Two Separate and Wrong Paths

Akira was born in Republic City in the last month of 154 A.G. to a mixed family. His sister, Lusa, came 4 years later in 158 A.G. His father, Amaruq, was a healer from the Northern Water Tribe, while his mother, Jyoti, was a photographer from the Fire Nation Capital. They lived a relatively normal life until the year Akira turned 8. While sleeping on the couch, Akira awoke to the smell of smoke. The back hallway was engulfed in it. He’d heard his sister screaming and his mother yelling to her, but instead of heading to them, he ran. Standing in the streets, he waited and waited and waited. Watching the flames, watching the firefighters, waiting for his family to walk out of the building, but it never came. (His father helped run a healing practice on the edge of 2 triad territories. His mother took and sold photographs to newspapers as well as some other freelance photography work. This was a triad’s doing, Akira just doesn’t know that.)

The first year on the streets was the hardest, the next 5 were hardly any better, but odd jobs from the Agni Kais kept him fed and alive. He kept his bending a secret. They’d never accept a waterbender in their mix, even doing the minor work he was. When he was 11, a turf war broke out between the Agni Kais and the Red Monsoons. Burned buildings, bloated bodies, innocents caught in the crossfire. It seemed like nothing was off limits. Seeing bending cause such carnage only solidified his fear and eventual hatred for the ability. Pretending to be a nonbender only got him threatened, the worst of the grunt work, and eventually phased out of the gang, thankfully with his life. A few more years doing odd jobs lead him to a flyer that would change his life and bring him to his new family. Nemira, Aquene, Inia, Enlai, and the rest of the equalists. 

He loved his bending as a child, but every day on the streets showed him what it truly was. A plague on the city, the world even. It was the source of the triads’ power. It caused wars. He thought Amon could make a difference, thought he could help. (He hasn’t used his bending since he was a child. He still holds some blame on himself for not trying to do more when his family was dying. His chi is so blocked, even the most basic of waterbending would be difficult for him to perform even if he wanted to, which he doesn’t.)

Equalist Revolution In Fall OF 170 A.G 

He was 15 at the peak of the Anti-Bending Revolution and around 16 when Amon disappeared after being outed. Beginning of 171 A.G. The Equalists that remained went back underground. With most of the compounds having been compromised or destroyed by vines. Akira was forced out of the dorms and back on to the streets. Mid 172 A.G. (A little over a year later) (17) He got into a disagreement with an Agni Kai street rat named Rokai. The two had been at each other’s throats for years. Their arguments turned physical hundreds of times, but a burning hand on Akira’s throat turned things from harm to kill. A patrol officer happened to walk by the alley and found an unconscious Rokai being beaten bloody with Akira showing no signs of stopping.

Mid 172 - Early 174 A.G. (17-19) He lost 2 years of his life to prison and was released a few months before Kuvira’s invasion. He’d gotten out early from a mix of good behavior and overpopulation after having lost some of the prison to the agitated vines. Mid 174 A.G. Following the breadcrumbs, he returned to the Equalists. The group had gone back underground and had begun to regroup. An undercover mission into Agni Kai territory, a familiar face, and an ambush almost cost Akira his life. They’d caught him off guard. A wave of fire crashed towards him, burning his sleeves and singeing his cheek. He’d hopped up but a few perfectly placed fireballs led Akira right to the spot they wanted him. He hadn’t heard the goon moving around on the fire escape until it was too late. Turning towards the sound only got him two feet to the chest. He couldn’t breathe, but he tried to drive his fingers into the closest pressure point he could find, tried to throw a stream of water from a nearby puddle. All it earned him was a kick to the jaw and a low chuckle. Strong hands gripped his arm, “Now that was stupid, kid. How do you want it broken?” then a twist and a snap, splintering the bone in his left arm. Everything after that was a hazy, pained blur. The next thing Akira remembers was waking up in the med bay with Nemira and Enlai speaking over him. After that was a mess of waiting and paperwork, and no missions, while they tried to get Akira’s arm back in a working state. He’d been stuck assisting Nemira with cleanup when the rumors of an attack by the Earth Empire started swarming. Remaining supplies were moved onto remaining trains and taken to one of the storage buildings in the mountains, before Kuvira’s Giant Mech showed up on their doorstep.

Kuvira’s invasion has left him without his found family and no idea where they are or if they’re okay. He’s feeling the pain of being alone all over again as well as the stress of keeping himself alive in this new Republic City. He still holds some fear and disdain in his heart for benders but the current ways of the equalists are concerning. Amon had a vision, after him was rebuilding. These were angry fire ant-roaches scattering and looking for something to take their anger out on.

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Scars

• Hands are littered with small cuts. His main weapons are curved knives, years of training with them have left his hands scarred.

• Hand-shaped burn on his throat. Palm area is the worst of it and fades out into the fingers. Caused by Rokai. Covered by Equalist Scarf, or bandages.

• Outer forearms covered in burns. His left arm is worse than the right. Goes down his arm and over his fingers. Caused by Agni Kai Triads. Wears a glove on his left hand and sometimes wraps his arms.