Chapter 10: Discovery

Ba Sing Se…

Hanori yawned and turned the page to Avatar Selook and the Tablet of the Ancients. She'd read the previous three entries in the Avatar Selook saga, but she just couldn't see why everyone loved these books who was Olan's age. She would never even touch them if she hadn't had so much free time lately. It seemed like ages since Hanori had left the office. For the last few weeks, Olan would do nothing but stay in his lab.

Long periods of constant movement makes any time sitting still seem hopelessly dull and, in this case, guilty. It's not that she doesn't enjoy the down time on a personal level, but Olan had a responsibility. And Olan didn't tell her anything anymore, just not to disturb him. What was he doing in there with his nasty little insects? And how could that have anything to do with the case?

Hanori decided that for now, she'd just have to trust Olan, though lately she started having doubts about his ability to actually stop the Demon Killer. But, really, it was no fault of Olan's. The Demon Killer didn't make mistakes, left no survivors, or any credible witnesses.

It's own mystique was playing into it's favor now. Every other day there were reports of letters being sent to Dai Li and local police stations claiming to know who the next victim would be. Having no choice, each threat would have to be followed up on, often turning out to be some punk kids playing a prank. All this caused a real problem for any investigators, because following leads was the primary method of catching killers. Even of the demon variety. But, Hanori was thinking that whatever Olan had in mind, it probably wouldn't involve trying to figure out the Demon Killer's true identity.

Hanori was fed up with the book, so she slipped in the page marker and placed it back on the shelf. She went to the newspaper laying on a countertop.

Today would be D's big announcement, and it was also the day of another big event: the debut of the new commercial airship, Discovery. Out of pure curiosity, Hanori couldn't help but wonder what D would say or be able to see the impressive ship, but her personal desires would just need to take a back seat. Whatever Olan was doing, she needed to be here if he needed her.

Inside the lab…

"Carefully now…little buddy. This will be the last time I swear," Olan murmured softly to the deadly Blue-fang. His gloved fingers shook slightly as he inched the heated metal probe closer and closer. "It'll only hurt for a moment…"

He jabbed it in the back, just below where its thorax met its head. It immediately recoiled, shrinking down from the prod. The blue fangs, from which it gets its name, came out as it hissed. In a move he'd done four times prior, he slipped the prod under the fangs and held them out as he used his fingers to hold its body in place. Light green venom started dripping out. He caught the venom in a tiny beaker until the dripping stopped. He withdrew his hands as quick as he could without harming it anymore.

Olan sighed and wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve. "Sorry about the discomfort, but it's all over now. I've got enough now." He held the beaker up to the light and swilled it around a little.

A small chuckle left his lips. To him, this had been the toughest part of his day everything else seemed…simple, even though in truth it was nothing but.

If all went according to plan, from today on things would get very interesting, and it wouldn't be long until he had the Demon Killer's head on a platter.

Ba Sing Se, Rei's apartment…

"Well, why not?" Rei protested as she fussed with her hair.

"Because it isn't safe." Mitsuro said, as he lounged in his chair, eyeing the wall mounted clock.

"What do you mean it isn't safe? I'll just be in the crowd watching it. It's not like I'll be inside of the thing."

Why can't the ignorant cow just leave it alone? Mitsuro rolled his eyes. "I don't care. I don't want you anywhere near it. It's one big accident waiting to happen."

She turned away from the mirror and stopped brushing her hair. A big deal where she's concerned. "You really care about me that much?" her face looked so…pathetically touched.

Mitsuro couldn't muster any verbal answer without it dripping with sarcasm, so forced out a wry shrug and topped it off with a raised eyebrow. Anyone else under the same circumstances, would think it was an awkward time to do something like that. But with Rei…

She bounded around the bed and threw her arms around Mitsuro. She gave him a wet peck on the lips. "Okay, if it'll make you feel better, baby. I won't go."

Mitsuro sighed slightly. He looked back at the clock. It was time. He gently separated her from him and stood up out of the bed.

"Good. I've got to go out for a while."

"More club business?"

Mitsuro felt his lips curl into a small smile. "Yes."

Rei gave him a disappointed look, but relented and said, "Okay, fine."

Mitsuro grabbed his quiver strap and fixed the gloves he recently bought recently to get a better grip on the throttle to his bike, and stepped out the door without saying anything else. It took a concerted effort for him to not move with hurried steps, but he contained his excitement. As he went down the hall to the stairs, he refused to use the Earthbending assisted elevators and the mechanized one was too slow. He passed three girls roughly his age. He didn't hide his disgust as he snorted audibly and made sure to force one of them to move out of his way.

"Tch…loser," Nyla spat out.

Mitsuro put up with a lot being with Rei, but he was at his wits end with Rei's choice in friends. Nyla and the other two, whose names he didn't bother himself to learn, were an ever present thorn in his side. They kept filling Rei's head with their smut. Rei was good to look at on her own, she didn't need to wear 4 pounds of makeup to look nice. Or to buy anything and everything to show as much skin as possible. The way the three harlots have her dressed, it made Mitsuro not want to be seen with her in public. But, he'd do what he had to do, his relationship with Rei was a necessary…

No, wait.

Was it really all that necessary now? The offer to stay on the organization grounds was extended to him afterall, so…

No, focus, Mitsuro. I can worry about this later. The only thing that should be on my mind is the shot. It'll be the most precision based target I've ever had. Some annoyance like these tramps is nothing.

Mitsuro muttered a quick insult under his breathe as he continued down the hall. They reached his and Rei's room before he got to the stairwell. Just as he started down, he heard Nyla open her big trap in a high pitched squealing that could shatter glass as she and the others doubtlessly threw their arms around Rei in a group hug.

"Hey girl! Oh my gosh, you'll never guess what I just won!" Nyla shouted.

What she said next was muffled too much when the door closed shut behind him. In the sudden silence, Mitsuro immediately saw himself staring down his target, feeling the wind and making the slight adjustments. No one was around, so he didn't need to hold back. He flew down the four flights of steps and was on his ride before he knew it.

Today was going to change everything.

Soto's Furniture Warehouse…

"We're sorry for the inconvenience, but the store shall be closed today."

Ezeru stood, staring at the sign. He looked from the sign, to the locked door, and back. His brow wrinkled. They're not here? Where could they be? What could come up that was so sudden they didn't have time to tell him before leaving?

Whatever the reason was, Ezeru had the day off. His house didn't have a sonicus phone, so if something unexpected happened, they wouldn't have any way of telling him. He once suggested buying one, but that would also mean getting a line ran to the house which would cost a large sum of money.

It was far too early to eat at Aunt Meng's and he'd already planned on eating lunch later, so that left out going to his training spot, since it took a long time to walk to and back. Unless he was willing to walk all that way just to train for a few minutes, that only left one option aside from returning home.

The Cave of Faces it is.

The cave was through the woods to the south of Okano District. He found it when he was searching for a place to train after he and his family moved in. It was next to the Chen Yi River.

Though it wasn't wide enough to be called a true river, Okano lore said an Avatar hundreds of years ago mastered Earthbending and Waterbending at the same time while meditating near its bank, hence the name. The Chen Yi is believed to hold some spiritual significance and travelers claim that during full moons a faint glow can be seen from its waters. Ezeru wasn't sure if the stories were true and had never been near the river during full moons, but he did walk along its banks in hopes of finding the same kind of results for his Earthbending, though he would settle merely for more control, rather than full mastery.

He still recalled walking far off the beaten path along its banks, and tripping on a hidden tree root. It was the only thing that brought his eyes away from the river, otherwise he would've never seen the cave.

He'd come in hopes of finding a place for Earthbending, but instead he found somewhere of equal importance. In that cave he knew he could clear his mind.

Now, the opening was blocked by a large, moss covered stone taller than he was. He slid the stone away with his hand. The familiar, if faint, scent of incense wafted into his nostrils. It was layered with stale air and mildew. The cave itself was completely pitch black during this time of day and sunlight never shone too deep inside anyway. It had been a few months since Ezeru was here, but he still knew where everything was in the total darkness. He knelt just inside the entrance and picked up the spark rocks from on top of a smooth topped stone. The cave could get hot in the day so he slipped off his gasa and placed it where the spark rocks just were. He took the four steps to the side, hovering the spark rocks above his hand. He wriggled his fingers and they struck together causing a small spark. The candles caught, flicked to life. And the first row of stone faces came into view.

Some people say they never forget a face, but it's rarely ever as literal as it was with Ezeru. He only needed to see someone once, even from at a distance, and their face would be imprinted within his mind.

It wasn't something Ezeru consciously did. He just did it. And like a key to a locked door, the faces would unlock the memories of the person they went with. Just by seeing someone's again face he could recall every single instance he saw that person complete with details like the color of the stain on their shirt. It was a unique skill and Ezeru didn't believe anyone else on the planet was like him. Something like this, his mother once told him, was something be proud of.

It was never that way for Ezeru.

Not only was it something he didn't do on purpose. He couldn't stop it. Every single person he ever met would become locked into place in his mind. Ezeru once lived in Ba Sing Se, so he was in a position to see thousands of people. Thousands of faces. As amazing a memory it was, his memory had its limits. Because in truth, each face only represented a small gateway to a larger set of memories that he could see in his mind in vivid detail. This much activity isn't normal but it was the way Ezeru always remembered being. And he even could expand this to memorize items he'd seen too. It was fine until…

"Mom?"

"No, son! Run away, please! Now!"
"…mom? Why are…you bleeding?"

"Well, look at this. He had a son? Good!"

"No! Don't, please don't hurt him! I'll…do anything!"
"Mom!"

No!

Ezeru grabbed his head with his left hand. His right arm started to quiver. When grabbed that and it immediately stopped, but the cave around him started to shake. He fought the images back as he always did, shoving them into the deepest corner of his mind. It happened much easier now than it had before, but he still could tell he broke into a cold sweat and his heart hammered in his chest. He inhaled then exhaled three times, and the cave stopped trembling. He took a moment to compose himself and went back to lighting the last of the candles.

Not long after…the incident, he would have bizarre dreams. Terrifying dreams. Dreams like of him being spoken to by a man with 1,000 voices or a woman fixing her hair with hundreds of pairs of hands. Dreams he experienced vividly.

On the advice of a doctor Ezeru's known since childhood, Ezeru learned that he needed to find an outlet for the faces he kept remembering. The problem came with prolonged retention, the doctor had said. Ezeru's mind wanted to organize the memories instead of the random jumble they became after...that day.

That's where things like the Cave of Faces came in

Using his Earthbending, Ezeru could etch each new face he saw in rock whenever he felt he needed to and it was enough. Whenever he ran out of room, he found somewhere new. The cave was just the most recent incarnation. Once he used a stone tablet and each face was roughly the size of a copper piece. Ezeru didn't fully understand it, but it worked. The nightmares stopped. At least, some of them stopped…

The very first face belonged to an elderly old man Ezeru saw on the road as he and his family was moving into the city. He walked along the length of the wall, stopping at random, seeing if he could focus on a particular person at will. He had been getting better at controlling it now. He found that he couldn't remember a face he wasn't physically seeing after he recreated it. Though he still would remember the person again if he saw them or their faced etched onto his cave wall.

Whenever he was in between visits to the cave, he tended let his gasa tip over his eyes, forcing him to see people by their feet. Avoiding eye contact until someone spoke to him, which didn't happen often unless he was at work.

The cave was filling up quickly and was half full now. He stared at the last face he carved, and then closed his eyes. The image of the next new person he saw slowly came to him. Using his index finger to focus the bending like a pen, even though he wasn't physically touching the stone, he started to carve out the first two faces: a little girl and her mother playing in a playground.

Ezeru wouldn't consider himself an artist nor did he think of his carvings as being beautiful. It just was something that, was necessary. Still, he found he put for a great deal of effort into it inadvertently. And in truth, saying they were all carvings wasn't true. Sometimes instead of etching into the stone, he would cause to stone to rise up, causing sculptures in the wall. These instances were rare, and like his memory, unintentional.

This time three faces were sculptures: the little girl from the playground, Miko from Aunt Meng's, and the person Ezeru bumped into several weeks ago.

When Ezeru thought back on each face he'd seen, he also remembered the way he felt about them, and that directly affected his carving. The more strongly he felt, the more detail. And if he only saw one expression on a face, that was how he remembered them. Such as the smile of the little girl. But, that wasn't the only reason her face was more detailed. Years ago, Ezeru and his mother would go to playgrounds, same as any other child. But this was after his mother was paralyzed from the waist down and Ezeru was…

Ezeru blinked the thought away as he felt his right arm tremor. Unwilling to stay with a tough memory for the second time today, Ezeru moved on.

People with names also tended to stick out to him or ones he had seen frequently prior to visiting the cave. So that explains Miko being emphasized, Ezeru figured. But, it was something else too that made him give her special treatment, but he couldn't place why. It would just be something he'd have to let go for now.

And then there was the last one. Ezeru shook his head, feeling his brow wrinkle again. Ezeru remembered the that person looked at him, and the look on his face reminded him of things he wished he didn't get reminded of. Ezeru also remembered how dusty and anxious the man looked, the way he bounced up and ran away. Ezeru thought the person was running away from him, but something told him otherwise. He got the feeling like the person was doing something wrong. The final thing Ezeru remembered about him was the hair. He'd never seen anything like it. Thick strands of coarse hair.

Ezeru glanced at the entrance, and saw how much the shadows shifted. He stepped outside and realized how much the sun had moved.

Time always became nonexistent to him when he was carving.

As if to emphasize the time of day, Ezeru's stomach gave a light growl. He blew out all the candles, left the incense burning, as he always did, took up his gasa, and replaced the entrance stone.

Feeling content with emptying his mind, he bid a silent farewell to his personal little space, and headed back into the city for Aunt Meng's.

Outside of Inner Wall…

"Will you look at the size of that thing?" Akeno said with an awed look on his face he usually reserves for a girl way out of his league.

"Yeah, it's crazy to believe something that big can fly," Zhi added.

Qin laughed. "It's not much bigger than the airship Fire Lord Ozai used during Sozin's Comet. You guys are so easily impressed."

"Well, yeah, but this thing carries twice as many people and can fly much faster. Fast enough at least to cross the Great Ocean. It's enough to be impressed about I think," Zhi shot back. Zhi loved sciencey stuff like this.

It was another packed event. And for the second time in less than three months, people from all over the world were gathered in the Earth Kingdom. Except this time it was to see the airship Discovery's maiden voyage.

A landing zone for the airship was just outside the inner wall. A massive terminal three times the size the Grand Station was still under construction. It would be the first of its kind in the world.

The top of the airship could be seen from half a mile away as he, Akeno, Qin, and Zhi road in on the crowded tram. Darlo snorted at the massive, mechanical monstrosity. And then he smiled and lightly patted the black sack he brought with him, hearing the slight metallic ping of his mask through the fabric.

Image and persona was everything for D, so Darlo started thinking about what he would say, but then he decided to just play it by ear. He usually said the best lines like that. After all, Darlo was the original D, so he was certain he'd do a better job being himself than the almost faithful impersonation did. Darlo would have try to remember to ask where the guy got his mask from. Darlo'd also make sure he'd get his name. To this point he'd been calling him "Specs".

Darlo normally didn't like working for anonymous employers. Too often it would be someone who was unwilling to risk his own people, so he reached out to Darlo to accomplish some crazy thing or other. Don't get him wrong, Darlo loves a challenge, but he also loves breathing. But this time there wasn't much room for a painful death.

All Darlo had to do was stick to the plan, and like Specs said, "The rest would just fall into place." This had so much potential to give Darlo what he wanted. Darlo just couldn't wait to steal the old man's thunder.

Things would never be the same after today.

It just had one of those feels to it.

The tram pulled to a stop in a small station near the terminal and everyone filed off. The Discovery was the first ship ready for use, but it wasn't the only airship here. In hangers, smaller versions of the behemoth Discovery were on display.

The Discovery would launch at noon, and it was just past eight now, so Darlo figured he had time to peruse around before show time. He could already see where he would make his appearance.

"What are you looking at?" Akeno asked. Somehow in the minute or so since they got off the tram, he had found himself a snack stand and made it back.

Darlo shrugged. "Nothing really." By some stroke of luck, none of the guy knew about D's earlier appearance in Ba Sing Se and they wouldn't know about this one either until it happens. That should be a nice little surprise. Darlo just wished he could see the look on their faces when they saw him don the mask again.

Darlo noticed a small crowd was clustered around a man standing on a makeshift stage. Next to him was a wire mesh barrel on a stand with a crank attached to it.

"Raffle tickets! Enter for your chance to win passes for you and up to four of your friends or family on board the maiden voyage of the Discovery! Get in line for your raffle tickets! Just one silver piece and you can have a chance be a part of history!" the man proclaimed as he waved the airship passes around in his hand. Another man on ground level was collecting money and handing out raffle tickets.

Zhi's face lit up and he fished through his pockets. Came up with nothing. He turned to Akeno.

"Uh-uh," he said, mouth still stuffed with food.

He didn't bother asking his brother who was perpetually moneyless, so he came with the puppy dog eye routine to Darlo.

"Oh c'mon man! You know how cool it would be."

Darlo was in the relatively good mood to he flicked a coin to him. "Whatever, you'll just be owing me when you lose," Darlo said letting a small smirk inch across his face. Zhi wasn't in ear shot to hear it. He was running up to waste Darlo's silver piece.

Darlo chuckled with Qin, and the half chuckling, half choking on food Akeno.

These guys were annoying and they could crotchblock him from picking up girls inadvertently at times, but they weren't so bad to be around. Mostly.

Top of Hanger 18…

This was the spot. This is where it would happen. Mitsuro knew that even without Jung Su telling him. This would allow for the optimum shot, and the straightest line to the escape route currently being guarded by Po.

Baku, who was lying prone along with Mitsuro on the roof, thought it was too early to be at the spot, but since Mitsuro was given authority this time, he'd just have to deal with it. This kind of archery was all about being at the spot early.

Jung Su himself and Lila were watching from afar from two separate spots to have a clear view of the hangar. Baku and Mitsuro would have no way of knowing if anyone inside the hangar was coming or was coming in on their position. If they spotted anything unusual, they would reflect the sun a different number of times at varying intervals. Three flashes in slow succession meant someone who appeared unaware of Mitsuro or Baku's presence was entering the hangar, thus requiring them to exercise caution. Two quick ones meant someone was suspicious, and to be ready at any moment the mission was in jeopardy. However, two slow glints of light, followed by three fast ones meant the mission was compromised and in full abort.

Vivi was brought along as well, but Jung Su didn't say what her role would be. Neither did he tell Mitsuro where she was. It worried Mitsuro a bit as far as the integrity of the mission was concerned, but he would have to trust Jung Su's judgment, even though he was starting to doubt him. Jung Su knew about Vivi's unstable state more than Mitsuro. It was very doubtful he'd put her in a position to snap and jeopardize the mission.

The plan was sound. Everyone's part made sense. Each task was crucial, yet in and of itself wasn't wholly difficult. The toughest task was up to Mitsuro and he was certain he'd hit the mark, even from this long range. Everything about the plan seemed perfect, except for a glaring fact that made little to no sense whatsoever.

And like why he didn't let Vivi know where he was, Jung Su didn't address Mitsuro's concern when he raised it. Jung Su was highly intelligent, Mitsuro couldn't dispute that, but by small degrees each day he found himself disliking him more and more.

Airship courtyard…

Well, I'll be damned…

Zhi actually won the raffle.

It was almost time for the launch, and the preliminary whatever was underway. It seemed an awful lot like the Avatar revealing fiasco, but security was much tighter. No one was near the airship that wasn't supposed to, and anyone who did get close, like winners of the many raffle tickets, were searched thoroughly.

Darlo didn't have to come up with a fake excuse for why he didn't want to get on board the ship. The guys knew full well that he wouldn't want to ride in the big metal beast. Personally, Darlo didn't really want them on the thing, but he isn't their dad and he wasn't subbing for him either. They could do whatever they want. If they wanted to get on the ship that probably wouldn't ever leave the ground, that's their choice.

No matter. All this means is they'll have a better view of Darlo when he takes center stage. Which, Darlo noticed with a quick glance to a pocket watch Specs gave him, it was just about time for.

Darlo looked around, and didn't see anyone paying any special attention to him or his bag. As nonchalant as he could, he broke away from the crowd and walked towards the terminal.

The area was cordoned off with a chain link fence and old construction equipment could be seen on the other side. If Specs was right, security should be busy enough watching the crowd, so Darlo should be able to slip in unnoticed, but it still wouldn't be easy.

Construction wouldn't be finalized for another week or two. Special doors were being made in the Fire Nation, so where ever there was an entrance there was a large gap in the walls. Darlo had many entry points to choose from. He decided on the one closest to the tiny lake they built next to the terminal. Darlo figured it was to provide a scenic view for passengers when they're inside and looking out the windows.

Heh, that sounds about like something she'd do. That girl likes paintings too much.

For Darlo's purposes the small shrubs next to the fence could be used for cover while he finds an opening. Darlo wasn't much on sneaking around, but he'd get to be plenty loud in a minute or two. Specs also said everything would be set up for him once he got on the roof. Darlo had to wonder how he managed to sneak all that ahead of him. And he even wondered why he bothered getting Darlo to be D for him when he did alright on his own. But, Darlo wouldn't complain.

Now, first thing's first…find the hole in the security.

Just like Specs told him, the guards weren't using an active moving patrol, rather a sentry system. The mystery man was on a roll. He hadn't been wrong yet. Darlo stopped and crouched when he got to the roof. There wasn't much cover up here other than the low waist high concrete railing, so Darlo kept low as he advanced. He could already see the sonicus set up, disguised to look like left over tools. He inched up to the edge and peeked over. The festivities were full swing. Earthbenders were launching small spheres of stone into the air that burst into fireworks.

It was time to get ready.

He slid the bag off his shoulder and started suiting up.

Top of Hangar 18…

The airship Discovery was another marvel of engineering, like the skyscrapers or the drill the Fire Nation used to break through the outer walls of Ba Sing Se.

From the landing gear to the very top, the Discovery stood approximately 210 feet off the ground. The crew and passenger carriage beneath the balloon portion itself was this same length long and could carry a total of 300 passengers and a crew of 40. From nose to the tail rudder the total length was 432 feet long. The airship featured a total of 8 propellers; three on both sides of the balloon and two dominant propellers at the back. Like the airships of the Great War, it was kept aloft in the air by using cells of a flammable, lighter than air gas. To prevent sparks the cells were made of very thick interwoven material, resistant to tears and coated in a flame retardant. The outside of the balloon was entirely made of metal and virtually impenetrable, save for one feature: several thin vents that opened and closed periodically to expel heat and keep the temperature in the balloon constant as well as make the environment inside tolerable for emergency in flight repairs.

That feature would be Mitsuro's target. He had scanned the schematics top to bottom, but he still didn't see how a single arrow would get the job done.

The shot would have to be perfect. Even for the arrow to make through the vent, it had to be timed perfectly as well. In addition, only a shot entering at an angle could hit one of the cells, the designers were clever enough to take this precaution. None of the vents lined up with a cell. So, Mitsuro would have to use the same arrow as the Avatar Revealing ceremony, since it was a clear day, he pained it light blue. Also taking into account the fact that the vents only opened or closed while the ship was airborne, Mitsuro would only take the shot while the airship was airborne and moving.

This shot would be far more difficult than the one he took what seemed like ages ago. And the sheer challenge intrigued Mitsuro to no end, but that didn't change the fact that there was no way a single arrow would destroy the Discovery.

Merely hitting the inner cells of the airship would do nothing, Mitsuro was certain of that. Lighting the arrow on fire would impede the arrow's flight, throwing off the trajectory, increasing the chance of a missed shot especially from this range. Even then, Mitsuro felt he could still make the shot, but the flame would be frail by the time it hit the cell. And at that point, the flame retardant would've snuffed out the flame, causing only a gas leakage at worse, something easily repairable. Of course, that was assuming the arrow didn't just bounce off, due to lost momentum the flickering flame would cause midflight. And still, this was but a footnote to the real reason why a lit arrow would be a terrible choice.

There would be thousands of eyes on the airship, and a flaming arrow isn't hard to see in a clear day. It would also leave a smoke trail behind it. If Mitsuro fires a flaming arrow, it would give away his position and Dai Li agents would be on him in a matter of seconds. They'd never get away. Missions where escape wasn't possible, wasn't missions for archers of Mitsuro's caliber.

This was the mission that they were so desperate for an archer for. After this was over, would they have any use for an archer? They hadn't until now, so what would change? Well, if Jung Su thought he was going to throw Mitsuro away once this was over, he was underestimating him greatly.

And he was showing even less care for a long time member in Baku. But, if Baku's lack of concern for his life being used as a tool to test Mitsuro, then would he be willing to throw his life away just to serve as a lighter for Mitsuro's arrow? All Mitsuro would need to do that alone was a match.

Mitsuro was not about to sacrifice himself today…but, there was an escape plan and the mission details imply that this arrow would do the trick. Also, he was told that Baku would help him, but the details on how were left vague. Yet, the only way Mitsuro knew how that could happen was if Baku lit the arrow. Which will not happen.

No matter how many times Mitsuro thought about it, the only way to succeed was for there to be someway to fire an unlit arrow and then cause a spark within the cells, which was impossible. If it was, one cell would ignite the next and the entire airship would go up in flames. But, again, it wasn't.

Mitsuro must have been showing his concern on his face.

"Don't get psyched out on me, buddy," Baku said with his lizard smile. "All you have to do is make the shot, just leave the rest to me."

Mitsuro gave a hard look to Baku. "You are not lighting this arrow on fire. I won't let you," he said, his voice low and serious.

Baku looked like he wanted to burst out laughing but had to hold it in. In a voice garbled with snickers, he said, "You're in for a big surprise, buddy." He straightened out a bit. "Though I thought you already saw what I can do on that road the other weak. C'mon, Jung Su said you were perceptive."

Mitsuro started to ask what Baku was talking about, when a flash of light caught in his periphery. His head snapped around. It was from Lila's position. Three long flashes. Someone was close. Mitsuro put a finger to his lips and Baku nodded. They both went still.

The road? Then it all came back to him. Mitsuro had been so enamored in the mission and the apparent ridiculousness of what Mitsuro was supposed to accomplish, he'd forgotten all about what Baku and Lila had done. Yet, he still remembered Vivi. The mind works so mysteriously…

Baku touched a man on the forehead and he dropped dead a second later. Then, something else came back to Mitsuro. The day of the Avatar Revealing ceremony. The explosion. The newspapers said the explosion happened when the Ambassador stepped up to the podium...

He knew without a doubt it was Baku who was behind that. Mitsuro always assumed that he used some kind of explosive, but…there's what he did on that road. The bleeding from every opening in the bandit's head, like something burst open from the inside…

Is it really possible? Could someone actually have that kind of power?

Mitsuro knew that yes, someone could. In fact, someone did have that kind of power. Over 15 years ago, he nearly killed Avatar Aang. But, can Baku really do the same? Was there another explanation?

Steel yourself, Mitsuro. None of this is important. Focus on what was in front of you, the rest would come in time.

As if to serve as a reminder of where Mitsuro's mind should be, two slow flashes came from Lila's position. Good, they were clear. And it wasn't a moment too soon. The lights would've been hard to see in the ensuing bursts of fireworks high above their heads.

It was almost time.

"This is gonna be fun to see," Baku mused.

Mitsuro allowed himself to smile. "You're right. It will."

A quarter mile away from the airship courtyard…

None of this sat well with me.

It felt just like the Avatar Revealing. There's too many ways for this to go wrong. All these people, an early prototype of an airship that wasn't originally made to carry such a heavy cargo, and everywhere I looked, there seemed to be plenty of places for an attacker to strike from. Weren't these people thinking? The authorities knew full well about all the attacks, but they were too arrogant to think it was anything but vandalism since no one was hurt.

If they got off their asses and actually thought a bit, they'd realize the truth of all the thefts and other crimes are getting committed by those "delinquent ruffians". They'd realize there was more to these events than they were giving credit for. But, they didn't. There was so much danger lurking in the shadows now. So many people were plotting to destroy the world Aang worked so hard to build, it was next to impossible to hold them off while lurking in the shadows as well. But, it was necessary.

Until the next Avatar was revealed, all I could do was keep disrupting the groups that sought to raise anarchy. And make sure I did everything I could to protect the Avatar's only chance to maintain balance. I have to continue to protect Aang and Katara's legacy for as long as it takes.

Which meant that even though I could feel it in my bones that something very bad was about to happen, I couldn't risk her safety this time.

"Let's go," I said to her. I could see it in her eyes that she wants to do something, so I added, "We tried to get them to cancel, but they wouldn't listen. We can only hope for the best now. If we go down there and they get their hands on you, something far worse will happen. I failed to protect a lot of people in the past, but I absolutely won't let that happen again."

She looked so miserable. She knew something terrible was about to happen too, and hated this helpless feeling. It hurt to see her this way. "I know, uncle," she said sofly. "But still…"

Terminal rooftop…

The festivities concluded and space was being cleared for the christening and launch. Normally, the Earth King would do the honors, but he wasn't present. He fell ill and stayed at the palace. The deed was done by some guy Darlo had never seen before. There was a countdown for the engines to start. Darlo crossed his fingers hoping it wouldn't start.

He should've known they would.

The propellers went to full blast and the airship started to take off. He had to admit, it was impressive to see. It still made him feel sick to his stomach. The crowd cheered as the Discovery rose into the air. Darlo did one last check on all the equipment, and made sure his mask was on straight and his ear plugs were firmly in place. He waited for the airship to start circling overhead, then he stepped up onto the railing holding the sonicus microphone and declared his presence.

"Greetings glorious citizens of the Earth Kingdom!"

To say that gasps are relatively quiet, they're quite loud when they're done by thousands of lungs. People started shouting and pointing. He saw some people sprinting to the terminal. Specs told him he wouldn't have much time to say what he had to say, before he needed to make his escape.

"I promised you that I would make an announcement, and what better stage when in front of thousands of my adoring fans?" Darlo let the boos play out for a bit. In his head he heard a ticking clock. "I've learned much about the state of the world in my time away from the limelight, and I've come away deeply saddened. This world is spiraling out of control, and no one is doing anything about it. This is something I shall not allow!" Darlo flared out his arms, trying for dramatic effect. "So, I am here to say that from this day forward, the man you refer to as D shall set the world ablaze-"

A bright flash of light from the sky cuts Darlo off. Then, a deafening roar. Even with his earplugs in, it hammered into his head. He felt the blood drain from his face as he turned around.

The Discovery was going up in flames, and hurtling towards the ground. But, it was worse than that, it was heading for the courtyard. A mad panic ensued, as everyone rushed to get from under the plummeting mass of fiery steel and death.

The airship pitched in the air and started change as the fireball melted the steering rudder. Its changed course to the ground now put it on a direct line to clip the terminal. Including where Darlo was standing.

Darlo didn't even remember starting to run, but everything became a blur. His mask flew off of his face, and he heard shouting as people were running onto the roof to arrest him saw that the, but they didn't matter. Even the knowledge that Zhi, Qin, and Akeno were all on that airship didn't matter to him. Only survival, mattered right now.

Fear and adrenaline gripped him, and propelled him forward. His mind couldn't focus on anything around him, only on his running straight ahead, towards the glinting light.

His body felt like it weighed nothing, his feet seemed to be spinning in the air on nothing at all. He wasn't even wholly aware of the heat of the burning airship as it grew closer and closer. The feeling of weightlessness wasn't real, he just was running fast. Extremely fast. He'd never gone at this speed before, the wind cutting against his face told him this. The fact that his arms were being blown back by the wind and he couldn't pump them anymore told him this. And the realization that his feet truly were spinning in the air on nothing at all told him this.

Darlo tumbled through the air as the airship crashed into the terminal in a violent crash of steel on stone. His vision was filled with fireballs and smoke. And then in the next instant, he was surrounded by cold water.

Who would've thought, that girl's love of scenic views just saved my skin…

Darlo thought too soon. Chunks of burning airship started plunging into the lake. Darlo righted himself in the water and swan for the bank, being sure to stay under the surface. He was more than half way there until he realized that some of the chunks of airship were actually people.

Blackened and burned beyond recognition. He swam on, feeling his lungs starting to strain, but he forced himself to keep going until his hands dug into the inclining bottom. He pulled himself out of the water and rolled as far away from the lake as possible. He came to a stop in tall grass.

Darlo doesn't get out of breathe much, but he was now. He was coughing up water and trying to breathe at the same time. He tried to sit up, but had no strength in his arms or legs. He could barely move his head, he craned his neck around. A thick cloud of black smoke billowed and rose into the air. Fires were breaking out. He could hear people wailing. And he heard the sound of trams pulling out of the nearby stations, taking people to safety.

Oh man…it's just like…the revealing, Darlo thought bitterly. I should've known better than to get my hopes up.

He tired to get up again. Hell, he had even less strength now than he did the last time he tired. He'd never felt so weak before and he was getting weaker…

Darlo closed his eyes. He just needed to rest for a second…catch his breath…and…then…

Footsteps thudded against the ground.

Someone was walking nearby, then another person, and another. Someone started laughing, it was a high pitched cackle, or at least it felt like sounded funny…

"HA! Look at it burn! That was big boom, wasn't it Vivi?"

A girl giggled. "It sure was!"

A stern, third voice hushed them. "Keep your damn voices down. We're not free yet, the mission isn't complete until we're back at base."

The cackler laughed again. "Listen to you, 'back at base'. Trying to sound all professional, huh?"

More footsteps joined them, one sounded like it belonged to a rhino. "He is professional. That shot was perfect," a cool and confident voice said.

A girl with a voice, apparently much older than the other one said, "Yeah, that was amazing." Her voice sounded like a woman who was…really enjoying…something.

The cackler snorted. "Sure, but, what the hell was with D? He nearly ruined every-"

Cool and confident cut cackler off. "There will be time for this later. We're all present and accounted for, it's time to leave. Stay low, and no more talking until I say it's okay."

The footsteps drew closer and closer. Then they were walking just feet away…then...inches. Then a large foot swung in and…blackness.

Rei's apartment…

Mitsuro unlocked the door and strode in with a feeling of proud triumph. This is how he would've felt before, had he succeeded in killing the new Avatar. It still amazed him how Baku made the arrow explode after just touching it. The blow they had just struck today would send shivers down the world's spine. He could only think of one way to celebrate today's success.

"Rei?" he called, sporting a lecherous look on his face as he tossed his bow on the couch.

No answer.

"Rei?" he called again. Was she in the shower? He checked, no she wasn't.

She wasn't here.

Mitsuro cursed. Why couldn't she just stay put? Where was she? He went to the sonicus phone to call the front desk and ask if they saw what direction she was heded, when he saw the note next to the phone.

He picked it up, then felt every muscle in his body tense up.

Earlier that day, Rei's apartment…

Rei opened the door and was immediately swamped by her girlfriends. They rolled off into an excite laughter and even jumped up and down together.

"Hey girl! Oh my gosh, you'll never guess what I just won!" Nyla shouted.

Rei still laughing. "Wow, that was random, but what is it?"

Nyla waved four tickets in front of her. "Tickets to ride on the Discovery! You so have to come with us!"

"Wow, that's great…" Rei stepped past her and peered down the hall. "But..."

Nyla caught on quick, she and the rest of her friends all stepped inside the apartment and shut the door. "Oh no, don't tell me he won't let you go."

Rei looked away, unsure. "He said he doesn't think it's safe."

Nyla scoffed. "Rei. You can't keep letting that lame excuse for a boyfriend run your life like this. I've told you from the beginning he was only after your money and he just wants to control you."

Rei jerked like someone hit her. "No! You're wrong. That's...not true! You're wrong, Nyla!" Her voice was shaky and unsure.

Nyla placed her hand on Rei's shoulder. "Look, I'm sorry, but I just don't want to see you getting hurt. But, you just can't let him order you around. He's not the boss of you, Rei. And you don't want him to drive apart our friendship, right?"

Rei bit her lip. Nyla looked over her shoulder and gave them a "help me out guys" look.

Kari, Nyla's older sister by nine months, stepped forward "Okay, how about this? We go, ride on the Discovery, and come right back? You yourself said how he goes out for hours at a time and gets back at sunset or later. We ride the Discovery by noon, and have you back here at 1:30. Mitsuro will never have to know a thing. What do you say?"

Rei thought about it for a minute, her face brightened up a bit. "And you really think he'll never find out?"

Kari, Nyla, and the third friend named Izumi, all said, "Cross our hearts and hope to die." Then they laughed.

Rei smiled. "Oh, okay. You know I can't say no to you! I'll get my purse and freshen up!" She turned and bounded into the bedroom.

Five minutes later, they were leaving when Rei stopped. "Wait, I forgot something, you just go ahead, 'kay?"

Rei ran and grabbed a notepad and her pen and scribbled out a note:

If you're reading this, Mitsuro, then I'm not home yet. I know you'll be mad, but I went to the Discovery launch with my girlfriends. I just felt like I needed to have fun with friends too. You've been out so much with your friends, so I hope you understand. We'll talk later.

Love you,

Rei

Mitsuro stood staring at the note. This was unbelievable…Rei…Rei…was…SO DAMN STUPID!

He whirled and threw the note against the wall. That stupid, stupid girl! All she had to do was sit here and wait for him. And she probably would have too. Damnit! He should've never let her keep those stupid friends. Now they'd gotten themselves and Rei killed. They've got no one to blame but their own stupidity.

DAMNIT!

Mitsuro's pent up energy he was saving for Rei was taken out on the apartment. He overturned tables and threw chairs out of the window until he felt too tired to continue. He was left panting like an animal in the middle of a once first class apartment living room that was now completely trashed.

He couldn't stay here anymore. Mitsuro couldn't take any money out of Rei's bank without her being there, which meant he couldn't pay the monthly bills.

Mitsuro kicked over an already kicked over tea table. He should've married her when he had the chance. Now where could he go to live? He refused to live on the streets again.

He looked out the window and saw the still rising, plume of smoke in the far distance.

Ah…that's it.

Ezeru's house…

When word reached about what happened at the airship port, Ezeru had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. He couldn't place it, but…he had a feeling that he would never see the Soto's again.

His mother would confirm this when she read over the list of all the passengers. The Soto's were among the 300 people who won tickets to ride the airship.

There were no survivors.

Ezeru would find out from close friends of the Soto's that when they won the tickets they were so excited, they for Ba Sing Se immediately. They said they would put a note on the front door for Ezeru since he didn't have a phone. Ezeru went back and didn't find the note, only a small tack that held it to the door.

There would be large funeral held at Ba Sing Se for the people who died in the explosion and a small monument was to be built on the site of the airship port. Contrary to citizen protests the terminal and port would be rebuilt, in addition to the airships. This would've been even stoutly opposed to the point of completely halting the construction if the incident had been labeled a mechanical failure, but this was labeled as an attack from extremists.

The primary suspect was D, the Red Striker.

Security at the Ba Sing Se walls was elevated to near wartime levels, and the only people who would be allowed to attend the funeral would be close relatives of the deceased, so even if Ezeru was willing to return to Ba Sing Se for the funeral, he wouldn't be allowed in. So, he paid his respects at their shop, which was already sold off, and at their house, also sold off, when the day of the funeral came.

Again, Ezeru was jobless. But, this time, he decided not to go back job hunting again. Two jobs in a row were touched with tragedy. Ezeru wasn't superstitious, but he could recognize a grim trend. So, Ezeru took his family's advice. He stopped working and took a vacation, or at least that's what Wu Lin called it.

Six months later…

Giala was glad that her son was taking time away from working, and to keep to it for so long. She could tell that this was restoring bits of him that he'd lost. His eyes didn't carry so much strain. It was still there, and sadly it might always be there thanks to his circumstance, but even seeing a marginal drop, did her heart good.

However, it seemed that not working proved to be one of the most difficult "jobs" her son ever had. He still woke up at six in the morning sharp every day. He would get dressed and clean up, and be out of the door before remembering he didn't have anywhere to go. He would go through the motions without a cause. And he never noticed he did all these things without thinking about it until Giala told him about it. So, Giala suggested that until this routine is broken, he rededicate himself to his bending practice, or just take walks around town. And maybe make a friend.

Giala wanted so much for him to live like a normal boy his age, even though she knew he was closer to being an adult mentally. She didn't want him to become socially inept. Human beings need to be with other human beings, but her son lived in a world separated from others.

She knew why, it was because he didn't want to hurt anyone. Didn't want them to get too close, for their own protection. It was noble, but it wasn't healthy. People need friends, male or female. Giala's sister thought it was more about the latter.

Wu Lin had been singing the "you should get a girlfriend" tune for a while, but he had long since wrote that off as a joke or just another Wu Lin quirk. Giala wasn't in a hurry to marry her son off to anyone, but she sometimes wondered if he'd ever spoken to a girl at all. Wu Lin would always tell him about things like complimenting a girl if she ever told him her name, but even though Giala knew her son better than anyone, she didn't know if he ever listened to Wu Lin. And though he would talk about his day when asked, he never mentioned girls. Wu Lin once suggested that maybe he wasn't "into girls". Giala's hand still stung from when she popped her.

Giala knew her son, and he was not like that. He kept people away, but perhaps more than anything, he'd keep girls away the most. Her son may stay single the rest of his life. By slow parts, Giala was going to just be resigned to that.

Maybe it was this knowledge of her son was why it was such a tremendous shock on so many levels, when one day, her son came home early; with another boy (who had the strangest hair Giala had ever seen); and a beautiful, unconscious, white haired girl, covered in heavy bruises and cuts. He held her in one arm, and had a look of concern and worry on his face that Giala hadn't seen since she was paralyzed.

And in a panicked voice, Giala hadn't heard since then, he shouted, "Please, she needs help!"

Next chapter…

Chapter 11: The Fated Meeting