âItâs almost like we never left, huh?â Mei said as Rook pulling into the lower ring of the Ba Sing Se, witnessing the almost immediate transformation from standard community buildings to the garbage can fire pits, rampant garbage littering the streets and everyone looking at their relatively nice ride with greedy and jealous eyes.
âSave that we have suits, guns, a car, a modicum of self respect, tons of training and experience behind us, more than enough food to make sure we donât starve, a steady income...â Rook stated, deliberately trailing off as he got to the last item in that list. Mei gave a slight snort in laugh, bringing her hand up to cover her face in a tiny amount of embarrassment. Despite her rough and tumble exterior, there were still elements of a âladyâ in her that couldnât be tossed away.
âGranted, thereâs all of that.â She said, tugging at the wrists of her business suit. âBut honestly, I always feel a little calmer when we get to these areas of cities. Like...like coming home.â
âWhat a disturbing thought.â Rook said, knowing full well they had opposing views when it came to the slums of cities. âI canât wait to finish what we need to do here and leave.â
âHave to remember your roots there Rook.â
âI remember them plenty, itâs why I want to leave.â Rook stated as he took a turn and watched as several people stopped to watch the car go by. Maybe it wasnât such a bright idea to bring their bright silver âutilityâ vehicle with them, but they needed to be ready for a fight at any given moment. The car itself wasnât anything special, but it did boast a reinforced frame and bulletproof windows to protect them should the worst happen. It also carried every bit of gear Rook thought they would need on this mission in different assorted tote bags, all in all it would be quite a haul if one of these degenerates managed to snag it.
âYouâve turned into a high society snob in your spare time.â Mei said, poking fun at Rook as he gave a light sigh.
âBeing a bum isnât something to be proud of or remember fondly, thereâs a reason we fought to get out of Hobo Hall.â
âCause there was nothing left for either of us?â
âThat...and because we could.â Rook said as he took another turn. âBut we shouldnât be talking about such things anyways, did you read that entire document I printed for you?â Rook looked over at pile of papers sitting in Meiâs lap as she lazily picked it up and thumbed through a few pages.
âYeah, nothing really out of the ordinary if you take out the fact that sheâs the Avatar. Sheâs a street rat, a nobody.â
âIs that really proper phrasing?â
âJust because you can bend multiple elements doesnât make you a celebrity, in some circles it makes you a freak.â
âSurprising point of view coming from the bender between us.â Mei shrugged, letting the papers drop back down into her lap.
âNot really, itâs more annoying really. It feels like she was just gifted an opportunity, where as the rest of us had to work for it.â
âLife ainât fair, weâre the literal example of it.â Mei gave a groan, letting her head hang back as she reclined the seat slightly.
âDo you have a plan? Or are we just gonna go in there and beat the shit out of her old man till he gives us what we want?â Mei asked, of which Rook only smiled. Of the two, he was very much the âidea guyâ.
âThat wouldnât work, which if you had actually read the paper you would know that.â Mei flipped the papers up slightly as Rook made another turn with the car.
âI did, so what, heâs a accomplished metal bender, nothing we havenât beaten before.â
âIn close quarters, surrounded by a metal shop? It would be the equivalent of walking into a wolfâs den covered in steak sauce.â
âYour sexual fantasy?â
âThat...doesnât even make any sense.â Mei gave an exasperated groan.
âYou know, insults, jokes, kidding, whatever! Plan or not?â Rook shook his head slightly.
âWeâre White Lotus agents, weâre simply looking to reconnect with our team which was last seen in this area.â Mei looked at Rook for a second before it dawned on her and she gave a silent âOoooooooohâ. Rook reached into his pocket and produced two credentials, one of which he tossed to Mei. âThereâs your papers, present them when we introduce ourselves. Read up on the names in there, they say who weâre looking for.â Mei flipped through the papers again, specifically looking for the names.
âIzaya Mizukami and Rukasu Ryugamine?â Mei read a bit further, her brows furrowing slightly. âWhatâs this about a third one?â
âThe Reds couldnât lock that one down for me. All we know is that itâs a woman and she seemed to hook up with them at their last known location. After that...itâs a crap shoot. They promised to get back to me, but considering the priority of this jobâŠâ
âItâs doubtful theyâll actually follow through.â Mei stated, placing the papers on the dashboard.
âFair, hope it doesnât bite us in the ass.â Mei paused for a second, looking over at Rook. âHold on, if the Reds know all this, how come they donât know where they went?â
âThe agent who was spying on them was pulled away, although for what reason they wonât say...probably something embarrassing.â Rook said, spotting his location after he turned another corner. âWhen the agent got back, all the parties were gone, save for the family.â
âWhat a shit agent then.â Rook couldnât help but nod. He had one job and he failed, now it was up to them to fill in the gaps. With that thought lingering, Rook pulled up in front of Scrappers, the metal S hanging above the shop as a child who had been lingering out front ran into the front door of the building. âScout.â Mei stated, earning another nod from Rook as he turned off the car.
âRemember your role, you know what to do.â Mei gave a nod as they both exited the car. Rook closed the door, pulling on his suit slightly to smooth out the wrinkles as Mei once again pulled at the cuff links on her suit. Despite it fitting perfectly, she always complained about the stuffiness about it. Rorick tapped his underarm holsters where his .45 pistols were holstered, and a quick look at Mei showed that she had her .45 attached to her thigh. They werenât unarmed, but as White Lotus agents, having some weapons was to be expected. Rook reached into his pocket and pulled out a small thing of mints, popping one into his mouth he offered another to Mei as she walked closer to him.
âWhat is this, a date?â She asked as she took one.
âLike you would even know what a date would entail.â Rook stated, earning a very venomous glare from his partner. With that small amount of banter out of the way, they walked towards the door and knocked politely. A short time later, and a mountain of a man opened the door, levelling what appeared to be a lightning cannon of some sort at Rookâs face. Mei visibly tightened at the sight, but Rook couldnât help but stare at the weapon. A small smile planted itself on his face, as if this wasnât a very real and potential form a death for him, ready to crush his relatively short life.
âIf yer lookin fer trouble, you found it. State yer purpose or get lost.â Bunta stated, keeping the weapon pointed squarely at Rookâs head.
âEloquent.â Rook said, looking up at the man. âMr. Saito, correct?â Rook started, visibly hearing Meiâs muscles tighten in response to her fight or flight mechanic. âWeâre members of the White Lotus. Iâm Rokoro Heijiri, this is my partner Meiji Naoki.â As he stated, Rook slowly reached into his breast pocket and pulled out his credentials. They were fakes, but incredibly well done fakes. Rook doubted he had any technology or the knowledge to spot the differences. Mei did the same thing, presenting the documentation although Rook could she was extremely hesitant about it. âWeâre part of a larger team, but due to an incident a city over, we were separated from them. We have reason to believe they were here recently...for reasons Iâm sure youâre well aware of.â
Bunta seemed to grunt as he squinted at the documentation. Rook got the idea that he wasnât exactly sure the man knew what he was looking at, but decided against pointing that assumption out. âSo?â The man responded after looking at the papers. âThey ainât here no more.â
âThat is our understanding as well.â Rook stated, putting the papers away. âHowever, yours is the last place we managed to confirm their whereabouts, would you happen to know where they went?â
âNope.â He answered flatly, earning a slight pause from all parties involved before the man decided to continue. âYer dressed awful nice for folks rounâ âere...donâ yer lot have them little phones? Jusâ call emâŠâ His eyes narrowed at the two of them, but Rook had already planned for that little question to be asked at some point. After all, they lived in the digital age, getting in touch with friends and family couldnât be easier.
âWish we could, but due to our little altercation that I mentioned earlier, our phones were taken and in an effort to protect the rest of the team, we were forced to have them wiped.â Bunta seemed to pause for a second before relenting slightly.
âThey left ya behind then. I fixed up the car and they headed on their way. They lefâ hours ago.â
âLeft the city?â
âWell they ainât here, I tolâd yer thaâ!â. Bunta scoffed slightly. âIf they were here, theyâd be here, like I said.â Bunta scratched his beard a little. âSmarâ oâ yer to carry tho. Those other two didâ seem to bother. Musâ be more green than you two.â Rook held his chin for a moment. If they left the city, it made things easier but also lengthier. During this moment of thought, Bunta saw fit to continue.
âAnyway, sorry ter say so but Iâve had enough of yer lot terday. You best not hang around while it gets dark. My neighbors shoot before asking yer purpose.â
âThe tip is appreciated, and thank you for your assistance Mr. Saito.â Rook answered, watching the door close and earth shape to form a lock on the entrance. Rook turned and with Mei, walked back to their vehicle.
âSo theyâre not in the city anymoreâŠâ
âMost likely trying to take the Avatar somewhere safe.â Rook stated, hopping back in the car. Mei popped into the passenger seat as Rook reached back and grabbed a laptop. âBut knowing they left the city gives us another lead, I just have to get a hold of something.â Mei leaned back in her seat again, stifling a yawn as she did so. Rookâs computer booted up and his fingers glided across the device as he used the Red Lotus resources to gain access to the cameras that were stationed around the city gates.
It took a number of minutes as the system searched, but it never failed to impress Rook as to the level of reach that the Red Lotus had. He imagined that if they ever managed to spurn their employer, it would be very hard to disappear without outright dying. Soon, there was a slight ding, making Mei twitched as she seemed to have zoned out while looking at a couple of people who looked ready to try something. âWe get a hit?â She asked, looking over and spying an image of a car with the Avatarâs face clearly visible in the window.
âIt would seem so, we have a heading anyways.â Rook slid the laptop onto Meiâs legs as he fired up the car and got on his way. âSee if the RL knows of any White Lotus hideouts in that general direction, they might have an idea as to what their destination is.â Rook looked over at Mei for a second, noticing that she was stifling yet another yawn. She had always been one who gave into her bodyâs needs more often than not. âThen take a nap, weâll switch driving in a few hours to give us both a little sleep.â
âFair.â She stated as her fingers lazily tapped at the keyboard. One way or another, they were on the trail now and it wouldnât be long before they caught up with their quarry.