Hi everyone! Thank you all so much for the favorites/story follows and reviews so far. Here's day 2's fanfic, as promised. I'm sorry it's so obnoxiously long (over 4,000 words), I got a bit... carried away. But I hope you find it enjoyable none the less, even if you have a short attention span like I do.

Usual disclaimers apply. Read and review, lovelies~

2. Triad

"Hey, leave him alone!"

Mako's head whipped up at the sound of his brother's dismayed voice. He was crouched in the shadows at the back of a dumpling stand, arm freezing in the act of swiping a few scraps off the cart for a meager lunch. Bolin had stayed behind in a side alley just around the corner so he would keep out of trouble, though Mako supposed he should've known better than to think that would work. The earthbender attracted trouble like a magnet.

And apparently today was no exception.

Sighing, Mako abandoned his mission for food and slunk away from the vendor as quietly as possible. He retraced his steps along a short strip of sidewalk and ducked into the dimly-lit back street where he'd left Bolin.

What he found brought him skidding to a halt, his inner fire blazing beneath his skin and heating his blood to its boiling point.

A group of four boys — the oldest looked to be about fifteen, the youngest probably closer to thirteen, Mako's age — had Bolin cornered against the dingy brick wall bordering one edge of the alley. Bolin's chin was tilted defiantly, but even from where he stood at the mouth of the passage, Mako could tell his sibling was shaking.

It took less than a millisecond to pinpoint the source of Bolin's distress. In the arms of the scruffy gang's obvious leader — the fifteen-year-old — was a wriggling baby fire ferret. Pabu's indignant squeaks bounced off the walls enclosing them, his tiny paws flailing as he fought to escape.

"Let Pabu go!" Bolin's words were determined, though the tremble in his tone chipped away at his bravado. His hands curled into fists at his sides like he was ready to start throwing punches if it came down to it.

"Oh, I'm sorry, you want your weasel back?" The boy that held Pabu spoke in a lazy drawl, smirking as his cronies snickered around him. He shifted his grip so that Pabu dangled from one hand by his scruff, while the boy tapped his chin with a long finger as though caught in a dilemma. "Nah, I think I'll pass on that, Shorty. I might just keep him around a while. Never had a pet of my own before. And he'd always make a nice scarf if I got bored of him."

Hissing under his breath, Mako dug his nails into his gloved palms, shoulders rigid. He strode purposefully towards the circle of teenagers, approaching the leader from behind.

Nobody messed with his little brother and got away with it.

"Pabu's mine!" Bolin's voice shot up an octave in blatant distress, fear skittering across his innocent face. "Give him back!"

"And just what are you gonna do if I —"

Mako tapped the lanky boy on the arm. He whirled on his heel and blinked down at Mako in surprise, that oily sneer sliding into place not a second later.

"Well lookie here boys, we've got another one. Come to the rescue I take it, Scarfie?"

Golden eyes narrowed dangerously, sharp brows furrowing into a glare. "Let the fire ferret go and leave my brother alone."

"Someone thinks they're a big bad hero, don't they?" The boy chuckled humorlessly, lifting Pabu high above Mako's head, a taunt clear in his dark amber gaze. Firebender. "You gonna beat me up if I don't do what you say? Gonna teach me a lesson, mister hero?"

"We don't want trouble." Mako kept his tone carefully neutral, smothering the rage beginning to smolder in the pit of his stomach beneath a layer of indifference. "Just drop the ferret and get lost. Bolin didn't do anything to you."

"Didn't do anything to me? That little shit over there" — the teen jerked his head in Bolin's general direction — "was trespassing in our alley. Nobody comes through here without my say-so." He leaned in so that he and Mako were almost nose-to-nose. "So why don't you both get your scrawny asses out of here while your baby brudder is still in one piece."

Mako snapped.

Before the taller boy could register what he was doing, Mako drew his arm back and flung it forward again, punching the idiot square in the face. A sickening crunch echoed in the blow's wake, and the boy howled in agony, hands flying up to cradle his broken nose. Pabu fell from his grasp and scampered over to Bolin, tail bushed out with fright.

While their leader reeled backwards from Mako's attack, the other three gang members rushed to his aid, circling Mako like buzzard-wasps marking their prey. Mako's eyes darted from one to the next, his body coiling into a fighting stance as flames sprung to life at his fingertips.

"Don't just stand there, morons!" The oldest of the group scowled at his little henchmen, trying to mop up the blood dripping down his chin. "Get him!"

Needing no more encouragement than that, the boy nearest Mako slammed his foot into the ground, a wave of jagged rocks shooting out from the impact and barreling down on the firebender. Adrenaline surging through his veins, Mako sprang into the air, pushing off of the rubble as it slithered under him. He twisted into a smooth roundhouse, flames licking the sole of his shoe and slicing across the boy's torso, burning a ragged line through his shirt.

Mako landed neatly on his feet, aiming a few quick jabs at his earthbender opponent as soon as he touched asphalt. The boy attempted to block his strikes by raising a wall between them, but Mako was too fast for him. Fire skimmed over the top of the rock, scorching the boy's arms and the side of his neck, giving his scraggly hair an extremely close shave. A cry of pain tore through the alley, and with one panicked glance Mako's way, he took off running, abandoning his comrades as he disappeared around the corner.

"Whoo, go Mako!"

The thirteen-year-old shot his brother a fleeting scowl, exhaling heavily when he spotted Bolin hopping up and down excitedly on the sidelines, Pabu nestled in his hair. Bolin must've noticed the disapproval in Mako's expression, because he reigned in some of his enthusiasm, clamping his hands over his mouth to show Mako that he could be quiet.

Spirits knew the last thing Bolin needed to do right now was draw attention to himself.

Abruptly, the excitement glittering in Bolin's emerald eyes dimmed, a shadow of alarm ghosting over his features.

"Watch out behind you!"

Too late, Mako spun on his heel and suddenly found himself being slashed across the cheek with a well-aimed water whip. He staggered a bit under the force of the blow, fingers brushing the side of his face and coming away slick with scarlet blood. The wound stung fiercely, and he winced, the ache swirling like a dense fog in his mind and befuddling his thoughts.

C'mon, focus Mako. It's just a scratch. Fight back. Keep Bolin safe.

Shaking his head sharply to clear it, Mako zeroed in on the waterbender who'd attacked him, fury smoldering beneath his skin. With a growl, he launched himself at the other boy, fists ablaze. The waterbender dove out of Mako's path, sliding neatly around him and drawing a stream of water from a pouch strapped to his shoulder. A swift flick of his wrists, and the liquid condensed into razor-edged icicles; Mako barely had a chance to regain his ground before his adversary let loose a fierce cry, throwing his arms forward and crossing them over one another.

Shards of ice rained down on the firebender, and Mako felt a rogue splinter slice through his bicep like a knife through butter. Hissing with pain, Mako bent his knees and quickly surrounded himself with a bubble of fire, using it like a protective shield. The icicles melted on contact with its heat, and Mako allowed himself a small smirk as steam rose from the places where the elements clashed. He drew his hands in closer to his body, and then thrust them out on either side, the blaze around him bursting outwards like a miniature explosion. Two distinct screams reached his ears through the roar of his bending, followed by retreating footsteps heading for the mouth of the alley.

Straightening up, Mako wiped a few stray droplets of sweat from his forehead, attention swiveling to the pair of ruffians just as they vanished from sight.

This was turning out to be easier than he'd thought it would be. He hadn't even had to actually fight the third guy to send him home with his tail between his legs.

Maybe it was time their little ringleader considered finding himself some new body guards.

"That the best you can do, Sparky? Pfft, how pathetic."

Fresh anger welled deep in Mako's chest, rushing through his bloodstream and lending new strength to his limbs. Balling his hands into fists, he whirled in the direction the snide voice had come from, fully intent on giving the bastard who dared to mess with his brother a broken arm to match his broken nose —

And his heart dropped into his stomach.

The boss of the gang had Bolin pinned to the wall so that the earthbender's toes dangled a good two feet off the ground. One of his captor's hands was fisted in the front of Bolin's shirt, and the opposite hand was drawn back behind his head, embers dancing at his fingertips and throwing the terror painted across Bolin's expression into sharp relief. Pabu shrieked furiously at the boy, tiny paws tearing at his pant leg, but the ferret's efforts only earned Bolin another hard shove into the bricks.

"Mako!" Bolin called desperately, wriggling in a vain attempt to free himself. He tried to swing his arm around and earthbend his assailant off, but the fire in the latter's hand flared menacingly, and Bolin stilled, wide green eyes flickering helplessly to Mako.

Sanity and self-control crumbled to dust as the other firebender tossed an evil grin Mako's way, spite gleaming in his tawny gaze.

That cocky smirk was the signature on the bottom line of this idiot's death warrant.

With a feral snarl he hadn't even known he was capable of, Mako charged at the older boy blindly, vision swimming with crimson. His fists ignited themselves as he ran, scorch marks searing the cement beneath his feet with every stride.

He had to protect Bolin. He had to.

He couldn't lose the last of his family.

Hardly an arm's length remained between him and his prey when Mako suddenly pushed off from the ground, executing two precise aerial kicks, one right after another. Streams of vibrant orange exploded from the bottom of his shoes, rocketing towards the taller boy. His target merely waved them away with a lazy hand, letting Bolin fall from his grasp so he could face Mako completely.

Mako traced his brother's movements for a fraction of a second, just long enough to see Bolin crawl out of harm's reach with Pabu scampering at his heels. Once he was certain Bo would be safe, Mako fixed his full attention on his adversary, eyes narrowed to golden slits.

"C'mon, hero," the gang member taunted, curling his fingers in towards his palm mockingly once, twice. "Give me your best shot."

Baring his teeth, Mako shot his hands forward in a succession of rapid punches, little bursts of flame erupting from his fists. He pursued the attack with a wide kick, and then swung his arm into a broad uppercut, thick waves of heat crackling through the air.

The other boy leered at him and rolled smoothly out of his range, springing to his feet again almost instantly. He returned Mako's pursuit with a few well-aimed jabs of his own, and then dropped to the ground and twisted his body in a complete circle, weight supported on his hands. A ring of fire sparked to life around him, tracking the motion of his legs; he launched himself back to a standing position, and the pyre broke free of its formation, barreling right at Mako.

Sucking in a sharp breath, Mako dove to the side, the assault just singing the hem of his jacket as he avoided being reduced to a pile of ash. As soon as he'd righted himself, he spun into a swift roundhouse and then leapt off the concrete, propelling himself in his opponent's direction. He lit a ball of flame in his palm, its heat intensifying as the space between them diminished.

Mere inches separated him from the taller boy when he hurled the pent-up blaze at the latter, the energy within it exploding upon impact with the boy's chest.

Both of them were knocked flying by the force of Mako's strike; the younger of the two landed upright and skidded backwards while the elder tumbled onto his back, a heavy thud echoing throughout the alley.

Mako used the time it took for his foe to stagger to his feet as a moment to catch his breath. He crouched down in a loose fighting stance, brushing the sheen of sweat that'd gathered at his hairline away with his hand.

He hated that he tired so quickly these days, but there wasn't much he could do about it. With winter on the horizon, he'd been giving the majority of whatever food he could scrounge up to Bolin, and thus Mako's lean muscles had begun to deteriorate. He was no stranger to going hungry, and so he always insisted that Bolin take care of himself first even as his brother fretted over how skinny Mako was becoming.

Thoughts of his own condition were shoved into a dark corner of his mind as his adversary finally managed to stand again, albeit looking far worse for wear than Mako after that last blow. A sizeable hole had been torched through the front of his shirt, and an angry burn marred the pale skin underneath, one that would no doubt leave a substantial scar.

For the first time since Mako had confronted him, real anger simmered in the ruffian's eyes.

"Oh, you're gonna regret that, you little shit."

Inhaling deeply, the older boy drew his hands in close to his body, his index and middle fingers pointed while the rest curled inwards. Mako watched, dumbstruck, as his opponent began to move his arms in great sweeping arcs, electricity sparking from his fingertips as it followed his motions. Static hung in the air and made the hairs on the back of Mako's neck stand on end, and an eerie blue glow emanated from the other boy's hands, throwing patterns of light and shadow across his features.

Mako had heard of benders who could control lightning before, but he'd never seen it done in person. It was at once the most awe-inspiring and the most terrifying thing he'd ever witnessed.

Before Mako could even think to snap out of the shock he'd fallen into, the boy extended his arm with a flick of his wrist, the electricity shifting with him. It jumped from the pads of his fingers with a rumble akin to thunder, slamming straight into Mako's stomach.

A scream of pure agony ripped from the thirteen-year-old's throat, and he collapsed to his knees as the lightning tore through him. It felt like he was being burned alive from the inside, heat as he'd never known it searing through his veins and stealing the breath from his lungs.

In that instant, he was almost certain he was going to die.

And then Bolin would be left all alone in the world.

...No. No.

He couldn't let that happen. He would never abandon his baby brother like that.

They needed each other.

White-hot adrenaline surged through Mako's limbs, nearly drowning out the anguish of being electrocuted in its wake. He wasn't sure what drove him to action, — some deep-rooted instinct, maybe — but suddenly his arms were straightening themselves out, his legs widening into a solid stance. He mimicked his opponent's hand position, two fingers pointed, the others bent towards his palm. His body shifted so he was facing the older boy sideways, one arm extended to catch the energy currents being sent his way.

And to Mako's utter astonishment, he could feel himself start to absorb it.

With a strained grunt, the firebender twisted around and tried to sense the power inside of him, buzzing beneath his skin like a live wire. He summoned it as he would his normal bending, letting it burst from his fingertips and launch itself back towards its original owner.

He just glimpsed the shock plastered over his target's expression before the lightning struck the boy right in the chest.

The effect was instantaneous.

One moment the fifteen-year-old was on his feet, and the next he crumpled to the ground, body splayed over the asphalt as if all of his bones had suddenly turned to jelly. Stray jolts of electricity ghosted over his skin, illuminating a tiny patch of the alley in their blue glow every few seconds and jerking on lifeless limbs. The place where he'd been hit looked even more gruesome than before, the center of the wound black and charred while the outer edges burned an angry red.

Mako straightened slowly out of his stance, panting for breath, staring blankly at the fallen boy. He let his gaze linger there for a moment, and then glanced down at his hands, blinking. His mind was having trouble processing what exactly had just happened.

Why wasn't that kid moving anymore?

Quiet, hesitant footsteps approached Mako from behind, and a heartbeat later Bolin was at his side, Pabu perched on the earthbender's shoulder. Mako shifted his focus to his brother, dazed ochre meeting wide, scared jade. All the color seemed to have drained from Bolin's face, making that stubborn curl that always hung over his forehead look like a splash of ink on a white canvas.

"Mako…" Bolin's voice was several octaves higher than normal, fear cracking through it and planting a seed of dread in the pit of Mako's stomach. "W-what did you do?"

"I… I don't…" Mako turned his head to frown at the boy in the street again, eyebrows pinching together. The gang leader looked a lot more… vulnerable than he had only minutes ago. And he really shouldn't have been that still, should he?

"I t-think he's…" Bolin's sentence trailed away uneasily, but the unspoken word that completed the thought descended over the two of them like a cloud of smoke, toxic and suffocating.

Abruptly, Mako's chest felt too tight, the air too thick, his body too numb. He stumbled backwards a step, breath coming in short gasps as denial flooded his mind and his pulse thudded in his ears.

"N-no, I couldn't — I didn't just — that's impossible!" His gaze flickered back to Bolin, pleading, as if his brother would suddenly smile that goofy Bolin smile of his and the motionless boy at their feet would pop up and yell, "Ha, just kidding!"

But Bolin's expression didn't change, simply continued to mirror the panic in his own, and Mako felt the world come screeching to a halt beneath him.

A sharp, staccato noise from behind them made both young teens nearly jump out of their skins. Mako whipped around to face the direction it emanated from, placing himself in front of Bolin protectively as he peered into the shadows on the opposite side of the alley.

Several tense heartbeats passed in which time itself seemed to freeze, and then a figure emerged from the gloom, sauntering over to the siblings. He was tall and unfamiliar, with pants torn at the knees and a high collar that brushed his jaw line. His hands continued to beat out their slow rhythm as he drew closer, snide approval practically rolling off of him in waves.

"What do you want?" Mako snapped, arms half-raised and muscles tense, ready for another fight if this stranger meant trouble. In all honesty, he wasn't really sure he could last another round, especially against someone a lot more experienced than his first challenger. But he had to keep Bolin safe, no matter what it took.

The man halted a few feet from the boys, ceasing his clapping and shoving his hands in his pockets instead. His icy blue eyes seemed to size-up Mako for a moment, and then they shifted to the body on the ground, examining it.

"Pretty sweet moves you got there, mister hero," he commented nonchalantly, as though they were a trio of old friends discussing the weather. Mako cringed at the nickname; that other boy had called him that, before —

"That your first time bending lightning, kid?"

"Maybe." Every single wall Mako had built around himself from years on the streets shot up, and he studied the man coldly; whatever this guy wanted from him, he wasn't going to get it. "What's it to you?"

"Not many kids your age can do that, y'know." The stranger seemed to completely disregard Mako's tone. His gaze landed on the firebender again, and he smirked, shifting his weight casually. "Impressive. You're not too shabby in a brawl."

Something clicked in Mako's head at those words, and a scowl darkened his features, anger spiking in his bloodstream. "Were you standing there watching the whole time?"

A lazy shrugged rolled off of broad shoulders. "Sure was."

Mako nothing short of exploded, embers sparking from his mouth as he hissed out a breath. "Well if you were just gonna sit there, why didn't you help me? Or my brother? Those guys could've killed either one of us!"

The man gestured to the twisted figure at his feet. "Seems like you had it under control, firecracker."

Mako cast another glance at his fallen foe, and then heaved a lengthy sigh, his whole frame sagging as his rage abruptly extinguished. Sure, he'd won out in the end, kept his little family safe as he always did, but at what cost? That boy had just been another orphan on his own, rougher, crueler than Mako and Bolin were, but still having to scrape by however he could and make a halfway-decent life for himself.

And now his blood would forever be on Mako's hands.

"So listen." The stranger cleared his throat to regain Mako's attention, breaking the tense silence that had formed between them all. "I got an offer for ya, kid. You've got talent. And I know it ain't easy being a street rat. You just proved that about two minutes ago when you fought this punk over here." He kicked the side of the corpse's foot disdainfully. "What would you say if I told you I had a job for ya that would put those skills of yours to good use? One that actually paid well?"

Golden eyes narrowed suspiciously. Mako wasn't sure he liked where this was going. "What kind of job?"

A shiver trickled down his spine as the man fixed him with an oily grin. "Ever heard of the Triple Threat Triad?"

The name set off a dozen alarms in Mako's mind, and he felt his face harden into a glare. "I'm not doing anything for a bunch of criminals."

"Hey now, who said anything about criminals?" The Triad member's voice was positively sultry now, a gleam in his icy gaze that Mako wouldn't trust as far as he could throw the guy. "You'd just be helping us out with a few simple… errands here and there. Nothing sketchy. And just think, the extra dough could help keep that brother of yours fed." He nodded in Bolin's direction, and the earthbender cowered behind Mako's taller form. "Growing boy like that's gotta eat, doesn't he?"

That struck a chord. Mako glanced at Bolin over his shoulder, taking in the innocence that radiated from his baby brother's features, from his very being. Even with Mako giving Bolin whatever scraps he could make a meal of and opting out of feeding himself nine times out of ten, Bolin was still getting skinnier as winter approached. His cheekbones were more pronounced than they had been a few months ago, and his clothes hung a little more loosely on his body, his muscles not quite able to fill them like they used to.

The firebender bit his lip uncertainly as Bolin blinked up at him, a hint of fear swirling in his green irises. Mako would do anything to make sure his sibling was cared for, was as happy as he could be when they called the streets their home. If working for the Triple Threats meant a better chance of Bolin surviving to see next year's spring…

An eternity seemed to tick by in the span of the few seconds Mako warred with himself. Finally, he turned to face the stranger again, resolve written in the furrow of his eyebrows, in the set line of his mouth.

"Alright. I'm in."