Avatar: The Next Legend [PG - PG-13]

[Eman5805]

Disclaimer: I haven't read anyone else's fanfic about what happens before or Avatar the events of the show. Any coincidences such as character names, history, or abilities; city or place names; or really anything having to do with this fanfiction, is just that, coincidence. However, this fanfic will occasionally have some parody elements in it, so not everything will be completely made up. It's all for entertainment anyway.
Criticism, hints, accolades, or whatever are welcome. Enjoy! (I hope.)

If there's some way to indent paragraphs here, I'd love to know. :blink:


Earth. Fire. Air. Water. For 100 years the Fire Nation waged a war that threatened to destroy world. They nearly succeeded, until the Avatar returned from a century’s absence and defeated the Fire Lord, ending the war and restoring balance to the world. At least for a time. The war was over, but the struggle to maintain that balance is a constant one. To prevent another 100 year catastrophe, Avatar Aang hopes to create an alliance between the nations, which shall cause change on level never seen before. However, such change is not welcomed by all, and the few years since the war, may not have been enough time for the world to recover…



Book 1: Earth
Prologue



Ba Sing Se’s Grand Palace Hall, on the 7th anniversary of the ending of the 100 year war…

The anticipation was palpable, and the crowd grew restless by the minute. Avatar Aang paced nervously, wringing his hands. Momo following behind his moments on the ground. Behind the closed doors to the hall with him was Toph, Katara, and Sokka.
“Aang, you can settle down. He’ll be here,” Katara consoled, as she held the newest addition to the group in her arms.
“I know, I know. It’s not Zuko showing up I’m worried about.“ Aang said still worried.
Sokka, leaning on a pillar, shrugged. “Then let’s give the speech without him. Zuko’s known for a month when this event would be.” Sokka reached and took out a custom pocket watch, the newest model made specially by Teo and his father. “We’ve waited an hour and 12 minutes already. Fire Lord or not, the world shouldn’t stop just because he can’t get here on time. I say we go in now, not unless we want him to-”
Toph’s head jerked up. “Not going to be necessary, guys.” She turned as did everyone else in time to see Fire Lord Zuko saunter up, with his wife Mai in two.
Sokka swung his arms out from his sides. “Geez, what took you?”
Zuko, in full Fire Lord garb, said, “Believe it or not, traffic.”
Katara scoffed. “What? Since when do dragons have to worry about traffic?”

Zuko shrugged. “Since the Earth King’s palace become a no fly zone.”
“Are we going inside or are we going to stand out here and talk?” Mai said with a yawn.
Aang nodded. “She’s right. Let’s go.”


Nobility from every nation was gathered in the Grand Hall. It was the official announcement everyone was talking about. What Avatar Aang originally hoped would be a simple announcement at the palace turned into a function. Everyone inside was well dressed in their most expensive clothing, and someone decided to cater the event. Two long tables piled high with food sat on opposite ends of the large room, Sokka especially loved the sight of that. Everyone turned and parted when the doors opened.
Aang and his friends made their way to the stage. Giving polite nods and waves as the crowd gave their respect.
Sokka, surveying the crowd, leaned close to Aang’s ear and whispered “No sign of you-know-who.”
“Let’s hope it stays that way,” Aang whispered back. “If he shows up, things will get ugly.”
“He won’t be here. He doesn’t even know about this,” Katara, again trying to comfort Aang.
Zuko was frowning. “I wouldn’t be sure. There’s too many people here. Someone got the word out. I’ve got a bad feeling that he found out.”
“Why are you all so worried about one guy? Who is he anyway?” Mai asked.
“Yeah, and how come I don’t know who this guy is?” Toph wondered.
Aang was the first to step onto the stage. “Let’s hope either of you don’t have to find out,” he said.

Zuko took his place next to the Earth King, and Water Chief. Each chair affixed with a flag bearing the symbol of each nation. Aang took deep breathe. Katara touched his shoulder. “It’ll be fine. Just say what you have to say.”

Aang smiled, looking at his newborn daughter. “Thank you, Katara.” He walked up to the podium. “And I would like to thank you all for coming. I know it may have been inconvenient to hold off on your plans to make the long journey to Ba Sing Se. But, again, thank you for your time.” Aang paused. Took another deep breathe and continued. “During the war, a wise man once told me, that the greatest illusion is the illusion of separation. All things that we consider separate are really the same. I knew that this was referring to the four nations. For generation after generation, we’ve all lived in our own separate parts of the world. Sadly, after the loss of the Air Nomads, I know understand that a war between nations was inevitable.

“Fire Lord Sozin believed that the Fire Nation was the superior nation; that fire was the superior element. That ignorant ideal became the reason he used the comet to strike down the Air Nomads and begin a terrible war. If the four nations had been more united, Sozin wouldn’t have believed his nation superior. If the four nations lived as true equals, keeping in constant contact, sharing with one another, living as the one race of people we all truly are, the war would’ve been stopped long before it ever began. To prevent another catastrophe like the war from ever occurring, something must change. Something must be done to unite the remaining nations, to ensure that future generations, will have a peaceful world to be born into. A new world” Aang looked over his shoulder to Katara, who was nodding her approval as the baby girl slept in her arms. Some people in the crowd applauded their agreement, which spread, then quieted.
When the clapping stopped, Aang continued. “And is why, I am happy to announce the-”
The sound of stone shattering, followed by an earsplitting sound came from outside the hall door that made everyone jump and cover their ears. A harsh screeching sound that only came from metal and stone scrapping together. The sound of something heavy being drug across the ground.
Aang’s heart dropped and in an almost whisper. “Oh no.”
The sound was getting closer, and louder. The noise made the baby stir, so Katara tried to cover the baby’s ears. The crowd started murmuring. “What’s going on out there?” Katara asked.
“I’ll find out,” Toph said then jumped down to the stone floor and felt the ground. “It’s some guy. And he’s carrying a…what is that? Some big chunk of metal?”
Sokka shook his head. “This is all your fault, you know that,” he ahead said to Zuko, still in his chair.
Zuko turned. “What? Don’t blame-”
The doors burst open.
The Earth Kingdom general always makes a strong first and second impression. It’s not usually a good one, but it is definitely a lasting one. The first anyone remembers about is his the hammer. More specifically it’s a zhan chui, a war hammer, and an over exaggerated one. It’s impossible to not connect him with his hammer, not because it seemed too large to be useful as a weapon, but because the hammer went everywhere he went. During the war, the saying about a bull-spider in a glassware shop was changed. Soldiers would joke the at least bull-spiders left the glassware shop standing when it left. That hammer cause didn’t damage whether the general wanted it to or not, it caused damage because he didn‘t care if it did or not. Not to be overstated, the hammer itself only the first impression.

“WHY AREN’T I SURPRISED?” His voice was the second. “You decide to make your little announcement, and lo and behold, who is left off the guest list?” He swung the hammer off the ground and onto his shoulder, causing people nearby to jump back out of the way or risk being bludgeoned.
Toph, back on stage, was covering her ears. “Yikes. You’re right. I do wish I hadn’t met him.”
“I’d rather be blind right now, to tell the truth.” Mai said with a grimace, partially looking away as the general made his way down to the stage.

“Well, Avatar Aang?” The word “avatar” was said like it left a bad taste in his mouth.
The Earth King stood out of his seat, furious. “I’ve always had great respect for you, but you go too far. Barging into my palace hall some like rampant animal, is one thing, but insulting the Avatar is quite another! Guards!”
Reluctantly, Aang held up a hand. “No need for that, he can stay. I know everyone doesn’t agree with what we all have planned. A voice of argument is welcome-”
The general broke out into a boisterous laugh. The kind of laugh that comes from deep inside your stomach. It was loud enough to scare the baby fully awake, who started crying. Katara quickly started to shush her. “HA! ‘A voice of argument is welcome’? Funny to hear that coming from you, after all that posturing you did to make sure I wouldn’t show up. How Airbender of you; retreating to save some face.”
Sokka stepped forward. “You see, everyone? That’s the kind of bigotry, Aang was talking about!”
Aang reached up and placed his hand on Sokka’s shoulder, he was still taller than Aang after all this time. “It’s alright, Sokka. I’ll handle this.”
“You’re dang right!” The general turned to the crowd. “If believing the Earth Kingdom is the greatest nation on the planet makes me a bigot, then I guess I am a bigot. Not a single one of you worth the colors you’re wearing would say any different about your nation. Am I right?”
Some in the crowd nodded in agreement, others were staring at the hammer laying on his shoulder, wondering when he’ll slam it to the ground. They all knew who he was, and there is no “if” about it.
“So, for all I care you can to back to the poles and suck on ice cubes in your igloos, you peasant! The Earth Kingdom was meant to be lived in by Earth Kingdom citizens!”
Before Sokka or Katara could say anything, Aang cut int, “And Earth Kingdom citizens will continue to live in the Earth Kingdom. How can the other nations properly trade and work together from our own separate parts of the world?” Aang said down to the general, trying to stay calm, knowing full well the situation was a blasting jelly keg, and this general was the fuse.
“The same way we all have for thousands of years, that’s how!”
“The same way eventually wound up with the Air Nomad’s destruction. I’m all that’s left now. If another crisis event like the war occurs, who is to say what will happen. We need to act now, while the world is finishing rebuilding. By shaping our own fates, we can prevent future wars and create a better world. What I’m talking about is improving all the nations.”
The general turned and jabbed a finger at Aang. “What you’re talking about is the destruction of the Earth Kingdom! You’ve already made the Earth King your lapdog. Maybe he will, but I won’t stand by while Firebenders are living next door! Living next to my family! What’s stopping them from another war?”
Zuko stood up. “I am.”
The general laughed again. “Oh yes, the great Fire Lord Zuko. So great, he’s still fighting the pocket rebellions of Ozai loyalists seven years after Ozai’s reign ended. You could sooner stop another war than stop your gloomy wife from getting her monthlies! Oh wait, I‘m sorry, she doesn’t get them at all! How many kids she given you yet? Don't worry, though, hang tough, maybe next time will be the charm! HAHA!”
No one expected that kind of comment, not from him. Not from anyone. The crowd's reaction was a mixed one. Some appeard to know, others didn't.
It was thought to be a secret that Fire Lady Mai was having trouble bearing any children, at least a secret to all but those closest to the Fire Lord. Somehow word got out, and it spread far enough into the Earth Kingdom that the general even knew. Mai jerked as if she was just stabbed in the heart, then she clutched her lower abdomen. Though in truth, she was.
Zuko flew at the general, flame literally shooting from his mouth! “How dare you!!!”
A gust of wind from Aang cancelled out the flames, as Sokka grabbed Zuko’s arms. “Stop it, Zuko!” Aang pleaded. Zuko struggled, but then relented. The baby was beyond agitated crying, now she was pouring tears. Katara rushed off stage, hoping to sooth it outside. Looking back at the general with absolute disgust.
“YES! Now you know how it feels when your pride is insulted! The thought of something you cherish being taken down to a lesser level! Being tainted by things out of your control! That helpless feeling, that makes you want to lash out! LIKE THIS!” The general whirled around, away from the stage, to the crowd. The hammer was a blur! The impact shook the entire ball room.
Many people speculated on if the general was an Earthbender. But he claimed the hammer was entirely made of metal and only Toph could bend it. Yet, those same people insisted there must be a chunk of rock inside, because at the size of that hammer, no regular person could swing it, at least not in any useful way in battle. Because no one ever held the hammer but him, all they had was the generals word that every time he swung that hammer, it was pure brute muscle that enabled him to do it. The general's word held sway with many, but this was something only a few believed was true.
“That’s enough! Guards, take him away!” The Earth King shouted. Aang didn’t object this time. Before the general could pick up his hammer, it was pulled underground, just enough to where he couldn’t pull it out.
“Don’t bother. I can take my self away,” he said to the guards.
“We have orders from-” one guard started.
“You have some nerve, Cho Li. I saved your father’s life.”
“That was 15 years ago, sir.”
The general spat. “14 years, 3 months, and 23 days ago, son. Regardless of when, thanks to me, you can still go home and see your dad today.”
The guard Cho Li, looked away, then clinched his first in front of him. The hammer lifted back out of the ground. The general lifted it back up to his shoulder. And walked to the door.
Katara returned, holding the still whimpering baby, but not crying out anymore. “Monster.” She said loud enough for the words to carry and be heard by the exiting general.
Just as the doors were being closed on him, the general looked back in and said, “Avatar, you think I’m the only person against this World Reborn Act? You’re wrong. I may be the only person in this room against it like I am, but there‘s many more people out there.” He turned sideways and looked out at even more massive city of Ba Sing Se. “There’s people with my view the world over. From every nation. People meaner than me, because they aren‘t in the army or wear fancy clothes. People who will express their disapproval more than me, because they stand to lose much more than I do if your little plan fails. Being the ‘People’s Avatar’ won’t spare you their backlash. I’ll be seeing you again, Avatar. Count on it.”

Later that evening…

“I hope I’m doing the right thing, Katara,” Aang said, his head in his hands, sitting on stage, staring at the large dent in the floor. Everyone had left. The general’s arrival ended the whole get together mode, and the general already made the announcement. Everyone agreed it was best to just call it a night. The catered food was never touched. Except by Sokka and Momo. Zuko left with Mai, both of whom were very silent for the rest of the night. Toph had gone home too.
“You are, Aang. It’s a wonderful idea you, Sokka, and Zuko came up with. It really will make the world a better place. I know it.” The baby was sleeping again.
“But, what if he’s right?”
“Who? That loudmouth, thug?”
“Yeah, I mean. Everyone who was here may have their doubts, but they’ll go along with it. But, everyone else…we don’t know yet. Maybe we should postpone the act.”
“Aang, listen to me. That man is just a war veteran who misses being in the spotlight and swinging that hammer around. All his knows is conflict and fighting. And taking the glory from being who he is. Someone like that doesn’t understand the change you’re going to cause. And what he doesn‘t understand, he fights it. The common people aren’t like that. They may object at first, but they‘ll see the change as a good thing in the long run.” She leaned over and the kissed. Aang looked down at the baby, and smiled again.
Sokka, sitting down next to them chomping on a leg of pig-chicken, said “Not to mention you wouldn’t want to hold another announcement to say you’re not going through with the act, would you? Imagine how what he’d show up and do then? Probably knock the walls down in a fit of joy.”
They all laughed. “You’re right,” Aang said, returning to his cheerful smiley self. “I mean, if that’s the kind of person who’s against the plan, I must not be all that bad.”
“That’s the spirit, Aang!” Sokka said with a fist pump.
Katara yawned. “It’s getting late. Let’s head home. Tomorrow we have to start getting candidates for the ambassadors.” They started for the doors.
Aang asked. “Got anyone in mind for the Water Tribe Ambassador yet, Sokka?”
He shrugged. “No, but hopefully someone will qualify.”

Sixteen years later…
The massive monumental statue to Avatar Aang was nearly complete and right on schedule. The Avatar was going to be there for the grand opening. It was big news for one of the newest cities in the Earth Kingdom. The grand opening was supposed to be the crowning achievement for the city and bring excitement and life to the new city, but the murders were the bigger news. Each month they grew more frequent. There wouldn’t have been such cause for alarm if the killings didn’t happen all over the Earth Kingdom, and all seemingly by the same person or persons using the same grisly methods.
But, it was all the leaders of the nation’s hope that the revealing of the new Avatar’s identity would put the people’s minds at ease, even if only somewhat. Then perhaps they could start to move one and forget the events 16 years ago. The terrible events that shook the world, especially the Earth Kingdom, to it‘s foundation. The events that took the life of Avatar Aang, and left the world, again, without an Avatar long before it expected to…



The next chapter...
Chapter 1: The Man Called Ezeru

[Eman5805]

Book 1: Earth
Chapter 1: The Man Called Ezeru

Aunt Meng’s diner…

Chef Tin Li shouted over the hiss of the fire, “What time is it, Meng?”
Meng, a portly middle aged woman with a large gap in her teeth, looked at the clock as she counted the change to a customer. “Three minutes to one thirty. You don‘t get off for another hour and a half. And I know you’ve got a watch, now get on those salmon cuts!”
Tin Li shook his head. “No, not that, Ezeru’s coming, you’d better get Miko ready.”
Miko, one of Meng’s many, many nieces, looked up from rinsing out a pitcher in the sink. “Who’s Ezeru?”
“A regular customer, comes in at the same time everyday. He can be…a little intimidating the first time you see him.”
“Why?”
Tin Li chuckled, checking his pocket watch. “Oh you’ll see. In five, four, three, two, one.”
Miko was looking at the front door, so she jumped when the side door, just a few feet away from her, swung open and Ezeru stepped in, leaning under the overhang. His gasa, outfit, and right arm all familiar to Meng and Tin Le.
Miko froze. She was a very short girl of sixteen. Ezeru towered over her by more than a foot. She held the pitcher tightly, protectively in front of her chest, eyes wide and mouth slightly agape.
Tin Li laughed at Miko’s reaction. “Hiya, Ezeru. How’s work?”
“Fine.” Ezeru spoke very softly.
“The usual?” Meng asked, paying out to the final customer in line as Ezeru walked over too the counter. She asked already knowing the answer.
“Yes.”
“The usual, coming up.” Tin Li said as he flipped his spatcula in his hand.
Meng looked at Miko and saw she still hadn’t moved. “Those dishes won’t clean themselves, girl. Miko? Hey!” Miko blinked, finally taking her eyes off Ezeru, who never seemed to notice her. “Snap out of it.”
“Oh, right, sorry.” She feverishly tried to dry the pitcher, but she was too rattled to properly hold anything.
It wasn’t fear that had her in a near stupor.
Meng had stepped over, looking at her face. “Blushing, huh?” she whispered.
Miko batted her eyes. “What? No, I’m not.”
“Then, why are your cheeks so red?” Aware she was further embarrassing Miko, she added, “It’s those green eyes isn’t it?”
Miko paused, stole a glance at Ezeru, who still hadn’t moved, waiting patiently for his plate. She tilted her head slightly to the side, a gesture of defeat and acknowledgement. “They’re…they‘re…amazing.”
“I know.”
“Hot plate! Hot plate!” Tin Li was reaching the plate through the kitchen window. With a wink, Meng left Miko to her dishes and handed took the plate from Tin Li. Ezeru had already laid out exact change on the counter top and took his plate.

After nine minutes, Ezeru was finished and had left. Without saying a word to anyone else.
“So, he comes at the exact same time, orders the exact same thing, every single day?” Miko asked after she cleaned off his plate, which was nearly spotless.
“He even sits at the same table, same seat. If ol‘ Tinny Linny back there made him the exact same amount, he‘d finish it in the same amount of time. You can set your clock to Ezeru. Never met someone more dedicated to a routine, no one is forcing him to keep, in my life.”
“It’s almost inhuman,” the chef chimed in.
“How old is he?” Miko asked.
Meng started to answer but realized she didn’t have one. “You know, I don’t have a clue.”


Museum of the Avatar…

“You’re pullin’ my leg,” said the former Fire Nation resident Yuan Po, chipping away the final details on Avatar Aang’s right arm. “A demon? Come on.”
The Water Tribe born, Toruk shook his head as he leaned against the scaffold railing. He finished early for the day. “I’m serious. They say it’s an evil spirit running around butchering people.”
“And who are ‘they’ exactly? Senile, old farts that barely see their own cataracts?”
Toruk chuckled. “No, not every one who has seen it, them, or whatever is old. They say that someone fairly young has seen it. Claims he saw the demon flying off into the night,” Toruk waved his hands to demonstrate.
Yuan Po laughed. “Now I know you’re joking. Now not only is this demon killing people without a trace, but it’s ‘flying off into the night’? Too cliché to be real. It’s just some kid with an overactive imagination, that’s who it was right? Probably heard the stories, and wanted to impress his friends. Spread some false rumors to get attention. Sounds a lot like my son.”
Toruk shrugged. “Hard to say. It’s all rumors anyway. It is kind of scary, you know? No one is reporting anything specific on the killings. No way of figuring out exactly why who is dying, well, is dying. Could be random, but it’s a little unnerving that so much is being held quiet. Is that how they treat big news like this around here?”
Yuan Po took a few more chips at the knuckles, then wiped the sweat from his brow. “I’ve lived here only a few months, I know you were here just about a week. The murders were happening long before I got here, and I didn’t find out about the murders until I got here. I don’t know if that’s just how the Earth Kingdom does it or not. Maybe you should ask the big man, he‘s lived here all his life, but you know you won‘t get much out of him.” Almost on cue, heavy footsteps shook the scaffolding, which creaked under the weight. They both knew who was coming.
He was carrying two large sacks of earth over his shoulder on opposite ends of a metal pole. Each had to weigh 50 pounds, but he carried them almost effortlessly, with one arm. He was there for the stones each sculptor chipped off of the statue. The pulley system was broken and no one bothered fixing it. “After all,” the foreman had said, “why fix it when you can just let Ezeru do the heavy lifting? He don’t seem to mind.”
“How you doin’, Ezeru?” Toruk said.
“Fine.”
“I gotta question for you,” Toruk said, giving Yuan Po a “Watch this” look.
Ezeru shifted his eyes, toward Toruk, but his head never turned. Talking to Ezeru could be difficult, you had to follow his eyes, but they were hard to see under the shadow his gasa cast over his face. Unless you were standing on a certain side, then it was a little easier. Toruk happened to be standing on the right side this time.
“You’ve heard of those mysterious killings, right?”
“Yes.”
“Know any reason why the newspapers never say much about them?”
“No.”
“Really?”
“No.”
“Really, really?”
“No. No.” Toruk said the same thing when Ezeru said it. Both men busted out laughing. Ezeru knelt, balancing the pole on his shoulder, picked up the bag of excess stone, and started walking away without saying another word to either man.
Toruk called out, “Oh, hey, don’t be like that. I was only teasing!”
“Don’t bother the big man; let him work. You’re finished for the day, anyway, Toruk, better sign out, or the boss man will throw you off this thing. It says that in the charter.”
They both laughed again.

Tall, quiet, and scary. Those were usually the three words used to describe Ezeru, the lattermost being based on assumptions tied to the first two descriptions. And because of that, people treat him the way they do most things they’re afraid of: Avoiding him entirely, alienating him with jokes and crude comments, or, the least taken choice, trying to understand him. None of this mattered to Ezeru though, or rather, if they did, he never told anyone. Anyone but two people.

He stood at least six foot five, perhaps more. He was clearly physically strong. His arms were very long and thickly muscled. His upper body seemed to form an inverted triangle. Slender at the waist, but growing wider as it gets to his shoulders, which were broad. His head was often seen bent, looking down. Most people were far shorter than him so he didn’t need hold his head up often. It’s also byproduct of him ducking to avoid banging his head on anything hanging too low for him. The gasa he always wore did little to help in that respect.

The gasa looked like an Earth Kingdom army issued gasa. It has the same color and similar design, but it differed in two ways: it lacked the point at the top and it has roughly a quarter of it missing from the front right side. It was custom made to be that way. If it was damaged in some way, then purposely redecorated to have the missing section integrated into it’s design is only known to Ezeru and two other people. Nearly everyone who sees him thinks he was once in the army, yet they figure he isn’t seem old enough to have fought in the war. Nonetheless, people say he had to have been in some kind of fight at some point in his life. An assumption reinforced more so by his heavily bandaged right arm.

From the tips of his fingers all the way up to his shoulder, his arm was wrapped. When he walked, or did anything, his right hand was hooked onto the top of his pant. Giving him the appearance of walking with one hand in his pocket, which he actually didn’t have. Since it was summer, he wore a sleeveless button down beige tunic with green trim over green pants and sandals. He jet black hair a queue that reached the middle of his back. Unlike traditional queue’s, Ezeru didn’t shave the front half of his head, allowing it to grow, even allowing short tufts of hair to form bangs occasionally. A choice he was adamant on, for reasons (again) he never told anyone about.

Ezeru was just stepping off the scaffolding when he heard the first crack and heard the shout, “It’s breaking loose!”. A second, far louder, crack came. Ezeru looked up just as Aang’s ear fell off and crashed into the top of the scaffolding and broke through to the next level. The entire scaffolding started shaking, swaying away from the statue! Everyone started shouting and screaming.
“Oh man! It’s coming down! Somebody get help!” The statue was nearly 100 feet tall. Anyone on it when it falls will be…
Ezeru dropped rocks and jumped over the side. It was a 30 foot drop! The ground rose up as he landed, absorbing the impact. He scanned the scaffold. There, there, there, and there....

He reached down and dug his fingers into the ground. He literally ripped up a colum of of stone out of the ground. He stepped back, jumped straight up, then drove his fist into the top. The colum going down forced four square, much larger, colums to rise out of the ground at an incline, each one to a separate level of the of the scaffolding.
“Slide down!” Ezeru shouted to the seven men still on it, Yuan Po and Toruk were among them. The entire scaffolding finally gave way just as the last man slid down. Ezeru shielded himself from the debris and backed away. It kicked up a lot of dust and made it hard to see.
Yuan Po shouted, “Look out! The ear‘s coming down!”
The heavy stone ear tumbled off the collapsing wooden structure, right above Ezeru! He had time to get out of the way, but he didn’t.
When the ear hit, everyone looked away, assuming Ezeru was crushed.
He wasn’t.
For the first time since he had been working on the museum construction, he moved his right arm. It was stretched up over his head, holding the ear which was as large as he was. With what seemed like no effort at all, and even less semblance of Earthbending, he set the ear on the ground. His bandaged right arm returned to it’s default position of hooked behind his onto his pants.
All eyes were on Ezeru.
Toruk and Yuan Po looked at each other. Toruk asked the question everyone had to be asking themselves, “Ezeru. Why didn’t you just get out of the way?”
“Then, you would have had to carve another ear. Was I supposed to let it hit the floor and break?”

Ezeru’s house…

The long walk home was a familiar one, for reasons beyond the obvious. He was going to have to go job hunting. Again.
Once inside, his presence surprised his wheelchair bound mother, the very reason he had a job, and his elderly aunt. His aunt, was busy at the sink washing out the pots and pans she just used, she turned when he walked into the kitchen with a puzzled look on her face. “What’s going on? You’re home early from work? The last time that happened you were…”
His mother and aunt knew him better than anyone, they could read his face, his eyes. “Oh goodness, what happened?” his mother asked.
Ezeru shrugged. “I saved some people from a giant, falling ear.”
“What? You save lives, so they fire you? That’s ridiculous.”
“There was a construction charter that said-” Ezeru began.
His mother waved that off. “We’ll discuss it later, today is a special occasion.” She wheeled backwards so he could see the table. They had baked a cake.
His mother said as she wheeled over to hug him, he knelt on one knee so she wouldn’t have to hug his waist. “Happy 16th birthday, son!”
“Thank you, mother.”




Next chapter…
Chapter 2: The Investigation

[Eman5805]

Chapter 2: The Investigation

Ba Sing Se, Upper Ring…

When the war ended, there was a question that needed to be answered: What to do with the Dai Li? They betrayed their leader and their nation, and directly assisted in Ba Sing Se’s capture. Treason, a crime punishable by death, but Avatar Aang stepped in and spoke on their behalf. No, Avatar Kyoshi stepped in. For the second time, Avatar Aang channeled Kyoshi.

It was she who created the Dai Li, it was felt that she should be the one to decide how they’d be punished. She decided that the Dai Li would in fact be expanded, rather than disbanded entirely, however the Dai Li members who defected to the Fire Nation, and then subsequently banished by mentally unstable Azula, were branded as traitors and forced to either return to the Earth Kingdom and face trail along with former leader, Long Feng, or remain in the Fire Nation as fugitives from the Earth Kingdom. None of the rouge Dai Li agents were ever heard from again.
As for the new Dai Li’s function, they would be spread far outside of Ba Sing Se and into all of the seven Earth Kingdom cities, still under construction at the time.

They would still be consist of some of the most well trained Earthbenders in the world, but no longer would they be a “cultural authority.” They’d become special law enforcement agents. It wasn’t any surprise the public at large resisted this decision, but it was decided that the Dai Li organization, though rebuilt with a wholesale still had a purpose in the Earth Kingdom and with the baby boom, the more people to keep the peace the better. And with time, wounds healed. The Dai Li became security and the agents themselves seemed untouchable, so it came as quite a shock when a Dai Li agent was found slumped against the side of a house, dead of no apparent injury or illness. Only a single trickle of blood came from his mouth.

The area was quickly sealed off. It was just past ten o’clock. The body was discovered by a woman walking her pet poodle monkey.
One officer, just arriving to the scene, asked another, “What’s the body’s name?”
The mustached, already present, officer blinked twice at how tall he was and at the almost impersonal manner he spoke, using a word like, “body” and not “victim” or at the very least “man.” He held up a laminated card. “His ID says he’s Laozheng. He was 36. Lived just a few blocks down the street. Must have been heading home after a late night.”

The second officer was wearing his uniform’s hood over his face. It was the middle of summer, it was very unusual to see someone wearing the winter uniform over his face. He also had both hands in his pockets. “I see. I also see that you have his ID, which means you disturbed his body, correct?”

“Uh, well, yeah, I did. It’s standard procedure. We would’ve have already called for the mortician wagon if not for the-”

“The special order prohibiting disturbing the body in anyway until the special investigator arrives, correct?” The first officer looked like a child with his hand caught in the cookie jar, but he happened to be caught by a very tall person whose voice seemed far too soft for his body. “Please follow orders next time, lieutenant. There was a purpose for them. It interferes with my analysis if the body has been touched more than necessary.” He turned slightly to everyone else, who had all stopped and watched this unknown officer reprimand their superior officer.

The lieutenant’s expression hardened. “Okay, well, so then who are you?”

“Isn’t it obvious, lieutenant? I’m the person you’ve been waiting for.”

“He’s the special investigator,” said a female voice from behind him. The lieutenant turned, shocked. He thought for sure no one was standing there just a second ago. She was wearing a similar uniform to all the officers, but she clearly wasn’t any simple policeman. She held hers arms behind her back. The lieutenant thought of only one thing: Dai Li. The lieutenant didn’t know of many female Dai Li agents.

“We would’ve arrived sooner, but we were on the other side of the city when the call came,” the former Dai Li agent said.

The special investigator walked up to the lieutenant. “I’m done here. Thank you for your patience, lieutenant. Let’s go, Hanori.”

The lieutenant was incredulous. “Wait, you make us wait nearly an hour, and you show up, spend five seconds looking at the body then leave?!?”

The investigator turned, head slightly tilted to one side. “I’ve concluded my investigation, lieutenant, did someone say it would take a while? If they did, I’m afraid they lied to you.” There was a chuckle in his voice.

He takes a step towards the investigator, he’s tall but the lieutenant isn’t afraid of someone that skinny. “Look, you pompous-” Hanori slides in front of him, placing a stone incased hand on the lieutenant’s chest. She shakes her head slowly.

“It’s okay, Hanori.” To the lieutenant he says, “I apologize for my hastiness, but I discovered something that troubles me, I really wish to get back and check something in my notes.” Hanori didn’t move an inch.

“And that something is?”

The investigator, still not revealing his face, paused a bit. “Well, have you noticed that he is a Dai Li?”

The lieutenant’s face was turning red with anger. “What? You think I’m an idiot?!?”

“Not at all, I’m just trying to call something to your attention. He’s a Dai Li agent, and Dai Li are trained a specific way thanks to a special tactic. Hanori in fact has it on pressed against your chest.”

It took a second, but it clicked. “The gloves?”

“Yes, they’re still on and around his hands.” Sure enough, they were.

“What does that mean?”

“Dai Li are trained to meet any threat with their gloves. If he was attacked and was aware of it, he would surely be missing some parts of the glove. But, all the pieces are present and accounted for. That means that the killing stroke was made before Mr. Laozheng was aware of the killer’s threat, or perhaps even of the killer entirely.”

“What makes you so sure he was killed? There isn’t a scratch on him. He could’ve had a heart attack.”

“No heart attack I’ve ever seen causes bleeding. Unless of course, the heart was ruptured.”

“People have been known the bite their lips or tongues. Heart attacks can be traumatizing.”

The investigator seemed to ponder that. “Hm…that’s something I wasn’t aware of. I’ll be sure to research it, but I’m more than certain that wasn’t the case, at least not entirely. There’s a small puncture wound in his chest. See for yourself, it’s okay to touch the body now.”

Hanori stepped away and the lieutenant walked over to the body and crouched. He parted Laozheng’s coat. A small hole right in the middle of his chest. It was a small wound, almost as if done by a pen.

“Well, I’ll be damned.” He looked to his left. “Send out a message, put all forces on alert. This just became a murder.” He turned back to the But, how could he have been stabbed?”

The investigator shook his head. “He wasn’t stabbed. Some sort of throwing weapon was used, like a dart or kunai. Whatever did this destroyed the heart almost instantly.”

“Kunai? Dart? The wound is perfectly round. What kind of weapon could it have been? A needle?” With a grunt the lieutenant stood to his feet. “Well, that’s all that had you troubled?”

“No, it’s something else all together.”

“What do you mean?”

The investigator shook his head. “All the other slayings were…more personal, done with more suffering involved. This time the one attack killed him instantly. No,” he paused. “It’s not the first time. It’s just like…” His voice trailed off.

“Other slayings? Wait, you aren’t saying that…”

He was walking down the alley. “Yes, I believe the murderer is one in the same. The Demon Killer has returned to Ba Sing Se. I wouldn’t even bother with a manhunt. I’d say time of death was at least around midnight, he’s long gone by now. It’s time I left, lieutenant. Take care.”

Hanori and the investigator disappeared around the corner. The lieutenant grabbed the back of his neck. “I see why all dead bodies are to be held until he gets there. He’s hunting this Demon Killer. Alright, let’s get this poor guy down to the morgue. Someone will have to break the news that to his family. And I’m glad it won’t be me.”

Several blocks away…

The investigator, safely out of eyesight from everyone else, stopped and leaned against a nearby street lamp.

“Are you okay, Olan?” Hanori asked. Being his personal assistant the last four years, Hanori was genuinely concerned for Olan's well being. Olan was grateful, she was a strong Earthbender and in the event he came face to face with the mass murder, she could prove invaluable, as well as she had become a good friend of his. One of the only ones he has.

“Just fine, I’m just sweating buckets. Help me out of this,” he said has he pulled off his uniform. “And these stilts are hurting my feet.” His glasses had fogged up and his dark brown hair was matted, and clumpy.

Olan didn’t like the act he had to put on, but it was a necessary step. No one would accept that the lead investigator on such a case could be a just turned sixteen year old boy, barely five-five, wearing thin black rimmed glasses. But, whether the world knew it or not, Olan was the most qualified person for the job. A Ba Sing Se University graduate by 12 years old with a degree in criminology, he had spent the last four years tracking down this Demon Killer. Though Olan didn’t approve of that name, he felt it accurately described the terrible efficiency the killer, or killers, displayed.

Today makes eighty-five known slayings, and the third this month alone. The murder frequency has increased steadily. As if the killer is gaining some confidence, and that’s the only change. It’s been so long, and no breaks. He’s no closer now than he was those years ago, when the killer first struck. And took the life of the most important person in Olan’s life. And Olan still had no answers…
When inside the steam driven carriage, he throw down his stilts.

Hanori turned in his driver’s seat. “What is it?”

“They say I’m a genius, but each time that monster kills someone I feel more like an idiot. Eighty-five deaths and still no connection. Doctors, farmers, teachers, low life thugs, the newest victim being a Dai Li agent, and I can’t find the common link.”

“Doesn’t that mean these are random murders, Olan?” He asked as he started the carriage and pulled off the curb.

“No, eighty-four of the victims all had seedy pasts, things their loved ones didn’t know about, smuggling, trafficking cactus powder, maybe even having a hand in those bombings. They were involved in something, and that seems to be the reason for their deaths. I’m still working on finding out exactly what, they were doing, but it’ll take time. But, knowing that there’s still no connection.”

“What connection? To who?”

Olan slumped in his seat and pressed the side of his head to the side glass window. “You know as well as I do, Hanori. There was nothing seedy at all about my mother. She only wanted what was best for me, and for me to live my own life. She has…she had nothing in common with the scum that have been dying, but the Demon Killer took her life all the same. And what makes it worse is I know no ‘evil spirit’ is killing these people. It’s a person or persons. But, people make mistakes, they aren’t perfect. Why isn’t this killer making mistake? Why are the clues so ambiguous? Or maybe I’m just not smart enough to make sense of the clues that do exist.” Olan sighed, watch the buildings go by, seeing the city just coming to life early in the mourning, oblivious to the death in their city. Death that shouldn’t be occurring, that Olan was supposed to be preventing.

“I have to stop this thing, Hanori. I have to.”

“And you will, Olan. What do you say about searching for that other thing? Who knows, you may get lucky.”

Olan smiled. “I’ll need luck too. Finding one of those little critters, might be harder than catching 10 Demon Killers.” Stopping the murders was Olan’s passion, his drive. Bug collecting, however, was his hobby. And just the thing that would brighten his mood.




Next chapter…

Enter Darlo

[Eman5805]

Chapter 3: Enter Darlo



Bull Spider Tavern, Bumi City…

“So, are you saying you don’t find her attractive?” Jieshi, an Earth Kingdom thug, said opening the last game with a three of clubs and a three of diamonds. He and the strange haired Darlo, a Fire Nation born citizen, were the last two players. All the money was on the table for the final game. Everyone present was watching, hovering over the table and watching the two competitors. Jieshi was known as a tough player, but Darlo was putting on a show, finishing first in every game.

They were sitting at the one of the two money corners, the spots in the front corners of the building, where all gambling went on. They were great spots in case the authorities decided to make a bust. They were blocked by an outcropping wall and would block view from just inside the door, and the windows running along both sides of the building allowed for quick escapes.

“No, I’m saying I don’t want anything to do with a woman that randomly pulls fish out of her clothes. I mean, what, does she carry fish around all the time, just waiting for an opportunity to attract penguins? She was pretty, but if I hooked up with her and she gets mad, what’s she gonna do? Smack me with a mackerel?” Darlo said, playing a four of hearts and four of spades. Card games were all the rage now. Pai Sho remained the most common game, but it wasn’t great for gambling, unintelligent people don‘t grasp Pai Sho‘s finer points. Card games like kamikaze were easier.

“More like smack you with a water whip, you know she was a master Waterbender, right? That’s one lady I wouldn’t want mad at me.”
Darlo snorted, learning back in his chair. “Master shmaster, I’d wear her out like I’m about to wear all you out.” Without leaning forward, He threw over two aces, club and a spade. A high play on low cards.

Jieshi stopped smiling. He stared at Darlo, trying to read him. Darlo’s smug expression never wavered and he met Jieshi’s stare. Darlo had nine cards left. If Jieshi passed on this play, Darlo could have a straight run that he couldn’t match, and allow Darlo to get rid of all his cards. However, Jieshi could beat the two aces with his two deuces, which were wild, one of them being the heart, the highest suit in the game. The only thing could beat his two deuces, was a rare move of four straight sets of two of a kind, as in two fives, two sixes, two sevens, and two eights. It was called “bombing” and was only allowed to be played if deuces were on the table. If Darlo had one of those, he’d automatically win at this point. However, on the other hand, Jieshi had a normal straight run from seven all the way to king. If he plays his deuces and Darlo can’t beat it, he can empty his hand and win.

Darlo’s voice broke into Jeishi’s thoughts. “The game isn’t called ‘Stare really hard at your opponent’, you know.” Darlo faked a yawn. “I’d really like to take all your money before I die of old age.” That would be quite the feat, indeed for Darlo, who just made seventeen last month, but certainly didn’t look it. He had a small frame and he was very thin through the shoulders.

Jieshi smiled, deciding against falling back on his special move. “Nice bluff, but I’ve played this game long before you were born youngin’.” He laid the two deuces out, deliberately curling the cards with his fingers so they snapped as they hit the table.

“Got ‘im now,” someone said nudging Jieshi with his elbow.

Darlo looked annoyed and he shook his head as he sank forward, slightly to the left. “dang.”

“What’s wrong, flamer? Giving up already?” Jieshi said confidently folding his arms.

“No, it’s just-” He slapped down a special kind of bomb, called the Death Bomb, two aces, two kings, two queens, and two jacks. The rarest bomb there was. “-I was hoping you wouldn’t have those deuces, because now it only makes you look bad!” The crowd erupted.

Jieshi slapped the table with his remaining cards, rising out his seat so fast the chair toppled over. “You…!” His clinched fist trembling. Darlo put his feet up on the table, a smirk on his face, and held his arms out, palms up. The “Want to throw down?” pose all too familiar to the few present that knew Darlo best. Jieshi, maybe thinking better of fighting someone known for being good at just that, turned and walked away. “Flamer trash,” he muttered under his breathe.

“Flamer” was an epithet used for Firebenders. All the elements had one or two derogatory names, a byproduct of people not enjoying the company of foreigners.
Darlo’s ears were sharp. “This ‘flamer trash’ just beat you at your own game and took all your money. Enjoy the light feeling in your pockets, as you walk back to your boss,” he retorted, gathering the money and sliding it off the table into a pouch. The small group dispersed and Darlo’s little clique moved in to sit down.

There was Qin, a lanky 18 year old from the southern Fire Nation colonies; Zhi, Qin’s 16 year old brother not as tall but still lanky; and Akeno, an overweight, homeland Fire Nation born 17 year old who was more commonly known as “dang it, Akeno” to Darlo and the others.

Zhi reached over and patted Darlo on the side of the shoulder. “Man, that was the best hand I’ve ever seen anyone get. All four aces and a Death Bomb? You’re one lucky guy.”

“Luck is just skill you can’t control, Zhi,” Darlo said bending over. He reached under the table, and produced a small handful of cards, all jacks and higher. “Unless, of course, you can control it. Then it‘s not luck anymore.”

“Whoa! You cheated!” Akeno yelped, jumping in his seat.

“dang it, Akeno!” Qin grated, jabbing Akeno in the belly with his elbow. “Keep your voice down!”

Some of the roughest people in the Earth Kingdom came to the Bull Spider to get drunk, make unsanctioned bets on the now sanctioned Earth Rumbles and other sporting events, sell stolen goods, or whatever the hot illegal activity was that week. There was a true “honor among thieves” and cheating was not taken well, unless the cheater was a lackey of a well respected crime lord, then they tend to get away with whatever they choose. Normally, a bunch of teenagers weren’t allowed in the tavern, but Darlo had connections which allowed him to be there unadulterated.

Darlo smirked. “It’s cool. No one will do anything to me.”

“What do you mean?” Zhi asked.

“Because these aren’t my cards. You know I never cheat. I’d quit doing whatever it is I’m doing if I can’t win the legit way. Ol’ boy Jieshi was the one cheating.”
Qin, who was sitting where Jieshi was moments ago, looked under the table. “Oh, there’s a small slot under these tables. So, the entire time he was slipping cards into his hand. But, how did you reach it from your side of the table?”

Darlo propped his feet up on the table. Darlo wasn’t tall, by any stretch of the imagination; however his body got what height it had from his legs. The same could be said about Darlo’s weight as well. His thigh and calf muscles were well toned and thick. Darlo made it a point to wear clothes that showed off his body, so he wore a red vest with gold trim and black pants that stopped just past his knees. Around his ankles and just above his elbows were gold bands. The appearance of being ready for an official Agni Kai, an intentional one. He was also wearing soft, heelless shoes. “You know what I always say, ‘These feet of mine are my bread and butter, never let me down once.’ Why should this be any different?” Seeing the puzzled look on all their faces, Darlo sighed and put his feet back down. “I did it when I was leaning back. I slipped out of one of my shoes, and took the cards down with my toes.”

“That’s amazing, man, but how’d you know it was down there?”

“Everyone in here knows Jieshi cheats like it’s going out of styles, they just were afraid of his boss, so they never call him out. I watched his hands carefully while keeping my eyes fixed on his face. Not something I recommend doing-” Darlo paused for the few chuckles to pass. “-I noticed he sometimes puts one hand on his lap while getting his cards dealt, and then brings the other one out to collect. The switch is real swift and hard to pick up. He never does it if he sees someone spying on him. I figured he had something under the table, so when I leaned back I felt around and found the cards then grabbed as many as I could between my big toe and whatever the one next to it is called. When I leaned forward and said ‘dang’, I reached down, took the cards out, realized it was six, replaced the ones in my hand with his, and hey-ho-what-do-you know noticed I happened to have a Death Bomb right in my hand.”

Darlo’s clique as astounded by Darlo’s explanation, and apparently the people at the table weren’t the only ones listening in. Two men, most likely pirates, Darlo thought, nodded their approval and raised their mugs, and went back to emptying their drinks.

Cheating was unacceptable, but cheating a cheater was.

Qin shook his head. “So, that means you were bluffing.”

Darlo gave a half-shouldered shrug. “Those aces were all I had, the rest was junk. I really was hoping he didn’t have those deuces. If I didn‘t get that Death Bomb, he would‘ve smashed me with that straight.”

“Way to live dangerously,” Zhi replied.

“It‘s what I do. Everyone is clear on the plan, right?“ They nodded. “Good, good. Won’t be too hard anyway.”

They sat in relative silence for the next several minutes. Darlo hated waiting, but it was necessary.

“Say Darlo,” Qin began, “did you mean what you said earlier?”

“About what?”

“About beating Katara of the Water Tribe in a fight?”

“Akeno, I always mean what I say about a fight.”

“But…but how? I mean she beat Azula during the com-”

Darlo scoffed, jerking his head to get his hair out of his face. “Beat her? I read that book. She lucked out because a drain was right there. It was clever, but she was one split second from having an extra hole in her head. Not to mention, Azula was having a mental breakdown. If Azula was on top of her game, Katara wouldn‘t have lived seven more years only to get killed by some dude with a hammer. If I had to fight Katara, I’d just get right in her face. The girl has the hand-to-hand skills of an armless, blind person. Shoot, all Spitters have zero hand-to-hand skills to begin with, so she wouldn’t know what to do against someone like me. I‘m telling you, I‘d knock those hair loopies out of her head.”

They all shared a good laugh, which Akeno promptly ruined, in classic fashion.

“Yeah, I like hair loopies.” The silence that followed was all too familiar when associated with Akeno.

Darlo sighed, shaking his head. “dang it, Ake-”

The door was kicked open and a man brandishing a large dao stomped in. He scanned the room then shouted, “Where’s Darlo?” Collectively, without even hesitating, everyone pointed to the money corner.

When he rounded the corner, he only found Akeno, Qin, and Zhi laughing and joking, seemingly oblivious to him. “Where is he?” he demanded.

“Where is who?” Zhi asked coyly.

The man cursed and slammed his hilt on the table, cracking it, then turned and headed for the door. He was met by another man, his sword sheathed.

“He’s not in there.”

“The boss didn’t think he’d be,” said the other.

Around the back of the tavern…

I knew he‘d run back crying to his master, idiots are so predictable, Darlo thought as he peered around the corner and watched two of Zhang Yu’s thugs split up. Darlo waited a few seconds, and then jogged up the alley, perpendicular to where the two thugs split off from.

Zhang Yu was Jieshi’s employer, a peddler in all kinds of stolen goods. The kind of person common people wished didn’t exist and made authorities turn a blind eye with a well timed “donation.” No doubt they were after the money he won, Darlo disrespecting Zhang Yu’s henchmen was indirectly disrespecting Zhang Yu. It might be enough to draw the guy out into the open. Which was exactly what Darlo wanted. There was something Darlo had to do. More specifically, something he had to get.

He could’ve gone to Zhang Yu, but why hunt for something when you can lure it too you and deal with it on your own terms? And dealing with him around the guys would only get them hurt. Darlo was making sure to keep an eye on his surroundings as he went past. He was still in the back allies. Trash, stray animals, and the occasional beggar aligned the backs of businesses and shops. A couple hundred feet ahead was the market. He could see the people milling about. dang, I didn‘t lose them did I?

A brief glint of yellow light caught Darlo’s eye. There you are!

The ground heaved up in front of him! A wall twice his height now blocked his path. Behind him a second wall sprouted, hemming him in. Darlo had at least two ways to get over either, three if he went at them at the right speed and angle. But his aim wasn’t to escape. At least not yet.

From both sides of the alley, just in front of the Earthbended wall, Zhang Yu and Jieshi stepped out. Neither was happy. Zhang Yu was unarmed and wore no shoes, while Jieshi had a long sword called a jian. Zhang Yu is an Earthbender.

“You know, when I envisioned my mourning, being woken up to the sounds of whining wasn’t part of my plan. I have a business to run, so I‘ll ge frank, I take it you‘re Darlo?”

Darlo was eyeing Jieshi’s sword. The way he held it, how he balanced it in his hands. His grip is terrible. Probably uses it one handed. He suppressed a smirk. “I am.”

“Now, imagine my reaction, when I hear one of my men has been disrespected? If he’s disrespected and other people see it, then I’m disrespected. I simply can’t have that.”

“Don’t blame me, he’s a terrible cheater.”

Jieshi stuck his finger at Darlo. “Shut your mouth, you crazy haired punk!”

Darlo’s hair was thick, black hair packed into thick, long strands and tied at the base of his head into a ponytail. A few strands weren’t long enough to tie back, and they hung over his face. His unique hairstyle was something he was proud of. Darlo could take insults about his dark skin. He could take insults about his body. But, one thing Darlo didn’t take was insulting his hair.

He was planning on getting what he had to get from Zhang Yu and leaving Jieshi alone, relatively speaking, but now he would make sure Jieshi was also spitting up teeth.

Zhang Yu gestured for Jieshi to back down. “So, let’s just give us the money, and forget this all ever happened. It’s the best I can offer.”
Darlo put his hand to his chin, leaning against the wall behind him, pretending to think. He waited a lot longer than he needed, trying to egg the two men off. He waited until Zhang Yu said anything before cutting him off, “To tell the truth, you can have to money.” Darlo reached behind him, untied the pouch of money, and threw it on the ground. “I just wanted to get you out here.”

Zhang Yu frowned. “What are you talking about?”

Darlo shrugged. “You’ll understand after you wake up dazed with a massive toothache.”

That made him made Zhang Yu mad, though Darlo didn‘t think Zhang Yu got the implication. “You’re out of your mind. Jieshi cut this little flamer in half.”

“With pleasure.”

“If you think what’s about to happen to you as pleasure, then that makes you a masochist.”

Jieshi charged in, swinging the sword laterally, trying quite literally to fulfill his order.

Darlo was already moving, stepping away from the wall, towards Jieshi!

He pivoted on his right foot and snapped his left leg up and around, blocking the swing; pinning Jieshi’s arm to the wall.

He twisted his foot against Jieshi’s wrist, grinding it against the wall. Jieshi cried out has he let go if the sword.

Jieshi cried out again when Darlo took his foot off Jieshi’s arm the same leg’s knee into his face. Drops of blood flew from Jieshi’s nose and mouth as he toppled over. Jieshi’s sword hit the ground with a loud clank.

Darlo heard the sound of shifting stones and Zhang Yu grunt. Acting on pure reflex, Darlo kicked off the wall, just as a large stone came flying.
It smashed into the wall where Darlo’s head once was, and broke through! Darlo twisted, somersaulting to the ground. He landed on both feet and dashed straight at Zhang Yu!

Zhang Yu punched! The wave of stone pillars didn’t make it halfway out of the ground before Darlo made it to Zhang Yu, cutting the twelve feet of space to nothing in two steps!

Darlo toe kicked Zhang Yu in the stomach with the full force of his momentum, doubling him over!

“It’s on the right side of the jaw.” Darlo jumped back, whirling around and delivering a heel kick to Zhang Yu’s face.

Like Jieshi before him, Zhang Yu was on the ground. From the moment Jieshi first attacked until Zhang Yu was defeated, ten seconds had passed.

The glint of gold on the ground assured Darlo that he hit his mark. Zhang Yu’s gold tooth had came out. Seeing the small piece of gold lying on the ground made all the effort he put getting it seem insignificant. He picked it up. “All this for his tooth? Hardly seems worth it.”

Zhang Yu groaned. He was tougher than Darlo thought.

“What’s going on here?” came a shout from the direction of the market as footsteps echoed through the alley. One of those steps was Darlo’s.

Darlo, at half run, rounded the first corner. He looked back over his shoulder, catching a glimpse the wall Zhang Yu Earthbended up being pulled back down-
Darlo ran straight into a statue. It didn’t give an inch to his impact as he spun off it and fell to the ground. “Ow! What the…?” He looked up.

It wasn’t a statue. At least, Darlo didn’t think it was a statue. If it was, it was expertly painted and inexplicably dressed in real clothing. The only things stopping him from knowing it was a living person, was that it seemed ten feet tall, and hadn’t moved since Darlo bumped into it. The man-statue was staring straight at Darlo, a disturbing almost emotionless stare from green eyes, shaded under a gasa. A gasa with a section of it missing.

“Who did this to you?” The question from the alley snapped Darlo out of his momentary stupor. He climbed to his feet, noticing the man-statue was in fact all man, as he followed Darlo’s moments with his eyes. Darlo also saw the man’s heavily bandaged right arm. Not wanting to hang around, Darlo broke into a run again, this time not turning to look behind him.

Tao’s Pawn Shop…

Tao’s Pawn Shop was just a front. The woman was really a fence/bootlegger for stolen goods. At one point in her life, Zhang Yu was her husband. He got the stolen weapons and she sold them. For reasons Darlo didn’t care to know, the relationship soured. Tao believed that Zhang Yu’s infamous gold tooth was rightfully hers, seeing as she was the one who bought it for him. Zhang Yu’s mouth jewelry had come to identify him in the criminal underground. Darlo figured the move was really about Tao trying to spite Zhang Yu and damage his image. Either way, if it gave him another connection, it was another step closer to finding that “big break to mega fame” Darlo was striving for.

Darlo went inside, stepping through the isles of stuff Darlo knew was all stolen, handed her the tooth, and gave a quick account of how he got it. She picked it up, examined it, then said, “Yep, the genuine article.” She plopped a small pouch of money on the counter. “Thank you, come back soon. I may have more work for you.” Tao’s no frills, all business demeanor was probably why she and Zhang Yu never worked out, Darlo figured. Not even an ounce of remorse about her ex’s busted chops…

Darlo opened the sack and gave the money a quick count. “Is this it? I had more money when I won the card game!”

Tao who had turned and was feather dusting some swords and other weapons behind the counter said, without turning, “And where that money now?”
Darlo started to answer, then caught himself. “I…I…” he groaned. “I left it on the ground.”

“That was a dumb thing to do. Now leave, the cops will be here soon. And bribing cops is harder when suspect is standing six feet away.”

Darlo pursed his lips then sighed. “See you around, Tao.”

Bumi City Grand Train station…

Darlo’s clique had gathered at the predetermined spot just by the station. Darlo knew he’d have to leave town for a while. Zhang Yu wasn’t one of the main crime lords of the city, but he commanded enough respect to have a lot of people looking for Darlo. Something Darlo didn’t feel in the mood to deal with, so they would catch a cross-country tram to Ba Sing Se.

“So, what happened to the money from the game?” Qin asked after they took their seats.

Hands locked behind his head, Darlo gave a nonchalant shrug. “Must have fallen off after I kicked Zhang Yu’s face in.” The guys respected Darlo too much for him to admit to doing something as stupid giving the money away like that.
Akeno, who was busy wolfing down fire flakes, asked between bites, “When will we be back?”

“Isn’t the Avatar being revealed two weeks or so from now? I’d say then would be a perfect time. Lots of people will be in town, and they’ll have stopped looking for me by then. Not to mention we can check out the whole event in person. Should be interesting.”

“Why are they revealing the Water Tribe Avatar in the Earth Kingdom anyway?” Akeno sometimes asked smart questions.

“It’s because of that museum to all the Avatars. There’s one in each nation, but this one will be finished before the others, so they’re supposed to bring him or her down here to make it official.”

“If it’s a girl, I hope she’s hot.”

Everyone seemed to freeze. Akeno now had that look he had when he says something dumb. “What?”

Darlo, staring narrowed eyed, said in a dark voice, “Who are you and what have you done with the real Akeno?” His face broke into a smile. “Because you’re right. I hope she‘s hot too!”


Next chapter…
Chapter 4: The Revealing

[Eman5805]

Seems the post-Avatar fanworld isn't as into reading what happens next as I'd hope. Oh well.

Newest chapter for yall! :B) Be warned, it's a long one.

Chapter Four: The Revealing

Ba Sing Se…

Olan’s office doubled as his home. Every piece of information regarding the murders dating back nearly five years was there. He recently moved his insect collection from his old home in Gaoling. It was decided that until Olan caught the Demon Killer, this would be Olan’s home. The two story building stood in the shadow of one of the world’s newest achievements: skyscrapers.

After the war ended, human resources once devoted to enhancing the war machines in each nation, were turned to enhancing the world. Factories that once built tanks now built steam powered carriages. Ports that once shipped weapons and soldiers, now ship immigrants and goods.

Morale was at an all time high. Soldiers who had spent years away fighting were returning home. Engineers were no longer building weapons and people could sleep easier. This caused the world to erupt in a phenomenon of procreation and innovation known as “The Great Boom.” The world’s population grew by an estimated 40% in just two years after the war ended. An unprecedented event.

The population affect was felt most in Ba Sing Se.

With more and more people being born, even the massive Ba Sing Se needed more space. The walls were considered a key part of Ba Sing Se’s culture and the Earth King swore to his people they wouldn’t be knocked down ever again. With no room to expand out, that left only one solution: up.

The greatest minds across the nations collaborated on the concept and design, while the greatest engineers worked on the project itself. Metallurgists around the world crafted the materials. Decorators worked on the interior. And even Avatar Aang was consulted about compensating for wind.

After only five years, the first skyscraper finished construction: the 35 story Wei Yun tower. Several more high rising buildings would appear in Ba Sing Se as well as the other cities across the Earth Kingdom and even into the Fire Nation. As of today, 29 buildings above 20 stories tall have been built around the world. Olan was astounded by the rapid growth the world was experiencing. He often wondered if the world could handle it. “Progress was a slow process for a reason.” Olan remembered became a heated debate back in college.

It was just under two weeks away from the Avatar’s identity being revealed, and Olan was planning on attended. This was a moment the world was waiting for. It was the Earth King’s hope that the Avatar’s appearance would cause to a halt of these murders. Olan doubted it would be so easy. The Demon Killer operated so efficiently, so methodical in its systematic slaughter, Olan believed the Avatar’s appearance alone wouldn’t stop the dying. However, collaborating with the Avatar, Olan could perhaps finally stop the deaths. “I think mastering the elements could take a slight backseat to a matter like this,” Olan once told Hanori.

Hanori found Olan where she left him. Most people who collected insects only kept their pinned down carcasses, but Olan preferred to keep them alive. He liked to touch and hold them while they were still moving.

He was sitting in his chair with a different bug in his hands now. She jerked in surprise when she recognized it.

“Olan!” She ran over to knock the deadly animal off his hand, but Olan jerked away from her, raising his feet to block her.

“Hey! What are you doing? It’s just the exoskeleton!”

Hanori’s brow furrowed. “The what?”

“It’s skin. This is just the skin. I know better than handle a Blue-fanged Spider-snake like that. You know that too.”

She sighed. “Sorry, it’s just you’ve been so distraught and down on yourself lately. I thought you-”

“-were suicidal?”

“No! I-”

“It’s okay. I just needed to gather my thoughts, take my mind off the investigation for a bit. So, I came in here and saw the green fang had shed and gone underground. It’s the closest I can get to actually holding it. Trust me, Hanori; even if I wanted to kill myself, a Blue-fang’s bite is not the way to do it.” He held it up, letting the light hit it. “Even their empty husks are beautiful,” he said to himself.

Hanori couldn’t understand it, but Olan truly loved these things. Once he told her that they were, “The perfect life forms. They always do what they’re supposed to do. Every time. Each one has its place in the world and they never complain or try something different for its own sake like us humans. They’ve lived eons before us, and will probably live eons after. If that isn‘t perfection, I don‘t know what is.”

Yet, even though Olan claimed he was taking his mind off of the murders, Hanori felt, no, she knew they were all Olan thought about. Feeling she had to do more than just stand around, Hanori decided to at least humor Olan with some questions about his next favorite subject.

“So, why does Blue-fang’s exit, uh, exoskeleton, look like the, original…you know…”

Olan smiled; he knew what she was doing. “They do it because their bodies are growing. Unlike us who support our bodies on the inside with bones and muscles, insects are the opposite. Their hard outer shell doesn’t grow as they do, so they have to shed their skin. Tossing out the old and used up, for the more mature and…” His voice trailed off and his eyes narrowed, darting around. His face suddenly brightened the look of someone who just had a revelation. It was a look Hanori knew well; it was just a matter of getting Olan to say anything. When he got like this, his mind going a mile a minute, he had a tendency to stop talking.

Still, she’d at least try to find out. But, before Hanori could ask what had happened, Olan sprang out of the seat and ran into his office. Hanori followed.
Olan started gathering all of his notes he’d made about the investigation from off the wall and off his tables. He was moving fast, throwing everything into a pile on a floor rug.

“Olan?”

He rapidly shook his head. “Uh-uh. Uh-uh.” His eyes filled with excitement. Hanori felt obligated to help somehow, but she didn’t know what he was doing. So, she just stood and watched him finish.

After working up a quick sweat, he grabbed the corners of the floor rug and tied them together. He dragged the rug out the door and to the street, leaving it at the curb for trash pick up. When he came back inside, he was slightly damp with sweat and breathing hard. He flopped in his desk chair. The excited, joyful look in his eyes never wavering. His glasses briefly fogging up.

Hanori waited, thinking Olan might provide some sort of explanation, but when he continued to sit staring into space, she finally asked the question: “What are you doing?”

The flurry of thought trance Olan was in ended when he blinked back into reality. “Huh?”

“What are you doing, Olan?” She said again, trying not to lose her patience.

Olan’s grin grew wider. “I’m shedding my skin, Hanori.”

She frowned. “Like that spider snake?”

“Exactly. All those notes and conclusions I came to, they’ve been the structure of my investigation for all this time. My exoskeleton. But, those notes, those conclusions, they were made by a twelve year old boy. Sure, only four years have passed, but still I’m wiser now. It’s time for a new exoskeleton.”

“So, you threw away all your old notes?”

“You were watching, weren‘t you?”

“Okay. What are you going to do now?”

“What else? Make new notes.”

“For each murder?”

“Absolutely. I only threw away everything I wrote after each murder. I still have all my evidence logs and-”

“Olan, you realize how long it will take to redo the whole investigation, don‘t you?”

Olan paused. “Not exactly, but I’ve already said I’d go for as long as it takes. If that means backtracking a bit, so be it.” He turned around in his seat and faced the map of the Earth Kingdom. There were eighty-five thumbtacks on various parts of the map. He plucked all but one tack off.

She grabbed the bridge of her nose. This was more than backtracking a bit, she thought. “Aren’t you going to take that one down?”

Olan’s look softened and he readjusted his glasses on his face. “No. I remember everything about that murder. I don’t need to reinvestigate it. Twelve years old or a hundred and twelve years old, that’s one part of this exoskeleton that I can’t shed.”

Without missing a beat, Olan pulled out a folder about the second recorded murder by the Demon Killer. “Okay. Lin Toho, female, 28 years of age. Found…”

As Olan recited the report, Hanori came to the realization that if he really intended to go back over every single case the same way he went over the first, there was no way they’d make it to the Avatar’s revealing and the special invitation she was keeping as a surprise was useless. Hanori decided not to tell Olan this. This was the first time in a long time she saw him genuinely smile. Olan felt motivated again. Hanori wouldn’t do anything to stop that. She couldn’t.

Two weeks later, Bumi City…

Ezeru’s job search was a failure to this point. Ezeru’s less flattering tendencies were showing themselves now. Like his tendency to break chairs not sturdy enough for him to sit in or to put dents, and even holes, in walls. His mother told him he didn’t have to work, but it was something Ezeru became insistent upon. He simply wouldn’t allow himself to do nothing. He had to do something constructive. But, for today, his search would be on hold.

Today was the event the world was waiting for. The Avatar’s identity would be announced. Ezeru, his mother, and his aunt were all going to attend. It seemed like the entire world was attending, in fact. Walking to the museum pushing his mother’s wheelchair would’ve been a difficult task in the choked streets, so they took Ezeru’s work route, which meant a slightly longer walk, but was free of visitors.

Originally, Bumi City was a just a small western Earth Kingdom town called Okano. When the plans to expand came, to avoid strife with the long time residents, it was agreed by the government that the old town wouldn’t be altered in any way. So, what was now called the District of Okano was more rundown and appeared significantly older than the rest of the city. It was also where Aunt Meng’s Diner was located. It, like every other store in the city, was closed. In truth, the District of Okano was mostly empty of everyone, not just visitors. The city was shut down for the announcement. Ezeru couldn’t help but wonder if any other Avatar’s identity reveal was more anticipated than this one. He doubted it.

Dragon Fang Hotel…

Despite being partially blocked by the larger hotel next door, the museum was still visible from the top floor of the 20 story hotel. It suited a person wishing to few the festivities from afar perfectly. The big moment was about to arrive, and one person in particular eagerly awaited the Avatar to be revealed, but for an entirely different reason than all those people down on the ground. They wanted the Avatar to be brought into the world. The man in this hotel room wanted the opposite.

When the new Avatar walked through the museum doors, a man wearing Yu Yan Archer face paint would open this window and put an arrow through the Avatar’s neck.

He smiled at the thought. He had everything he needed; all that remained now was patience.


Ground level, on the balcony of a restaurant…

“Awww, I can barely see anything.” Akeno groaned as he shielded the sun from his eyes, trying to see the museum in the distance. The restaurant was as packed out as the plaza square everyone was gathered on.

“Tough luck,” Darlo said yawning. “This is as close as we’ll get. We’ve got binoculars; we’ll get a look at the Avatar when he shows up.”

“Or she, don’t forget it could be a girl.”

Darlo shook his head. “You’re hopeless, Akeno.”

“Hey, you all want it to be a woman too.”

“Sure, but you’re almost obsessing about it,” Zhi replied. “It’s all you’ve talked about the past two weeks.”

Qin joined in. “It’s a good thing we’re so far away. If the Avatar is a hottie, Akeno might rush the stage.”

The guys laughed, but Darlo’s mind was elsewhere. Darlo was right and wrong about Zhang Yu. He’d gone to see Tao once he got back in town. He was right that Tao wanted to take Zhang Yu’s tooth to hurt his image and respect, but Darlo was wrong that Zhang Yu would get the whole city to look for him.
Darlo’s kick gave Zhang Yu a concussion and he couldn’t remember who attacked him. Zhang Yu barely remembered his own name. As for Jieshi, his condition was significantly worse. Zhang Yu inadvertently killed him.
Zhang Yu’s second attack, that Darlo dodged, hit Jieshi instead. Now, instead of hunting down Darlo, Zhang Yu was in jail under suspicion of murder. Only Tao knew exactly what happened and she had no reason to tell the police. She even gave Darlo some extra money before leaving to go see the new Avatar herself.

So, yet again, Darlo got off scot-free, and this time he was even rewarded.

That should have been enough to put his mind at ease, but it didn’t. It was because Darlo almost always seemed to come away unscathed in every dicey situation he got in. Nobody was perfect, and Darlo certainly wasn’t, that much he knew. Screwing up just came with the territory, when Darlo was concerned. So, whatever luck, good fortune, positive karma, or whatever those mystic nuts called it that Darlo had, eventually it would run out.

But, then again, why should Darlo worry? He should enjoy that things were falling in place, not wring his fingers waiting for everything to turn to the crapper. Enjoy life while you’re alive, Darlo.

“What’s so funny?” Qin asked as he noticed Darlo was smirking.

“I am, Qin.” Darlo jerked his chin in the direction of the museum. “It looks like they’re done with the lame opening festivities. The main event is here.” For a while now, a few Fire, Earth, and Waterbenders were performing a choreographed routine. Waterbenders and Firebender faking a fight, while they were lifted up and down on pillars with frilly waves of rock moving all about. Darlo was unimpressed.

Akeno stuffed in the remainder of his food in his mouth, and whipped around to the balcony railing. “Oh boy!”

Front of the crowd…

“That was a pretty little display,” Ezeru’s mom, Giala, said. They arrived from the side of the plaza square, just near the front of the crowd. No one objected to Ezeru pushing his mother to the front of the museum. Ezeru wasn’t sure why, but he wasn’t going to complain, not that he was the type to complain anyway.

Ezeru’s aunt, Wu Lin, snorted. “Feh, you call that bending? Looked more like a dance routine to me. That kind of trash is a mockery.”

Giala shushed Wu Lin. “The Water Tribe ambassador is ready to speak.”

Seventeen seats were on stage. There were five from the Fire Nation, one of which was Fire Lord Zuko‘s; five from the Earth Kingdom, including the Earth King‘s; and five from the Water Tribes, with both the Southern and Northern Water Chiefs present. The last two seats were empty. Ezeru knew the one in the middle was for the newly announced Avatar, but he didn’t know who the last seat was for. It was near the Earth King’s seat.

Wu Lin grumbled something to herself. She didn’t like all the walking and wanted to stay home, but her little sister always had a knack for talking her into doing things with her. She turned to Ezeru, “You agree with me right, nephew? Nephew?”
Ezeru wasn’t listening to her. He was staring at one of the people on stage. He’d never seen any of the ambassadors or the nation leaders before, but he knew the ambassadors acted as representatives for the people of the three nations. Every nation had two from the other nations, while a head ambassador resided in the Earth Kingdom. Ezeru wasn’t sure exactly what they did, but he didn’t care enough to find out. At the moment, one man on stage had all of Ezeru’s attention.

There was something about the well dressed, clean, shaven man barely into his 40s. A feeling Ezeru got from looking at him that he didn‘t like. He had similar feeling a few weeks ago when a small, strange haired teenager bumped into him. One that made him almost feel…threatened. A sense of foreboding. But, it was worse than that other time. This time Ezeru felt a cold chill run down his spine.

A different man than the one Ezeru was looking at walked to the podium. “People of the Earth Kingdom! Fire Nation! Water Tribe! As you may or may not know, I am Water Tribe Ambassador Rhukoda.” His voice echoed throughout the entire plaza, because of a new invention, the sonicus microphone. (A newly discovered crystal called sonicus, also known as “the deaf miner’s rock”, is melted with copper and wrapped in another new substance made from trees called rubber to form wires. Any and all sound fed into one end, comes out the other. A grated, metal nub is placed as a cap on the side someone speaks through. If a pure sonicus crystal is in range of the other end, the sound is amplified based on the amount of sonicus crystal present. The difficulty with sonicus lies in it‘s constantly active state where loud noises cause massive bursts of sounds, in most cases blowing out eardrums. But, in a fit of ingenuity, the pure crystal is kept in a specially crafted box that muffles incoming sounds, yet leaves out going sounds unaltered.)

“The identity of the Avatar, for the first time ever, has been kept a secret from everyone but the Water Sages. That means only five people in the world know who the Avatar is. But, no longer! People of the world, I present to you-” he stepped aside, hand gesturing to the doors Ezeru had walked through frequently for nearly three months. “-the Avatar!”

Dragon Fang Hotel…

I must remember to thank whoever came up with those sound boxes. Because to those, I’ll know for certain if I hit or not.

The bow was half taught, and the white arrow quivered slightly as the archer held the bow down, ready to raise and shoot any moment. He could almost feel the arrow’s anticipation. But, he knew that anticipation was all felt within him. The arrow felt nothing, even though it was no ordinary arrow.

The spiraling grooves etched into it would allow the arrow to take a special route to the Avatar. The building directly adjacent to the hotel blocked any direct route to the front of the museum. This was just as the archer wanted. The arrow would curve around the building. There would be no way to pinpoint where the arrow came from, and even if they could, it would look like it came from a completely different building!

The sheer difficulty of the shot made him smile again. Not only did the building block a direct line to the front of the museum doors, but it blocked direct sight of the doors entirely. All he could see was a small triangle of brown in the distance, the bottom left corner of the museum doors.

He had practiced the shot in the woods from on top of a cliff with a tree as a target. For weeks he’d perform the shot, making sure to split the first arrow with the next. He’d done the shot so many times, he could do it blindfolded. Again, just as the archer wanted.

This was a rare opportunity for assassin archery. Often the area ventured was unknown and spots were chosen on the fly. But, not this time. He had a perfect chance to test himself. He knew his father could make the show, and would most likely choose the same spot as well. How could he be worthy of such a great man’s bow if he choose an easy shot? A straight away shot was child‘s play, but this? It would take perfect timing. He felt confident in his skill and aim. He’d wait for when he saw the tip of the Avatar’s shoe. Even the wind wasn’t a factor. The archer could sense the wind even from inside the building. It was calm and no sudden gusts would come.

There was still only one potential pitfall in his shot. One so simple it ridiculous, but it could mean everything.
How tall was the new Avatar?

If the Avatar was far taller or shorter than he practiced, the arrow would miss over their head or strike them in the right arm. Both complete failures. This archer wanted a neck shot, an excruciating place for an arrow to hit. The blood flows steadily and death is a slow and agonizing one. Even a top tier Water Tribe healer wouldn’t be able to save the Avatar’s life. But, unlike lucky arrows that found gaps in amour or a crease in a fortified wall, luck was-

“-people of the world, I present to you, the Avatar!” The Water Tribe ambassador was talking, the archer missed the first few words, but the one he was waiting for arrived. His bow was at ready before the second syllable of “Avatar” was uttered. As soon as the door opens…

Balcony of the restaurant…

Everyone, even Darlo was leaning on the railing. Waiting for the doors to open, which…hadn’t opened yet?

“Akeno? You see anyone?” Darlo asked.

Akeno adjusted the sight of the binoculars, then groaned. “No, nothing. What’s taking so long?”

Front of the crowd…

The crowd started getting anxious. Ambassador Rhukoda turned, hand over the microphone. He looked like he was about to have a heart attack. Everyone on stage looked upset and confused. The man that gave Ezeru a bad feeling was scowling at Rhukoda. Rhukoda helplessly shrugging, saying he had no idea what was happening.

The sharp cry of a bird turned all eyes skyward as a large messenger hawk swooped in. No, not swooping in. It wasn’t slowing down. It was diving, practically in freefall!

Rhukoda shouted, “By the spirits, that’s from the Northern Water Tribe!” He jumped back as he realized if he didn’t, the bird was going to land on his head. It crashed into the stage with an impact that killed it instantly. Its lifeless body bounced and slid, heading straight for the man Ezeru was staring at. He stopped it with his foot. Without any care for the bird, he snatched off the message tied around its leg. Everyone on stage moved in close to read it.

They all had the same shocked reaction. Except the chilling man who first picked up the message. He only grew angrier.

“What does it say?” asked someone in the audience.

As a few people sank back and fell into their chairs, stunned, the man still holding the message handed it to Rhukoda and pushed him to the microphone.
Rhukoda looked like all the pressure was going to make him explode. He gulped with what had to be a dry scratchy throat. “Uh…ladies and gentlemen, I…I regret to tell you…but…in what appears to be a letter from the Water Tribe dated two weeks ago…uh…the identity of the Avatar is…” He couldn’t find the words. Like they weren’t written on the piece of paper in front of him.

“Tell them, Rhukoda!” the man Ezeru was watching grated in a voice the only made Ezeru feel…more hostile.

Rhukoda was sweating rivers. “The Avatar…has not been revealed to the Water Sages.”


Dragon Fang Hotel…

If the bow wasn’t the most valuable thing in the world to him, he would have thrown it out of the window. All that planning. All that preparation. All for nothing! Once again, it felt like the Avatar cheated him. Cheated his father! For the first time in nearly an hour, he sat back down on his hotel room bed. His back rubbed against the warm, sleeping body of the reason he was even in a fancy hotel room like this.

She would sleep for another five hours at the least thanks to the Shirshu spit he put in her drinks the night before. A bomb could go off, but without the smelling oils, she would sleep through it. It was necessary. She didn’t know what he was really there to do. And she didn’t need to.

He hadn’t slept at all since he laid her in bed last night. They still had another day in the hotel, so he figured they may as well stay the rest of the time. She’d be upset that she slept through the whole event she was waiting for, but it was a moot point since the Avatar didn’t show up.

Now, both of them would be disappointed.

He packed his bow and the lone white arrow, which he spent his time making sure it would blend with in the clouds and fly undetected until it was far too late, into a secret compartment in his luggage.

He wiped the Yu Yan face paint off with a towel and laid down.
The Avatar would’ve only been a start, anyway. Now, I can continue with finding other targets. Maybe I should finish the job those Ozai loyalists started, by killing Fire Lord Zuko…

Restaurant balcony…

“Awwwwww! What a rip!” Akeno griped. The crowd had the same reaction as they stormed off. Most were staying behind, yelling at Ambassador Rhukoda on the stage, demanding an explanation for how this could have happened. It was a riot waiting to happen. Dai Li agents had moved in on crowd control, keeping them away from the stage.
“They’re gonna rip that man apart,” Darlo joked.

Front of the crowd…

“This is ridiculous! How could you let this happen?” Wu Lin shouted, shaking her fist. Ezeru crouched, shielding his mother, he wanted to leave now. But, the crowd was pushing against Ezeru’s back.

The Dai Li agents had bent up a small waist high wall blocking the way Ezeru had come, though for him it was only mid-thigh high. The only way out was out the back of the plaza square, but until everyone behind Ezeru left, they were stuck.

The multiple dignitaries on stage were shouting too. Angry about the Water Tribes delayed messenger hawk. Rhukoda and the man Ezeru still couldn’t seem to stop staring hard at, were pointing out that the bird must have gotten caught up in a storm and lost its sense of direction. They claimed that it only would take five days for a hawk this size to fly from the Northern Water Tribe to the Earth Kingdom. But, then what about the hawk going to the mueseum in Bumi City and not the Earth King’s palace? Was it only coincidence it arrived the day the Avatar was supposed to be revealed?

Rhukoda decided to address the crowd again, only after being nearly shoved back to the microphone. “The Water Tribe is deeply dishonored and offers it’s most sincere apologies. As soon as the Avatar is revealed we will-”

Ezeru was blinded by a white flash and felt intense heat. The split second before everything around Ezeru went dark, Ezeru saw Water Tribe Ambassador Rhukoda being blown apart!



Next Chapter:

Chapter Five: The Confusion

[Eman5805]

Chapter Five: The Confusion

Restaurant Balcony…

Darlo only wanted a close look when he took the binoculars from Akeno. He felt no special reason too; he just wanted to see if that Water Tribe ambassador was torn apart. His eyes were drawn to something. A tall man in a gasa was standing directly in front of the stage. A gasa with a piece of it missing. Darlo remembered it. It was the same man he bumped into before.

Why would a guy like him be in front of the crowd? Darlo wondered.

Something else caught his eye. To the left of the stage, Darlo’s right, he saw a figure peering from the side of some building. He was wearing a mask up to his eyes. He was looking on stage. Darlo swung the binoculars back on stage as Ambassador Rhukoda was shoved to the podium. When Darlo looked back at the masked mystery man…he was gone!

“Where’d he go?” Darlo wondered aloud as he looked back at Rhukoda. It was just in time to see it happen.

Rhukoda was saying something about how sorry the Water Tribe was when white fire burst from his mouth! The light was so bright, it made him drop the binoculars as he reeled back in pain. Before Darlo could even finish the curse he shouted, Rhukoda’s body erupted in a large, white fireball!

Everyone, in the crowd and on the balcony, dropped to the ground, crying out. The fire ball rose into the air and vanished in a cloud of smoke. The crowd threw into a frenzy. Everyone rushing to get away from the stage, which was almost totally reduced to a smoldering pile of wood. If all the nation’s dignitaries hadn’t stepped off the stage just before hand, they would’ve all been killed. The damage in front of the stage was just as bad. A few Dai Li agent’s who had set up a barricade to keep the angry crowd at bay were caught in the blast, their bodies barely recognizable. The explosion no doubt killed anyone and everyone in the crowd directly in front of the stage. Including Mr. Tall and Gasa’d…wait, what’s that? Just in front of the stage was something that looked like a small boulder. Darlo couldn’t tell, he wished he held onto the binoculars. It was in the same spot where the tall man was before. Where’d that come from? The explosion?

“Holy crap! Did that guy just freaking explode!?” Akeno shrieked. “We have to get out of here!”

“A white explosion. Yeah, it’s got to be that bomber! He‘s attacking people now!” Zhi was shaking.

The bomber. Darlo had heard stories of sections of buildings mysteriously exploding with no blasting jelly residue left. It was unknown how it was done or what explosive was used. Thanks to the books of Avatar Aang, the world knew about the assassin known as Combustion Man. Police thought it might be him, even though it the books said he blew himself up, no one ever found a body. So, there was an outside chance he survived.

However, there were never any reports of the two pre-explosion pops that happened as Combustion Man sent out his beam of super heated air. The only reports were of a bright flash of light followed by an explosion. The purpose of the destruction itself pointed more too vandalism than assassination. The death toll was low to nonexistent and normally only involved public buildings or empty powered carriages. Darlo remembered talking about the bomber with the guys. He had said that between the Demon Killer and this bomber, the Earth Kingdom had its hands full of nut jobs doing bizarre things.

Darlo’s thoughts went back to the masked person who had disappeared. Just before the explosion…

Darlo stood up, and looked around him. Right next to the restaurant, which was quickly emptying as people were running away like a flood from a broken dam, was another building. Some steamed carriage accessory store. From there all around the left side of the square were buildings. All fairly close together, only a few feet separating each rooftop.

Qin tugged on Darlo’s arm. “Darlo, we’ve got to get out of here. Who knows if he’ll strike again,” Qin pleaded.

Darlo shook his arm free and backed up, pressing his back against the railing. The rooftop of the balcony was roughly eight feet off the ground. Tables were all over the balcony. “Go on, you guys. Get to the hideout. There‘s something I have to do.”

“Do what? Wait, you aren’t going to…oh no, you can‘t be-”

“Of course, I am. Mega fame is one right kick away, so I‘m going to find the right person to kick.” Not waiting for them to beg him to stay, Darlo sprang forward. He jumped on the first table he came to, jumped again and went from one table to another. He came to the edge of the restaurant rooftop and hopped straight up when he came to the balcony, grabbing the edge with both hands. He chinned himself up and over and ran to his left, to the accessory shop.

For the first time in a long time, Darlo ran with he called his “good speed”. He didn’t dare go faster; the slanted roofs made each step a tricky one. One loose roof tile and he’d tumble off and be in for a 20 foot drop. He came to the first gap and leaped. It was a close gap and he made it with no problem. Couldn’t have gotten far, if Mr. Mask is the bomber, he could be the big break I’m waiting for…

The thought of being wrong about the masked person, or the fact that if he was right, he would have to beat a person that could blow people up, never registered as deterrents. To Darlo, it only meant that he’d have to be a little more careful. Darlo has never lost a fist fight, and if worse came to worse, no one could catch him if he turned and ran away. There wasn’t any risk for Darlo. Not from how he saw things.

Dragon Fang Hotel…

Sleep was just creeping into Mitsuro’s eyes when he saw the white flash. He snapped out of bed and ran to the window, his girlfriend, Rei, didn’t stir. She was still under the influence of the Shirshu’s saliva.

He saw the plum of white flame rise into smoke. The stage was destroyed and bodies were strewn all in front of it. From his vantage point, he could see beyond to the left side of the museum. Being an archer who specialized in long range shots, having a sharp eye for long distance was crucial. Mitsuro had such eyes. And he saw a person running away in an alley. They were too far down to have run from the explosion when it happened, not at that speed. They would’ve been too shocked, they‘d be closer. Not unless they knew the explosion was coming…

Mitsuro threw his clothes back on. He was going to go down there. He opted not to reapply his face paint. He had no need. He wasn’t going to strike a blow in the name of his father, of the Yu Yans. It was personal.

Someone wanted the Avatar dead too. There wasn’t a doubt in Mitsuro’s mind about it. An explosion at what was supposed to be the Avatar’s revealing? No chance of coincidence. Killing the Avatar was his pledge. His mission. No one would take that from him. Not if he could help it.

He slid his suitcase from under his bed, opened the secret compartment, and removed his bow, quiver, and harness. He’d leave the white arrow behind. He wouldn’t have any need for it.

The penthouse floor in the Dragon Fang hotel was expensive, but money was no longer an issue. Rei was the lucky recipient of a large inheritance from her family after her sixteenth birthday last year. It was this money that allowed them to stay on a floor that was supposed to be closed. The Dragon Fang was constructing a 21st floor. The roof was being converted into a patio, and no one was supposed to stay in the penthouse.

But, some extra money on the bill managed to put the work on hold. Which was perfect. Because now Mitsuro had an escape route in the unlikely event the shot to take the Avatar’s life missed. He was positive he wouldn’t miss, but assumptions, not matter how valid the foundation, were a sure way to end up dead. To end up failing.

There was no one in the hallway or on the 21st floor. He had taken the necessary precautions, asking for no wake up calls for the revealing or that he and his girlfriend were not to be disturbed for any reason except emergency. Almost on cue, Mitsuro heard knocks on the door. A staff member making sure no one was the penthouse now. There was a click as the door was unlocked. Mitsuro was glad he moved Rei’s still sleeping body. If she somehow woke up, she’d probably be terrified. Waking up stuffed in a closet when you went to sleep in a comfortable bed would have that affect on a girl.

Mitsuro couldn’t worry about that. He’d have to move quickly. He ran to the edge of the roof. The quick sense of vertigo came over him as he looked over the side of the 200 foot tall building. He willed it away. His escape just where he last saw it.

A long tube ran along the length of the building. Construction workers used it to dispose of waste. They drop it in the tube and it falls down into a trash bin. For Mitsuro, it was a faster way to the ground.

He took a breath, shifted his bow to the front of his chest, and jumped in. Two seconds into the fall he realized he was falling too fast. The tube didn’t resist him as much as he thought it would. He flayed out his legs and arms. They dug into the fabric, slowing his fall. The friction causing his arms to burn, he knew if he stopped he‘d increase in speed so he gritted his teeth. Pain came with the job.

He saw the trash bin rushing to meet him. He braced himself for the impact and….he was free!

dang! His feet caught a too much of the tube and he was unbalanced coming out, his legs weren’t under him anymore. He nearly landed face first into the pile of wood and metal, but he stopped himself with his arms. He felt his breathe whoosh out, all around him dust kicked up. Breathing only made him cough, so he held his breathe for a moment. He had closed his eyes on impact. When he opened them, a metal spike was centimeters from his eye. He was that close to instant death.

Mitsuro straightened up, looking back up the tube chute, and then climbed out. He was in a supply lane for the hotel. He saw some people on either side of the building. No one had noticed him fall. Straight ahead of him, was his second most valuable possession.

Mitsuro hid it with some boxes and a tarp the hotel was throwing away. He knocked away the boxes and pulled the tarp off. The sun was just peeking over the edge of the larger building next to the hotel. The smooth silver gleamed. The two treaded tires still polished since he last cleaned it. It was one of few machines like it in the world. Jei loved it as much as Mitsuro did. She loved riding behind him through her hometown, weaving between the slower carriages.

Steam powered carriages were popular, but they were slow, clunky, and not fit for long distance travel. They rarely to never venture beyond city limits. Anyone who owned one was just too lazy to walk, Mitsuro felt. It wasn’t much faster than walking in any case. He understood using trams for long distance, but anyone who needed to travel a few blocks was just another example of what was wrong with this “new world” Avatar Aang created.

This new machine, the motorcycle, was everything those carriages weren’t. It was sleek. It was built to travel. But, most of all, which suited Mitsuro greatly, it was fast and nimble. Mitsuro threw his leg over the leather seat, raised the kick stand, and throttled it up.

The rumble of the engine assured him it was still working alright. With a squeal of tire on stone, the cycle burst forward. He leaned when he came to the end of the alley, turning towards the square. A few people in the way jumped aside. They would either move or be moved.

The streets were mostly empty now, everyone retreating to “safety“, which was a false notion when as far as those people knew, the causer of the explosion could be one of them. Perfect, no delays now. Whoever made an attempt on the Avatar’s life would answer to Mitsuro. But, if this is the bomber he had heard of, he’d need to act very carefully.

Darkness…

Dead.

Was Ezeru dead?

He didn’t know.

All around him blackness.

His ears.

They ached. A constant ringing.

His own heartbeat echoing in his head like the beat of a drum. Heartbeat? If he had a heartbeat…

No, he wasn’t dead.

He tried to move, his hand banged against something. Something hard.

The ringing faded. Now he heard voices. Someone calling his name.

“Wake up, son! Please, somebody help!” Giala! She was shouting, but her voice was being muffled. She was surrounded by darkness too!

A cough. “He’s still knocked out. Stop talking, or you’ll use up all our air.” It was Wu Lin; she was there too, on his left.

“But, you’re talking too.”

The area where Ezeru hit his head cracked. A peak of light shined through the darkness. Ezeru felt a small pebble hit him in forehead. Stone, it was stone. A stone dome was covering him, Giala, and his aunt like a blanket.

“Mother? Aunt Wu Lin?” He tried to look to his right, but his gasa was wedged against the back of the dome.

“Son! You’re awake?”

“Oh, of course he’s awake. How else can he talk to you?”

“Cover your eyes.”

Ezeru covered his own eyes and punched. The dome crumbled. The outside was brittle, weakened by the heat.

Everyone sat up, shaking the dust out of their eyes and face. Wu Lin was still coughing. Ezeru squinted and looked around as he gingerly wiped his face, trying to avoid getting anything in his eyes. It was like someone had dropped black ash all around him. The stage was charred rubble. All around him were bodies. Just in front him, was the blackened corpse of a Dai Li agent. All caught in the blast. People who had come to a joyous event would never see their loved ones again. What was about a new era became a massacre.

“This is…horrible.” Giala said shaking her head, a heavy grimace on her face.

Ezeru didn’t feel sickened by this like he knew his mother was. It was remorse, with a bare glint of anger. Who would do this? This…senseless violence? With no regard for human lives lost. The monster.

A few Waterbenders had shown up, dosing the smoldering piles. One noticed the only three survivors of the people standing directly in front of the stage.

“I can’t believe it. Hey! Over here!” He waved over some help.

As they helped Wu Lin to her feet, Ezeru noticed that his mother’s wheelchair was bent, but still usable. Wu Lin went into a coughing fit. When she stopped the man who first noticed them bent a small circle of water out of his water skin. “Drink this. It’s okay, it’s clean.” Wu Lin drank it. “Now breathe.”

She exhaled. She looked puzzled for a moment, and then said, “That’s much better. Thank you, young man.”

He smiled a little and nodded. “It’s my job. Let’s go by the wagon and let our healers check you guys out.”

With hands coated in glowing water, three women waved their hands over their bodies, checking for internal injuries. After checking the rest of his upper body, the healer asked Ezeru to remove his gasa. Even sitting on the edge of the wagon, Ezeru’s head was too tall to reach. He bent down.

“Oh, you’re bleeding. You took quite a forehead.” She felt the back of his head. “Oh, and here too.”

She wiped away the blood with a towel pressed her water coated hand to the wound. She breathed. Ezeru felt the front and back of his head cool.

“There you go.” She moved to his right arm. Ezeru’s bandaged arm.

Ezeru stopped her, covering arm where her hands were. His movement was sudden and he bumped her with his forearm. “Forgive me. That arm is fine.”

“That‘s…okay.” She seemed confused about something as she bent the water back into her water skin. “Well, okay, you’re all okay, big guy. Aside from that bump, no broken bones or any damage.”

“Thank you, very much.” Giala said, bowing in her chair. “Let’s go home,” she said to her son and sister.

“This is the last time I let you talk me into doing anything, Giala!” Wu Lin snapped. “Nearly got us all killed!”

Giala sighed. “It’s not the time or the place for that, Wu Lin. Thank you for saving our lives, son. That was amazing.”

“Yeah, I don’t know who taught you to do that.”

“Me either,” Ezeru replied.


“What do you make of it?” One healer asked the healer who took care of Ezeru.

“I don’t have a clue. They were point blank weren’t they? But, they aren’t even singed.”

The Waterbender who found Ezeru sauntered over. “I found them climbing out what we all thought was some boulder. The big one must have bent that around himself and his family.”

“But, when?”

He looked back at the stage. “Before the explosion? I don’t know.”

“It had to be right? I mean, only a master has the kind of reaction time to do it during the explosion.”

“No, I don’t think even the best Earthbender in the world could unless he knew it was coming somehow. Of course, if he did, he wouldn’t stand in the first row,” the other healer said packing up the towels and bandages in the wagon.

Ezeru’s healer watched as Ezeru walked away, pushing his mother. “Something was strange about his arm.”

“The bandaged one?”

“Yeah. It was only for a moment, but…I didn’t feel anything.”

“You didn’t feel anything?”

“Yeah. It was like there was…nothing there. Like his arm is there, but it isn‘t.”

The other healer waved it off. “No way. I remember during training that intense burns or injuries would cause strange feedback. Only spirit oasis water can heal it, and then there are those bandages. Who knows how thick they are.”

“On top of that, you said it was just a moment, right? Probably didn‘t get a good reading.” the male Waterbender said, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Yeah, you’re right. That’s got to be it.” Her words said it, but her face was still uncertain. Still utterly confused as to exactly what she felt.

“We‘re done here. Only three survivors,” the male Waterbender said eyes crestfallen. “A dang shame.”


The rumble of an engine cut through the air. Everyone looked to the right as a man with a bow and arrow on his back, riding a motorcycle sped by. He passed directly in front of Ezeru.

Ezeru jerked back, pulling his mother out of the way. She nearly was mowed down!

Wu Lin fumed, “Hey! Watch it you idiot! You could’ve killed someone!”

“Are you alright?” Ezeru asked his mother.

“I’m fine. I’m fine.” But, she was clearly shaken. Ezeru delivered the same stare he gave the man on stage to the rider, who made a left turn and was out of site. He never looked back. Not once.

Several blocks away…

“I guess the saying is true. Weaklings don’t blow up so well,” one person said dejectedly.

A girl giggled. “That’s not a saying, silly.”

“Well, it should be.”

“But, how many times would you get to say it? What kind of saying only gets said once, Boom Boom Man?”

“Enough you two. It would have been a much larger explosion if the right person had touched that podium. I estimate the blast radius would have been triple the size.” A third person shook his head, thinking of what could have been.

“Wow, that would’ve been a big boom in Bumi City, huh?” The “oo” sound in Bumi was drawn out, emphasizing the joke.

“Yeah, big boom indeed. Oh well, always next time, right?”

The third person checked his watch. “We’ve waited long enough.” He looked the first person. “Go. She should be ready.”

Elsewhere…

Mitsuro slowed to a stop between two clothing shops. He must have lost too much time. Whoever he saw was long gone by now. Damnit! If the bomber was as determined to kill the Avatar as he was, Mitsuro would have to deal with competition for his kill. Frustrated, he began to turn the motorcycle around.

“No way! Mitsuro? Is that you, man?” A familiar voice called out. Mitsuro turned and saw an old friend, Baku, running towards him.

Baku was someone Mitsuro met in the Fire Nation. Baku was an orphan staying with foster parents. They attended the same school and met at lunch. Mitsuro remembered Baku as somewhat quirky. Mitsuro wouldn’t normally ally himself with someone, but Baku shared some of his views on the world. Baku felt the Fire Nation was cheated after the war, turned into the other nation’s doormat. Without even telling Baku about his own background, he told Mitsuro that he felt the Yu Yan archers were especially mistreated.

Mitsuro couldn’t help but form a bond with him. Baku was a mischief maker, which was also right up Mitsuro’s alley. However, he and his father soon received the order from the Fire Lord to relocate to the Earth Kingdom and he never saw Baku again.

Mitsuro smiled a bit. “Baku, great to see you.”

“Yeah, just the same forever scowling Mitsuro. Can barely crack a smile. And look at that bike! Not many people have those. Brand new model! How‘d you get that? Didn‘t steal it, did you?”

“No, it was gift. “ Baku gave him a cynical look. “From my girlfriend,” he added.

He blurted out a laugh; everything about Baku seemed to come in sudden bursts. “Ha! You gold digger. Still toting the bow around, huh?”

“Always. What are you doing in the Earth Kingdom? Receive the same summons to relocate?”

Baku got a look on his face when he had a great idea for something fiendish. “Not exactly. But, we can talk about that. You know, I’m part of this organization now. We could really use someone skilled with a bow.”

Mitsuro gave Baku a sidelong look. “What kind of organization?”

“Oh you know, a little of this, a little of that.” He leaned close to Mitsuro’s ear. “And little fireworks.”

Mitsuro’s eyes grew wide. Finding himself speechless, he mouthed the word, “Museum.”

Baku nodded, grinning from ear to ear. He suddenly stopped, looking around. “Crap, I nearly forgot what I was going to do. I’ve gotta run, buddy.” He grabbed a newspaper off the ground. Baku turned, shielding his front from the crowd of people, still talking about what happened. He tracked his finger over the paper. The paper started smoking. A line was being burned into the paper as his finger moved. He waved his finger around over the paper then handed it to Mitsuro, who was still stunned.

“Sorry, buddy, got to run. Duties not done, yet. See you around.” He jogged away. Mitsuro knew he should follow him, but he didn’t. Baku…Baku was the bomber. He’s trying to kill the Avatar…

His eyes slowly fell back to the paper. Burned into it was a message:

BSS Grand Station in two weeks. Bring the bow and your skills.

The hideout…

The guys breathed a sigh of relief when Darlo walked in. He looked dirty, smelled bad, and was as far from happy as it gets. He was holding some dirty black clothing in one hand.

“Jeez, what happened to you?” Akeno said holding his nose.

“Stupid loose shingles,” Darlo grumbled as he went to the bathroom. He slipped off a roof and fell into a large garbage bin. Darlo gave up on finding the bomber after that. Not because he wasn’t making headway, more because he hit a dead end.

The same garbage bin he fell in had the mystery man’s black clothing in it. Whoever it was he saw, wasn’t dressed like he was going to rob, or blow up, a museum anymore. Oh well, there will be other chances There always are.

When he’d washed up and changed into some new clothes, which were roughly the same as the dirty ones he was just wearing, the guys asked him the obvious question: “What now?”

“I do some more odd jobs, I guess.” A newspaper from two weeks ago was sprawled out on the table. He read the headline: “First Commercial Airship Nearing Completion, Christening Date Set”

“Hm…two months from now they’ll be debuting one of those commercial airships. Guess, we’ll be headed back to Ba Sing Se soon. I have to see if the old man’s precious project sails high or crashes and burns in person.”

Next chapter…

Chapter 6: The New Guy

[Eman5805]

New stuff for your reading pleasure. And it's without a doubt my longest chapter to date.

Chapter 6: The New Guy


Ba Sing Se Grand Station…

“You know, I’m part of this organization.”

Those words were all Mitsuro could think about the past two weeks. Not only was Baku-the only person Mitsuro ever thought of as a friend- a would be assassin of the Avatar, but he was working for an entire organization that wanted the same goal. Snuffing out the Avatar’s life was Mitsuro’s oath, a task he and he alone would complete. If he came across anyone seeking to accomplish the same, he would eliminate them as well. Yet, he let Baku walk away. Organization or not, Mitsuro should have killed him then and there.

But he didn‘t. Why? Was it because of their history? No, it couldn’t be that. Baku was a friend, but not a close one. They’d sneak around stealing, putting immigrant slingers and spitters in their place, and just doing what boys do, and they agreed on things, but it still wasn’t a kindred bond. And until he saw him again, Mitsuro never so much as thought about Baku. So, why didn’t he slit Baku’s throat?

Mitsuro was going to have to just let it be. He was here now. He was harping more on not killing Baku more than that going to the Avatar’s revealing was a waste of time.

Mitsuro’s father once told him, “Don’t get upset when things don’t go as planned. Failure only means fate is going in a different direction.” Though the situation was out of his control, Mitsuro still failed. But in his failure he bumped into Baku who was going to extend an invitation into his organization. Perhaps this was where fate was bringing me…

The world was changing, but this time it was to Mitsuro’s benefit. Carrying a bow around wasn’t taboo. Yet. That most likely would change in a few years; this world was moving away from war. Any reminders of the war were quickly being phased out or converted into something more…friendly. Just like the airships. Seemed like every other month some new unveiling was happening. Every passing moment another piece of the Fire Nation was being bastardized. It was sickening.

A loud whistle blared as the 3 o’clock slid into station. This would be when most teens would be getting home from class. Three girls dressed in expensive clothing stepped off of the tram. As they passed Mitsuro, one nudged the other who pointed to Mitsuro, who was leaning on a pillar, arms folded. She mumbled something about “the weirdo with spiky hair” and they all laughed. Mitsuro closed his eyes and willed away the image of them begging for their pathetic lives.

Patience was an acquired skill for Mitsuro, but even he didn’t like waiting so long when he doesn‘t have to. It was ridiculous enough that Baku decided not to verbally tell Mitsuro-who was standing directly in front of him at the time-to meet him here and instead wrote a note, but Baku could at least have written what time to be there. He’d been waiting for hours now. Baku had better get there fast or Mitsuro and his “skills” would walk.

A large shadow fell over him. He looked left and jumped back from the large form that seemed to appear out of nowhere. He reflexively went for his bow-

He backed into someone.

“There’s the new guy! Ease up there, ace! You could put an eye out with that,” Baku said as he caught him.

Noticing Mitsuro eyeing them beast of a man, Baku chuckled, “Sorry if he startled you. This guy is Po. He’s our organization’s muscle and then some. He looks like a brute, but he’s harmless…well most of the time.” Po was a large, heavy set man whose face bore a striking resemblance to a lion turtle. Mitsuro could barely make out eyes beneath his thick, low hanging brow. His mouth was in a perpetual grimace. His breathing came with a deep rumble. “Alright, let’s get out of here. The place isn‘t to far from here.”

The Place…

Jung Su was always methodical. Analyzing variables. Scrutinizing intel. Making sure his next ten steps were planned out before even taking one. So, he didn’t like sudden changes that were within his control, like for instance a certain volatile person he knew. The others in the organization each brought their own specialties and talents that could be used to greatly aid in the organization‘s cause, but above all else they were reliable.

Baku wasn’t.

If it weren’t for Baku’s amazing ability, he’d have no place here, because beyond that skill of his, he was a liability. Baku was the exact opposite from Jung Su. He never thought ahead. He just acted. If something surprised him, he was utterly incapable of rational thinking, and he’d make the most asinine decisions. Ones that could jeopardize the organization’s well being. Someone like Baku could never complete a solo mission. If he achieved anything is was always by sheer dumb luck. So, when Baku came out of nowhere and said he found an archer, it irritated Jung Su somewhat. The head master had given the charge to Jung Su to find a new archer. Jung Su couldn’t find anyone capable enough that could pass the test. A few never even survived long enough to take the test. If only the Fire Nation hadn’t disbanded the Yu Yan archers, one of them would be perfect.

Could Baku have found the archer they needed? Part of Jung Su hoped so, but another actually hoped he wouldn’t. Now who was the irrational one? Jung Su thought, scolding himself. What would Head Master say?

He lightly knocked on the head master’s door.

“Come in,” the commanding voice of the head master said.

Jung Su stepped inside. The head master was standing at the window. Even though the head master couldn’t see him, Jung Su bowed. He always paid his respect for a man who saved him from self-destruction.

“You sent for me, master?”

The window faced the station; he probably could see Baku and this new guy approach. “It’s in regards to this archer Baku is bringing in. I know you’re aware of our next target and the level of difficulty of the shot he‘ll need to take. So, I want you to administer a special evaluation for this one. If he succeeds then he‘ll more than meet out needs.”

“Which test, master?”

“The key is on the desk.”

Jung Su saw the key and knew what special evaluation the head master meant. It was a dangerous exercise, but if he completed it, then this archer would truly be a special prospect. However, this test it carried one extra requirement.

The head master looked over his shoulder. “I have a meeting to attend, so I’ll leave the rest to you. And before I forget, I‘d like a report of his performance on my desk when I get back. That is all.”

Jung Su bowed again and left the room. Before he made it into the hallway, he knew exactly what he had to do next. Fortunately, Jung Su had anticipated the head master calling for an increase in the evaluation difficulty, and even this particular exercise. That’s why he had Po accompany Baku.

That was Jung Su: methodical.

Leung Hei Road…

Thorough. That’s what this was. Olan was being thorough. He said he would start over, and he was. He was going through every case again. Reanalyzing every piece of evidence again, reconstructing the scene of each murder, researching the victim’s past, redoing every step he took before with older eyes and a wiser mind. He would have to do this again. There wasn’t two ways about it: He’d have to see Ms. Abira get her eyewitness account. Again.

As Hanori turned the corner in the carriage, the lone farmhouse and the 15 acre stretch of land came into few through the trees. It was three years since he’d last been here. Olan knew she wouldn’t want to talk about it again, and he strongly considered skipping it. But, he felt he needed to do this.

The world at large didn’t know about Abira. She was the only other credible sighting of the Demon Killer besides himself. If the world knew about this, then she would have no semblance of peace. Though the truth was that as long as her household was short one person, she would never be at peace.

The carriage pulled to a stop in front of the house. Off to the side and just behind the two story home was a grain mill. A small stream cut just to the right of the house. A water wheel was on the side. It was just as Olan remembered it. He even had the same thoughts about how primitive the mill was and that such a farm was most likely losing business. He also remembered that the farm had been passed down though generations and it was that reason why anyone even still lived there and ran the farm.

“It’s not too late. You don’t need to do this,” Hanori protested.

“I do need to do this, Hanori. We’ve already talked about this. Let’s go.”

The last time Olan was here, it was the first time he wore his special investigator disguise. It was going to be a one time occurrence at first. Olan had to be there in person and he didn’t know how a woman who just lost her husband would react. If she knew the Earth Kingdom was depending on a going on 13 year old boy to find the killer-though in truth the Earth Kingdom had never officially met in person and didn‘t know how old he was-it might be too much for her to take. The disguise worked so well, he continued to use it, and he was wearing it today.

His hand hung in front of the door for what seemed like hours. The same bad feelings from before came over him. What would he say? “Hi, us again. If it’s okay, please dredge up memories you wish you could forget from the darkest time of your life.”

Just like before, Hanori took it upon herself to step in front of Olan and knock for him. They heard a series of clicks and thunks as Abira unlocked the door. No doubt trying to establish some sense of security with a bevy of locks on the front door. But Olan knew that if the Demon Killer wanted to get inside, no locked door or a team of around the clock guards could stop him.

When the door opened it was just by a few inches, a chain was all that kept the door from opening all the way. She recognized them immediately. “Have you finally caught him?”

The way she said “finally” hit hard for Olan. As in, after all this time you have caught my husband’s killer, right? Olan also noticed that she said “him” not “it” or “them“. Abira’s account was very similar to Olan’s, and so was their opinions of the killer. Though Olan called the killer by the media’s name, he had no doubt it was a human using some inexplicable method for murder and escape. He could still remember the killer flying away that night.

The night he lost his mother.

Again, Hanori was forced to act when Olan couldn’t seem to find his tongue. “Unfortunately, we haven’t.”

“Then, why are you here and not out hunting him down?”

“The investigation is taking a different approach. If it’s not too difficult, we’d like to hear your eyewitness account one more time.”

The door closed. Olan thought she was unlocking the chain, but it was taking longer than that. Hanori turned, giving a confused look. She couldn’t see his face under the hood, but he was returning the look. The door opened enough to show her whole face. Light green eyes stared daggers at Olan and Hanori. Her tanned skin, due to a lifetime of toiling in grain fields, was taught around her face. Her expression a hard one, tense in a seething, but controlled anger. “’If it’s not too difficult’? Three years ago, you stood right here and me that you would find the person responsible. You said you would scour the world with every resource available until you found him. And I believed you. I truly did.

“So, I waited. And I waited. And I waited. And I waited. I waited three years, expecting any day you would come back and tell me you found him. That I’d know who killed my husband. Three years. And after all that time, here you are again, asking me to relive that night? Asking me relive the worst night of my life? Which means that you failed to uphold your promise and lied to me. That all this time I was waiting for nothing!” Her voice was breaking. She was a hair breathe away from either lashing out at them or crying. “So, yes, it is too difficult. What were you doing all this time? Reading reports at some desk? I should have never believed in you.”

She was right. What was Olan doing? He was supposed to be doing all the talking. He swore he’d do things different this time around, but so far it was déjà vu all over again. Is this how he wanted to go about it? Making the same decisions that got him nowhere before? He was supposed to be wiser, more prepared than he was before. He couldn’t make those mistakes again; from now on, things were going to be different. They had to.

Hanori swallowed through a dry throat. “I can imagine how you feel-”

“You have no idea how I feel! You‘re just a bunch of report reading, halfhearted interviewing cops. You…you…” She was holding back the tears so far, but she couldn’t any longer. So, she slammed the door in their faces.

Things would be different this time. For the first time, Olan spoke to her. “No, Ms. Abari, I know exactly how you feel. It doesn’t even seem real at first. Before it happened, you never even considered saying goodbye. Why would you? Death was nowhere on your mind. And in an instant, they’re gone. Gone forever. You feel such sadness, such heartache, that you don’t know if it’ll ever stop. Then the sadness gets so intense, you grow angry. Angry with questions that have no real answer. You ask, but no one can tell you why?” Olan clenched his fist. “Why did she have to die? She was such a strong woman, a strong mother. Everyone looked up to her because of who she was and what she had done during the war. She seemed untouchable. She was such a powerful person. And the fact someone was so cowardly they snuck up and take her away in her sleep…it…wasn‘t fair. Just when I thought I‘d lose my mind, I realized I had to find out who and why for myself, because no one else could. So, I-”

Hanori touched Olan’s shoulder. He had closed his eyes; he never noticed Abari had opened the door again. Her expression was completely different. It was softer now. “Would you like to come in? I can fix you a pot of tea.”

Feeling slightly embarrassed, Olan slowly pulled back his hood. “Yes, I would and tea sounds great.”

Chief Arnook’s Orphanage and School for Special Needs Youth…

It was a large complex. Some sections were about four stories tall. The front was only two. Rows of windows ran along the outside of the building. All together it seemed like a rather new building. It was surrounded by a ten foot high brick wall with a metal gate, with two guards. The building itself looked a little a mansion.

Why had Baku brought Mitsuro to this orphanage? Is this the organization he works? Baku had a strange sense of humor and he was an orphan, so he may have been joking, but Mitsuro hoped that wasn’t the case. Could Baku’s attempt to kill the Avatar merely been just another radical move Baku did on a whim?

Baku always had a knack for guessing what Mitsuro was thinking about. “I know what you’re thinking, buddy. But, this is the place, no doubt about it. Oh yeah, and there’s something you’ve got to know. You’ve got my recommendation and all that, but you’ve got a still few evaluations to go through.”

“What kind of evaluations?”

A twisted grin spread across Baku’s face that Mitsuro remembered from long ago. “Oh, nothing life threatening.” Mitsuro knew what that grin meant and it made him feel a little uneasy.

Po, who Mitsuro quickly forgot was there, stepped forward and opened the large door for them. Directly ahead was a staircase that split off to the sides. The wall behind the staircase was a large window to a courtyard. Directly above was a massive crystal chandelier that could easily crush them into unrecognizable smears on the marble floors. It was an off-putting set up. This was supposed to be an orphanage? Who spends that much money for orphanages or schools?

A girl in a frilly, pink dress with her light brown hair separated in two pigtails was playing on the staircase, jumping down and up each step, as she sang something to herself.

Baku said in Mitsuro’s ear, “In fact, there’s your first test right now.” He waved at the girl. “Having fun on the steps again?”

She giggled then jumped off. “Of course, big brother! Huh?” She tilted her head as she looked at Mitsuro. She walked over with her hands on her hips, head still tilted. Her lips were pursed as she looked Mitsuro over. Mitsuro glanced at Baku. He seemed almost…nervous. Even Po was paying special attention to her.

The girl’s face poked back into Mitsuro’s vision, tilting the other way now. She looked him up and down. Mitsuro couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable. She was sizing him up, but he didn’t know why. It was all so unexpected. First the rich orphanage and now a girl in a frilly dress. Judging from her face, didn’t even seem young enough to be wearing a something like that. What kind of place was this? If it really was trying to kill the Avatar, why is a girl like this here? Mitsuro wondered, he couldn’t even begin to come up with an answer.

Then, as suddenly as she started, she straightened out her neck and smiled. “Hello, my name is Vivi. What’s your name?”

Behind him Mitsuro heard a whoosh and felt a slight puff of air on the back of his neck. Were Baku and Po holding their breathe?

Vivi? “I’m…Mitsuro.”

“Nice, to meet you Mitsy! Are you the new guy?”

Mitsy? “I suppose I am.”

She giggled again. “You suppose you‘re the new guy? That’s funny.”

A female voice called from upstairs to the left. “Vivi, it’s time for your next lesson.”

“Awww, does Vivi have to go now? Vivi was just meeting my new friend, Mitsy.”

A girl with long brown hair walked up to the railing. “Yes, now. You can talk to Mitsy when you’re done. You‘re not finished your homework.”

Vivi groaned. “Okay, sister. See you later, Mitsy.” She skipped back up the stairs, arms at her sides. Mitsuro could almost swear he heard her la-la-laing to herself as she went up the stairs and down the hall. The girl who came to get her lingered at the railing, staring directly at Mitsuro. She was sizing Mitsuro up too, but it was nothing like Vivi’s look. It seemed almost…lustful.

Vivi came back and started tugging on the other girl’s hand. “Now, you’re the one who’s holding me up, let’s go sister!”

“Sister” was the one who didn’t want to leave so soon now. “Alright, alright. I’m coming.”

Baku slapped Mitsuro’s shoulder when they had both disappeared down the hall. “Congratulations, my man. You and Vivi really hit it off.”

“Congratulations?”

Baku shrugged. “Well, yeah. Not everyone new here makes it past the Vivi test. If you had upset her, or rubbed her the wrong way, that’d pretty much end this whole thing before it got started.” Mitsuro looked for the devilish grin or some indication of a joke he didn’t get, but Baku looked as serious as he’s ever been. He even rubbed the back of his neck, as if he just came off being stressed.

“Why is that?”

“Because Vivi is…special.”

Something she said came back to Mitsuro’s mind. “Is that why she called you ‘big brother’ or that other girl ‘sister’?”

“Pretty much. She gives everyone she likes a special nickname like that. Some are based on our actual names. But when she really likes someone, she might accept you into her ‘family’. Like Lila you just saw. She called her ‘Lilly’ for a few months before promoting her to ‘sister‘.”

“And the dress? That’s part of…what she does?”

“Yep. To tell the truth, I don’t even think Vivi is her real name and she definitely isn‘t as young as she acts. Anyway, the most important thing is whatever she calls you or does, just go with it. The last thing you want to do is upset her.”

Mitsuro’s eyes narrowed. “Why?”

The grin returned. “Because bad things tend to happen when people who upset Vivi.”

From the other side of the room, a man who looked to be at least in his early twenties was descending the steps. He was wearing a light green hanfu.

“Welcome, young archer,” he said with a bow. “I’m Jung Su.”

“Mitsuro.” Mitsuro didn’t bow back. Jung Su was Earth Kingdom, and Mitsuro would never bow to one of them.

If Jung Su noticed or cared, he didn’t let on. “Well then, let’s get started. But first, I’ll need to apologize. To both you and Baku.”

Baku said it before Mitsuro. “Apologize? For what?”

“This.” Jung Su nodded. Mitsuro didn’t realize what was going on until he felt a heavy hand clamp onto the side of his head. Po! He’d grabbed Baku’s head too! Before Mitsuro or Baku could even try to wriggle free of the powerful grasp, Po smashed both of their heads together. They crumpled in a heap on the floor.

Jung Su nudged them both with his foot, making sure they were unconscious. Something on Mitsuro’s bow caught his eye. He knelt and saw an emblem etched into his bow. He recognized it instantly. “I can’t believe it. Baku found a Yu Yan archer. He may just yet live to thank his old friend.”

Abira’s farmhouse…

The house was very nice on the inside. No dust, no signs of pests or anything you would expect a farmhouse in the country to have. It was spotless.

Olan told Abira a little about himself. Like how it was that soon to be 13 year old boy was able to start investigating such a big case, about him breezing through college, even some about the tune up cases he took before tackling his main mission. He was about to talk a little about Hanori, but she shot him a look that told him she didn’t want him to. Olan figured he’d tell a little about himself so she’d do the same for him, even though it was information he had mostly heard again.

Abira talked about her husband, Tokiba. They had met when her father went to a neighboring town for a few supplies. Tokiba was a hardware shopkeeper’s son. She had wandered away from her father, like any child would, and accidentally knocked a hatchet off its stand. It nearly fell on her when he showed up out of nowhere and caught it, saving her a very serious injury, maybe even death. It was a classic tale of love at first sight meets indebted damsel in distress falls for her rescuer. From there it was history. I guess stories like that aren’t just for Avatars…

She then began telling about life after they had married and Tokiba decided to help her on her father’s farm. “It was a simple life. During the late winter, early spring months as the temperature was getting warmer and the snow was melting, we’d plant the new crop. By the summer we’d harvest. Then, on the weekends he’d go into town to sell. Our farm always had a good yield and we sold well.”

Olan took another sip of tea. It wasn’t that bad. “Before his death, was there anything about your husband that seemed strange? Changes in his behavior?”

She paused, breathing slowly. “The week before, he seemed so nervous. Well, not exactly nervous, he was more distant or distracted. Like something was about to happen that he was thinking about. I didn’t think much of it of course.”

Olan nodded. Olan made the discovery that most of the Demon Killer’s victims weren’t model abiders of the law shortly before he met with Abira the first time. Most likely, Tokiba had heard of the murders and was getting nervous. What the newspapers printed could be controlled, but rumors were their own entity. The underworld must be buzzing constantly. Big crime bosses toning down their operations, concealing their identities, doing anything so they could continue poisoning the world with their corruption and greed and still stay off the Demon Killer‘s hit list. For obvious reasons, Olan couldn’t tell Abira the kind of person her husband really was. Unless of course she already knew.

He decided to test that theory. “What do you think made him so nervous?” Olan wanted to do his best not to ask too many questions, to let her do most of the talking. That way she’d talk more freely and not feel like she was being interrogated. Which is what this really was.

“I don’t know. There would be times when he’d make unexpected trips into the city and not come back home until later that night, but that wasn’t very often. I can’t for anything remember the reason when he did though.”

Abira was a passive woman, Olan realized. She was clearly too trusting of her husband. That could probably be attributed to her feelings of him as her personal hero from childhood. A little inquiry on her part may have spared her grief. She could have found out about his connections to underground crime or that he sold more than grain and carrots when he went into town.

Putting himself at her standpoint, Olan couldn’t see why she didn’t try to find out what it was he was doing when he was out. He could have been seeing another woman behind her back while she toiled in the fields. Did she really believe that deeply in her husband? Olan didn’t blame her for what happened to her husband, but maybe if she had been more aggressive she would…

Aggressive.

Be more aggressive? Maybe I should listen to my own advice.

Without even asking, she went off into the night Tokiba died. She must have figured it was her turn to talk about the death of a loved one now. “He had just come back in from town that evening. He was sweating hard. I started to ask him about it, but I waved it off as just being a hot day. All that night he tossed and turned in bed. I could feel him. He awoke suddenly, it scared me too. He said he had a bad dream, so he was going outside to get some air. I just said okay and started drifting back to sleep. I should have realized something was wrong then and there. Tokiba never had nightmares before that night, it was a bad omen and I just waved it off. It wasn’t until I heard the glass breaking that got out of bed.”

She sniffed as a tear began to stream down her cheek. Hanori handed her a handkerchief and wiped away the tears. “I called out his name, but he didn’t answer. I kept calling and calling and never heard his voice again. I went downstairs and saw the front door was open. When I went to close it, I saw he was on the ground outside. I thought he had fainted or collapsed from a fever. It wasn’t until I shook his body and saw his head that I knew he was…he was…” She couldn’t get the word out. Olan knew what it was she saw. A neat almost surgical cut in Tobika’s forehead with barely a trickle of blood. The Demon Killer struck him down with a single blow. The sound she heard was Tokiba dropping a glass of water he fixed just before he was killed. “I held him close, praying that it was just a dream. That I was the one having the nightmare. That’s when I saw the shadow streak across me.

“That night there was a full moon and not a single cloud in the sky. So, I had a clear view of him. I saw as he flew with invisible wings. Almost flying straight into the moon. I didn’t even think about how impossible what I was seeing was. I only felt anger. I knew that this dark figure was the one who killed my husband. I didn’t even know if it was a real person or just my eyes deceiving me. I didn’t even know why I knew, but every fiber of my being believed that as a fact. That the Demon Killer had taken my husband away from me. And without even realizing it I screamed. It came from the depths of my body. It was like a howler-bat was inside my throat. I cried out until I was hoarse. And, the Demon Killer did something that proved to me that it was without a doubt human: it looked back. No spirit would feel guilty enough to look back upon its victim or it‘s family.”

Her words caused Olan’s mind to slip back into his own memory. Remembering the night the Demon Killer came to his house, but he had been more daring. Instead of lying in wait outside, he came into his house and stole his mom away. And he remembered a scene very similar to Abira’s. Only Olan had the nightmare and ran to his mother’s bedroom, shaking her and shaking her, wondering why she wouldn’t wake up. A shadow streaking out of the window on a full moonlit night and the killer fly away seemingly on invisible wings. Olan cried out just like Abira and the Demon Killer looked back.

Except, Olan saw something more. Olan saw something Abira didn’t see. Olan saw the most vital clue about the Demon Killer’s identity. It was a secret he kept to himself. Not even Hanori knew about it. Before he saw the Demon Killer pay for what he’s done, he’d make sure he saw it again. He swore that the day he dedicated himself to catching him.

Olan checked the clock on the wall. It was just past 4 in the afternoon? Had he really been there 3 hours? It long past time to go. Olan and Hanori thanked her for the tea and her hospitality. She apologized for what she said earlier and for slamming the door in their faces. They had climbed into the carriage and was ready to pull off when Abira ran out of her house.

“I’m sorry, but there’s something I must know about your mother. It’s just that you spoke of her as such a great woman, and you told me about how she was buried in Gaoling, so I’d really like to visit her gravesite to pay my respects to a war hero. But, then I realized I don’t remember her name.”

Olan thought for moment then smiled. “That’s because I forgot to tell you.”

Abira returned the smile.

“My mother’s name was Toph. Toph Bei Fong.”

Next chapter…

Chapter 7: Training