that he’s closer, I can see where thin vine like lighting scars peak out from Mako’s sling.
As firebenders, we’re naturally resistant to all forms of the element. Even if we don’t know how to bend or redirect it, a hit from lighting will rarely scar us. Is he not a bender? Or did something really major happen that lead to that?
My mind wanders to my own lightning scar and so must my hand because I can feel the pressure as I squeeze down above my right collarbone.
Is it bad that I hope we’re the same? Firebenders, scarred by our own element.
“Oo!” Bolin’s chirping redirects my focus to the present, a gift I’ll have to pay him back for later. I make sure my smile is still plastered on as I turn to look at his flourite eyes one more. “You should try the alley over by the corner of Teo and Boomerang Avenue. When Mako and I were living on the streets, that one was always a sure fire place to get a whole nights sleep without being robbed.”
“Thanks.” I nod, dropping my independent hand back down to my side. “Now that our boss has officially kicked me out of staying here for the night, I might just try that.”
“ Our boss?” Mako questions.
“You’re observant, detective.” I turn back to him, satisfied with his reaction. My assumption earlier seems to be correct, at what, twenty? He’s already a detective. Impressive, I’ve got to admit. “I’m head of the new K-9 startup unit.”
“Does that mean we’ll be seeing more of you?” Bolin asks.
“Definitely.” I confirm. “I’m only starting the unit though. After the puppy cubs are all trained and the new staff takes over, I’ll be back on the road.” I wave out in front of me with my hand and a genuine smile.
“Hey, I’ve got an idea.” Bolin says, leaving Mako already looking more irked. “Since it’s your first day, why don’t you let Mako and I give you the grand tour?”
I have to laugh because of the way he says ‘grand tour’ with a deep announcer voice and jazz hands. I can already tell the three of us will be good friends.
“Sounds perfect.”
***
“And this is your desk.” Bolin pulls out my chair for me and bows sarcastically low. Well, for anyone else it would be sarcastic, I think he’s actually serious which makes it all funnier. “M’lady.” That part’s really a joke.
I laugh and take a seat, kicking my feet up onto the wooden desktop. The steel frame wobbles under the pressure.
“Seems like everything here is temporary.” I joke, moving the unbalanced desk back and forth with the pull of my knees for emphasis.
“A lot changed after Kuvira attacked with her colossal mecha suit and spirit ray.” Mako says it like a fact but there’s a soft spot there. He must have seen it up close. I want to apologize but it’s not my apology he needs. “Headquarters used to be downtown but when all of that was destroyed we had to move here. The damaged area also has led to an increase in triad activity as they battle over what little territory is left in a turf war.”
“Sounds serious.” I say. “Is the avatar helping you guys with that or is it just the police?”
“For now it’s just us.” He says. “But I’m hoping Korra can do something to help the displaced citizens when she and Asami get back from vacation.”
My brows lift like helium. “You’re on a first name basis with the avatar?”
“Yeah!” Bolin nods eagerly. “Korra’s actually a really good friend of ours.”
“That’s amazing.” I let my eyebrows drift back into back as I continue to rock on the back legs of my chair. “How did you guys meet?”
“It all started back when we were pro benders-”
“You guys were probenders?” Now I stop rocking.
“Yep.” Bolin shines his nails on the edge of his jacket. “Made it all the way to the championships. You may have heard of us, the fire ferrets.”
“Well I don’t really keep up with the matches.” I shrug honestly, deflating his bravado. “But my little brother is really into it. His team will be competing this year for the first time.”
“That’s awesome.” Bolin smiles. “I bet he’s really excited.”
“Yeah.” I have to force my smile not to twitch away. “I bet he is.”
Truth be told, I haven’t seen Benji since I left home. Eight years it’s been and the only reason I even know about his match is because of an article I saw a couple of weeks ago in the paper. ‘ Benjiro Y/L/N, firebender of the Si Wong Jackalopes, runs hot again with a triple knockout finish’.
Thinking of Benji now sends my mind drifting back to my scar.
Not wanting to worry my new acquaintances with all that readable bs on my face, I smile into a subject chance. “So what made the two of you choose to become police officers?”
They both start to answer only to stop dead in their trail to turn and stand at attention. I follow their red and green gaze to the front of my desk where, of course, Chief Beifong is standing with a scowl on her face.
Ugh.
Doesn’t this lady ever smile?
“Get your feet off the desk!” She barks.
Every fiber in my being is telling me to resist this authority figure by leaning back even further or at least standing my ground. But I need money to get back on the road and this job pays well so I take my feet down, still keeping my eyes locked on tight to her own.
“Did these two knuckleheads show you around already?” She continues, arms crossed and foot tapping with impatience already. Sheesh. Learn to chill out.
“You shouldn’t call them that.” I say, face resting in it’s neutral smile and voice even.
I’m not trying to pick a fight, but she sure seems to take it that way.
Her hair practically stands on end as she straightens her back even taller and crinkles her nose even more; Anyone within a ten mile radius can probably feel the heat that’s radiating from her reddening face.
Mako and Bolin both seemed to jump at my comment from what I can tell in my peripherals.
Shit.
I’m in trouble again.
“I just mean,” I start, widening my smile and offering innocently hopeful eyes, “I know you don’t intend to sound rude however when you use words like that to describe people, you do tend to sound, just a little bit, discourteous.”
Her posture doesn’t change. She’s clearly not one to back down. I’m screwed.
She watches me, pensive toxic malachite eyes scanning me in a stare off. I try not to blink but now that I’m thinking about not blinking it’s all I want to do. Like looking into the eyes of a tiger lion, I must not show fear.
I hold my breath, my lungs screaming for nice moist air. I keep holding it. If I can survive the lack of humidity back home in the desert, I can survive here and now no matter how dry my eyes and neglected lungs get.
It’s like a Si Wong Standoff. I’m watching her and the brothers, ready to defend them against her rage if necessary, she watches all three of us, calculating who’s the best target, all the while Mako and Bolin are watching the chief and I’s personal battle, waiting to see if they’ll have to jump in to save either of us.
Finally, after beats of this torture, she blinks, ending our silent confrontation.
***
Discourteous?
She really had the nerve to call me discourteous? Abrasive, sure, I’ll take that word as a compliment. But discourteous?
I hold respect pretty high on my list of necessary qualities. Disrespectful or, ‘discourteous’ as she put it, people have no business being in law enforcement. She has no business being in law enforcement.
Oh if she only knew how close she was to being back out on the streets right now. Discourteous my ass. She’s the disrespectful one!
Still, I can already hear Su’s whining if I let her go. ‘You didn’t give her a chance, Lin’ she’d say, ‘I told you to try, Lin’. For now I guess I can let that little comment go but it’s strike one! And she only gets two strikes.
“Follow me.” I tell her, uncrossing my arms but keeping my leer. On occasion I’ve been known to glare accidentally however right now this look is one hundred percent intentional.
***
The chief starts to storm off before I can even scramble out of my chair. She gives me no time to say goodbye to Mako and Bolin so I give them my best little half wave and follow her out a side door.
Beyond the door is a manicured green yard surrounded by a chicken wire fence that goes to at least two feet above the top of the building. I’m not sure what this area was used for before me and the bear dogs but I’m feeling prison vibes.
Chief Beifong turns on her heel to face me, arms crossed low and loose behind her. Her glare seems to have softened slightly, but then again that could just be an illusion created by the way the warm glow of the morning sun bounces off of her features. In this lighting, it’d be easy to mistake her for a movers star. Now if only I could see her smile.
She catches me staring so I move my gaze to the yard while actually still focusing on her armor in the corners of my vision.
It’s the middle of summer. Doesn’t she get hot? To be fair, I’m currently in heavy black pants that sinch at my shins to trap all of the heat up at the loose fitting part at my thighs, but I’m also in a cherry red crop top that’s thin as can be and I grew up in a desert. Hot black metal? No thanks. Impressively, however, she seems unphased by it.
“You will spend most of your day here.” She explains, her stance sturdy, feet planted, like I’m a criminal and she’s ready to earthbend me at the slightest movement. I’m getting prison vibes again. “In the yard you will be working with a total of seven puppy cubs that we’ve already had temperament tested. They know the basics of sit, down, and stand as well as they are already trained to use the bathroom on command.
Since I had assumed you’d want a day to settle in first, I’ve scheduled the puppy cubs to be transferred here tonight. You will have all day tomorrow to work with and train them.
You will have access to any desk bound officers if you require them as well as any training tools you find necessary. Just let me know what you need and I will provide it. Any questions?”
She keeps the same stance throughout her entire monologue, like a statue made from that same metal she bends.
“Just one.” I try to match her power with my own stance but that takes a lot of effort and I’m not sure I care enough. So my hips cock and my shoulders slouch but all in all, I think we’re pretty close to standing the same. “What bear dog type will I be training?”
“Does that matter?” She pinches her eyes down into a squint and it’s not due to the sun.
“Well yes, actually.” I say, a hand out as I talk.
How do I explain this without making her feel insecure? Can I even make her feel insecure? Normally when I talk too long about facts things people tend to get upset, assuming I’m only doing so to irk them and make them feel lesser. She seems smart though; I bet she can handle it.
“You see,” I continue, smiling to keep up my positive aura, “all bear dog sub types have different temperaments and would thus need different tools to train. Garbage for example is a black bear dog. They’re lazy and smaller than say a grizzly. Easy to train and love bugs to just about everyone, black bear dogs are immensely food motivated.”
She mulls it over, audibly huffing out a deep breath.
“They’re polar bear dogs.”
“Polar bear dogs?” I chuckle. They’re cute but fierce. Only a few, to my knowledge at least, have ever been trained successfully. “Why polar bear dogs?”
“I’ve had some up close and personal time with one.” She says simply. “They will intimidate criminals well and can carry officers on their back so we don’t have to think about transport.”
I smile a little softer, not failing to notice how this softens her stance slightly as well. “That’s very smart. I wouldn’t have thought about it like that.”
Smart and beautiful, huh? Explains why her spouse keeps her around despite the attitude problem.
Glancing down at her fingers, I note the lack of a ring.
Huh.
I guess she doesn’t have one. At her age and position in life, I’m surprised. Surly there must have been someone who tried to pierce through that steel plated heart.
I can’t help but think it’s funny that she’s such a mystery to me considering how well I know her sister. I call Su my aunt; Her kids, I call my cousins. How do I not know anything about Lin? Not that she was mentioned much if at all.
“Hmph.” The chief crosses her arms at my compliment. Leaning in closer, she threatens, “Don’t think that this job will be easy or that you can ‘slack off’. You’re not special. You’ve done nothing to deserve this. You’re already starting on thin ice, so don’t mess this up.”
She straightens back out, adding one more comment with a wagging finger before marching back inside, “And dye your hair!”
Rodger that, chief. Thanks for the pep talk.