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He tries to remember the moment exactly. The moment that changed his life and possibly the life of the rest of the world.
In recent generations, the Avatar has taken longer to be found than a few centuries ago were in a mere half a decade a child could be seen using more than one element. Last time it took about fifty years before they were found. When they died, teams scoured the earth in search of the new Avatar but over three decades past. The world was beginning to rely less on nature and more on machinery and man.
His family had always been supporters of both. The McGarrett’s honored the spirits but the couldn’t be oblivious to the world problems around them as they happened. Not when wars were happening. That’s why Steve joined the Navy. In his family, it’s always a toss of a coin. Earth or water. Mary got Water and he got Earth. There’s no real discrimination against an element when choosing a military branch, but there were obvious affinities. The Air Force was full of Air Benders, Water Benders were SEALs, and so forth. But his grandfather had been a SEAL, so had his dad...and so was he.
He’d been deployed when it happened. He was on the field...and he wished he had been on an actual field where he could earth bend. But they were taking down an enemy on a cargo ship, nothing but water and metal. The enemy was closing in after the engine exploded and exposed them earlier than usual. Steve was low on ammo and he knew that Freddie was too. He and Freddie got separated but he could still see what was happening.
It had been instinct.
He raised his hand and summoned up his element. He prayed he could be able to manipulate the metal the tiniest bit amount even though deep down inside he knew he wouldn’t be able to. And that made him mad. Because of his inability to master all forms of Earth, his friend was going to be very hurt or die.
And that’s when he Fire Bended.
He was shocked, but that shock only lasted a nanosecond as he focused on the feeling he had in him and began to fire at the enemy and cleared a path for his brothers.
They reached jackpot and completed the mission.
The moment they got back to base, Steve was called in to speak with his superior officers.
“Your son’s the Avatar.” Victor Hesse said as he kept his gun pointed at John.
“The Avatar hasn’t been seen in ages. If my son were the Avatar, we’d have known long before.” John said calmly.
Victor pressed his gun against John’s forehead, “Maybe he’s a late bloomer.”
“Whatever you think you’ll get from this, won’t work. Avatar or not, he’s a soldier. We don’t negotiate with terrorists.”
“We’ll see about that…” Victor hissed as he was about to reach for his phone to make a call when he found himself unable to move. “What the hell!”
“Ah, Daniel. I was wondering when you’d come to investigate.” John called out, still very calm.
“Dan? Who the hell is Daniel?” Victor demanded angrily as he struggled in his place.
Danny stepped into view, arms raised in a position to let him know he was bending. But it confused Victor for a bit because he didn’t see any element in use. There wasn’t a small twister encasing him, there weren’t rocks holding him in place or sinking him into the ground...and then it hit him. His eyes widened a bit in shock and slight fear, “Blood bender…”
Danny approached and once he was close enough he took the weapon before he stopped bending. That didn’t give Hesse much time to recover as Danny punched him as hard as he could before securing him and placing cuffs on him.
Once he was secure, Danny huffed as he made his way to untie John. “Good thing you’re such a control freak and always on time. When you hadn’t shown up in five minutes without a reason why I knew you were in trouble.”
“So those military quirks came in handy after all?” John asked with a smirk as he’s freed.
Danny just rolled his eyes. He then gestured to the man, “Who is he?”
“Victor Hesse apparently. Don’t know much about him personally but he must be a pretty bad man with an agenda.”
“So is every bad guy we go after. Anything specific that’ll help us narrow down why he had a gun pointed at your temple?”
“He thinks my son’s the Avatar. And he was going to use me as leverage to get something.” John answered.
“Huh...a terrorist getting something from the Avatar. I want a raise.” Danny deadpanned.
John just laughed, “Lose the tie and I’ll think about it.”
“Unca Steeeeeeeeve!” Joanie cried out as she saw Steve and ran to him.
“What? Oh my god! Steve!” Mary cried out when she saw her brother too. She ran to him and hugged him.
He picked them both up and spun them around happily. Mary was crying happy tears while Joan was squealing in delight.
“What are you doing here? I thought you’d be deployed for another two months!” Mary exclaimed when they parted.
Steve smiled sheepishly and shrugged. “I uh...I got discharged. Honorably!” He quickly added.
“What? What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Dis means Unca Stevie’s gonna be home now?” Joan asked as she latched onto Steve’s leg.
He picked her up and placed her on his hip before he motioned inside, “Let’s talk this over some coffee?”
Mary nodded and went to start a fresh pot. She knew how much serving meant to him, so there wasn’t any way in hell he left on his own terms. So a medical reason was the only thing that popped into her mind, and she was worried. “You weren’t hurt were you?”
“No. I’m fine, Mar,” Steve promised as he set Joan down.
“Then...I just don’t get it. How are you...why were you let go?”
“I...because I Fire Bended,” Steve said quietly.
Mary furrowed her brows, “But...you’re an Earth Bender.”
Steve nodded. Then he gave her a look and waited for her to connect the dots.
When she did, her eyes widened and she gasped loudly, covering her mouth with both hands. Mary then jumped up and down before tackling him into a hug. “You’re the AVATAR!?”
Steve laughed a bit as he hugged her back. It was still very surreal for him, so he shrugged and sheepishly smiled.
“What happened? How did you find out?”
“I can’t give you specifics but...we were on a boat. Metal and water were all I could work with so I was basically down to my training. But then the circumstances changed and I uh...fire, Mar. I had fire come out of my hands.”
“So...the discharge it’s super honorable?” She asked.
He nodded. “I have a meeting with the Governor tomorrow. I guess I’ll have to start my training of the other elements. There was more talk but it’s too early to speculate.”
“What sort of talk?” Mary asked.
“Well, I was a soldier. And then there’s politics to think about. The Avatar isn’t the possession of any one nation, but governments will want to keep me neutral. But I’m already a sworn in soldier to the United States. So there’s gonna be a lot of talks about that…”
“Have you told dad yet? Oh my god, he’s gonna be so stoked!”
Steve blushed a bit and shook his head. “You’re the first person outside of my team that I’ve told. It’ll be kept secret until it’s officially announced. But I wanted you to know.” He paused before he asked, “You really think he’ll be proud?”
“Seriously? Dude, he’s always bragging about you and how fast you’re climbing rank. Carefully of course. He knows who to brag to...but this? Steve, this is huge! Of course he’s going to be proud!”
“There he is!”
“Dad, are you okay?” Steve stormed into his childhood home. While he was with Mary, he received a call about one of the known terrorists his team has tried to track was on the island. That there was a breach of security and Steve’s Avatar status had been leaked. There was chatter that John McGarrett was the target.
John pulled him into a hug, which Steve returned but it was short. He pulled back to see if his dad was hurt in any sort of way.
“This about Victor Hasse?”
Steve’s eyes widened, “He was here? You’re okay? Did he say anything? What happened?”
“Steve. Steven, relax! I’m alright. He caught me by surprise. Left me with a bump in the back of the head and some rope burn around the wrists but that’s it.” John reassured him.
Steve looked unsure. Hasse was dangerous and not one to work alone. Even if his father was one hell of a Water Bender, Hasse was extremely skilled.
“So you’re okay?”
“I am. I got lucky I haven’t pissed off my new partner yet. When I failed to show up for coffee, he came looking. Found me in quite the state and non-friendlies. We got it handled. Hasse and his goons have been processed and are being sent to a state-max.” John clapped Steve’s shoulder and smiled at him. “Everything’s okay, son.”
“Okay. Everything’s...okay.” Steve muttered.
“More than since it turns out the rumors are true. Are they? Are you really the Avatar?” John asked. And there was real pride in his eyes.
That had Steve smiling like a kid with excitement and a million butterflies in his stomach. His father and he had been distant since his mother’s death. His father was never the same but he and Mary did their best to bring them back so they could still be a family.
“Yeah, dad. I...I am.”
A giant smile broke out on John’s face as he hugged Steve close. When he pulled away, he was like a child at Christmas. “What was it? Was it Air? Water?”
“Fire,” Steve answered with some pride.
“Really? Wow! This...this is amazing. So...what happens now?”
“I have an appointment tomorrow with the Governor. I’ll know more then.”
“Well, chances are you’ll be trained until you master all the other three. But that means you might have some time on the island. It’ll be good to have you back.”
Steve smiled at that, feeling himself fall back at ease. “Maybe I can meet that new partner of yours and thank him for his help.”
John chuckled, “That’s a hard maybe, kid. Danny’s not that pleased with the island.” At the raised eyebrow Steve gave him, John added. “He’s from Jersey. Wears khakis, well-fitted button-ups, and a tie.”
“A tie? In Hawaii?”
“Yeah.”
“Geeze. How long has he been here?” Steve asked.
“Not long. A few months. He’s hazed pretty bad for being a haole. But he takes it well, so we know he’s got the cojones for the job.”
Steve nodded at that with approval. “How’d he end up working with you?”
“After his partner, Meka passed...Danny didn’t take it well. He was convinced Meka was set up to look like a dirty cop. He stood up for him and wouldn’t buy any of the crap people said. You know when it happens in-house it’s always tough. But Danny proved himself...nearly getting himself killed but he cleared Meka’s name, got his widow and son some help...and gained some new respect. Still doesn’t work well with others. In fact, I’m the only one other than the captain who knows his element.”
“What is it?” Steve asked curiously.
“That...is a mystery. Let’s see how long it takes you to figure it out.”
With the leaks that happened thanks to Hesse, there was already a whirlwind of things happening that had Steve’s head spinning. The Governor told him that she had worked hard to work out a deal that would seem ideal.
Steve would remain outside of the military and get his training of the other elements on the island. Once he mastered all four, that’s when he would be involved in world crises. She told Steve that there was always going to be trouble in one form or another but until they could think of something better, they at least bought each other some time to think.
But that posed a problem for Steve.
“Not that I’m not grateful, Ma’am. And I’ll take my training very seriously but...what am I supposed to do until I’m allowed back in the field?”
“I’ve thought about that.” She tells him as she reaches into her drawer and pulls out a badge. “I was thinking about assigning a task force. With your experiences and rank...it might be helpful. You’ll have immunity, within reason. Any resources I can offer. And answer only to me. How does that sound?”
“And I can pick who works for this task force?” Steve asked.
“If you deem them worthy, then they must be. But you must have one of each element for balance. With you as the Avatar, that is what we wish to emote...as well as a non-bender. We have to prove that you don’t need special abilities to become anything or work anywhere. Understood?”
“Yes, ma’am. Thank you, ma’am.”
He meets Danny by...not the best terms.
He catches a case from the Governor and he needs to get someplace fast. His truck is great, but more so for ramming than racing. He catches a Camaro and he’s commandeering it before he can think twice about it. The blond’s cute and looks like feisty fun in the sheets but Steve doesn’t have time to hear his angry rant and takes the car with the promise of bringing it back later.
During the case, he learns that there are people getting their hands on dangerous pieces of equipment that could pose a serious threat to the island. He gains help in Chin Ho Kelly, a dear friend from childhood who happens to be the best Air Bender he knows. There had been some bad blood at the precinct that only recently got resolved, but with how strained things were, Chin decided he needed time before giving crime-fighting another shot. But he took it when Steve offered it to him.
As they caught a lead of who could help them get a more solid lead, they recruit Chin’s cousin, Kono Kalakaua. She was a Non-Bender with amazing fighting skills who was trained by her gran to specialize in the art in Chi-Blocking.
They were getting closer to solving the case. They went to the McGarrett home for dinner when it was getting late. They were discussing the case with John adding in his two cents before he went to open the door. John had invited his partner so he could meet Steve… but he stopped when he heard the oven.
“Steve can you get that. It should be Danny since your sister has a key.”
“You bet, dad. Be right back guys.” Steve told them.
When he opened the door he came face to face with no one other than the cutie whose car he borrowed.
“You!” Danny seethed.
Before Steve could explain himself and tell him his car was safely at HPD waiting for him, Danny’s fist made contact with Steve’s cheek.
Steve had to blink a few times to get steady. When he propped himself back up, Danny was storming away. “Hey! Wait!” He called out but Danny didn’t stop.
“What’s with him? What’d you do?” Mary asked as she came up the walkway with Joanie in her arms.
“He mad…” Joan commented.
“I might have borrowed his car without asking,” Steve answered quietly.
“Unca Steve! Dat no nice! Gotta ask firs!” Joanie lectured him with a finger wag and everything.
“I thought I heard Danny.” John came over to see what was going on.
“Wait, Danny as in your partner Danny? Oh, Steve stole his car apparently. He becomes the Avatar and thinks he can do whatever he wants now.” She said in a dry tone, a sibling jab that Steve has missed dearly.
“Is that true, Steven?” John asked.”
“Uh...sort of. But I needed the car, dad. It was an emergency. I’ll make it up to him, I swear! But on the bright side…”
“There’s a bright side?” John asked with a raised eyebrow.
“I don’t think your eye would agree,” Mary commented.
“I know what his element is! Fire, obviously!”
John just rolled his eyes and walked away.
“I’m right, aren’t I dad? Dad?”
Despite his attitude, Danny wasn’t a Fire Bender. The way Steve came to find out? Well, if he thought Danny was cute before...he was fucking sexy afterward.
The case had escalated. Whoever had stolen the materials had formed them together into a device that would create a man-made tsunami.
Steve and Five-Oh did their best to stop it but were unsuccessful. The last thing they could do was to try to brace for impact and get anyone affected to high ground.
“We have to stop this, Boss,” Kono told him as she watched the water retreat and form a wave out not that far, but far enough to cause serious damage.
“There aren’t enough trained water-benders on hand. None of them are powerful enough to even attempt to tackle this.” Duke told Steve.
“Damn it. Okay, but there are Water Benders available right? I want them near the edges trying to fight back the waves. I want Earth benders here trying to make a wall to try and slow this thing down.” Steve ordered and Duke put the order into action.
“You’re going to do it, aren’t you?”
Steve looked over when he heard his dad’s voice. Danny was standing next to him rolling up his sleeves.
“You got any better ideas?” The blond asked.
John sighed. “No. What do I do?”
“Get as many Water Benders as you can and a sea scientist. I don’t wanna get my terminology wrong, shuddup McGarrett. Once I’m done we’re gonna need someone who knows the water to regulate it back to how it should be.” Danny explained before making his way towards the water.
Steve panicked a bit. “DANNY!”
“Steve, get the Governor on the horn will you?” John came up to him and asked calmly.
Steve looked at his father as if he hadn’t just seen his partner run towards a growing tsunami. Steve pointed towards Danny, “Dad, he-”
“Danny knows what he’s doing. You heard him. We do as he says…” When Steve didn’t look reassured, John pointed back to Danny. “He’s not a Fire Bender, son.”
And no he was not.
Danny jumped into the water but rather than sink, he landed on a patch of ice. He kept running on a path of ice that kept manifesting for him. A small island of ice formed around Danny that soon began to grow and take over the wave until the entire wave became slush and snow. The tsunami lost volume in size and got lower and lower. A wave did hit the beach, but it never made it off of the sand, and it was mostly slush and snow.
Steve stood there dumbfounded and amazed. A wave that size with the force that strong created by the blast would have taken three strong Water Bending Masters to work together and in tandem.
Danny stopped it all by himself.
“Close your mouth, Steven. You’re drooling.” His father teased.
Steve startled a bit but he couldn’t hide his amazement. “That was amazing!”
“That was Danny,” John said proudly. “Now. You got a bad guy to catch. Danny and I will coordinate with that marine biologist who’s gonna help us get the water’s temperatures back to a normal level before they affect any animal life or area too badly.”
“Uh...right. I’ll...I’ll get on that.”
“That was impressive,” Chin told him once Steve caught up with the cousins.
“He should be your new Water Bending Master, Boss,” Kono told him.
“He should...yeah, he should. He will be. Danny’s gonna join Five-Oh.” Steve decided.