Inspector Iroh: The Blue Spirit
By
Ahmad El Hefny
Influenced by The Artix's Inspector Iroh universe and Max Payne.
Inspector Iroh belongs to The Artix, Avatar: The Last Airbender belongs toMichael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko and Max Payne to Remedy (formerly) and Take-Two Interactive (currently.)
A thank you to the trio for helping me in shaping this story.
Enjoy!
Republic City, Now.
PROLOGUE
It was quite a sight; three or more ambulances with doctors and nurses treating several injured folks, police sirens ringing from every direction, and a crowd is watching in awe, amazement and fright.
"Okay," breathed Katara, assembling her team around an injured man as she wipes the sweat from her forehead. You can see that he was from the Fire Nation due to the mixture of red and black of his clothing. "3…2…and…clear!" They zap the body, giving it a jerky reaction; the body lays still for a moment, but then the eyes flicker on and off. Katara breathes a sigh of relief, but she still knows how much dead have outnumbered him. He is one of the lucky ones.
"Katara," said Sokka as he laid a trembling hand on Katara's shoulder, frightening her. She calms down and even manages a smile as she turns to him. She gives him a loving hug.
"It was only two days, sis," said Sokka with a smile, though he cannot deny that he was worried about her.
"At least you're fine," said Katara, ignoring her older brother's statement. Sokka took notice of the breathing body. "Any other lucky ones?" She looked back at the body then back to him with sad eyes. "Only Four." Disappointed by the answer, he looked down and thought of a quieter and sweeter time. That is, until someone called for him.
"We need a paramedic!" shouted a doctor from another ambulance. Sokka quickly hugged his sister and ran off.
Haru, wearing his usual shades and hat, pulled out his walkie-talkie.
"Do we move in, sir?"
"Negative," rang Iroh's voice through the other line, "wait till I say so."
"Yes, sir." He addressed the message to the Kyoshi Warriors Squad of Police. One of the officers, Ty Lee, could feel shivers running down her spine. She wasn't sure whether she felt overwhelmed, or because of the cold weather; she decided both causes were to blame.
Surprisingly enough, Azula, out of all people, was the only one with a steady head as she was busy doing her job. Still, she can't deny that there was a pulse somewhere in her chest rising up and down.
"Thank you Carl. Truly, these previous nights have been dominated by panic and fear, but hopefully not for long as the source of this terror has finally been identified and is being demonstrated to an audience at the sight of A.I., AKA Avatar Industries. The question in everybody's mind will be simply put as is this truly the climax or a cliffhanger that is only a piece of a giant puzzle?"
A mechanical bison piloted by Aang hovers over the building in the sky, staring down at a tiny stranded on the rooftop of this metropolis. He has been in dire situations, but not one that has been reached to this level and somehow, he bets that it will never reach the height of this night ever again. Iroh and Toph know that a bad outcome will come out of this. This was past the point of no return. All destinies are to be decided right here, and right now. Toph knew that Iroh knew it too, because his heart was beating as loud as thunder in her ears. It grew even bigger when the elderly commissioner stared down at the figure standing there, and suddenly, his feelings are colliding in mixtures of shame, terror and empathy. The figure noticed him and stared him in the eyes. For the first time since awhile, they have done such thing and yet, out of all times, it was the most unfitting either of them could have ever asked for.
The puzzle has finally been shaped. The trigger has been pulled. The gun has been set free. It did its job. Now, it's my turn to do the aftermath, the box which would guard this work of craft, good or bad. To refresh my mind and in this moment in quietness as the future looks at me in the eye, indulge into whether the blind rage was worth it. You know what? It was refreshing. All the denial, the blindness, the ignorance after all these years, till I couldn't take it any longer. I lost that match two months ago…