The Next Generation: Cold Fire and Shadows: Prologue
He looked over at Kya, who was frowning sadly, and called, "Kya!" She looked over at him with big eyes, and he opened his arm to her. "You're family too, remember?" His daughter gave a small smile and crawled into the embrace. He looked at his family. "I love you; all four of you."
Kya looked up. "We love you too, Daddy." He kissed her forehead, and they sat that way until the sun went down, ending another day. Katara and Aang can't help but think of the events that lead to where they sat now; all the danger and trauma, romance and drama. Everything lead to this peaceful moment in time, a bubble of calm that remained unbroken. All because they had started as High School Sweethearts, with hearts pure and faith endless. Love conquered hate, and peace was once again present.
Or so they thought...
Ten Years Later
Prison
The place was the size of a football field, rectangular in shape, and made of strong metal. An outer wall with an iron gate and topped with barbed wire guarded the complex from unwanted visitors. Benders and Non Benders alike dwell inside this prison, either for a few years or for the rest of their lives, depending on the crime. Some of the most dangerous criminals, even assassins, are put into cells where they have no hope of escape.
The prison was five miles away from the town where most of the killings had occurred years ago. For almost twenty years the place had lived in peace; even minor criminals were afraid to rob there, knowing of a group that had stopped a cunning plan from coming to fruition. A group who can control the four elements. It was the home of Avatar Aang and his friends, protectors of the innocents and saviors of the world.
People have admired them for years, and have always come to them in times of need. Eventually, however, crime has become scarce, and the heroes had been focusing on raising families and building their lives. Now the police are responsible for catching unfortunate criminals dumb enough to invade their home.
Guards either stood outside and watched for danger or marched along the grounds, while some of the others stayed inside to check on the prisoners. It was sunset, and it was time for inspection before bed. One guard walked down a hall, sliding the closed windows open to peer inside to check on the prisoners before closing them and moving on. This was a section of the building where some of the Benders were kept. The cells were created to keep Benders from using their powers.
The man stopped again and looked inside. What he saw puzzled him. It was dark inside, and everyone knows that lights out won't happen until the moon rises. Besides, there were no switches inside the cell, so no one could have turned them off on their own. Maybe the light bulbs have gone out. He should check them out just to be sure.
In his pocket the man extracted a key card and swiped it through the tiny machine, where the red light turned to green. The door opened with a soft hiss, and once it was fully opened he stepped through, his hand on a dart gun to put the prisoner to sleep in case the need arose. It was hard to see inside, but he could just make out the shadows of the bed, sink, and toilet. But where was the prisoner? It was too quiet inside.
He pulled out the gun, sweat forming in his brow and the back of his neck prickling with foreboding; but he never got to use it. A shadowy figure loomed behind him, raised a hand, and struck him on the side of the neck. He went down without a sound, already unconscious. The person took the man into a corner and stripped him of his uniform, which was blue and gray camouflage, complete with cap and boots. Then the prisoner put them on, glad that officer was rather thin. Still, the escapee had to stuff some parts of the uniform to give some bulk.
Once done, they took the key card and gun, to complete the look. They looked at the guard, wondering briefly if they should kill him, but pushed the tempting thought away. Time was of the essence. Ever since the prisoner had been put here, they had thought of ways to escape. Now was the time to get out of this hellhole.
They left the room, closing the door behind them. They pulled the cap low over their face to hide their eyes. A camera from behind them recorded the person who was leaving. But the escapee wasn't worried. By the time the police found out about the ruse, they would be long gone. The person would have already been in the second phase of the plan.
The escapee left the hall, managed to find the door to get out of the building, and walked to the gates, where the person showed the man's I.D. They let the person through, probably thinking he had some business to do for the Warden. It wouldn't be the first time someone left to get something for the cranky man.
The person walked out, feeling smug. Such fools. How dense these people were indeed. They didn't even bother to ask where they were going, much less checked under the hat to see if was the same person like the photo. As the escapee left the prison behind, they looked up as the sun disappeared behind the horizon.
Gold eyes stared at the town a few miles away, hatred and madness evident with their depths. They had waited so long for this day to arrive, the day to begin a new reign of terror. The person thought of the second phase to their plan, and a smirk curved their mouth unnaturally. It was time for revenge.