The fortress would look menacing and downright terrifying to the common person. Its huge walls made of solid brick were impossible to break through. The enormous gates would impale through your flesh without mercy if you were to attempt escape, if you even got that far. You would first have to pass the ruthless guards who would not hesitate to kill you, and don't forget the infamous Yu Yang Archers who were famous for their silence and their deadly shot. You wouldn't stand a chance against them. Many people were terrified of the man who ran this ominous building. Admiral Zhao. He was a cold hearted killer, nothing but a sick man who cared nothing for the sake of innocent people's lives and abuses his power for purely his own benefit… and to get on the good side of the Fire Lord.
None of this information would have fazed a particular man, he had been face to face with Zhao many times before and didn't think he was scary in the slightest. The mysterious masked man crouched behind the bush before the clearing that surrounded the fortress. He did not care for the guards, they could be taken out easily. The Archers would be annoying but nothing he couldn't handle. What he was focused on was what, or rather who, was inside the building. He sunk further behind the bush as a horse carriage gently pulled the cart along the gravel road that ran straight to the prison. Let the Blue Spirit's plan begin.
The spirit slowly moved his way towards the carriage, its rider unaware. He waited until the carriage had moved a bit further on and pounced. The carriage rolled up to a stop at the entrance of the building. Stopped by a guard to do a standard check of the cart to make sure no one was hiding inside. The Spirit wasted no time, he hung underneath the cart as the guard looked inside. Apparently seeing nothing the spirit watched the boots of the guard walk around the side. He crawled along the cart and silently climbed into the back of the cart without been noticed.
"All clear!" The guard yelled.
The cart rolled into the yard and the man with the mask slipped out of the cart and hid.
…OooO…
A young boy, couldn't be older than 12 was chained up, he looked angry and exhausted. Zhao smirked at his prisoner.
"So this is the great Avatar? Master of all the elements. I don't know how you've managed to elude the Fire Nation for a hundred years, but your little game of hide and seek is over". Zhao said, sounding disgustingly pleased with himself.
"I've never hidden from you. Untie me and I'll fight you right now!" the boy, who was indeed the avatar yelled.
"Uhh, no. Tell me, how does it feel to be the only airbender left?" Zhao moved up close to Aang's face.
"Do you miss your people?" At this the boy hung his head in shame.
"Oh, don't worry, you won't be killed like they were. You see, if you die you'll just be reborn and the Fire Nation will have to being its search for the Avatar all over again. So, I'll keep you alive – but just barely". Zhao smirked at the avatar's anger and hatred and walked out triumphantly.
Aang let out a blow of air that smacked Zhao into a wall.
"Blow all the wind you want" Zhao replied with an eerie calmness
"Your situation is futile. There is no escaping this fortress – and no one is coming to rescue you" Zhao walked out locking the door behind him.
The last sentence hit Aang like a tonne of bricks. 'And no one is here to rescue you' it repeated in his head over and over again. Admiral Zhao was right. Katara and Sokka were in no fit state to come and rescue him. The only reason he had left the safety of their cave was to get some medicine for his sick friends. Speaking of medicine… Aang let out a yelp as a frozen frog leapt out of his shirt and landed on the cold cement floor with a soft thud. The frog was only half thawed and could only push itself along with one scrawny leg.
"What? No! Don't leave frogs! My friends are sick and they need you! Please go back to being frozen!" He yelled desperately as he struggled against the chains.
"I've failed" the Avatar slumped in defeat.
He had failed the world. Fire Lord Ozai would use Sozin's comet to burn every plant, animal and innocent person to the ground.
…He had failed.
The door flung open.
Aang's head snapped up in surprise. A man stood there dressed in black from head to toe, he had Dual Dao swords strapped to his back, but the thing that Aang was more focused on was what this man was wearing. It was a blue and white mask with white rims around the eyes, white fangs with teeth that curved upwards into a nothing less than terrifying smile. The Blue Spirit.
The Spirit unsheathed his swords and approached the Avatar. Aang couldn't hold back a scream of terror as the spirit swung this swords. The fatal blow Aang was expecting though, didn't come. The airbender looked at the intruder in complete and utter confusion. The man had sliced cleanly through the metal bindings that had once restrained him.
"Are you here to rescue me?" Aang asked curiously.
The masked figure didn't answer. He opened the door and gestured for the Avatar to follow him.
"I'll take that as a yes" mumbled Aang after finding no better plan (plans weren't his strong point, he usually left that stuff to Sokka). He followed the mysterious masked man.
