Republic City was a melting pot of cultures gathered from all over the world, its inhabitants having suffered and witnessed many things throughout its decades of growing prosperity and expansion.
And yet, despite the city's apparent fame and wealth, not everything shone as it should.
Conflicts were no strangers to the city. Crime still thrived despite the tireless work of the police department, politicians never fulfilled their promises, corruption plagued three out of every ten businesses, and vagrants and children could still be seen struggling not to starve or freeze to death in the streets...
Non-benders were still discriminated against.
Citizens of Republic City believed that unless they saw a parade of hundreds of spirits suddenly appear in the streets, nothing could surprise them anymore.
Until that day came.
…
The Republic City Museum.
A must-see institution for every tourist, curious local, retiree, and history student. While the city itself hadn't existed long enough to amass a large number of its own historical artifacts, it still had a small collection. Thanks to its unique position in the world, it could also temporarily display pieces on loan from the different nations during various themed exhibitions, returning them after the allotted time.
Today was just another day for Lee since moving to Republic City, leaving behind the Fire Nation where he was born. He had landed a respectable job as a museum guide and presenter, which paid a decent salary thanks to his charisma. Best of all, it was one of the safest buildings in the city.
Most of the exhibits held great historical value but little material worth for a quick profit, and with permanent security staff inside, local gangs didn't even bother lifting a finger.
Too much risk and hassle for the sake of getting a half-rotten six-hundred-year-old boomerang from a past Avatar's display case, or the wooden table where peace had been signed between the Fire Nation and both Water Tribes.
The greatest and most recurring threat to the museum was cleaning up graffiti that occasionally appeared in the back alley where trucks unloaded and loaded the exhibits.
Nothing a waterbender couldn't fix in a few minutes—or a non-bender with a bucket and mop in two or three hours.
Besides, Lee hated having so many people around with the same name. He had almost suffered an identity crisis!
He had to get out of there.
But here, he was Lee, the one and only recognized museum guide.
It even said so on the wooden badge pinned to his chest!
"And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the fascinating story behind this boomerang, recovered from the depths of the sea—right where it is said Chin the Conqueror met his end at the hands of Avatar Kyoshi," Lee concluded after fifteen minutes of a story he knew by heart, backwards and forwards. "Now, if you'd like, we can take a short break at the museum gift shop before moving on to our next exhibition."
The history students weren't too eager to spend their limited money on trinkets—making it to the end of the month was already hard enough. But the tourists' eyes lit up, and one elderly lady even unsheathed her coin purse like a katana, flipping it open with her thumb and quickly counting how much she could buy today.
"Looks like my commission will be pretty small today," Lee sighed inwardly in resignation. "No matter, there are always slow days."
As a museum guide, one of his natural duties was to encourage those captivated by his stories to buy all kinds of souvenirs. The more they bought, the better his extra commission at the end of the day.
Lost in thought, he didn't notice a nearby velvet rope vanish.
Once everyone had stocked up on trinkets, Lee was about to resume his usual route when one of the history students spoke up.
"Excuse me, is that a new exhibition?" the student asked, pointing toward a large hall they were passing by, without any apparent intention of entering.
"Hmm?" Lee looked over, slightly surprised. "Isn't that hall supposed to open tomorrow?" he thought, puzzled.
But seeing that the curtain was drawn back and the safety rope keeping visitors out was missing, he figured they had probably finished setting up ahead of schedule and simply forgotten to tell him.
It wouldn't have been the first time. Fortunately, Lee was a man who liked to be prepared—he had already done his homework, memorizing the new exhibition even a week before it was needed.
"Good eye!" Lee praised the student in a casual tone. "In fact, this exhibition was originally set to open tomorrow, but it seems it was completed ahead of schedule." He put on his best professional smile as he improvised. "How about becoming its very first visitors?" He made a confident hand gesture for them to follow.
Once inside, it didn't take long for people to realize what the exhibition was about.
"That's right, ladies and gentlemen—a Beifong family exhibition!" Lee presented several objects and their associated histories over the next hour.
No one noticed the shadow silently slipping away from the group.
"The centerpiece of this grand exhibition is… just a simple suit of armor?" a tourist from the Earth Kingdom asked in confusion.
Indeed, at the center, inside a reinforced display case and resting atop a marble pedestal, sat an unassuming suit of armor, seemingly nothing special.
"Oh, you couldn't be more mistaken, sir," Lee replied, switching to his tone of mystery and awe to guide the mood. "This is no ordinary suit of armor!" He made a grand gesture toward the central case. "It is without a doubt the most important piece in this exhibition. The museum 'fought' for over six months just to secure permission to display it within these walls for the next month."
"What's so special about it?" a history student asked, pulling out a notebook to take notes.
That was the question Lee had been waiting for—the one he heard most often in his work.
"This armor has not one, but three key points," Lee began, using gestures to keep their attention. "First, you should know that this armor is the direct predecessor of the gear currently used by our metalbending police officers."
The visitors examined the armor and, indeed, could see some resemblance.
"Second—don't judge this armor by its plain appearance!" He began pointing out different parts inside the display case. "It's made from extraordinary materials. The museum's scientists have yet to discover how the alloy forming its base was made—only that it was man-made. But that's not all! The armor also contains a significant amount of meteorite, platinum, and… do you see what look like gemstones?" He pointed to the beautiful green inlays on the armor. "Nothing less than pure genamite!"
The visitors' jaws dropped. With a bit of mental math, they realized that armor must be worth a true fortune.
Exactly what one would expect from the Beifong family!
"You said there were three key points," a woman fanning herself remarked.
"I did," Lee nodded. "In fact, this is the most extraordinary point of all!" He deliberately lowered his voice, as if sharing a secret. "You see, it is immune to any earthbender's control—or sub-control. Whether you try with the meteorite, the metals, or the genamite, the armor simply ignores it all!" He spread his arms toward it. "In other words—it is an object immune to bending!"
A wave of astonishment and disbelief swept over the group.
But Lee wasn't done. Immersed in the atmosphere he had created, he didn't notice a certain shadow sliding across the floor and into the display case without leaving a single scratch on the glass...
"But that's not all—" Lee tilted his chin up forty-five degrees, adding drama as he positioned himself under a beam of sunlight streaming through a high window. "It is said that the reason this armor (which not even the Avatar could control) remains unaffected by every attempt is because it is waiting for the return of its true master. Only the rightful owner of the armor has the right to wear it, claim its immense power, and—"
The eight-thousand-word legend was never finished.
"Uh…" the same history student interrupted, raising his hand with a puzzled expression. "And what about the stories of its glow?"
Lee had to look down.
"Its… glow?" he repeated, blinking in confusion. "What glow?"
Not only did the history student point behind him, but the other students, retirees, and tourists made the same synchronized gesture.
Lee had a bad feeling as he slowly turned around.
The Beifong armor, which until now had sat in silence, was beginning to vibrate with growing intensity, and the genamite inlays were glowing—far more than they should.
"Uh-oh," was all Lee could think before his instincts took over, making him leap away.
The armor lifted five centimeters off its marble pedestal and shattered its display case as it shot forward like a meteor—straight toward where Lee had been standing moments before. It didn't even bother changing its trajectory to exit through the window—it blasted straight through the wall as if it were made of tofu!
Now everyone could see the perfect, clean outline of the armor in the museum wall—a masterpiece of abstract art in full glory.
But soon they noticed something else.
"Why does it look like the armor is heading toward the statue of the late Avatar Aang?" they wondered.
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As is tradition, we start with a double chapter when there's a new Fanfiction!
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