Summary: What if Aang didn't enter the Avatar State when Yakone tried to bloodbend him? Here's my take on it.


Aang met up with the famous metalbender police chief/best friend, Toph Beifong at the corner of Luao Street. "What are you doing here, Aang? I told you, I got it all under control." she said, clearly annoyed. "Under the normal circumstances, I wouldn't get involved, but if what those victims said is true, we're not dealing with a normal criminal." Aang rebutted, calmly. One: Toph could strangle him with a cable and two: he had a calming attitude. Toph thought her friend's words over, and smiling, said, "Fine. Follow me, Twinkle Toes." "Toph, I'm forty years old. You think you could stop with the nicknames?" Toph said, "'Fraid not." Aang grimaced and followed her.


They got to Kwuang's Cuisine, where the criminal in question ate every afternoon. Aang and Toph went in and Toph flashed the owner her badge before they went on. When the pair got to the back, they saw two men: one eating some and one on guard. Aang airbended the guard away, hearing Toph say, "It's over. You're under arrest, Yakone." "What is Republic City coming to? It used to be a man could enjoy his lunch in peace." he tauntingly said, bringing Toph over the edge. She bended a cable from her belt's spool onto Yakone's wrist, and yanked it. The table dambled to the floor. Yakone struggled, as a guard came up behind him and tied his hands tight. "What's the big idea?" he snappingly asked. "We have dozens of witnesses, Yakone. We know what you are." Aang stated. "Take him away." Toph ordered, as she took the guard away for questioning and healing. She heard Yakone yell, "I've beaten every trumped-up charge you yahoos have brought against me!," and then he whispered to himself, "and I'll beat this one."


It was the day of the trial and everyone was tense. The head councilman Darmokk, representative to the Northern Water Tribe, banged the gabble to start it off. Then, the prosecution attorney went to stand. She said, "Yakone has ruled Republic City's criminal empire for years. Yet he has always managed to stay out of the law's reach, until now. You will hear testimony, from dozens of his victims, and they will tell you, Yakone has maintained his grip on the underworld by using an ability that has been illegal for decades," she turned to look at the council, more specificallly, Aang's brother-in-law, Sokka. "bloodbending." She stood beside her client: Aang, the jury, and Toph. Then, the defense attorney stated, "The prosecution's entire case is built upon the make-believe notion that my client is able to bloodbend at will, at any time on any day. I remind the council that bloodbending is an incredibly rare skill and it can only be performed during a full moon. Yet, the witnesses will claim that my client used bloodbending at every other time except during a full moon. It would be a mockery of justice to convict a man of a crime that is impossible to commit." "Recess!"

(2 hours later)

"Councilman Sokka will make the verdict!" Darmokk announced. Sokka came up and said, "In my years, I have encountered people born with rare and unique bending abilities. Why, I once bested a man with my trusty boomerang who was able to firebend with his mind. Why, even metalbending was considered impossible for all of history until our esteemed Chief of Police, Toph Beifong, singlehandedly developed the skill. The overwhelming amount of testimony and evidence has convinced this council that Yakone is one of these unique benders and he exploited his ability to commit these heinous crimes. We find Yakone guilty of all charges and sentence him to life in prison." He banged the gabble to seal the deal. Everyone then froze at Yakone's eyes. Toph and Sokka twitched and then, Toph grabbed the keys to Yakone's cuffs and then levitated over. After he was free, he knocked out everyone, except for Aang, who was hovering over him, twitching. "Yakone, you will never get away with this!" Aang said, his voice wheezing and strained. "Republic City is mine, Avatar. I'll be back one day to claim it." Yakone said, bloodbending Aang out onto the street. On the stoop, Yakone knocked him out and bended him to the back of his carriage, where he dropped him onto the street. He bolted to the ostrich horse. Little did he know, the Avatar regained his footing as he chased him on an air scooter the size of a meatball. He bended an air blade towards the harness. The price was that he was nearing death afterwards, as Yakone's grip severed his Avatar State power. "This time, I'm going to put you to sleep, for good." Yakone said, cracking his neck and moving his hands into a claw move. Aang stated, "Do your worst. I am a warrior, and I will meet my end with pride." Yakone obliged, doing as told. The end was Aang out cold without a breath left in him and Yakone cackling.