Chapter 7
Teller of a different Tale

Tots touched the ground, bending low and trying to read the signs of the earth like a bloodhound reads the signs of a scent. He tried sniffing like one too but only managed to smell what everyone else smelled… smog and snow. About an hour had gone by and he'd led the five of them to an empty ally, where he'd said was certainly the place where Yuki had been.

Magnet sighed as Tots tried to scour the ground for clues. "Forget it Tots. It's been two whole days. The trail is ice cold by now. We're never going to find her this way."

"Cold, told, scold, bold." Pixy rhymed hopping on a trashcan and looking gloomy.

"But I just know she was here." Tots exclaimed from where he knelt on the ground. His head bend back and he flexed his fingers like a mad scientist. "I can feel her energy!" He announced in a deep dramatic voice.

"All I feel is really cold." Rico mumbled shivering as a wind blew through him. "Not to mention starving. Isn't it about dinner time?"

Tots glared at him. "How can you be thinking about food right now when the world is in danger?"

"Hey I'm just a simple guy with simple needs."

"It probably wouldn't hurt to get something." Mercy added. "We could find a convenience store and get a snack."

"No money!" Pixy said glumly falling to her back on the lid.

"We could find someone who does and snag their wallet." Magnet suggested.

"There aren't many people on the streets tonight though." Rico said, speaking about the cold.

"It won't take long. You guys can distract them and I'll…"

"HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT?"

They all jumped when they heard the little boy shout at them. He was standing strait and tall with an expression none of them had ever seen on him before. Tots was positively furious.

"How can you be thinking about food and about stealing wallets at a time like this?" The air shook around the little boy, making a great whirlwind around him, which picked up snow and stray pieces of garbage and paper. It grew in size as the little boy's anger increased. He pointed somewhere towards an unknown place. "Yuki's out there scared and all alone right now and you all don't even care that she might be hurt."

"Tots," Mercy said trying to calm him down, "we do care. We're just—,"

"JUST WHAT? HUNGRY? COLD?" Tots was beyond reasoning with by now. "Well fine. If you guys would rather go and pickpocket then I guess I'll go and find her by myself."

"Tots you can't go off all by yourself." Mercy shouted. Everyone knew the danger one stepped into if they chose to walk the city streets alone. Especially if that person was a little kid. There were thugs, gangsters, drug dealers and all kinds of dirty scoundrels who would love to take advantage of a little kid like Tots.

"You're wrong Mercy." Tots said quickly. "I'm not just a little kid anymore. I'm an airbender now."

"Yes you are an airbender." Mercy agreed, hoping to calm him down. "And Yuki is a waterbender, but that didn't stop Saber from selling her, did it. Or stop who ever took her away. My point is, even if you have super cool powers now, you need to stay with us because you still don't know how to control them. And like it or not, you are still only six years old."

"But—,"

"Please stay with us," Mercy added. "We need you just as much as you need us. We didn't mean any harm by it when we said we wanted something to eat. We just need to keep are strength up so we can keep searching. Besides, all that airbending has to be fueled some how. How do you expect to beat up any bad guys when you don't have any energy?"

Tots looked at the ground. "Well… I guess that makes sense. But what about Yuki."

"Tots shouldn't worry," Pixy said. "Yuki will be fine cuz we'll all help find her. And we'll let Tots lead the way."

"I think I can better assist you with that, children."

They all jumped when they heard the adult voice suddenly in front of them. Their heads whipped up to gaze into the shadows from where it came from. Two men materialized right out of the darkness and stood before them.

The one who was clearly older was dressed in a flowing green cloak with a goatee and two white streaks running through his midnight hair. He couldn't have been much older than forty, yet the children could feel something definitely… ancient about him. The second man was burly and bald with a disposition that read he would fight and die for his master at any cost, and kill anyone who stood in his way.

"I believe children I have something you can use in your search for your friend."

"Hey! Who are you?" Rico snapped taking a fighting stance as if prepared to protect his friends if these men showed any signs of threat.

"If you'll permit me, I believe introductions are in order; my name is Ra's Al Ghul." The master said quickly.

"Ras Al what?" Magnet repeated with disregard.

"Ra's Al Ghul." The man repeated a bit more clearly.

"Ooh! Like a ghost!" Pixy said, waving her fingers spookily.

"I'm Tots." Tots piped, looking around Rico's elbow. The older boy looked at the little one beside him for a moment but was quick to continue.

"Uh huh," Rico raise an eye brow, "and what exactly does some rich jerk want with us."

The bald man looked furious with Rico's disrespect. "Infidel! If you only knew who you were speaking to…"

"Leave them, Ubu. They are only children after all."

The bald man still looked angry, but subsided with his master's command. Ra's Al Ghul came closer.

The man turned to the youngest of them, and surprise of surprises, the tall, regal man, bowed to the little boy. "It is a great privilege to meet one of the noble air nation. This world has not seen one for nearly an entire millennia."

While the other children seemed to shrink away from the strange and foreign man, Tots stood his ground. He got the same feeling from this man as he did with Yuki; an old and young sort of feeling at the same time. "Are you a bender?" He said quietly, awed by the energy he could feel coming from him in great waves. He knew there was much wisdom in this man.

The man shook his head in answer to his question. "No. I am not blessed like you or one of your people, but I know of you and of your avatar."

Tots's face lit up at the news. "You know where to find Yuki?"

"Yes. If you come with me I will take you to her."

"Wait a minute." Rico snapped, stepping in front of the little boy as if to protect him from the same threat that snared their friend. "How do we know you didn't take Yuki? If you know where she is just like that—sounds a little fishy if you ask me. I bet you did take her, and now you want to take Tots away too, cause he's an airbender. Well forget it! We're not going anywhere with some creep and his thug."

Tots tugged on Rico's sleeve. He pleaded to the other boy with his big, gray eyes. "But he knows where Yuki is."

"No he doesn't, Tots. He's trying to trick us." He spoke in a hiss so only Tots's would hear. "Don't trust adults remember." Tots pursed his lips, lost in his own memories. After a moment he nodded.

Ra's Al Gul continued. "I did not take your friend, but I know who did."

"Yeah, I'll bet." Magnet said sarcastically.

"One of my servants spotted your friend walking down this street in the company of a tall youth of about sixteen or seventeen. Here he met a woman who offered him a substantial amount of money. You know her as Poison Ivy."

Pixy perked instantly with the information. She was fascinated by the red headed beauty despite the fact that she was an eco terrorist. In fact, she, besides Batman, knew probably everything about her "Ooh! Poison Ivy? Scary!"

"You know of her then."

Pixy nodded happily. "Pixy has done lots of research on Poison Ivy and has a whole disk copied for everything about her. She usually works alone except for Harley Quinn, which she's adapted somewhat of a sisterly relationship with her. She has evolved to form immunity to toxins and poisons as well an ability to control plants using her own secret biotechnology. So of course she would be interested in Yuki. With Yuki's ability to control water…"

"…Then Poison Ivy could control anything by influencing her." Mercy finished for her.

"Precisely." Ra's pronounced. "The woman is insane and the girl is unfortunately helpless against her. Thankfully though, I believe she still only knows Yuki controls water and that's it. She is not aware of what an avatar is. But there's another problem. It seems she's also working with a masked muscle called Bane."

"Bane?" Magnet and Rico said together with a mixture of amazement and horror.

"You know of him?"

"Yeah. He's like the strongest guy in the city—probably the whole world even." Rico announced.

"Even stronger than Batman."

"Or Killer Croc even."

"You understand then, the severity of the situation." Ra's said grimly. "You have a choice. I know where your friend is being held and of her captors. But I require your assistance in keeping her calm." The children looked from one to the other uncertainly. He continued, but this time he addressed Tots specifically. "If you come with me, young man, I can also help you in learning about your airbending. I have the resources you'll need to achieve your full potential and you'll teach the avatar airbending like you are destined to do."

Tots didn't know what to say to that. The answer seemed obvious enough, but before he could give it, Rico interrupted yet again.

"Wait just a minute, mister." The spiky haired kid said, stringing the word 'mister' with accusing suspicion. "How do you even know about the avatar and airbending and all these crazy dodas? None of us sure knew anything about it until Yuki showed us her bending, so how do we know we should trust you?"

"You do not," he announced boldly. "You can only trust and hope. But I ask you this, how well do you think you'll get your friend back all on your own?"

He smiled when they had no response to that. The man turned from them and walked back into the shadows without waiting for the children. Tots looked at the man and he looked at his friends.

Pixy took hands with Tots and she grabbed Mercy with her extra. Mercy looked at Rico and grabbed his hand and Tots used his other to grab Magnet's.

Pixy smiled her whimsical grin at everyone. "We'll all be okay just as long as we're together."

"Yeah, we can do anything!" Tots exclaimed. "We're a team."

"Platoon." Rico corrected in a mutter. "But I guess it's the same thing."

"We'll watch each other's back." Magnet added. "And if anything happens we'll unleash our awesome powers of the slums into action and… hurt… someone. Preferably a bad guy… maybe."

"Yeah, we'll do that." Mercy said. She took a deep breath and tightened her fingers around her comrades hands. "Lets go." She said and they all followed the man into the dark.


The man led them to a big black limo were they all followed him inside. They sped off in one direction down the road; hopefully the one that would lead them to Yuki.

The servant guy, Ubu, had offered the children refreshment while his master explained things. Tots looked into his glass of pinkish liquid and sniffed. It was juice. He was about to take a drink when Mercy placed her palm over the cup and pushed it down. Tots looked at her and she shook her head silently telling him, "Don't drink anything they give you."

Tots sighed. He should've known better anyways. They've all heard stories about friends who'd accepted candy from strangers and the outcome had never been good. More than often, the candy had been laced with drugs and that had resulted in the children becoming addicts at an early age. The first time Tots had found this out was when a friendly looking man had offered him a bag of candy to share with the others. Tots had been elated when he'd received the present and had rushed off to find his friends before he'd dug in. Mercy had asked him where he'd gotten it and when he'd told her, she snatched the bag quickly out of his hand and thrown it into the river. Before he could make a fuss over such injustice, Mercy had yelled at him.

"You never ever accept things from strangers! Much less candy or food of any kind. Understand? Don't ever do that again!"

"But why?"

"Because that man was a drug dealer. And he put something really bad into that candy to hurt you. Just like he did to Penny."

They all knew Penny very well. The first time Tots saw her, she looked like a corpse and he couldn't understand why the girl willingly injected herself with shots the way she did. Mercy explained to him that that was what drugs did to a person. Tots never trusted adults after that. To think he'd come this close to sharing the same fate as the twelve year old girl.

Tots put the drink down on a little table and waited as their host explained things to them.

"Alright, so what's the plan?" Rico asked.

Ra's eyebrow rose. "We've tracked your friend being held in a large bio green house."

"What we gunna do there?" Pixy asked.

"My men will take care of the details with that. Ivy will most likely have plants in which to defend herself against and Bane will use his brute force to take us down. Thankfully we have our own strategy."

"It sounds like you've got everything handled." Mercy noticed. "So why do you need us?"

"The avatar's power can be a very temperamental energy. If she gets upset enough, she can use her abilities to destroy."

"Destroy?" Rico repeated with confusion. "You definitely don't know Yuki. Yuki doesn't destroy anything. She's too much like a little goody-goody. I mean she did sort of destroy Penguin's restaurant, but it's not like she'd done that on purpose. And it's only cause we told her to."

"You told her to." Mercy gave him a stern look. "Apart from that, I don't see how Yuki would be able to do much to destroy anyways. She's not even a master waterbender and you think she's actually capable to destroy anyone. That just doesn't make sense."

"She can destroy things even if she is not a master," Ra's announced holding up a finger, "...if she is tapped into the avatar state."

"What's the avatar state?" Magnet asked.

"A super-duper secret power, Yuki said!" Pixy announced in what she though was a deep cryptic voice.

Ra's explained more specifically to them "The avatar state is a defense mechanism that is triggered when an avatar is in emotional or physical stress. Even if the avatar is no more than a child, she or he can send out a kind of psychic distress signal to her spirit. All the past avatars may help her in this way, using their knowledge of the four elements to enhance her strength and power."

"Wait." Magnet said holding up his hands in confusion. "One thing I don't get is how do you know about all this?"

Tots answered the question for him. "It's because you're from the avatar world too. Just like me and Yuki and her sister. Aren't you?"

Ra's look was unreadable for a moment, then he nodded in answer. "Yes."

"How did Ra's get here?" Pixy asked.

Ra's was suddenly launching in a story that seemed he'd been keeping inside him for many years. "When I was a young man, I had four friends that were all from the different nations. They were benders. Despite the fact that I possessed no bending abilities you could say I was somewhat like the leader of our group. I also liked to experiment. I wanted to see what would happen if you combined all four bendings together at the same time. Sharing my curiosity they decided to assist me. They got in a circle, standing side by side in the cycle of the avatar. On my mark they sent bending to the center of the circle. I expected a mix of the four elements would create a new element entirely, what I uncovered was something else entirely. The combination of the four elemental bendings resulted in a tear in the fabric of space and time and opened up a doorway."

"A portal." Pixy announced suddenly fitting the pieces together.

"Yes. It was said that only the avatar had the ability to cross over into the spirit world. Curious about this new unheard of discovery, I stepped through, expecting to arrive in the spirit world like people have done in the past. Instead I arrived in this world in China during the Ming dynasty. But before I could go back through and retrieve my friends, the portal closed and I was trapped here."

"So that's why Ra's never went back." Pixy said quickly. "Your friends were on the other side and they couldn't reach you. And since there were no benders here, you couldn't open the portal again and return. Sad!"

Ra's looked saddened as he nodded. "I was convinced that my friends would be able to find me again, so I waited for them. But they never did. To this day I've no idea what happened to them after I stepped through. It has always been a mystery to me."

"Wait a minute," cried Magnet quickly. "Ming dynasty? That was over five hundred years ago."

"Indeed." The man said. "I have lived on this alternate earth for five hundred years."

"How on earth…"

"When you've uncovered the secrets of the universe like I have," he said cutting in on Rico's disbelief,

"you discover many things about the glorious planet we all live in."

The children looked at each other, all sharing the same thoughts. How could this man have stayed alive for all those centuries?

Pixy looked at the man and grinned. "Ra's man ages very well."

"Age has nothing to do with it. But that is a story for another day. In the meantime we have to concentrate on getting the avatar back."

"Yuki said that she had a vision about her shadow turning into some bald guy with an arrow on his head." Tots announced, trying to be helpful. "Then he said that she had to find Batman but he didn't say why."

Ra's face narrowed at that. "That is not a good thing then."

"Why." They all said together.

Ra's explained with a heavy look. "Unfortunately the Dark Knight and I are, how should I say this, not on high terms with one another. In other words, we are enemies."

"Why?"

"I long to seek balance to the world, as the avatar is destined to do." he told them, "But the Dark Knight does not agree with my methods."

"Well I think we need to do what the bald guy said, cause he's a spirit and I hear that bad stuff happens to people who don't "heed" the spirits." The little boy announced, making little quotation marks with his fingers on the word 'heed.'

"How do you know what the word "heed" even means, Tots?" Mercy said with a smirk. For a six year old that seemed like a real unusual vocabulary word to use.

Tots shrugged. "A big monkey spirit told me in my own vision."

"Hee, hee… monkey spirit!" Pixy giggled.

"Nevertheless," Ra's said as the car began to slow. "I believe I can serve the avatar better than the Batman."

"Why?" The children said again together.

"Because I have the means and the capabilities to teach her."

"But doesn't Batman have those too." Mercy realized quickly. "I mean otherwise the spirits wouldn't have told her to go to him."

"I don't expect you to understand," he said in what the older kids heard to be condescendence, "you are only children after all." The car stopped and Ra's stood. "We have arrived. When the two are dealt with, I'll call for you. Yuki will be waiting." He looked back at them with traces of a knowing smile and disappeared with Ubu closing the door on the children.

When the car was quiet the children conversed about their situation.

"Well… what does we think?" Pixy asked the others.

"I don't trust him!" Rico said quickly folding his arms across his chest.

"Me neither!" Magnet said. It was sort of obvious he would take Rico's side, considering they were best friends and alike in many ways

"His story is sketchy," Mercy added, "but it makes sense, sort of. I mean the way he knows about bending and the avatar and all that."

"Maybe he's a spy…" Pixy suggested mysteriously. "Or a vampire… or something. Ooh! Pixy can check!" She cheered lowering her goggles to her eyes as she prepared to zoom through more cyberspace.

"I don't think so," Mercy said. "He seemed pretty believable to me. And it would explain how Yuki probably got here. What do you think, Tots? Tots?"

They looked at the end seat where Tots had been sitting but the little boy wasn't there anymore.

"Tots!"

"Tots?"

"Tots!"

"Where'd he go?"


The air was frozen as snow rained from the sky and breath came out in big puffy smoke. Tots creped silently behind the precession of dark men that seemed like ninjas in the night. Tots had always been surprisingly lithe on his feet, even before he knew he was an airbender. It also didn't hurt for him to be pretty small. His footsteps were near undetectable as he followed the men to the place in question.

But what was there wasn't a green house, as he'd thought, but only rubble and dirt. Tots wondered if this wasn't just a trap.

"Sir," said one man who looked to be a soldier for Ra's Al Ghul. "It appears that the Batman has already been here."

Ra's showed no sign of emotion, but Tot's thought he caught a trace of anger flash quickly across his face. "Then the avatar is with him already." He strode away for a moment to study a group of oddly piled stones, which were aligned in the shape of a well.

"What do you wish to do, my lord?" Ubu asked slowly.

"Leave. The avatar is long gone by now and Batman will not hand her over to us no matter what I say to him."

Ubu looked stunned by how easily his master had given up. "But, sir the embodiment of the planet…"

"…Is unobtainable." Ra's finished for his servant. "The avatar may be gone now, but I still have something she will need further on to complete her training. All that matters is the boy. We must get him to my mountain safe house. There we will begin his training."

"What of his friends?" Ubu asked without emotion.

Tots held his breath, waiting for his answer. "Dispose of them in whatever way you wish. They are no longer useful to me."

His servant bowed. "It will be done, sir."

Tots gasped. "Oh no!" He sped off in the direction he'd come from, taking care to use his airbending to propel him faster than normal. The limo came in sight just as he saw several men approach it. Frightened, Tots hid behind a tree and waited. They opened the door and looked inside. After a moment, the men looked at each other and shouted.

"They're gone! They're all gone!"

Ra's Al Ghul's voice came up out of a walkie-talkie one of the men held. "Find them." He snapped. "The older children mean nothing, but the young airbender must be apprehended alive."

"Yes sir." They said as they got into formation to search the snowy forest. Tots looked at the ground and watched where they were heading. Oh no! Their footprints made in snow! The men would be able to track them in no time that way. Tot's looked behind him. His tiny footprints were much farther apart than the others, due to the fact he'd sprinted much like the way of an antelope, but that still could give him away.

What was he going to do?

"Tots," He nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard the voice behind him. He breathed when he saw it was only Magnet. "Come on." The boy said, grabbing the younger boy's arm and speeding off in a direction.

Tots stopped, trying to summon up some wind to cover their tracks. It worked… in a way. The tracks were gone but now there was a big trail of naked earth behind them.

"No more airbending." Magnet hissed as they heard the men picking up their trail. "You're just making it worse."

"Sorry."

They found the others hiding up some trees. Mercy jumped down and embraced Tots. "Don't go running off like that. You had us worried."

"It's a good thing I did." The little boy said squirming out of her hug. "Ra's Al Ghul really is a ghoul! He's planning on getting me, but you guys aren't any use to him so he's going to get rid of you."

"Ah ha!" Rico said punching the air in triumph. "I knew that guy was bad news."

"What are we going to do?" Mercy said.

Tots looked at the ground, thinking of alternate solutions. "Nothing."

They all looked at him. "What?"

"What are you saying?" Mercy asked with fear.

Tots looked at them, sorrow and fear edged in his voice. "It doesn't have to end like this. I'm gunna give myself up."

"What! No way!" Magnet declared. "You don't have to do anything of the sort, Tots. This guy's a jerk and you don't have to end it like this."

"But if I don't, then he might end up hurting all of you."

"We've all been hurt before. And if this guys looking for a fight," Rico took out a pocket knife and brandished it threateningly, "then we'll give it to him."

"Yeah." Magnet boasted. "We're the Bell Tower Gang and that means never surrendering!"

Mercy put a hand on Tots' shoulder, in a very mother like gesture. "We're not leaving you, Tots. Never! We're with you all the way. Let's just try and stay together."

Tots felt bad for dragging them into this mess but he was also relieved. The thought of being surrounded by strangers had really terrified him. "Okay."

"Ooh, ooh! Hey guys!" Pixy shouted jumping up and down from a few yards away.

"SHHHHHHH!" Everyone hissed holding up their fingers to their lips. "Not so loud. They're trying to find us, remember."

"Oops. Sorry." She whispered flinching from her carelessness. "Come see what Pixy found!"

They all started forward and came to the place she was staring at. At first they thought it was nothing more than a big mound in the snow, but then it started breathing and they all jumped with surprise.

"Wha—what is it?" Rico said clinging to Mercy.

Pixy stepped forward and dusted off a small head, revealing a colorful wrestling mask and spikes around his throat. "Bane!" She squealed as quietly as she could. "How'd he get all the way out here? And why's he sleeping in the snow? That's kinda silly of him."

"Well let's not wake him up and ask." Magnet hissed exasperated by Pixy's tactlessness. "Let's just belt it out of here before he gets mad and pummels us."

"Pummels us?" Rico repeated with contemplation. He looked at Bane, holding his chin in his hand as the wheels in his head began spinning with a sudden inspiration. Somewhere above his head, a DING could be heard as a light bulb sprung to life. "Wait a minute! Guys, I have an idea."


Ra's Al Ghul's men scoured the forest, following the footprints the children had made to the exact spot they were hiding. Suddenly the silent night air was ripped away as five small figures came hurtling through, screaming at the top of their lungs.

"AHHHHHHH! CRAZY MUSCLE GUY! RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!" Cried one of them. They'd fled the scene even before the men had a chance to grab at them. When they turned back to see what they were fleeing from, a huge man made of nothing but muscle burst through. With one look, the men suddenly understood why the children were running.

Across the man's chest was written in big white lettering, "I M A WARTY DORKHEAD WITH BOOGAR BREATH!"

The situation might've been quite amusing if for the fact the man wasn't pummeling strait towards them with no intentions of stopping. In a single moment, it had been like the men had been run over, like a line of wimpy cars under the wheels of a monster truck.

Rico caught the sight behind him and punched the air with how beautifully his plan had gone.

"Did you see that?" He cried with delight. "To think that crazy idea would work out so brilliantly."

"Yes, indeed you are a genus, Porcupine head." Mercy cried with sarcasm. "But unfortunately we have another problem at the moment." She pointed ahead of them where a blockade of gunmen were waiting for them. The children skidded to a stop, arms raised in surrender as Ra's Al Ghul stepped into sight.

"Do you surren—"

"YES!" Everyone said as one.

Ra's looked quite surprised. Apparently that definitely hadn't been what he'd expected. He hadn't even had the chance to finish what he was going to say.

They could hear the barrage behind them as Bane polished off the rest of the scouting party. Rico bounced up and down on his heels with anxiety, staring first behind him and then back at the blockade. Thinking quickly, he grabbed Pixy's arm, who grabbed Magnet's, who grabbed Mercy's, who pulled Tots behind her and all rushed off to the side.

"Halt!" Ra's shouted. "Halt I say."

Rico could hear clicks of guns preparing to fire just as Bane pummeled through the forest. There was no stopping him now. He was like a wild bull, thirsty for blood and ready to kill. Rico just had to make sure it wasn't any of their hides that got caught in the crossfire.

"Oh yeah, Rico," Magnet said sarcastically, "great idea drawing on his face and writing on his chest!"

"It's not like anyone else was coming up with any bright ideas." He shouted defensively from behind.

"Don't talk, just run." Mercy shouted, clinging on to Tots as his legs whipped behind him with the speed the children was running.

Rico rounded a corner and ran through a grove of trees. He swatted at branches, trying to keep them from whipping him in the face while still trying to keep a hold on Pixy and the others. The fact that it was nightfall didn't help him. It was too dark to see clearly where he was going and if he kept pummeling through, he'd end up—AHHHHHH!

The ground disappeared suddenly under him and he slid, pulling the others with him down a long steep hill. They all cried out as they fell and skidded. Thankfully the packed snow provided some cushion for them as they plummeted down. With many bangs and bruises, they finally made it to the bottom of the hill.

"Is everyone okay?" Mercy asked raising her head and dusting the snow off herself.

"Damage analysis… Pixy is okay."

"I'm good."

"Same here."

"I'm oka—OW!" The cry had come from Tots. Mercy rushed over and found him cradling his right wrist.

"Here let me see." She took it tenderly and tried to move it ever so slightly.

"Ouch, ow, ow!" Tots whimpered through growing tears.

"Yup that looks like it's broken." Mercy announced sadly.

"Broken!" Tots cried with terror. He'd always feared getting a broken bone. He'd heard how expensive hospitals were and if you got hurt in the slums, there wasn't much they could do for you.

"It's okay," Mercy said, trying to keep him calm. "We need to find some shelter and get a fire going. Hopefully we'll be able to bind your arm at the least."

"Do you know first aid?" Magnet asked softly coming up behind and studying the damage.

"A little," She whispered to him. "Enough to know the basics at least. You know how I took care of the little kids in the gang don't you."

"This is different," Magnet said hoisting Tots to his feet. "Nosebleeds and fevers maybe, but this is serious."

"Those were too. We just need to worry about getting someplace warm right now."

"How bout over there." Tots pointed to an old abandoned farmhouse with the remains of what was once a chicken coop. It looked sturdy enough, and at least it would provide shelter for them.

They went inside and lit a small fire in the hearth. When the light was lit, they could see the room more clearly. There was a broken couch that was moth-eaten in several places, a table, two wooden chairs, and an old refrigerator that's door was falling off the hinge. There wasn't a scrap of food left inside.

They all gathered around the fire as Mercy got to work on Tots' arm, doing the best that she could. A half hour later Tots looked at his splinted arm through big silver tears. She'd had to set the bone back, and it had proven to be very painful. Despite the pain though, he'd only whimpered slightly and hadn't so much as cried out when she snapped the bone back.

Mercy patted his arm when she was done putting it in a sling. He sniffed, mopping his eyes with his extra sleeve and she smiled at him. "I'm quite certain I have never seen a braver patient."

He smiled at her through the water running down his face.

They all sat around the fire as Mercy stirred a soup made from some Spam and Top Romen Pixy was lucky enough to find in the cupboard. It was even luckier that she was able to find a pot to cook it in as well as a few bowls. There wasn't enough for everyone, so Mercy and Tots would have to share.

The soup was passed out and they all began eating hungrily.

Magnet poked at his food suspiciously. "Does Spam have an expiration date?"

"It was canned so it's fine." Mercy said irritably chewing on a piece of salty meat.

"What about Top Romen noodles?"

"Oh, Magnet, just eat it!" Rico snapped, annoyed by the jabber. It was cold in the shack, the fire was dingy, there wasn't a lot to choose from for food, and they were all just really cranky.

There wasn't much food but they tried to make the soup go as far as it could. They weren't full when the last of it was gone, but at least they had something inside them now. After the small meal, Rico pulled out his wireless and they all listened to the cheery tunes of Christmas music drifting gently out the speakers.

Oh holly night
The stars are brightly shining
It is the night of our dear saviors birth!
Long lay the world in sin and error pining
Till he apeared and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn!

"Does anyone know what day it is?" Rico asked, breaking through the mood the music had created.

Magnet looked at his watch. "Well it's three in the morning right now. So… it's Christmas."

"Wow." Rico said. "With everything that's happened these last few days, I completely forgot about Christmas."

"I think we all did." Mercy added.

They shared a sigh around the room. To kids like them, they couldn't count much on Christmas, none of them had ever really had one. But in the gang, one of the members sometimes saved up enough to at least buy something special for dinner, like pizza or a big cake. They also exchanged gifts to make it seem more real to them. But this wasn't the first time they'd gone without a Christmas so none of them felt any disappointment for it.

Pixy sighed again, rolling over and trying to find the most comfortable position on the hard, wooden floor. "Merry Christmas, you guys."

There wasn't anything merry about it, but they didn't have the heart to say so.

Soon enough the soft gentle music lulled the children into a deep restful sleep. The snow fell down in big fat flakes as the blizzard struck the land.


The blizzard had died down somewhat by the time light showed through the windows. But the group was tired and decided to sleep in while they waited for the snow to lighten up. It was still falling by the time Tots got up after he heard a noise on the roof.

"Mercy? Mercy wake up."

The dark girl's body shifted and she looked up at Tots, rubbing her eyes tiredly. "Huh? What do you want?"

"I though I heard a noise on the roof."

"It was just a tree branch, snapping in the wind." She said, rolling over dismissively.

"But don't you think we should get going if we want to make it back to the city before it gets dark."

"It's too cold to go anywhere tonight, Tots. Just go back to sleep."

"But what if those guys get us here."

"Are you worried that they'll take you away?" Mercy looked at him sympathetically and Tots nodded. "Don't worry about that." Mercy said lightly. "It was dark last night so they didn't see where we went, plus Bane took care of those thugs for us. And even if he didn't, there's no way they can find us out here. The snow from last night buried our tracks perfectly. They'd have to be magicians to find their way through this storm."

"I'm just saying, what if they do find us? It could happen."

Rico butted with a sarcastic comment at that moment. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Just like it could happen that you suddenly turn into a magical airbender right after we met the most powerful bender alive in the form of a little kid whose awesome powers have the capability to destroy and save the world."

"Exactly!"

"Go back to sleep, Tots." Rico said angrily. "Nothing is going to get us in here. It's obvious that Yuki is safe and sound with Batman. Those guys are probably long gone by now anyways. Really we have nothing to worry about for the moment."

The little boy sighed, and was about to lie back down when a body burst through the window. The children snapped awake instantly as three more surrounded them, one running through the door, another jumping out from the fireplace, and one more coming through the opposite window.

The children shrieked and clutched at one another in a tight, frightened group hug.

The men surrounding them were clad completely in black with hoods and masks to cover the majority of their faces. The only skin they could see were their calculating eyes.

Ra's Al Ghul filed in once the ninjas had the children surrounded.

"Not you again!" Rico scoffed before Ra's had the chance to say anything. "Look whatever your planning it'll never work, okay. What? You're just going to take Tots away and kill the rest of us? You don't even know him. He'll fight you every chance he gets, and then he'll get away somehow. Even still, we're not going to let you take him anywhere, and he won't be used by you."

"Surprising as this may seem to you, but I didn't come here to force anyone to do anything." Ra's said plainly. "But I am here to offer him something."

"Whatever it is, he doesn't want it." Rico said for him.

"Perhaps you should let your friend speak for himself." Ra's turned to the little boy who was being guarded by Mercy. "The power to control air is challenging. More so than it is to control fire even. Bending isn't a superpower you can turn off and on at will. It has no on/off switch. It's part of who you are and is as one with your body as a limb is. What's more is it takes years of study, training, and discipline to become a true bending master. I have the means and the resources to help harness that power and if you come with me now, no harm will ever befall your friends."

"Look!" Rico snapped at the man. "Tots doesn't want your stupid offers. He's happy where he is. We're his best friends we can take care of him ourselves."

"And how will you teach him to control the currents inside him, boy? Look at yourself; no home, no family, you live off the brink of starvation and have to depend on theft in order to survive. You don't even have the means to heal him!" He accused gesturing to the boy's bandaged arm. "You expect to teach him yourself?"

"We'll figure something out together. There's no way Tots would ever choose some stranger over his friends. And in any case we've been able to manage before and nothing has changed."

"Yes it has!" Tots declared unexpectedly. "Everything has changed. I've changed. Now that I have airbending, what can I do with it? Where are my limits?"

"I can show you them."

"Shut up." Rico and Magnet said together. Everyone ignored the man for a moment to speak to their friend.

"Tots, you can't possibly be serious." Mercy said.

Tots looked at the ground. "If I go with him, I can control it. I can find Yuki, like Mou Mou said, and teach her airbending like I'm supposed to."

"But Tots," Rico said throwing out his hands to gesture to the rest of them, "you'd honestly choose him over your own gang? Over your own family?"

The little boy looked at the faces of his friends over carefully. They were all so different in appearance and personality and yet it was because of their differences that made their bond all the stronger. Despite their different backgrounds they had one specific thing in common with each other… they were alone except for each other.

And yet, how could the little boy pass this opportunity up? As a gang, they'd learned to take opportunities when they arrive, otherwise you missed them, and you probably went hungry for the night. And he wanted more than anything to control this power inside him and learn as much as he could about the ancient art. The way Yuki described the monks who learned how to fly gliders, manipulate air currents, and ride the wind like scooters had made him hopeful like he hadn't been for so long.

"This might be the only chance I ever get to learn airbending." He said to the others.

"Tots, don't go. Pixy will be sad if Tots leaves!" Pixy said rubbing her eyes tearfully. The little boy couldn't look at her.

"Tots, please don't do this," Mercy implored softly.

But the boy looked at Ra's. "I accept your offer." He saw the corners of the man's mouth twitch into a smug smile.

"We will leave at once then."

But the boy lifted his finger without moving from his spot. "Not so fast, mister. I still have one condition." Ra's looked surprised for a moment but listened to the boy's demand. Tot's smiled gesturing to the children. "I'll go with you, but only if my friends can come too."

Ra's brow furrowed. "I was not intending to take on five children. Especially such bad behaved little boys."

"Hey!" Magnet and Rico said together when his eyes fell on them as he said that.

"Either they're coming too, or I won't learn from you," Tots said crossing his good arm over his chest stubbornly. "That's the deal."

Ra's face was unreadable for a moment, and then he smiled ever so slightly. "You know how to play your cards don't you." He sighed. "Very well then. Your friends are permitted to come."

Everyone looked stunned to see he'd actually agreed to take on all of them after all. Tots looked more surprised than anyone else.

"Yay!" Pixy sang jumping up suddenly and hugging Tots around the shoulders. "Tots boy isn't being taken away after all. We all get to go now!"

"Well then let us depart." Ra's announced.