Air. Water. Earth. Fire.
Long ago, the four elements were used to maintain balance between the world. And balance between man and spirit.
With peace restored to the world, all four nations were able to live as one.
Thus, the world entered into a prolonged era of peace, stripping the Avatar of his duty.
And because of that...the avatar cycle ended...
And the Avatar disappeared...
Until today...
The Lost Avatar
Book One
Autumn
Chapter two
Breaking Free
He started down at his rough, scratched up hands in confusion and fear. What even happened? Why...why him?
Was that really me?
His memories kept replaying in his head over and over like a broken record. He remembered it all so clearly, watching himself from outside of his own body.
And Junjie...
Even though he hated the brute, he felt guilt and ashamed for putting him in grave danger.
"eng...Cheng!" Hearing clumsy footsteps running to his cell block, he saw Shirong gripping tight onto the bars that separated the two teens "Are you okay? How are you feeling?"
Cheng turned his head away and sighed, he could care less about his own well being "...Hows Junjie?"
"Eh?" Shirong was shocked to hear his friend concerned "Uh well, hes being released from the hospital tomorrow."
For a moment Cheng felt relieved, then Shirong continued "He has a couple scratches, cuts...and broken arm but he should be find after a couple sessions of physical therapy."
That sudden relief he felt turned into guilt that pierced through him "...I can't believe I did that to him."
"...Cheng," Shirong began "What exactly happened back there?"
Cheng wondered the same thing "I don't know...I really don't know."
It upset Shirong to see his friend in despair, but it made him even more sad because he didn't know how to go about consoling his friend.
"Bingwen is going to kill me," Cheng muttered as he held his head in shame. He could only imagine the punishment that awaited him when-if he returned home.
The mention of Cheng's guardian sent chills up Shirong's spine "Cheng..."
The tone in his voice caused Cheng to lift his head up "Why do you sound scared? Its not like you the one locked up."
"Well, I-"
"Out of the way," a guard interrupted, shoving Shirong to the side "Visiting hours are over." Cheng turned his head to see a buff guard unlock his cell. With a cold, emotionless tone he ordered Cheng to follow him.
"See you later," he told his worry-wart friend, before being shoved by the muscular cop.
"I found him...yes, I'm positive."
"Has he mastered all four elements?"
"From what I observed he looked like he didn't even know that he was...the one." She was cautious of her choice of words in public.
"Really?...How interesting," another pause "Do you understand what must be done?"
"Yes," She listened carefully to the voice on the other end of the receiver.
"Good girl. Now then, I believe you have some business to take care of."
"Yes. Good bye," She closed her cell phone and sighed. It was going to be a long day.
"Where are you taking me?" Cheng asked the guard.
"Shut up and keep moving." Cheng's anger spiked, but not for long because they soon arrived in front of a double door that looked relatively important.
"When you enter, take a seat and only answer when asked to." Cheng took a deep breathe and sighed to release the anger he had inside of him. Dragging the chains that weighted him down, he walks into an office surrounded by bookcases (that he assumed held case files and records) with a desk in the middle. There was a red, leather chair behind the desk spun around facing the window behind it. For a minuet Cheng wondered if we he in the room alone, until a voice spoke up.
"Ah, its finally nice to meet you Mr...?"
"Sorry, I don't have a last name. My biological parents abandoned me."
"I see, how unfortunate." Spinning his chair around Cheng almost gasps when he sees the person sitting in the crimson leather chair. It wasn't the prison warden like he was expecting it was-
"Y-you're-"
"Yes, I am aware of who I am." he smiled.
"Chief Minister Ling," Cheng whispered in disbelief.
"As I was saying, its nice to finally meet you Avatar Cheng."
"Avatar?" he asked "You're...joking right?"
"That is not what the report says," he told up a vanilla colored folder "According to this, you were witnessed earth bending without any credentials. And not just any kind of earth bending."
The Chief Minister opens the report and quotes "Officer Fan Lee reported, and I quote: I've never seen anything like it. It was just like the fairy tales. Such incredible power."
Cheng's eyes dart to the red carpet in denial "...Theres no way... I can't be the Avatar...-What Avatar goes around trying to kill someone?! If this is a joke then-"
"If you wish to make it up to him there is a simple solution to all this." Cheng's gaze flew straight up at the man "We'll even drop all the charges, against you."
"...What is it?"
The chief's eyes squinted in glee as he smiled with a sinister look "Execution."
She looked at her phone one more time, memorizing all of the routes, trails and the picture she was able to take of the avatar (though it was blurry). She knew once she started she wouldn't be able to turn back, let alone use her cell phone. She then turned her phone on airplane mode, so none of the satellites would be able to pick up on her. Before making her way she puts her phone in her pocket and slips on her mask just in case.
"What am I going to tell him?" she over hears a voice. She immediately slipped into the shadows to see who it was, for some reason it sounded vaguely familiar to her.
"Oooh. This isn't good. Cheng is going to freak out when he finds out," As soon as she saw the glasses she immediately knew who it was.
That guy, I saw him in the catacombs yesterday. Right as the cops came to take the Avatar.
She assumed he was a close friend of the avatar.
The picture I tried to take is blurry. And I can barley remember what his face looks like...
An idea suddenly sprung up in her head. Creeping up behind him, she pulls him into the shadows and holds a handgun to his head "Hand over you cell phone,"
"Ah...I-I..." She adds pressure from her handgun to his head.
"Now." His hands were shaking badly as he reached into his pockets. The moment it came out of his pocket she snatched it from him and demanded the password.
"W-why d-do you need t-that?" he asked.
"We can make this easy or hard-"
"Ah-o-okay okay! Its 1479028641835094!"
"..." She paused. Was this guy being serious? "Type it in." She hands him back his phone for a moment. As he typed his password she couldn't help but wonder how someone could manage to memorize a password that long. Once he finished she swiped the phone back and went through his pictures.
"W-what are you doing?" She ignored the question and scrolled through until she found a clear picture of a teen with black hair and gold eyes.
"Is this him?"
"C-Cheng?" she recognized the name from last night when he was calling his name "W-why are you looking for him?"
"Thats none of you business." she said after throwing his phone to the ground.
As she started to walk away he screamed "Y-you're not going to break him out of there are you?!"
"Quiet!"
"No!" he grabbed her wrist "You can't just go break in, they'll arrest you!"
"I just threatened you with a gun and your concerned with my well-being?"
He stopped for a moment, trying to think of something witty to say "No! Uh, uhm..."
"I have no time for this-"
"Room 44!"
"What?"
"That is Cheng's room number."
"...Right."
Cheng's heart dropped. Did he hear right? Maybe he was tired, it was a long day after all-
"Oh no, you are not mistaken. You heard me right," Chief Minister Ling said with a smile.
"Execution...?" Cheng whispered.
"Yes, did I not say that earlier?" The Chief got out from his chair and faced the window, looking at the inmates outside roam around behind the prison walls "Answer this Cheng. How long as it been since humanity has been in any world wars?"
Cheng thought for a moment. Where was he going with this? "Uhm...Over 170 years ago. Ever since the Fire Nation was defeated in the hundred-year."
"Correct!" he clapped "Question two. How long as it been since anyone has seen an Avatar?"
"I told you to stop joking around! Nobody has ever seen him, there is no proof!"
"My, my you have a short temper. Just because nobody has seen him doesn't mean hes not real. You haven't seen your parents, does that mean they never existed?"
"Shut up! Who are you to act like you know my family history?"
"I believe I'm the Chief Minister," he laughed "The head of the government. The Hero of Ba Sing Se. Tell me Cheng, who are you?"
W-who am I..? Is that a trick question?
"Too slow!" he chuckled "Now lets go back to my previous question: how long has it been since anyone has seen an Avatar?"
Cheng gave him a confused look "I'm telling you, the Avatar is just a myth."
"Nope! Wrong answer. Hm, I suppose I shouldn't have expect much from a high school student. Lets see if you'll get this question right: Why hasn't anyone seen an Avatar in so long?"
Why?...Why?...I don't understand, where is he getting all this information from? There is no proof that the Avatar existed. He is just a fairy tale.
Suddenly, he remembered Shirong's words from yesterday:
"Well there are some evidence that does prove the existence of the avatar. Have you heard the story of the last air bender?"
The evidence kept piling up, Cheng even remembered about the girls from class talking about someone looking for the Avatar. Immediately, Cheng's eyes widened.
...but that was just a coincidence...right? Is the Chief Minister actually telling the truth? Then, again what motive does he have for lying?
"Do you know the answer?" the Chief asked.
Cheng didn't know what to say, so the Chief continued "Its okay. Not allot of people know anyways. Its information that we've kept from the public for many years. But, the answer is simple..."
The chief started to laugh "Haha-HAHAHA! Its so simple! We live in a time of peace! The world doesn't need the avatar anymore!"
"So...thats why you want to execute me? Because I'm the Avatar?"
"Its not exactly execution. We tell the public its execution but what really happens is different. We first have a court trial to prove your guilty and sentence you to execution. Then have a criminal who is due to execution take your place instead. After that, we just place you in solitary confinement for life and thats it. If we were to kill you, another Avatar would just pop up, and finding him again would cost us too much."
"...The way you explain it makes it sound like its been done before."
The Chief's eyes widened "Oh no! What makes you say that?"
Has our government always been this corrupted?
"Now then," suddenly the Chief appeared in front of Cheng, surprising him "I should probably send you back to your cell. It is getting late."
One by one, the two guards grab Cheng by each arm and escort him out of the office, but not until the Chief says one more thing:
"Oh Cheng! Please keep quiet about what we discussed. Nobody likes a snitch."
Seconds turned into minuets. Minuets turned into hours. Cheng lied in his head mentally exhausted. He did everything he could to think of an escape looked around his surroundings. Up, down, left, right, anywhere for any cracks or clues to get out of here He tried breaking the wall, but felt instant shock move through out his body.
"I wouldn't try that if I were you," said the guard "Those chains are motion sensitive. If you even try to do any sort of bending it'll shock you."
I have to get out of here...but how...? Is there any way?
Clack!
"Did you hear something?" the guard asked the other.
"No." said the other guard.
Clack! Clack!
"There it is again!" the guard shouted.
"Shut up and stand your post," the other guard said.
Clack! Clack!
That noise, I hear it too...
"Look either you need a hearing aid, or I'm going crazy. Something keeps making a clack, spark noise!"
"...Go talk to the prison psychologist."
The guard sighed "If your just going to stand there then I'm going to-"
Suddenly Cheng saw volts of electricity shoot at the guard, paralyzing him.
"Code red! We have a-" Before the other guard could finish he then got hit by the shock.
Was that bending?
Clack! Clack! Clack!
The noise got louder, Cheng could hear footsteps. And they didn't sound like loud, guard steps. They sounded like petite, rapid steps. As the footsteps got louder a petite person (who looked to be around 5'0") with a blue mask ran to the front of his cell. Cheng thought he was hallucinating for a second. Was he being rescued...by a tiny person?
"Are you Cheng?" The voice sounded like a girl, but he ignored that and nodded.
"Who are you?" he asked. The girl ignored his question and pulled out a key, which she used to unlock his cell.
"We'll talk later, lets get out of here." she says after unlocking the chains around Cheng. Before Cheng could even process what was happening she grabbed him by his wrist and sprinted out of the cell block.
Wait a second, this girl took out those two guards?
Will Cheng escape prison? Will we find out the name of the girl? Haha, don't worry you'll find out next chapter whenever it comes out. Anyways, reviews are welcomed and I hope you liked this chapter :)
