Republic city. A highly industrualized city, even when compared to other known cities of the United Republic of Nations or just UR which is short for the United Republic. It's also the capital city.
There, an orphanage funded by Varrick Global industries was established by the owner himself. From time to time, he would even visit the orphanage and assess the children with a smile. For those that really knew the owner, Varrick, they would know it wasn't out of the generosity of his heart. There was probably another motive behind the eccentric wealthy man's actions.
Nevertheless, it benefitted the poor children of Republic City that lost their parents from various unfortunate events.
Among the children there was another eccentric individual.
"I'm the Avatar, you gotta deal with it!"
A little boy boldly declared as fire came out of the flamethrower he made on his own and attached it to his arm, the other arm had an attachment that was squirting water instead of fire. He threw rocks in the air as he tried to imitate earthbending moves.
He was playing the first chapters in the current Avatar's life.
*Splash* Their caretaker got soaked by the water he was firing around.
"HAHAHAHAHAHA" All the kids in the yard laughed at the ridiculous sight.
"That's it! You're going back inside!"
He ran as the caretaker, Yui, ran after him.
"HAHAHAHAHAHA" The kids laughed once more.
Every kid wanted to be like the Avatar, but in his case, it was more like an obsession. Every book about the Avatar available in the orphange, he'd read until he fell asleep. With his unusually high intellect, he easily learned everything that was taught to them, and even expounded on what he learned, hereinafter his teachers eventually couldn't keep up. He was only four years old.
"Wow, Jun. That really happened?"
"That's right, Samaya. Only the avatar could have defeated the General Old Iron." The child named Jun enthusiastically replied. His eyes still focused on the book about Avatar Aang and the history of Republic City.
"And one day, I'll travel the world, and stop bad guys just like the Avatar! It'll be an adventure!" He declared as Samaya clapped at him with stars in her eyes.
Because he was unordinary, Jun was not often approached by the other children besides Samaya, who was interested listening to his stories about the Avatar.
Then, the harmonic convergence happened.
Alonh with the sudden appearance of Spirits, many nonbenders awakened their airbending abilities. Including Samaya and the children in the orphanage.
"Jun, look!" Samaya said as she put her palm forward and a gust of wind shot forward. They proudly showcased their new abilities. "I can come with you when you go on an adventure now!"
"Th-that's great, Samaya!" He forced himself to smile. He really was happy for her friend but he was also envious.
Jun was one of the unfortunate ones that didn't awaken.
They all envied the children that awakened as airbenders. Children easily get adopted when they manifest bending abilities.
As soon as Zaheer and the Red Lotus were defeated, the children that can airbend were being sent to the Air temple to continue the revival of the Air Nomads.
"Sob. Sniff." Samaya relentlessly wiped her tears and snot
"Don't worry about me." Jun hugged the crying Samaya who felt scared and lonely leaving behind her friend. "You need to get strong so you can come with me in my adventure someday. When you become an airbender, catching bad guys would be easier for us!"
"Sniff. Really?"
"Yes."
"Then, I'll become the best airbender ever and travel with you one day!"
"Promise?" Jun put his pinky up.
Then, Samaya grabbed it with her pinky.
"Promise." She replied with determination.
The vehicle that carried the future airbenders was finally leaving, so Jun waved and forced a smile for Samaya.
But as soon as the vehicle couldn't be seen, that smile turned into a frown, and tears began to roll down his cheeks.
"I should be the one crying, you idiot." He muttered as he cried.
Yui, the caretaker of the orphanage, saw this and pulled him into her embrace. Jun accepted her and sobbed.
"Sniff. Sniff. Sob."
'This child is not just intelligent, but also mature for his age.' As the caretaker, she really did her best nurturing these kids for the short time that they were there. She worried about their future constantly and was strict in screening the families that wanted them. She couldn't help but worry about troublemakers like Jun. But Jun proved right now that he can put himself aside for someone else. 'He'll fit in any family that wants him.' She sighed inwardly in relief.
Shortly after that, someone also took an interest in adopting Jun.
The CEO of Global Industries, a company that split from Varrick Global Industries after it got restructured because of Varrick getting arrested. The CEO immediately took his shares before the stocks of Varrick Industries dropped and secured some of the company's assets and the department that he was handling. He did all of this not just for him, but to save the people under him from losing their jobs.
He was an older man. An honest man recognized by Varrick himself in contrast to his shady deals due to his ambiton. Varrick needed people he can trust and Shang was one of them, besides Zhu Li, of course.
Shang knew he wasn't a genius like Varrick, and so he needed someone that could fill that gap. Shang handled matters involving the orphanage, he even accompanied Varrick when he visits the children. He was the one receiving all the letters sent by the orphanage reporting the state of the children.
He was also the one that knew why Varrick had set up the place. It was to find children with talent and use them for his benefit. He knew Varrick wasn't evil, but he wasn't entirely good either, especially when it comes to his ambitions. So he intentionally filtered the information coming from the orphanage. Many children that started to manifest abilities, whether it be firebending, earthbending, or waterbending, were safely able to find families that desired them.
It was fortunate that Varrick was busy with his plan on profiting on the civil war within the water tribes when reports of Jun came into his office. It was getting harder to withhold information without lying.
A unprecedented genius, even when compared to Varrick.
Besides him needing Jun, Shang wants to mold him from an early age to prevent having another misguided individual like Varrick in the world.
But...
"Yui!" Jun hugged Yui tightly.
"Jun. You can't let this chance get away. Both of you will need to leave this place eventually. You just happened to be first." The caretaker said as she patted Jun's head.
Jun bit his lip with tears welling up in his eyes. "But..." Every kid in the orphanage wanted to get adopted, including him, but he suddenly got sad at the thought of leaving Yui.
Because he was quite mischievous, he ended up spending more time with the caretaker than the other children. He always got scolded, but also remembered the warmth he felt when being held by her. Every time he got burnt and scarred by one of his experiments and ingenious creations, she was the one who was there to tend to him. Though he pretended to be brave, she was the one who went with him to use the bathroom or calm him down when he had a nightmare.
He came to know her as his mother. And Yui came to know him as her son.
"It'll be alright, Jun." She wiped away his tears and forced a smile like what Jun did for Samaya. But Jun being smart, he recognized that and continued to sob as he held her tighter.
Yui looked towards Shang with an apologetic smile.
"Hmmm..." Shang stroked his chin and contemplated.
"Jun" He said as he drew closer and crouched down to the child's level. "I promise you'll get to come here and see Yui every week."
"...Really?" Jun stopped crying and peered into the eyes of the older gentleman.
"Yes." Shang nodded.
"Would that really be okay?" Asked Yui.
"Don't worry about it. It'll be good for him to have a change of pace from time to time." Shang smiled.
Jun finally smiled and Yui sighed in relief as they hugged each other.
With that, it was lighter on their hearts to let each other go expecting to see each other in a week.
In the privately owned building, which also housed the company, Jun began to settle in. The new environment full of expensive looking furnitures and appliances filled area.
"Wahhh...I'm gonna live here now?" Jun was in awe.
"It's not exactly my type, but I had to move here when I took over the company." Shang said, scratching his cheek. It was one Varrick's homes. He thought it was too gaudy, but Shang couldn't just throw away the uber expensive things that were already there.
"Wow!" Jun ran around checking everything. He eventually stopped at the balcony overlooking the city. His eyes sparkled.
Shang chuckled at the child and patted his head. "I'm glad you seem to like it."
"So..." Jun's cheeks started to flush. "Do I call you my Dad?"
"Hahaha I know that it feels weird to suddenly call someone you just met 'Dad', so you can just call me Uncle or however you like."
Jun's expression became serious. He was deeply thinking about what to call the nice old man. He thought Shang was right, that to call him Dad so suddenly would be uncomfortable. Uncle felt too distant and would be hard to change later on. Then...
"Can I call you Grandpa?" It matched Shang's age more and didn't need to be changed when they eventually get to know each other better.
Shang smiled and nodded in approval.
"By the way, Jun. What do you like to do when you're not studying and playing with your friends."
Jun immediately knew what to answer. "Books! I like reading books, especially books about the Avatar."
"Ohhh! The Avatar, huh? Have you ever seen Avatar Korra before?"
"I haven't." Despite Avatar Korra's activities mostly being in Republic City, it was natural for him to not have seen her since children rarely get to go outside in the city.
"Have you seen the Avatar, Grandpa?" Asked Jun.
"I have."
"Woah. What is she like?" Jun's eyes sparkled as Shang chuckled.
"Well, she's a pretty, and confident young woman. She has the confidence that comes from the strong. I'm not sure if she has yet to fully realize the weight of the responsibilities that comes with being the Avatar though." Shang stroked his chin, deep in thought, remembering the short time he got to encounter the Avatar.
"Oh, I'm sorry." Shang realized he might have been rambling about things a four year old child would probably not understand.
"It's okay, Grandpa. She'll learn. All Avatars do." But Jun wasn't a typical four year old child. Shang smiled as he realized this and nodded. "You really like the Avatar, huh?"
"Yeah! When I grow up, I'm gonna be in a big adventure. Travel the world and catch bad guys! Just like the Avatar! Ha!" Jun boldly declared as he punched the air.
Shang chuckled. "Come on, put your bag in your room. Let's go shopping. I'll buy you all the books you want."
"Haha!" Jun gleefully run to follow his Grandpa Shang.
Three years later, Avatar Korra disappeared after resolving the coup in the Earth Kingdom. Only a few know the truth of her whereabouts.
"What's she doing in the spirit world, Grandpa?" Jun asked. He was already 7 years old.
"I don't know for sure." Shang shook his head. Shang got invited to Dinner by Varrick the night before and received this news from him. Varrick was trying to entice Shang back to Varrick Industries but had to refuse. Although Varrick seems to have changed, old habits die hard, even after becoming the husband of the President. Shang knew that he was interested in something else. Something he has.
"Wow...I wonder what the spirit world is like." Jun muttered.
"Anyway, is that the thing you wanted to show me?" Shang pointed
"Oh yeah. I was just about to finish it." He said as he fit the last screw in a little water canteen shaped thing with a lens protruding in the middle of its body. "There."
"What is it?"
"It's a camera."
"Those heavy bulky things?"
Jun chuckled. "I'll show you. Let's go to the orphanage and take a picture with Yui."
Shang just nodded with a smile as he let him be pulled by the hand by Jun.
He was a little surprised but he didn't doubt because Global industries' new radio was designed by Jun. It's more compact, has a sleeker design, and had different components than the older version of the radio. They recently just released the product but it's demand skyrocketed.
And that's why Varrick wanted to bring back Shang along with Global Industries. He wanted to know who's the one responsible for the product even though it was credited to Shang.
When Shang asked him if it was okay that he intended to hide Jun's involvement in the company's products for a while to protect him, he just shrugged and said "If Grandpa thinks so." He didn't get forced to do that, and he really didn't care if he gets profit from it or not. It was just on a whim. He just asked for martial arts teachers along with every bending scrolls or books they could get their hands on in return. Martial arts is one thing, but the bending scrolls made him curious, but he still answered his request. But Shang still put his share of the profit in a bank account named after him.
Years passed by, and Global Industries became the eye of the storm in business and in Technology. Rivalling only Varrick industries.
When Jun became 18, Shang called for a press conference and finally revealed him to the world as the creator of all the products they released in the past 11 years.
Shang, a gray haired old man, gestured towards an oddly looking hairless young man.
The world already knew that Shang adopted a child years ago, but to think he was also the inventor and innovator responsible for all that technology. It was hard to think that a child that young could have. Was it just proaganda to inherit the company smoothly? Was he forced into child labor in the name of being adopted? And why in the world is he bald?! He even has no eyebrows?!
"I was not forced to create these things. I made them for me. And inheriting this company is not something I want to do in the future." He briefly and firmly addressed all the questions that were in their minds.
"That will be all." He said before leaving the stage immediately.
"Wait! Just a few more questions Mr. Jun-"
"Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. My grandson is quite tired and badly wants to rest. That will be all for today." The press raised their hands and wanted to make him stay for more questions but Shang cut them off immediately.