Everyone was present in the living room. Rokan, Sumi, Rin, and Jinrai had settled into different parts of the space, their eyes fixed on the television as the news broadcast played.
Rokan felt a wave of nausea twist in his stomach.
"A bounty?!..."
Anxiety coiled tightly in his chest. The weight of it pressed down on him - the fear of dragging everyone he cared about into even greater danger, all because of who he was.
Rin spoke first, his voice sharp with disbelief and anger.
"What the actual fu*k!..."
His tone dripped with displeasure.
"A fu*king bounty? For a kid?..."
Jinrai spoke out his mind, his usual calm voice now heavy with concern.
"This is bad. Right now, Rokan is not only being targeted by the police..."
"... But by every single person occupying this nation..." Rokan completed his words. His voice was slightly dim, cracking with a mix of fear and deep sadness.
"... I'm... I'm seen as a threat."
A heavy silence settled over the room. No one seemed to know what to say to comfort him.
They all believed Rokan wanted to be the best Avatar he could be, but lately he had started doubting himself constantly - blaming himself for every hardship they endured because of his existence.
Rokan slowly stood up and faced the television. His expression was serious, his jaw tight with caged anger.
"No..." Rokan whispered to himself, barely audible. He clenched his fist so hard that his knuckles turned white.
"... We aren't going to run anymore."
He was sick of it all - being hunted simply for being the Avatar, being painted as a worldwide threat. He knew there were still others out there, benders hiding in fear from the law. He had to stop being scared and actually start fighting for them.
Though doubt still lingered in his heart - whether he was truly strong or smart enough - he remembered Jinrai's words: the world wouldn't wait for the perfect Avatar.
Rokan turned to face them.
"I know I've been pretty much a coward recently. But... I can't sit back and let these people push me and every single bender to the wall like that."
Rin smirked. He leaned against the wall and folded his arms.
"I think I like where this is going..."
"I..." Rokan's words halted for a moment.
He forced out the words he had kept buried for so long.
"... I'm going to fight the law."
Rin smiled. Jinrai and Sumi followed suit.
Sumi, though proud of Rokan for finally deciding to face his problems head-on, felt a deep worry settle in her chest. She hated seeing him get hurt, but she knew this was necessary.
"But... I can't handle them all on my own. If you guys could help me out-"
Rin interrupted.
"Are you dumb...?"
Rin pushed himself off the wall and walked over to Rokan.
"I can't believe you think we're just going to let you rebel against the nation on your own."
Rin placed his hand firmly on Rokan's shoulder.
"We got you..." He turned to Jinrai and Sumi. "Right, guys?"
Jinrai agreed. "Of course." His smile was full of pride, as if looking at his own grown son.
Sumi nodded in agreement as well. She believed in Rokan.
Rokan smiled. A powerful mix of joy and relief washed over him. He had thought they might be angry - after all, he was asking them to risk their lives and futures by rebelling against the law. Yet they still chose to stand with him. The warmth of that realization settled deep in his chest.
---
Back at A.B.C Labs, Furama walked through a long, sterile hallway. The metallic ground clunked rhythmically under his every step. He reached a secure door, swiped his card key, and waited as it slid open with a soft hiss.
As he stepped inside, Kenra was already seated in the center of the room. Tubes ran across nearly every part of his body. Despite the invasive setup, Kenra smiled casually.
"What's up Mr. Furama?" he spoke as if greeting a classmate.
Furama smiled.
"Please. Call me Zed."
"Is that your real name or..." Kenra asked.
"It's a name..." Furama paused, almost as if thinking, "...close ally's call me."
"Ah," Kenra replied, satisfied with the answer.
"Alright, Zed..." Kenra scanned the tubes connected to him, his face slightly puzzled. "Anyways, what are we doing right now?"
Furama walked slowly around the chair in a circle.
"We successfully made you an Airbender, and it took a year for you to master it. Now..."
He leaned in close beside Kenra's face.
"...Now we'll make you even stronger."
He pulled away and moved to sit in a nearby chair, crossing his legs.
"Nice!"
Kenra didn't seem bothered at all about being a lab rat. He truly only loved the feeling of gaining power. He wasn't a normal person.
A woman in a lab coat entered, clipboard in hand. She walked over to Kenra and made small adjustments to the tubes. After a while, she retrieved a test tube containing a strange, shimmering liquid from a counter.
Kenra looked at it, a hungry smile spreading across his lips.
"Is that... What I think it is?"
Furama rose from his seat.
"You stated you were a water bender before getting cleansed right?... Well then, I thought it'd be faster to give you water bending so that we don't have to train you for another long period of time. Who knows..."
Furama walked toward the door.
"A heavy battle might be closer than you think."
He stepped out as the automated door closed smoothly behind him.
---
Flames burst brightly from Rokan's fists as he launched consecutive flame strikes, steadily closing the distance between himself and Rin.
Rin moved with quick, precise steps and sharp reactions, evading every blast. In his hands were short blades wrapped in black cloth, ensuring they wouldn't seriously hurt Rokan. As the two came close, a fierce series of close-range attacks erupted - parries, dodges, and skilled combat on full display. Though Rin held a slight edge, he still couldn't land a significant blow on Rokan.
Rokan leaped backward and attempted to summon water from thin air.
He steadied his breathing, closed his eyes, and tried to concentrate deeply. Small particles of moisture slowly began to form as he brought his hands together, but they faltered and dissipated almost instantly. He still couldn't waterbend effectively.
He sighed heavily, his head dropping toward the floor in frustration.
Rin walked closer, concern clear on his face.
"Hey... Don't sweat it. You can't learn water bending in just three days."
Rokan raised his face, his expression a mix of anger and deep disappointment.
"Three days?! I've been the Avatar for five... Years!" He stood up straight.
Rin shrugged.
"Well yeah... But you know what they say..."
He stayed silent, keeping his shoulders raised.
Rokan raised a brow at the unexpected pause, waiting for the rest.
"... yeah?"
Rin dropped his shoulders.
"I don't know where I was going with that."
Rokan held the bridge of his nose in disbelief.
Seconds later, Jinrai opened the doors with Sumi standing beside him.
"Hey!... We've got something."
Rokan and Rin shared a quick glance before both nodded.
---
A photo of Furama was dropped onto the living room's short table. Jinrai firmly placed his finger on it.
"That is the president of the A.B.C council. They involve themselves in all matters involving benders and elements."
"So is he meant to be our target? We still aren't sure if he's the one truly against me." Rokan spoke.
"But he's honestly our best bet. Who would hate the Avatar more than the person heading a council built on hating bending." Rin said.
"Rin's right. He's our best bet. And also...", Jinrai brought out one of his papers. "He's also responsible for the cleansing process. So even if there's a chance he isn't the one against you. He'll surly have some answers to why so many benders get missing after going for a cleanse."
Rokan nodded.
Rin leaned on a wall, arms crossed as he asked.
"So what's the plan?"
"We watch. We'll head over to the A.B.C Labs and its headquarters to gain more info on Furama. Later plans can be made further, but for now... Let's monitor his movements."
Sumi noticed Rokan looked tense. She glanced at the picture, then back at him, worry evident in her eyes.
Rin asked again.
"So... Can we know when?"
Jinrai replied, "We'll share ourselves into teams, in a week-"
"No..." Rokan muttered, barely audible. His head was faced down, eyes forced shut. He was angry - not at the plan or his friends, but at himself.
They all looked at him. Silence filled the room for a while before Rin asked,
"You're not okay with the plan? I mean... We can still think of something-"
"No!" Rokan interrupted again, this time louder.
Rokan opened his eyes. They were soft, his brows twitching slightly.
"I... I'm not ready."
Jinrai scoffed.
"But you're the one that said-"
"I know what I said..." Rokan burst out, interrupting Jinrai again. "... But I still haven't mastered water. I need to use every single bit of leverage that I have if I'm going to have a chance against the world."
Everyone stayed quiet. They understood what he was feeling, but they had thought he was past that point and ready to face whatever came.
Jinrai nodded slowly.
"I get it... So how about this. Tomorrow... You and I will meet a... relative of mine. She has a friend, she was a waterbender before getting cleansed. She can take you to her."
Rokan raised his head, looking at Jinrai in disbelief. He might finally get proper training in the one element he still struggled to master.
"... Rin, Sumi, you'll watch over the A.B.C Labs. After we get Intel on the lab, we can move on to their headquarters. Rokan I'm sorry... But we can't wait for you any longer."
The words hit hard. Rokan felt a sting of hurt, but he completely understood. They had been unable to live freely for five years because of him.
"I get it...", Rokan said quietly.
"... I swear... I'll master all the elements, and bring balance to the world again. I won't fail. Not again."
Rokan thought to himself for a moment before addressing everyone again. He lifted his head high, determination burning through his veins.
"... Let's do this."
... To be continued...