[IC] Avatar: The Price of Freedom

[Vena Sera]

"Officer, I'm holding it for someone, honest!"

Why was it not surprising that excuse didn't work? The several times it had ever been used before it never worked, so why would it now? If one really wanted to stay out of custody they would probably do a better job of evading arrest, or at the very least come up with a more plausible excuse. Instead of even attempting to keep out of this situation, Katsu had willingly given himself over to authorities, doing little other than offering that lame excuse beforehand. As was the case he now found himself in the back of a cruiser, the stench of oil burning filling his nostrils as the automobile chugged along the road. The officers who had made the arrest certainly looked pleased with themselves, having apprehended the boy who was responsible for 10 thefts just this week. They were little jobs really, and he'd not stolen from the same place more than once; repeat thefts were bound to lead to a mishap as he'd found over the years. This particular heist of his had been a simple one, just a routine pickpocketing that yielded a few dozen yuan and a ring, hardly anything worth getting busted for.

Katsu hadn't gotten arrested for some measly pocket change, and certainly not for a worn down ring with a missing gem. His mark was a little more elusive than that, and only accessible if one could get close enough to an officer. What he was after was not anything that would hold any real value, unless you sold it on a black market. What he was after was a badge, in particular one of the officers' badges. Criminals paid handsomely for these as one could use it to fool locals, gaining access to otherwise restricted areas or even sneaking into a police compound to spring one of your fellow crooks. In the slight struggle prior to his arrest he had managed to grab said item out of one of their pockets and now had it tucked away in the pocket of his pants, tucked away as he'd been sat down in the back of the car. Sooner or later the buffoons were bound to notice that he'd stolen something of theirs which meant he'd have to get away before then; escaping custody was something he'd done a few times, but it was a little trickier when in a moving vehicle. Glancing out the window he watched as the buildings raced by, laying his head back on the seat and letting out a sigh. Shame he had no way to get in contact with his crew, he would have to figure this out on his own then.

What would the best way of escaping a moving vehicle be? Jumping out whilst in motion was dangerous, he couldn't really do that while his hands were bound either. First thing's first then, he would have to focus on freeing his hands up before he could try any sort of escape. Glancing between the officers to make certain they were busy he stretched out his hands, managing to get one finger up against the chain that connected the cuffs. Inhaling silently through his nose Katsu then formed a small flame, letting it lick away at the metal gradually as he tried to hide the fire itself behind his back. From where he sat there was the audible sound of the fire flickering and the smell of burning metal, but to his luck the glass pane between himself and the officers should negate both of those. As the fire worked away at the chains he could feel its grip loosening, but he dared not try to break them for worry they might see him do it; once the fire had eaten through the metal entirely he felt his arms relax considerably, but again he kept them from moving too much, not wanting to draw attention to himself. Now, how was he to get out of the car?

To be a successful thief you needed two things: skill and luck. Knowing how to do the trade played a massive part in your success of course, and made the difference between the wealthy thieves and the failures. Had he any real concern for monetary gain Katsu would fall in the former, but he couldn't care less for it himself. The thrill of theft in of itself was all he desired, and every job both big and small delivered that thrill. Luck wouldn't get you by on your own, but occasionally even the best of thieves needed it to get by now and again. Some got it only rarely while others had it quite often, and fortunately for Katsu he fell into the latter in that regard. The opening he needed was just up ahead in the form of a traffic light changing to red, bringing the traffic and the cruiser to a gradual halt. The door would be locked, but that was no issue for him; burn the lock, kick the door open and run into an alleyway, that was the game plan. Sending one more glance in the way of the officers he met one of their gazes, a sly smirk forming across his lips. Something must have clicked in the guy's head that instant because he quickly opened his door to get out, but his reaction would come far too late. Freeing his hands from behind himself Katsu blasted the lock with a burst of blame, easily melting the metal and eating through to the exterior of the car. With one quick kick he then forced the door open, managing to hit and knock over the officer that had gotten out before scrambling out himself. By the time the other officer had gotten out of the car and helped his partner the thief was long gone, the faint sound of his laughing carrying out of the adjacent alleyway.

Katsu stopped running after he had gotten a few blocks away, ducking into an empty storehouse and pausing to make sure he hadn't been followed. After a few tense moments of silence he broke into a grin, wiping his forehead and letting out a sigh as he withdrew his mark from his pocket. "Hehe... Alfonso is going to be really happy with this..." he mumbled, tossing the badge up and catching it again. Alfonso was his connection to the black market, a man who knew how to ship otherwise illegal items with ease and bring in the most profit. Due to his own disregard for money the fence took half of each share, with the rest being distributed amongst his group. Gods know how much a badge would bring in exactly, but Katsu wagered it would be something fairly decent. Poking his head out of the storehouse he looked down the street before pocketing his haul, folding his hands then behind his head as he began a leisurely stroll back to his hideout. No doubt the authorities were going to be looking for him any moment, but they could be heard a mile away so it wasn't as though he was too worried about them. Nah, he was home free already despite being in the middle of the city, and soon he'd be back home bragging about his latest outing.

[Scout]

"Feel the water flow around you, stay in control - there's no raw power in our art, Siku," The man explained, letting the wall of ice in front of him melt into a large puddle on the floor.

"I've been water bending for years, dad, don't give me that spiel again," She retorted, drawing from the pool behind her. A tendril wrapped around her in a circle and began to spin as a second joined to revolve in the opposite direction, creating a gimble. With a series of spins and flourishes, she began to move forward, the water reacting in kind, speeding up before both rings lashed out as whips at her father maliciously. When both cracked, they met only air, the large water bender ducking astonishingly low to avoid the strike. His arms thrust outward into the lengths of water, catching them as he twisted full-circle, turning the attack.

"Gyah!" Siku almost yelped as the counter attack stopped just shy of her neck. Her father had aimed a lash at her, but sharpened the edge of the attack into ice and then held it firm before meeting her flesh, as usual. Her foot stomped into the ground, "Dammit! One of these days..." She muttered angrily as the attack was returned to the pool of water surrounding them.

"You're improving, don't worry about it, Siku. You just need to keep practicing. Maybe it's that pro-bending; it's significantly weaker than traditional, you know that," He argued for what had to be the thousandth time.

"I know it's not the best for practicing my bending, but the restrictions placed on it for the arena make it a viable way to practice versatility. You might learn a thing or two trying to fight me with those rules."

Her father waved a hand and rolled his eyes, "I let you do it yourself, don't pull me into it."

She laughed and stuck her tongue out teasingly before heading back to her room to change out of her dueling clothes and into her casual stuff. Once her sleeves were nice and straight, her hair's braid fixed, and her gloves back on, she was ready to go out. She got no farther than putting her hand on the doorknob before a uniformed man behind her called out.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"Out, Hiresh. Why don't you stay here and watch the house? Sesi has homework, I wanna go out, I can keep look after myself."

"Oh, yeah, cause that worked out last time I didn't join you. I almost got canned for that! When those small-time cronies held you up."

"It did! I destroyed 'em, they didn't stand a damn chance," The girl smirked and snapped her fingers smugly. "They were weak. Like they'd never dueled a modern water bender before."

"That's because it wasn't a duel! You could've been in serious trouble!"

“But I wasn’t! God… Katsu’s just an idiot, his cronies aren’t anything to worry about and they won’t make that mistake again.”

“Yeah, and one day you’ll face an actual Triple Threat or Triad gang,” Hiresh said firmly, stepping forward angrily. “You’re not allowed to leave without me anymore anyway.”

Siku groaned and rolled her eyes, “Fine. But not in a stupid uniform, go change, you can keep your precious cables, but I won’t walk around with you in that dumb armour,” She retorted. He sighed and agreed to change, returning in a rather over-the-top outfit that made him look… well, like a douche. But it was something, at least. He smirked and gave her a thumbs up knowingly before they headed out.

There was a nice Fire Nation restaurant in one of the nearby neighborhoods where Siku was planning to meet one of the young Air Benders form the temple. She usually babysat for the Tsukiko family, but tonight was a night off for both of them. As she and Hiresh made their way to the restaurant, a figure went nearly sprinting past from around a corner. The metal bender didn’t break tempo for a moment, kicking a foot out and slamming his elbow into the boy’s back, sending him sprawling to the floor. Siku jumped at the sudden, quickly-ended altercation and looked down to see… Katsu… Ugh.

She glared down at him, “Katsu, you idiot. The hell are you doing running around? You could have knocked one of us over! Then you’d be in real trouble!”

Hiresh’s lip curled back in contempt, “What are you running from, kid? I swear if you’re up to no good, I’ll have you booked.”

[kryusa]

Today went the same as any other day as a resident at Air Temple Island. Asha got up, did her morning routine, went to her classes, then after that practiced her air bending; in all honesty the routine was getting a bit boring, especially after years of doing the same thing, day after day. Of course there were other days that weren't so scheduled, but since most of her life was about discipline and respect, there wasn't much to do to ramp up the excitement...Until she turned thirteen.

Once at that age, the monks of the Island decided that boys and girls were allowed to go into Republic City to visit and do other activities, but not without a strict curfew.

Asha was grateful to be an air bender and really did enjoy it, but getting to go and experience other things off the Island was a real treat; she got to see all sorts of things and all different kinds of people, even if some were sketchy; but hey, that was life right?

It was later in the evening now and she was getting ready for her dinner out with a friend in the city, at a nice Fire Nation restaurant. She had never been before and was rather excited about getting to go. She put her hair into her usual hairdo, in low pony tails. As she made her way off of the Island on the boat, she thought about asking the monks of the Island to extend her curfew, so that she could experience more of the night life that Republic City had to offer. Nothing too extreme of course, but just to walk around during the night seemed fun.

Once she got off of the boat (she could have glided but it would have been a bit more tiring) she immediately began her trek to the district the restaurant was in. She knew the name of it, thankfully, and was going to meet her friend there. The brunette looked around as she walked, taking in the sights the city had to offer; it never seemed to get old as the city was constantly changing as well as it's residents.

Asha spotted the restaurants glowing sign and smiled happily and quickly walked over towards the door and stood near it, waiting. She looked up from the ground when she heard a loud thud, as if someone had hit the hard concrete, and spotted her friend. "Siku!" she exclaimed, running over towards her and the boys who she seemed to be acquainted with. The older boy looked familiar, but sadly she couldn't remember his name; the boy on the ground however she had never met in her life.

"Uh...is everything okay?" Asha asked, looking up at Siku and the older boy, glancing between the two. She glanced down at the boy on the ground and cocked her head to the side. "Are you hurt?" she then asked him, bending down to help him up.

[Vena Sera]

Katsu was feeling pretty darn good about today's job, having gotten away from the officers easily and now being on his way to pawn off his haul. Of all the things he'd ever taken a badge was a bit on the stranger side, if only because it was so oddly specific. He didn't know who was buying it or why, nor did he particularly care. Alfonso found him clients and he grabbed the goods, it was a nice little arrangement that saw everyone taken care of and, more importantly, gave him something to do. Smiling proudly as he stuck the badge back into his picket he began a jog back to his hideout, in no particular rush to get there. Maybe he was being a little overconfident in that regard, as his attire stuck out in a crowd; a brown, short sleeved jacket with golden cuffs on the arms and a high collar, a pair of gloves of a similar color scheme, a set of pants which fell just to his shins and a pair of black sandals. Coupled with a bag on his waist that was filled with tools of the trade and he wasn't exactly making any efforts to conceal his identity, and why should he? If anyone tried stopping him he'd get away again, he always did.

Well, someone had in fact managed to stop him, but not in the sense he was thinking of. Rounding a corner and being in a bit of a daydream he hadn't noticed a pair coming out of a building, tripping over something and getting a good smack to the back to boot. Letting out a surprised yelp Katsu fell forward, rolling awkwardly right into a mailbox and wincing as his head audibly bounced off of the metal. What in the world had he just run into? Wincing as his hands shot up to his head he turned around annoyed, glaring up at the pair he'd run across. "Hey, watch where you're going you-" he began, shutting up immediately recognizing who it was.

"Heh... H-Hey Siku, long time no see! Me? Oh I'm just... Getting some exercise in, that's all! Gotta stay in shape, you know?" Laughing uneasily he rubbed the back of his neck, wishing that for once Siku would be daft enough to take his lame excuse and just let it go. Well she didn't criticize him for it this time, but only because Hiresh had that front covered. Glancing over at the metal-bender his expression changed, frowning as he crossed his arms stubbornly and turned his head away.

"Get off your high horse, Hiresh, I've done nothing wrong. Like I said, I'm out for a jog, that's all." What a pain in the ass cops could be, always harassing him like this. Okay, so maybe he had technically done something illegal just now, but even when he was just out and about they still bothered him! Shifting to get up from the ground Katsu froze when the sound of metal hitting the ground confused him, turning his head to see the badge had fallen out of his pocket. Staring at it dumbfounded for a moment he glanced back at the others, a sheepish grin appearing on his face before he hurried and stuck it back in his bag.

"Oh that? It's just a toy, you see. Yeah, a replica. I got a job to uh... Get this kid a toy badge, so they can play. See the kid's sick and all so his folks are busy caring for him and can't get him the toy, so I was asked..." Oh jeez, he just couldn't win today could he? Now someone else was coming over to the group, but at least it was someone he didn't recognize. Kind of cute actually, though his hopes sort of deflated when he heard her calling for Siku. Great... She knows her! Evidently however she didn't know him, which could play to his advantage if he was careful. Watching as she came over and offered him a hand he lowered his head to hide a grin, pretending to dust himself off.

"Oh I'm fine, thanks. I just tripped is all, and these two were making sure I'm alright," Katsu explained, smiling charmingly as he took Asha's hand and got to his feet. Hm, a little young maybe, definitely younger than any of them. Would it be safe trying to charm her with Siku standing right there? If he could get in good with the girl then he'd have a cover, this could work to his advantage. Reaching out he took one of Asha's hands in his, bowing slightly to her before giving a playful wink. "But I should ask how are you, my charming beauty? My day just became a whole lot better once you graced us with your presence. What's your name?"

[Scout]

Siku beamed at the smaller girl headed their way, "Asha! Glad you could make it, punctual as always," She pointed out pleasantly, patting the girl's head before scowling back down at Katsu. She released the girl and smacked the back of his head, leaning forward to glare closely at him, "Don't even try to play it smooth you antagonizing dolt. Get off the ground, dust yourself off, we're going to eat. You damn well better be hungry," she warned him before softening her gaze and looking to Hiresh, "Is there a problem with that?"

"Many..." The guard pointed out with more than a little irritation, "I saw that badge - you try anything, kid, you're dead. And I'll be confiscating that right now for inspection. Hand it over," He said without joking, his palm reaching out for the badge.

Siku rolled her eyes, "You're not working right now, Hiresh. You're with us, c'mon," She said, pulling the boys along to the restaurant, "The food here is simply divine." Katsu could escape the police, but she'd be damned if he were going to get away from them. The four were lead into a very busy, but clearly expensive dining hall which would make both of the boys feel painfully underdressed. Namely because neither was actually invited. The lady at the podium was dressed in fiery orange and red, greeting them with a warm smile.

"Reservations?" She asked, looking to her list as she waited for a name.

"Tsukiko. And I know it says two on there, but we each got a plus one, sorry for not calling ahead, can I reserve a four-top?" The water bender asked curiously, looking up to the surprisingly tall hostess with pleading eyes. However, the woman didn't even look at her.

"T-tsukiko, right," she started, scrolling down the list as if she didn't know the exact details behind the name already. "You wouldn't happen to be the ambassador's daughter, would you?" The woman asked, clearly nervous.

"Yeah, papa's always working, so he's not here tonight. This is just me and my friends." It was now that Siku noticed the woman's slightly tanned skin and she stifled a small giggle - a Water Tribe woman working in a Fire Nation restaurant in Republic City. This place was full of anomalies.

"Well, I'm more than happy to find you a larger table," The woman replied, shifting some things around in her list, giving it another look, and finally nodding approvingly. "Perfect! You're all fixed up, follow me." The quartet was led to a round booth in a private corner of the restaurant. They wouldn't feel excluded from the floor and it would be easy for a waitress to see them, but it was certainly more secluded.

"Thank you, ma'am," Siku chirped, sliding into the comfy padded bench to the middle, followed by Hiresh. She rolled her eyes as they all took a seat and were passed menus.

"Doesn't it get a little... I don't know, awkward? How just your name gets you anything you want?" Hiresh asked finally, his eyes not leaving his menu.

"Huh?" Siku asked, put off by the question as she rubbed the back of her neck. "N-not really... I mean, it's not like I'm always using it to get ahead, right? It's just my name. What people do with that is up to them, not me. I like to think that being nice to them makes them nice back. A charming smile goes a long way, 'Reshy," She teased, poking his side.

He snorted with a frown, "I think there's more privilege there than you realize, Miss Tsukiko."

The girl shook her head and looked to Asha, puffing out her chest and mocking him with lip-syncing and crossed eyes for a moment before scanning her menu again. "Let's see here... Ooh, I know what I'm getting," She said, folding up her menu and setting it down. She'd eaten here several times, so it was really just a decision between a couple of items. To Katsu, it was quite clear that Hiresh was going out of his way to watch him over the edge of his menu as he picked his food, the glare almost palpable between them.

[kryusa]

When Asha walked over she smiled a bit shyly when Siku patted her head, then when she went to help the boy up from the ground, Siku smacked him on the back of the head, which made her eyes widen. Did he really deserve that? Woah, city life was tough if this was a typical night out! She smiled apologetically at the boy who had just gotten smacked as they walked inside. The boy seemed very charming, if him using his 'smooth moves' on her was anything to go by. She blushed a little, which she hid behind her hand, covering it up with a small giggle. She then noticed that the boy who had a little squabble with Siku was now joining them for dinner. Asha didn't mind, but she did not know this boy and was inclined to at least get to know his name, for informational purposes, of course.

When they were seated with a four person table instead of two, Asha was forced to sit next to the stranger, which made her back stiffen in anxiety. How was she supposed to act, now? A cute boy was sitting right beside her and she had never had lessons on how to deal with this kind of situation. Play it cool? Was that what all the other kids said at the Island? Yeah...that was right, just play it cool!

"So, what is your name? I don't think I got it?" She asked the boy who was getting stared down by the other man who was currently sitting next to Siku. Ah, Hiresh was his name. She would definitely have to remember his name as well. The brunette smiled at Siku when she said she knew exactly what she was getting. "I have no clue what I am getting...is there anything that is vegetarian?" she asked her water bending friend. She would know what was on the menu, the other two she wasn't quite sure; she assumed they were in the same boat as her when it came to knowing this restaurant's delicacies.

Asha glanced over her companions at the table to steal a quick view of everyone else at the restaurant. Wow, so many people! They were all dressed up so nicely, which made the brunette feel a bit under dressed...she was in a pair of tan shorts and a simple orange top. If they were to come here again, she would have to remember dress up a bit more.

[Vena Sera]

Asha seemed like easy game, in a matter of moments Katsu was confident she'd be eating out of his hand. Or she might be, had he not been struck by Siku and promptly shut down by her in one fell swoop. Rubbing at his head with a wince the thief glanced over at Siku, smiling tightly as he gave a nod and chuckled uncertainly. "Of course I'm hungry, especially since you're buying," he replied, "I wouldn't dream of passing up your hospitality." Heh, with this other girl here no way would Siku outwardly treat him like she normally would, especially not if he behaved well. No reason to make herself look bad, right?

"Inspection? You're full of yourself Hiresh, like I said it's just a toy," Katsu argued, sticking to his guns as he pocketed the badge defensively. Much to his delight even Siku agreed with him, albeit her argument was more of Hiresh trying to act with authority when he wasn't in uniform. Served the jerk right, trying to make him look bad in front of this new girl. Hopefully that brief altercation didn't shed any light on his true identity, if he was going to manipulate her into being a sort of buffer between him and Siku she had to have a good opinion of him as possible.

So where were they off to eat anyways? Republic City had hundreds upon hundreds of places to dine, both high and low class alike. Given how snooty and stuck up Siku was he was confident it would be high class, probably real frou-frou with tiny portions and ridiculous prices. The food there was good, Katsu had been taken once or twice by clientele, including some older lady who really, REALLY liked him for some reason, but he'd never come to a place like it under normal circumstances. Sure enough Siku had brought them to some classy place, whose name he hadn't even bothered to check before going in; this would be a once in a lifetime visit then he'd never come back, why commit the name to memory?

Waiting for the lady to find their non-existent reservation was a hassle, though to Katsu's amusement they were given a table to accommodate their group regardless. Huh, how nice that Siku could get what she wanted at a drop of a hat, then so could he, albeit his name carried a different kind of weight with it. Glancing around as they were escorted to their spot he smiled smugly at some of the glances he got, obviously not dressed to be in a place like this. Eh, who cares? So someone who didn't fit the part was getting in on their exclusive little place here, why should they care? Watching as Siku and Hiresh took one side of the table he glanced to the two remaining chairs, grinning internally as he gestured for Asha to take the seat first. "After you my lady," he said sweetly, even going as far as pushing her seat in once she was sat. Lay it on thick, in no time at all he'd have her eating out of the palm of his hand.

Charming Asha might have been a simple enough task if it were just them, but during the entirety of their sitting down Katsu could feel Hiresh glaring at him. More than once he would return the glare, and more often than not all he offered was a smirk in reply; out and about like this in public there was little an off-duty officer could do to him, and knowing Hiresh he wasn't about to cause a ruckus to apprehend him. Anyways the officer wasn't his focus here, but rather the young girl sitting by his side. He almost felt bad taking advantage of her like this, almost, and yet he reveled in watching as she became quite clearly agitated by his presence. Heh, this was going to be far too easy.

"Hm? Oh, my name is Katsu, Katsu Takumi. It's a pleasure to meet you my maiden," Katsu replied, smiling as he placed a hand on his chest and bowed his head slightly, "I don't believe I got your name either. Would you be so kind as to share it?" Waiting for a response he frowned slightly when Asha's attention went instead to Siku, sitting back in his seat and grabbing up his menu. That's right, what should he even be ordering? Since it wasn't on his bill he supposed he could get whatever he wanted, goodness knows Siku was loaded. Scanning over the contents for a moment he picked out a few things that sounded good, ultimately deciding on one before dropping the menu across from himself on Hiresh's plate. "I know what I'm getting! This place sounds really good, thanks for taking us here," Katsu added, smiling over at Siku, "You're a great friend, bringing us along and all."

[Scout]

Siku rolled her eyes and let out an audible, "Ugh..." toward Katsu. She watched him, unimpressed. "Her name's Asha. Stop doing that," She warned the creepy firebender as he hovered over the young girl. Siku kicked herself silently, Why did I let him sit near her..? She waved her hand at Katsu, "Yeah, yeah... Maybe next time you'll show your face clean and proper in my neighborhood and I can invite rather than drag you," She pointed out, her gaze not moving a centimetre from him.

She turned to Asha with a warm smile, "Of course. I knew you'd want it, look, they've got plenty of salads and nut dishes..." She started, pointing out different sections and items on the menu fitting an airbender's lifestyle.

After the civilization's growth in the past several decades, the entire world has shifted to accommodate having its wayward nation reborn. Their population still wasn't what it once was, and it may never quite reach such a level. The Air Nation was something new. From the benders who learned to hone their skills without joining the Nomads was born a new breed. The Air Temples were gradually raised again, all of the ones intact were refilled, any that were not were being rebuilt... Air Temple Island had continued to expand after the previous Avatar worked to continue Korra's and Tenzin's desire for the new air nomads to thrive in the new world. Their ancient culture was preserved by some, but others lived a different lifestyle with less rules. It made the world feel more balanced, having the element less isolated than it was before Avatar Aang's disappearance.

Siku noticed Asha's fidgeting and slight awkwardness and she shook her head, lowering her voice, "Don't worry, you can't underdress if you're an Air Nomad, Asha... You guys live with everything in moderation, nobody's going to give you a strange look for not being dressed in something extravagant. But if you like, next time, I'm sure we can find something you'd fit in at my house," She teased, giving her a small wink.

Hiresh finally set his menu down on the table, "I guess I'm ready to order too."

Once they all were finally prepared, despite how busy the restaurant was, the server was able to return with their food rather quickly. To anybody who didn't eat this way often or was familiar with running a restaurant, it would be surprising how easy it was for them to get it so fast... In fact, it would probably be obvious to Katsu, as it was Hiresh, that they were put in priority for receiving their food. Hiresh was even listening to the other tables, as usual, and heard them muttering about how long it was taking...

[kryusa]

Asha smiled a little over at Siku when she said there were plenty of dishes to accommodate for vegetarians; it was nice that the restaurant took those who did not eat meat into consideration. She wouldn't have made a big deal out of it or anything, she would have just munched on some bread, but still, she was really looking forward to trying something on the extravagant menu.

She turned her attention again to the boy, who she learned was named Katsu, and giggled a little when Siku said her name for her. Siku didn't seem very approving of how Katsu was talking to her, but she didn't mind, it was interesting to see how everyone interacted differently towards one another. Asha looked into Katsu's eyes and blushed a little, "Nice to meet you, Katsu."

Asha briefly wondered if anyone found it odd that she didn't carry a last name. Some air benders who lived a more modern life style had one, but since she was taught in the ways of the older teachings, she did not have one. It was always sort of funny to be introduced to someone new and always have them ask for her full name, not realizing that she had honestly just given all of it.

Siku had seemed to notice her fidgeting and her face turned a bit red again in embarrassment. "Thanks, I appreciate the offer," she said with a small smile. She did feel very under dressed in this establishment, but tried not to let it get to her so much. Like Siku said, most people understood a traditional air bender way.

Finally she found something on the menu she was excited to try, and noticed the server was already at their table, waiting to take their orders. She told the server what she would like politely and then waited for the rest to order, wanting to get back to talking to everyone; it was so much fun to be able to chat with other people. Of course she loved her family and friends back at the Island, but it was always refreshing to get to meet someone new and get to know their life story.

[Vena Sera]

Katsu was trying really hard to be civil here, but Siku wasn't making it easy for him. He would hardly go into a fit of rage or anything when provoked, but while trying to put on a front to trick Asha he couldn't be saying anything off color. So long as he behaved the right way and said the right things the Air bender ought to have no reason to suspect anything of him, and already he could see he was having an effect on her. "Hey, I am clean and proper. The only bit of dirt on me is when I ran into Hiresh," the thief pointed out, smirking as he glanced across the table at the officer, "Sorry for that, by the way. I know neither of us have apologized for the accident but I figured I'd take the first step." Heh, and paint himself in a better light by seeming the bigger man while he was at it.

Their server had been awfully prompt in retrieving their order, much to Katsu's delight. While he might not care terribly much for luxuries there was always time for food, and it made little difference to him whether it was five-star dining or a little sandwich shop on the corner, food was food. Of course the food here was less liable to make you sick, and you knew where the meats came from, but he couldn't see himself coming here often. The whole place just stunk of snobby people, like everyone here had something to prove. Another reason he rather disliked the rich, even with all they had they still felt a need to act like they needed more, or deserved more. A little humility wouldn't kill them, though then again considering how hard it was for some to get it perhaps it would.

Just as swiftly as their server had seen to them did their food arrive, and loathe as he was to admit it the food looked very good. Probably cost a small fortune for every bite, but then when you weren't paying for it caring was well beyond the thief. Taste wise... Eh, honestly it was alright. Katsu had eaten better food before and at less reputable places, here it just seemed like you were in part paying for the name and all of the fancy surroundings. Nonetheless he cleaned his plate, having to very closely mind his otherwise voracious eating behaviors in front of Asha. Normally he'd go to his food like a wild animal to its first meal in a month, it was just how he learned to eat. When you sometimes had to run from wherever you were you learned to do things quick, and inhaling half a pound of food in about a minute just so happened to be one of those things. Thankfully though he managed to draw it out, still finishing before anyone else but doing so in an orderly fashion. By the time everyone had finished he sat lazily in his chair, a smile on his face and hands folded over his now full stomach.

"Wow... Thanks for that Siku, it was great!" Katsu said, grinning as he looked across at the Water Bender. He'd not expected to be treated to a meal, in fact he was still a bit confused as to why he had been brought along at all. It would have been just as easy for Siku to send him off and explain things to Asha, he was certain that's what she would have done. So why take him along? Inevitably the Fire Bender's mind only settled on one possibility, squirming slightly in his seat as he hid a knowing smile behind his hand, coughing to mask it. She's totally into me... She just can't admit it! he thought smugly, glancing over at Hiresh. Tough luck for him, the officer probably had a thing for Siku. She was pretty, sure enough, and the fact that she had a bit of money didn't hurt either. Were it only the three of them here he might well flirt with Siku just for kicks, see how far he could take it in a public place before she snapped or attacked him for it. But he wasn't looking to cause a scene, and besides, there was Asha to see to.

Belching quietly into his arm the Fire Bender turned to his side, smiling sweetly as he reached over and placed a hand on Asha's. "So... You're an Air Bender, that's really interesting. I've never met an Air Bender before, certainly not one as pretty as you are," he said, giving her hand a pat before folding both of his own on top of the table. "Tell me a bit about yourself, hm? I hear the Air Temple is supposed to be a really nice place. Lots of discipline, but really nice. Are you from there, or did you move there?" He couldn't quite care much really, but if it helped earn this girl's favor then hey, he'd ask about her dang pet Platypus dog or whatever she might have. Giving Asha a moment to gather her thoughts Katsu glanced back over at his gracious host, winking mischievously as he did so. In a way he was saying 'Go ahead, do something, make a scene.'

[Scout]

"That little runt over there?" A young man only a table or two away asked. "There's no way it's him..."

"Shut up. Look, I know you're new, but try to be professional. We just watch," Their voices were rather low, but the older one seemed to be a bit agitated with his 'friend.' His voice returned to normal, "So how's your wife?" He asked with a laugh, "Still nagging you about taking care of the laundry this week?"

The younger of the two seemed a bit confused before realizing his position, "Well, yeah," He said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"That honeymoon phase never lasts as long as you want it to, eh?"

"Never!" He replied, rubbing the back of his neck. "I got away without doing it this time, though. We have our days..." The conversation faded into the background as the waitress came back to Siku & co.'s table.

The girl seemed slightly nervous as she placed the tray on a stand and began to set the dishes down at the table, naming each one as she passed it to their recipient. Siku, however, had heard the conversation nearby - she often heard other people talking about her with the assumption that she wasn't listening. It ended with some hurt feelings sometimes, when she'd hear her friends the moment she was gone, but it was something you learned to deal with when others were so jealous. Honestly, she didn't care until their conversation suddenly shifted... That was strange.

"Hiresh," She started, looking over, "Keep your eyes up..." She was a little bit nervous, sure, but it wasn't like anybody would try anything out here, in front of a bunch of people. She'd been in similar situations before; her family had money, it wasn't really avoidable when she lived such a high profile lifestyle. She didn't have her waterskin with her... or her dao, she realized. Of course, she didn't carry it with her into public often, but she was allowed to wear it for ceremonies and in formal attire. Most people thought it was just a decoration, but she treasured it beyond what was likely considered 'normal.'

The metal bender looked around, suddenly more alert as he tried to pick up suspicious conversation around them. Everybody seemed normal, but the air did feel a bit more tense when one paid close attention to it.

Siku looked to Katsu as he reached for Asha's hand and sighed, she'd slap him if she wasn't more occupied otherwise. The tables around them began to shift and their waitress - in fact, most of the staff - was nowhere to be found. The pairs and groups around them started to rise and brush themselves off professionally, every door suddenly had somebody standing by it. Some of them had waterskins, others just looked ready for... something, it was hard to say.

Siku looked to others at the table, "Hiresh, we gotta get out of here..."

"The doors are blocked, Siku... If we make a scene now, they'll know we know, just eat." He ordered, leaning over his food, "So, Katsu, what do you do for a livi-"

Four men stood in front of their table as the leader, the older man from a couple of tables away cleared his throat.

Siku leapt to her feet despite the small space between her and the table, shocking most of the people around them as she pushed it forward to the men and it fell to the floor on its side. An aquarium nearby burst as she pulled the water toward herself and she blasted one of them in a surprisingly short moment. It was the youngest, newest guy who was thrown across the room into another booth.

"Get the hell away from me you creeps!" She ordered, readying her next attack as the floor in front of Hiresh cracked and a small chunk of earth rose from the floor.

"Whoa whoa whoa! Slow down!" The man exclaimed, putting his hands up and starting to laugh. "You okay over there, Hansa? Ha, rookies..."

"Urgh... That chick packs a punch, man..."

"Shut up and get on your feet." The older man turned to look at Siku, "My apologies, Ms. Tsukiko, we're not here for you though."

The girl seemed honestly shocked, "W-what?" Hiresh snickered slightly.

"We're from the White Lotus - some of the newer members that just joined in the last few years... We're here for Katsu," He explained, turning to look at the boy, "We were hired after you left... You need to come back - you've spent enough time out here goofing off."

Siku furrowed her brow and looked over at her 'friend' ... acquaintance? Person she bumped into? She'd known Katsu for a couple of years - her parents didn't know she'd hung out with him; they'd probably have a hippo cow if they knew she had a friend from that circle. But now... what was the White Lotus doing here for him? Suddenly, her attack maneuver turned to him and she readied it, "What haven't you told me?"

Hiresh was up for no joking, however, as the earth shifted and it moved to 'rock' Katsu's feet to the floor, if he didn't move first.

[kryusa]

Asha was really enjoying herself as she sat and ate a meal with her friends. Although she didn't know Katsu well enough yet, she figured if Siku was friends with him then it was alright for her to be his friend as well. The food came just as quick as it was ordered and she was honestly very surprised at the swiftness the cooks and servers managed everything.

The brunette seen that Siku seemed rather preoccupied, her face having an interesting expression on it, meaning she was concentrating on something that wasn't in her direct presence; people at another table, perhaps? She looked beside them at the other tables and seen some older men who seemed to be glancing in their direction every so often. Asha didn't take this to be a threat at all, since Siku was a very rich and well-known person.

Katsu asked her some questions and she smiled politely. Blushing when the boy put his hand on one of hers she laughed a little and shrugged. "Oh, it's not really anything too exciting..." Asha began, but was cut off when the men who Siku had been focusing on came closer, causing Siku to attack one of them. She blinked at how fast Siku had reacted and almost squeaked at the show of violence; it wasn't THAT violent, but when you live on an island where people find peace and harmony the only way to live, it is quite a shock.

Asha felt very much like a bystander, unsure of whether or not to do anything, but thankfully the strangers put up their white flags as soon as Siku had attacked one of them, and said they were actually there for Katsu. Her eyebrows raised and her heart was pounding in her chest. What were they wanting him for?

White Lotus? That sounded awfully familiar. Asha watched as the men talked to the boy about goofing off and the like and cocked her head to the side; this was a lot of excitement just for an evening out for dinner. Siku had turned onto Katsu then, as well as Hiresh, and she stood up. "Hey wait, why are you guys on the offensive towards Katsu? The White Lotus are here for him...I think that means that...he is..." her eyes widened when she had finally realized just why the White Lotus would be after Katsu.

[Vena Sera]

The meal had been pretty good, now all that was left to do was seduce Asha a bit more. It was probably some awful sin or something to put the works on an innocent temple girl like this, but Katsu really couldn't care less about that. He just needed a little insurance when around Siku, and what better way than to pull the wool over her friend's eyes? The only downside to this that he could imagine was if the girl really took to him, then she might turn up places and put him in really odd situations. Eh, he'd worry about that later though, one thing at a time. Questioning her innocently enough he gave a false smile as she spoke, wondering whether she actually even did anything out there or not; the response would have to wait, as it happened they had some visitors.

Katsu had noticed it earlier as well, but he was more than used to being eyeballed by people by now. Cops, he assumed, probably looking for him over his theft not an hour ago. A bit odd they wouldn't be just coming for him here and now, though maybe they just didn't want to cause a scene. Heh, well that was fine then, if he just made a break for it then they'd have to chase, and he could easily escape as he always did. Curiously enough it looked like he wasn't the only one who caught wind of something amiss either, both Siku and Hiresh looked to be on alert. In no uncertain terms one of the men finally approached, and shockingly it wasn't him who reacted first, but the spoiled little Water tribe girl. Watching as she tossed the table then subsequently smacked the guy with water Katsu had to bite his tongue, trying not to burst out laughing at her reaction.

Though he had begun to snicker at the scene unfolding before him it hardly lasted. Upon hearing the men identify themselves Katsu's whole demeanor changed, the smile wiping clean from his face as he looked down at the floor in disbelief. The White Lotus, all the way here in Republic City? Well that wasn't too surprising, he knew they operated here, but how? He had been so careful, never leaving a trail or anything and yet somehow they'd cornered him. Damn it, they were insane if they thought he was going back, back to all that training and mundane ritual. He hadn't run all the way here just to return to that boring life, he'd sooner die than do such a thing.

Hearing Siku questioning him Katsu glanced up, eying her steadily as he remained silent. So she was going to help them now too, huh? Damn shame, he sort of liked her up until this point. He didn't want to hurt her or anyone here for that matter, but if push came to shove he'd do what he had to in order to escape. Smiling tightly as he shook his head he held up his hands innocently, letting out a faint chuckle.

"Siku... Listen..."

Before he got another word out Hiresh was making his move, attempting to pin him where he stood. Having none of it Katsu quickly pushed his chair back, knocking it and himself into one of the White Lotus members. Reaching back behind him he grabbed the man's shirt, flipping him over and onto his back before getting out of the chair, grabbing it and blocking a coil of wire with it. They had a metal bender with them, how annoying! Though maybe not... Fire melted metal. Smirking as he tugged on the chain he channeled a bit of energy to his palms, and with a sudden flash the chair lit up, the flames dancing down the length of the wire and forcing the man to sever it. Tossing the burning chair aside he grinned, darting back for the rear door through the kitchen. All around them people were becoming panicked, guests who were still there screaming and making a mad dash for the main exit. Tough luck everyone, come back some other time.

Pushing the swinging doors open Katsu quickly stopped, turning around and kicking one to smack one of the White Lotus in the face and knock him away. Then, grabbing one of the tables he pulled it over, placing it before the doors and pushing past the confused kitchen staff as he raced through the room. To his dismay a pair of men came in through the only exit there, neither looking willing to budge for him. Seeing no other option he gathered fire in his hands, punching at them and sending flames in their direction. One was an Earth bender, and readily raised a slab of the floor to block the attacks. No sooner had he lowered it though was Katsu on them, ready to fight his way through. One of the men was much older than he was, with white hair and a long beard that looked deliciously susceptible to catching alight, and the other was maybe a few years his senior. Experienced yet frail and strong yet undisciplined, he had this in the bag,

Ducking under one set of grabbing arms he pushed the younger man against the wall, leaning back to avoid a punch from the old man. Smirking smugly he grabbed his arm, pulling him forward and punching him hard in the gut. Katsu derived absolutely no pleasure from fighting, but between going back and doing this there was only one clear option. With the man winded just from one blow he swept his feet out from under him, quickly turning on the younger man and delivering a round house kick to his jaw, knocking him out. Hey, if you were going to sign up for this job you had better be ready for anything, including that. With his only opposition sprawled on the floor he jumped over them, pushing through the back door and into the rear alleyway.

Now then... Where did he go from here? There were a few options that he could think of; the fire escape could be taken to the roof, though he loathed to have to get into a spot up there where he might be stuck; the alleys should be fairly safe yet there was no guarantee they didn't have a perimeter, so what was left? Looking around he spotted a manhole cover, immediately racing over to it and grabbing hold of the edge, and with a grunt of effort he managed to lift it off and move it aside. A few more White Lotus men were coming out to the street, but by the time they had gotten there he was already going down the ladder, having slipped the cover back over the manhole. So long as no one saw him do that he ought to be in the clear.

[Scout]

"Oh, hell no!" The water bender exclaimed as Katsu pulled an escape maneuver from nowhere. He was actually pretty good, though his bending was sub-par. The form was all off and his execution was rough while his close-quarters fighting was far more impressive. Siku felt a hand wrap around her bicep and begin to pull her away. "Hands off, Hiresh!" She snapped, ripping away from him and using the small bit of water to splash his face as she took off after Katsu. Slipping between a few White Lotus members who were scrambling to regain their wits, she blew threw the kitchen doors. She made it just in time to see him fleeing another scene of groaning Lotus members.

"Geeze, you guys must be new! Can't fight worth a damn," She muttered.

"Well he'd recognize us if we weren't!" They argued, but she wasn't even listening. A grin spread across her lips as her friend took to the sewer and she followed closely behind. She came right up to the edge of it and, instead of even thinking of trying to lift it off, she let her bending do the work. Katsu was quite likely to notice the flow of the water as she drew it from the sewer and used it to raise the heavy cover before she herself dropped in. With a loud CLANG! the metal plate dropped back into place and before even dismounting the later, Siku had it frozen to the ground. Hiresh wouldn't be able to lift it and they'd only be able to get in if one of the water benders could tell how she sealed it. Asha could certainly find some way in here. Not that they'd be hidden long...

As he feet touched the ground, she looked up one direction and down the other for Katsu, her voice bouncing so heavily off the walls that it shook even the rats to their very mangy core. "Katsu, get over here, NOW!" She heard his footsteps, took stock of direction, and chased after the sound. Spotting him just ahead, a wave of sewer water rose and aimed to tackle him into the wall, her arm sweeping out along her side with incredible precision. Honestly, she cringed at the thought of being doused in the water. This was his fault. "Don't tell me to listen, you little scumbag!"

-----

Hiresh blinked as she took off, a bit shocked at her adamant resolve to get away from him. Was he really so bad? He looked to Asha with a small smirk, "So much for a nice dinner out, huh?" Just as he was about to chase after Siku, the older White Lotus member who had first confronted Katsu was thrown into the far wall by a rogue air current.

"You old bastard, you can't even do your own job. Bunch of good this lot is, you guys can't even bring your own charge back to your 'super secret compound.'" Hansa snorted, clearly recovered from any move he'd been thrown. More than half of the other 'new' White Lotus members turned on the others, catching them by surprise with their own attacks of varying elements. Hansa grinned to the small airbender in the hall, "See? You don't have to be a goody-goody to airbend," He taunted as the restaurant erupted with elements blasting into one another and the warriors of the room. By now the entire clientele had made it the hell out of there, but Hiresh felt a need to do something. Siku would be fine and chasing her at this point would be pointless.

"Hey, kid, get outta here, the Air Temple would find a way to have my badge if they knew I didn't try to get you out. Unless you think you can handle yourself here." His lips curled up slightly into a smirk, clearly excited to finally be able to do his job as a pair of cables blasted out from behind him and whipped the nearest aggressor directly in the chest, leaving a bright pink lash that would slowly turn red. Hiresh didn't care as much for apprehension as the others of the force - he wasn't murderous, but there was a certain fun to a fight that didn't require him 'tying up' his cables, as it were.

[kryusa]

Things happened so fast after the little encounter with the group of suspicious looking men coming to their table. She was surprised to see the White Lotus there, addressing Katsu. What could they have wanted with him? Was he really a criminal of some sort? Sure, he did look like he was someone liable to make a few illegal actions here and there, but he didn't seem bad conscious wise.

For a split second, Katsu and Siku were standing right where they had been sitting, the next moment, they were gone, running off towards the kitchen, Katsu no doubt looking for an escape route. She was left staring blankly at the dust they left; it was just her and Hiresh and she was honestly a bit apprehensive on what was about to happen next. Some of these men seemed mean-spirited and she didn't trust all of them...especially when the air bender used his bending to hurt another person. The brunette took a small step back, uncertain on what to do. Hiresh joked about how their dinner had turned into a sour evening, and despite her fear, a small smile appeared on her lips at his attempt to make the situation a little lighter.

"No, don't worry about me, I can't leave someone who is in need of assistance!" Asha told Hiresh, getting into an air bending stance that was typical of most air benders; the older man probably knew what she had up her sleeve, but damn it, she was going to try her hardest to help Hiresh out.

"Come at me!" The brunette shouted, the adrenaline in her veins making her feel weird and a bit eccentric. A man, despite her young age, decided to give it a go and attack her, which she easily dodged and threw the man into the restaurant's wall with air so forceful it caused the wall to crack. Asha squeaked a bit at how hard she had hit the man with her attack and pressed her hands close to her chest.

"Oh gosh, I'm so sorry!" She said, but gasped when she seen another man coming at her with an attack that she knew she couldn't dodge.

[Vena Sera]

Katsu really wasn't a fan of violence, in fact he normally detested it. There was a reason he went into theft as opposed to other crimes, as generally speaking you avoided any and all fighting in his line of work. Sure, with his martial arts training and bending he could probably take on any number of illicit activities, but those that might genuinely harm someone were well below him. Items could be replaced, lives couldn't, so he didn't lose any sleep over snatching someone's favorite vase or necklace as it wasn't that big a deal in the broad scheme of things. While perfectly logical to him others outside of his circle scarcely agreed, and he would be hard pressed to find some random soul on the street that thought the way he did.

Now was hardly the time to argue with himself over the justification of theft, he had more important things to worry about; the White Lotus was after him, again, and he'd be damned if he let them take him away. Having slipped out of the restaurant he took to the sewers as an escape route, which was hardly ideal but it would more than serve his needs. Slipping the manhole cover on securely he slid down the ladder, wasting no time in making a run for it along the side of the pipes. Right, there should be another manhole cover some few hundred meters this way, and there he could come back up to the surface and slip away in the city. Or that was the plan at least, it seemed there was going to be a slight complication in it.

"Katsu, get over here, NOW!"

Ah, the sweet sound of a siren's voice grating against glass, how he'd missed that in the last half a minute. Seriously though, why in the world was Siku chasing him? She had absolutely no part in any of this, and it kind of made him mad she was getting mixed up in something she knew nothing about. Biting back the urge to shout back he kept running, silently cursing his feet for slamming into the damp concrete and basically advertising where he was. Well whatever, if he really had to he'd do what he'd done to the White Lotus to Siku; he liked her well enough but even she wasn't going to keep him from getting away. Thinking he was much too far to be hit with anything he frowned hearing the sound of rushing water, turning his head just to see a torrent spiraling at him. Gasping in surprise he quickly lifted his arms to shield himself, somehow keeping his mouth shut as he was slammed into the side of the sewers, groaning as he slipped down onto the floor.

"Are you nuts...?! What are you doing?!" Katsu shouted, glaring over at Siku as she came into view. Damn her, she was going to ruin everything! No way was he going to go back, not now and not ever. Picking himself up off the floor Katsu spit out a bit of the nasty water, wrinkling his nose in disgust as he assumed a fighting stance. Fine, if she wanted to bend then they would bend, he just hoped she didn't mind getting intimate with flames. "You have no idea what you're doing Siku, piss off!" Throwing forward a few punches he shot streams of fire at the girl, following with a few leaping-spinning kicks, a volley of fire racing at Siku. After launching those attacks he promptly turn and began running again, hoping to reach the ladder before she could really catch up to him.

[Scout]

"What am I doing?!" Her face turned red with sincere agitation, "I cannot believe you think you have the right to ask me what I'm doing! I'm not the one running from the White Lotus!" For every fireball coming her way, the girl effortlessly countered with an aqueous torrent of her own, causing the elements to dissipate mid-air. It simply left the sewers smelling more... sewer-y. She wasn't even running at this point; his focus was on that ladder and he was a fool for even thinking it. The moment he was on the third rung, Siku rotated a full three-hundred and sixty degrees, another simple blast of water following her movements aimed square for the space between his shoulder blades.

"You're not going anywhere until you explain yourself," She spat venomously, "Where do you even think you're going? Do you know how long they've been around? Probably ages. Do you think you ever really left their sight? They're highly trained, professional protectors of the Avatar... idiot," her stride didn't break as she walked down the 'hallway' of the underground sewers. "Like you can run anywhere that they don't have eyes watching for you."

She was starting to relax, rolling her eyes now, she was more than willing to help him to his feet if he wasn't going to bolt off again. "Look, I'm not trying to turn you over, Katsu, I just wanna know what the hell is going on. Why would the Lotus be chasing you?" Clearly, the truth hadn't quite clicked to her. In fact, it was obvious she was doing everything she could to reject the truth. Simply put: Katsu could not be the Avatar. He must have stolen something from the Lotus; there could be no other explanation.

-----

Hiresh reeled back, a hand on his nose, "You ass!" He shouted, blood dying the skin of his palm quickly. "Ugh, disgusting..." Spitting on the floor, the metalbender regrouped and stepped forward, back into the fight with the up-close airbender. It was a pretty new experience for him, seeing as more often than not the Air Benders kept to their home lifestyle. There were many who didn't, they just weren't very common. What in the hell was happening here? Hiresh made contact with the man's solar plexus, doubling him over, before executing a well-practiced downward bow. His attacker was on the floor, unconscious, in the next moment.

Who did he hear apologizing..? Oh, dammit! He stomped his foot just in time to bring a slab of rock up in front of Asha, causing a blast of fire to ricochet into the wall. It dropped to the floor and Hiresh took two rapid steps forward, launching both of his cables from his sides into the aggressor, binding him rather than striking this time.

"Leave your work at home, she said... Don't bring your uniform, she said..." He grumbled in agitation, "I didn't even bring my radio... stupid!"

[Vena Sera]

"And I can't believe you think you have anything to do with this!" Katsu shouted back, growing a bit agitated as he threw a hand aside dismissively, "Stay out of my business, will you?" Seriously, what was she getting mad at him for? This had been his life for as long as he'd been away, so to him this was nothing new. It just seemed like whatever he did was wrong in Siku's eyes though, which begged the question of why in the heck she had to show up everywhere. It was like fate was being cruel to him by forcing the two of them to be around one another! Damn it, if she just stayed back in the restaurant then he would be long gone by now, but no, she just had to be persistent.

In a bit of a fit Katsu struck out with his firebending, something he rarely did when fighting someone; fire was very dangerous, that went without saying, and most of those he dealt with were not benders. Even the police he generally tried to limit his bending, worried that he might cause some serious damage if it got out of hand. It wasn't going to stop Siku and he knew that, but all he needed was a bit more space to make a break for it. Could she keep up with him if he ran? He doubted it, he spent plenty of time slipping around the city and was awfully practiced in making quick escapes. With a flurry of blasts he made a bolt for one of the nearby ladders, hoping the fire would buy him enough time to scramble up and away. Unfortunately, it didn't, and he'd not even get halfway up before he'd come crashing back down.

Katsu felt something powerful strike him right in the back, gasping as the force smacked him into the ladder, his head hitting one of the rungs and making him lose his grip as he fell back down onto his feet. A bit winded from the blast he slunk down to a sitting position, soaked and sore as he stared up at Siku. What an annoying girl, just what was she trying to accomplish by doing this? Did she want some reward for turning him in, was that it? She already had it all, what the hell more could she need? Or did she just genuinely dislike him so much that she was going to jump at the first chance to do him in? Hearing her berating him now made his insides boil, having to look away as he worried that he might lash out.

"Just shut up already..." the firebender hissed, clenching his hands into fists as he turned his eyes onto the ground, refusing to look at Siku. "Of course I know who they are, I know more than you do. Look at how I live, you think I'm not familiar with them?" There was more to it than that though, he had intimate experiences with the White Lotus that no one else in the world did. Hearing Siku speaking to him as though he was clueless really pissed him off, she had no idea. Did people think the Avatar got a cushy life? That because you were chosen you had the White Lotus provide and wait on you constantly? They did to a point, but there was also the training. Hard, grueling, unforgiving training. That aside some members resented their service to the Avatar, and he'd more than had his fair share of attacks and problems with some people. This life he led now, being a thief, at least now he was happy.

She wasn't going to turn him in? Seriously? Then why chase him all the way down here? If she wanted to know she could have asked them, or found him when all of this blew over. No, instead she had to mess it all up, get in his way and potentially cost him his freedom. And for what? Curiosity? Katsu was glad to know what little his personal wants was worth to Siku, that she would put him in such a bad position just to learn what was going on. Clenching his teeth angrily he forced a bitter smirk, a shadow obscuring his eyes as he lifted a hand and wiped his face clean of some water.

"You want to know why they're after me...? You did all of this just to know why?" Katsu asked, finally glancing up with venom in his gaze as he looked at Siku disdainfully. "Because they want to drag me away. Because they want to force me into a life I don't want to live, to do things I don't want to do. I'm happy here Siku, living how I live. I like the people that I work with and I enjoy what I do for a living. If they catch me then all of that goes away, everything I've done over the last few years means nothing. So do you get it yet? Do you know why they're after me?" Shaking his head angrily Katsu climbed to his feet, taking a step towards Siku as he pointed to himself, "It's because I am the Avatar!"

[Scout]

The girl paused, visibly flinching at his exclamation. A few awkward moments of silence passed before she snickered. A hand instantly shot to her mouth as the giggle grew to a laugh and she shook her head. "Oh, no, don't... Katsu, that's... Heh... That's not funny," She said, still trying to fight the laughter. "Seriously..." However, his expression didn't change. Oh, god, he wasn't being serious, was he? Did he really think he was the Avatar? Was that why the Lotus was here?

She calmed down and shook her head again, "Really? If you're the Avatar why didn't you fight with anything but fire? You could have easily overpowered me. An Avatar would have better bending form than that too, I would hope. Plus, you've been here for years now... I mean, I know you've been here since at least shortly after I got here, maybe longer, I just know we met around then. So how could you be the Avatar? That would mean you 'escaped' the Lotus like they were some kind of... prison guard. Plus, you're a thief! Why wouldn't you want to be out learning anything new? That'd be lazy and dumb," She said blankly, shrugging her shoulders. "Do you know how much fun that would be? There's so much, and an Avatar can learn all the elements - anything. Even you aren't that stupid," The girl explained, crossing her arms with a smug grin.

"To answer your first question - yeah. To know why. I love why, thank you very much." She met his gaze... Why did he look so agitated? "You know as well as I do how bad you are at lying - you couldn't pull this one off in a million years. I'm sure you barely convinced Asha that badge is a toy; nobody else bought it. Now c'mon, what're they doing coming aft-"

"THERE HE IS!" Three men had come running down into the sewers after them, and none of them looked like the nice White Lotus fellows from upstairs. A small block of wall blasted from beside one of them as set his feet and launched it down the corridor as the one directly beside him picked up the pace, readying a punch as a small flame was ready just in front of his fist, prepared to launch. The third man was on the other side of the water way - he was likely the one that made it possible to get down here. It was a bit obvious as he targeted Siku herself, creating a small flurry of sewer-made ice spikes, launched promptly for her. Sure that Katsu was reacting as quickly as she was, the girl sidestepped. However, one small miscalculation caused her to slip off the edge and into the water between the walkways. Resurfacing quickly, she spit out a mouthful of water and shook her head.

"Oh my fucking god, what the hell?! Ew, it was in my mouth... Ew, ew...." She cried out, making a small spinning motion to lift and hop out of the canal onto the side of the hall with the opposite water bender. Her face was more determined than her whining had made it seem as the man across from her readied another attack.

[kryusa]

Asha almost felt the brutal heat of fire, if it weren't for Hiresh and his quick reflexes. She sighed in relief when the older boy threw up some earth to protect her from the flames. "Thank you so much, Hiresh! I would have been a melted human being!" she exclaimed, her heart fluttering faster than it had ever ran before.

The brunette heard Hiresh talking to himself after that little rescue and decided to try and finish off the mean fire bender that tried to cinder off her existence. "Take that!" she yelled, throwing a whirlwind of air towards the man, picking him up off the floor and twirling him through the air, dizzying him; he didn't get up after that. "And stay down, butthole," she murmured before looking over at Hiresh, who had seemingly taken care of the others.

"I believe that Siku chased after Katsu, following him into the sewers. Don't ask how I know that...I just...can feel them," Asha said, a little bewildered at her own knowledge. It was true that some air benders were capable of spiritual projection...but Asha honestly didn't think that she would ever be someone who would be able to do such an ability.

She motioned for Hiresh to follow her lead, down into the nasty sewers in pursuit of his charge. "I think they went down this way," Asha added, following the path that she felt knew to be correct. Sooner than later, they began to hear sounds of people yelling and then sounds of water splashing, indicating a fight. "It's them!"