Zero

Historically, the value of the avatar has always been monumental. Their choices did not only have the ability to but almost always did affect the entire world. Even today, our avatar's choice to step aside, and let the world be, came with a set of consequences that the rest of humankind would have to pay. However, realistically, I think of the avatar kind of like the government. The avatar handles the big problems and keeps the world in balance. The avatar isn't capable of stopping every petty theft or mugging in the whole world. That's where local law enforcement took responsibility. The small issues become larger ones when even the local law enforcement fails to complete, or even attempt for that matter, their jobs. By this nature alone, is how I, a seventeen-year-old rich orphan Zero Abyss, found myself a vigilante in modern-day Republic City.

Arriving at the docks, I notice that I recognize some non-bender trouble maker kids from around this area. All of them motionless, but their faces and stiff body language told me the story.

A blood bender.

I look to the sky where I see only a half moon. Meaning this person was not only an advanced enough bender to blood bend but didn't need the full moon to do it.

This could get interesting.

The first thing to do would be to figure out where this blood bender was at. I light fires to my fist, and just as I do, one of the teens in the blood grip is hurled at me by this hidden bender. I maneuver out of the path and look up to find a wave coming at me from the ocean. Once again getting away from the attack another teen is tossed my direction, this time nearly slamming into me. Surveying the area, a ship doc full of crates, I come to the conclusion that this battlefield is already a big disadvantage to me. Near the ocean, at night, facing a master blood bender, who has a set of hostages turned weapons that I know I can't harm.

Definitely gonna need to change this platform to help me out some.

I go ahead and decide to ignite the wooden docks. Hoping that I'll draw out the bender who's likely hiding behind some crates. Before my fire can have any real effects the water level rises from beneath and quells my flames.

This person isn't fighting very offensively. They're maybe even just toying with me. Who even is this guy? Why haven't I encountered him before?

I yell aloud, "Stop wasting my damn time!"

On cue, a figure slowly begins to rise from the water, to which I was not impressed.

"I hate to ruin your slow motion entrance, but I'd love to get this over with!"

This guy continued to rise slowly, getting on my nerves in the process. That is until I figured out that this figure was no man's at all, but instead that of a curvacious woman. As she began to turn around, her features revealed themselves to me. She was about 5'6 to my 6'0. Her black hair well maintained, her eyes a gorgeous violet color. Everything about her has me taken aback.

Damn. She's stunning. How do people anyone expect me to combat with her, and focus at the same time?

Taken by teenage hormones, I completely lose track of what I'd come her for, mistakenly (or at least I think it was a mistake) saying, "Instead of being enemies, is there any way I could change your mind? We could always settle this with words at my house or something."

She smirks, brushing some black hair behind her ear. I'd thought that meant she was interested. Only from my peripherals do I notice a big lash of water gripping onto a car and flinging it toward me.

Making use of me being distracted huh?

I take a deep breath in, and blast a jet of hot flames straight at the middle of the car, melting the center, and splitting it into two pieces that fly past on either side of me.

"Seriously, it doesn't have to be this way." Yet she remains silent. "You could at least acknowledge my presence with a 'no' or something."

With no hesitation, she responds, "no."

Of course.

Just like that, she releases her grip on the students and submerges again. Letting my guard down sooner than I probably should have, I make my way over to the students to make sure they're all okay.

"You guys all right?"

Just like that, I'm bombed with the typical set of replies. The 'thank you' and the ' you saved my life' along with anything else you could think of for frightened teens to say. One of them even offered me some cash rewards, noting that his father owned some big companies here in Republic City.

"My names is Zero Abyss. But trust me, I don't need the repayment. I helped because I wanted to, not because you all should owe me anything."

Just as I'm wrapping up my statement, I feel a sharp pain in then back of my neck, falling to the ground in the process. The teens all take off in different directions. I look up, and there 'she' is standing over me, her violet eyes looked sharp enough to pierce my soul. She's leaning at a very calculated angle. One where I could almost see down shirt, but just high enough to prevent that.

"We'll be seeing more of each other, Zero." Her voice slightly playful, but still dangerous like delicious poison. With one hand on her hip, she uses the other to 'shhh' me with her index finger, before clenching a fist. My body stiffens, and my vision fails me.

By the time I open my eyes, the moon is in a different position. Clearly, she'd use blood bending to put me under. It's been a couple hours at least. I get up to head home for the night and think a thought to myself.

I'm gonna need to work on resisting seduction. Damn.