Avatar: The Legend of Phoenix

Maya: Fire, Air, Water, Earth. These are the elements that the Avatar controls and will use to set balance to the world. Nick may not see himself as Avatar material but I believe he can save us all.

Maya: Previously on Avatar… The Equalists struck Crime Square, a bender strong hold that served as the center for organized crime in the city. The Equalists have been hailed as heroes for taking a stand against bender triads and their crimes. However, their leader, the masked man only known as Amon stopped by the office demanding to see Nick.

Book II: Earth

Alliance of the Turnabouts

"You get out of here right now!" Maya shouted, standing in front of Phoenix with a pointed finger at Amon as he entered the office through the window. "If you want Nick you'll have to go through me!"

"M-me too!" Apollo said timidly as he stood by Maya's side.

"Maya, what are you doing!? Stay back!" Phoenix tried to get in front of Maya but she blocked him off completely.

Amon stayed staring at Maya, who unlike others, would not back down from his glare. Amon stepped closer to her, staring, almost as if he were studying her. Maya did not waver as she continued to glare at the masked intruder. As Maya continued to stare she started to sense something from Amon. Amon stepped back from Maya.

"I mean the Avatar no harm, Mystic Maya." Amon said as he bowed slightly in respect. "I seek his aid."

"Is he lying?" Maya asked as she turned to look at Phoenix.

"No Psyche-Locks." Phoenix replied.

"It's hard to tell because of the mask but no nervous ticks either." Apollo added.

Phoenix nodded to Apollo and Maya as they allowed him to step forward towards Amon.

"Maya, Apollo, if you could give me a second." Phoenix requested.

"Nick, I'm not-"

"Please, Maya… Trust me."

Maya nodded and walked with Apollo outside of the office.

"I knew you were crazy, but I didn't think you had bloodlust, Amon." Phoenix said, referring to the Crime Square massacre.

"That's why I'm here." Amon placed a hand on his hip. "I had nothing to do with that. Richard Granite was the one who ordered that attack."

"So Granite's an Equalist. Why doesn't that surprise me…" Phoenix replied "I'm assuming Crime Square was Granite's before the Stones muscled in."

"I need your help in stopping an all out war from breaking out." Amon cut straight to the point.

"I thought you wanted a war between benders and non-benders?" Phoenix responded.

"No, I want to prevent a war." Amon replied. "Stone made the slip during the attack, he's going to recruit more men and when he does, he'll start a war."

Phoenix paused in thought.

"Please." Amon said.

"Fine… I'll help."

"Excellent, meet me tonight."

"When tonight? Where?"

Amon began to climb out of Phoenix's window.

"The old harbor. 11 pm." Amon replied as he lept out of Phoenix's window.


"This is crazy, Nick." Maya scolded as she was on the phone with Phoenix. "How do you know Amon won't just turn on you once he doesn't need you anymore? It's a classic villain technique!"
"Right now, Maya, Stone's a lot more dangerous than Amon. And right now Amon's the only guy with the intel I need on him." Phoenix replied as he waited at the harbor.

"...Just… Be careful, Nick… Please." Maya's voice said.

"I will."

"Listen, Nick… I need to tell you something. I-" The signal on the phone died out before Maya could finish.

"Hello? Maya? Hello? Strange… I usually get signal here."

"I jammed it." Amon replied as he stepped out from the shadows. "Blocked off all communications with this." Amon held up a small remote in his hand.

"What for?" Phoenix asked.

Amon pointed at an old warehouse a good distance away from the harbor.

"That's where Stone will be to deliver a rallying speech. We're finishing this war before it starts."

"Granite was going to start a war with the earthbenders just because they moved in on his territory… I knew Granite was slime but this?"

"I don't like him much either but he's a valuable asset to the me and my men… However his reasons for attacking the earthbenders aren't so simple, Avatar." Amon replied.

"How so?"

"Granite hates earthbenders more than any other bender. My guess is that he was just waiting for an excuse to hit them hard. He'll never admit to it though." Amon answered.

"So he's an extra special kind of bigot." Phoenix retorted.

"As a small child, he watched his parents get crushed by an earthbender." Amon continued talking with his eyes fixed on the warehouse. "He founded Granite Enterprises just to gain resources to find and kill benders… Then I found him and convinced him to join my cause to achieve a world free of bending, without the need to kill any."

"And you?" Phoenix asked "Why do you hate bending so much?"

Amon glared at Phoenix and didn't say a word but Phoenix saw it in his eyes, sadness, a deep and powerful sadness.

"I," Amon paused for a moment to find the right words. "Family is a beautiful thing, isn't it, Avatar?"

Phoenix didn't say a word, he only listened.

"My daughter… And a beautiful woman by my side." Amon released a sad chuckle "I loved my family more than anything, I was the happiest man in the world… Then I watched them burn to death at the hands of a firebender. I still see them everytime I close my eyes, I see their charred remains… I hear my daughter scream for me, I hear her cry out my name, pleading me to help her… And her cries turn into screams of pure agony as the fire consumes her body… Then her charred corpse is kicked aside, like a piece of trash. Then he smiles as he proceeds to do the same to… As he…" Amon couldn't finish the sentence, it was far too painful for him. "You want to know the worst thing about family, Avatar? ...The whole they leave in your heart when they're taken from you."

For the first time Phoenix saw Amon for what he was, not a monster hellbent on 'cleansing the world', but a man who had everything taken from him by an inhuman monster. A man whose only purpose now was vengeance and retribution, and he wouldn't stop at simple revenge, no, he had to change the world. Oddly enough, Phoenix could relate.

"I-I'm sorry," was all Phoenix could spit out.

"He's here." Amon interrupted, returning to his usual stoic self.

Phoenix looked out at the warehouse and saw a car pull up. A large intimidating man with the appearance of a professional wrestler stepped out of the car and walked into the warehouse.

"How many do you think are in there?" Phoenix asked.

"A lot." Amon replied plainly as he got up and started walking towards the warehouse. "Are you going to help or not?" He called out to Phoenix, urging him to follow along.

"Don't you think you should call in your men?" Phoenix asked as we walked towards the warehouse alongside Amon.

"More men would just mean more noise." Amon replied "I'm not trying to start a war. I'm trying to end one."

"I'm told ending wars is my specialty."

Amon and Phoenix crouched outside one of the warehouse windows, Phoenix peeked in as he saw Stone walk through the massive crowd towards the center of the warehouse.

"That's a lot of earthbenders." Phoenix said with worry in his voice.

Amon did not reply and instead pulled out a canister and tossed it into the window releasing gas into the warehouse that knocked out the nearby benders.

"Amon… Using your cowardly tricks are we!? FACE ME LIKE A MAN FOOL!" Stone shouted as his signaled his men swarm.

"And them? We have enough gas for them?" Phoenix inquired only to be ignored as Amon leaped into the window and began fighting off several benders. "Fisticuffs it is then." Phoenix commented as he followed suit.

Truth be told, it looked like Amon could've handled everything himself. He dealt with several benders at once with ease, using only his hands. Amon would constantly switch fighting techniques during the battle, going over every martial art that existed. Phoenix ripped the ground apart, flipping over several earthbenders as he ran towards Stone, who growled in anger as he watched the duo plow through his army. Stone leapt into the air and slammed his fist onto the ground as he landed sending a shockwave through the ground that knocked Phoenix over.

"Avatar!" Stone sneered "Ha! So you're the biggest, baddest bender there is huh?" Stone cracked his knuckles. "You don't look so tough."

"Would you believe me if I told you I got hit by a car and walked away with a sprained ankle?"

Stone tossed a chunk of earth at Phoenix, who rolled on the ground to dodge it.

"I guess not."

Phoenix tore water out from some of the warehouse pipes and circled the water stream around his body, constantly lashing it out at Stone like a whip to maintain distance. Stone would toss more rocks at Phoenix, who would whip them out of the air with his stream of water and then proceed to strike at Stone who raised earth from the ground to shield himself from the blows.

An earthbender attempted to leap at Amon who responded by roundhouse kicking the earthbender and knocking him into another earthbender. Several benders launched stones at Amon but Amon would leap and flip over them with ease before tossing several darts at his attackers that knocked them out.

Phoenix continued to fight off Stone who decided to take a simple approach by using brute strength to fight the Avatar. Phoenix tried to ensnare Stone in his watery whip but Stone responded by grabbing hold of Phoenix's leg and tossing him across the room. Phoenix hit the wall with a thud and fell to the ground.

"Wanna switch?" Amon offered as he continued to fight off several benders.

"Why not?" Phoenix replied as he leapt off of the floor and punched the ground to raise it up and knock over several more benders.

"Amon…" Stone grinned menacingly as he walked towards his foe.

"Stone." Amon replied.

The fighting between Phoenix and the army of benders began to die down as Phoenix slammed several more benders into the wall with stone pillars. A crowd began to form around Stone and Amon as they stared each other down.

"I'm going to show you who rules this city you masked freak!" Stone shouted as he popped his neck and readied a fighting stance.

"Ok son," Amon said as he raised his fists "Show me."

Rocks enveloped Stone's fist as he swung at Amon with a right cross. The Equalist leader ducked under the attack and delivered a quick one-two which Stone blocked with his arms. Amon quickly rammed one of his fists into Stone's abdomen, knocking the wind of the earthbender and then proceeding to deliver a brutal left hook to the face.

"The boss can wipe the floor with this guy, you'll see." One of Stone's goons said from the audience.

Amon reared his hand back and thrust it forward again to deliver another hit, Stone grabbed hold of Amon's hand and rammed his fist into Amon's side before uppercutting the Equalist leader to the floor. Amon quickly leapt off of the floor and threw another punch at Stone who blocked the blow by raising the earth to shield himself. Stone burst through the earth wall he raised and leapt at Amon, attempting to swipe at his masked foe. Amon dodged the swipe and boxed Stone's ears. The massive mountain of a man screamed in pain and he clasped his hands around his ears to stop them from ringing. Amon did not relent as he ran up to the still vulnerable Stone and roundhouse kicked him in the face. Were it any other man they would have fallen right then and there. Stone, despite still being in great pain, stood his ground. Amon tried to remedy this by ramming his fist into Stone's stomach and delivering a right hook with brutal speed. Stone tore rock from the ground as he kicked at Amon but Amon sidestepped both the kick and the projectiles Stone summoned, and delivered three punches to the kidney. Stone rammed his fist into Amon, shoving the Equalist off of him, and delivered a roundhouse kick of his own, one that raised a pillar of earth that slammed into Amon, who still held his ground. Amon attempted to strike Stone in the face with a three hit combination but Stone would block every punch with his forearms. Stone then slammed his fist into Amon's mask, which cracked the mask and sent Amon spinning back. Amon regained his footing and watch Stone charge at him, Amon thrust his foot out and rammed it into Stone's jaw. Stone was knocked a few steps back before trying to rush at Amon again. Amon delivered a punch that glided along Stone's forehead.

"Ha!" Stone taunted "What was that?"

Amon stayed silent as blood began to seep out of Stone's forehead, obscuring his vision. Amon had delivered the right kind of cut above the eyes, the kind that bleeds. Stone growled as he wiped the blood off of his eyes, as he did this Amon slammed his fist into the side of Stone's face and tossed him over his shoulder to the ground. Stone continued to wipe away the blood as it continued to seep out of the wound. Stone jumped a few feet off of the ground and kicked at Amon, who responded by ramming his elbow into Stone's deltoid. Amon continued to punch at the spot in Stone's deltoid, dodging every attempt Stone made to fight back until he delivered one final open handed strike to the area.

"Hmph," Stone grunted. "That tickled." He said with a wicked smirk.

"It was supposed to." Amon replied "I just wrecked a nerve bundle in your deltoid. It may not have hurt but you won't be able to move that arm for a while."

Stone's eyes widened as he realized Amon was right, he wasn't able to move his right arm. With his left arm, Stone back handed Amon with his fist, grabbing hold of the masked man's head, rammed it into his kneed. Amon fell to the ground. Stone stood over Amon and lifted him off of the ground.

"You're finished." Stone said as he brought Amon close to his face.

Amon replied to this by headbutting Stone off of him, and then delivering a speedy five punch combination to Stone's face, finishing off the attack by ramming his fist into Stone's bleeding wound, then ramming his elbow into Stone's nose causing it to break. Stone fell to the floor in defeat, he couldn't take it anymore, it all hurt too much. Amon stone over Stone and looked around at all the earthbenders watching the fight, they had worshiped the man who now lay at Amon's feet.

"My name is Amon!" He shouted. "Let it be known that all benders who wish to do harm will meet this fate!"

"Amon," Phoenix called out, walking through the crowd. "Amon, he's done, we'll take him in and we can be done with this."

Before Phoenix could reach Amon, Amon tossed bolos that wrapped around Phoenix's legs, leaving the Avatar on the floor. Amon wrapped his arms and legs around Stone's arm placing him in an arm bar. Stone was too weak to struggle as Amon did this, with a quick jerk, Amon snapped Stone's bone. A terrible scream filled the air as Amon got up and proceeded to do that same to Stone's leg. The benders watched in horror as they watched their leader scream and cry out in pain. Amon then finished the job by removing Stone's ability to bend.

"Let him be an example." Amon said as he untied the bolos from Phoenix's ankle.

"You, you-" Phoenix stammered as he looked over at Stone's body.

"He'll live." Amon replied as he pulled out his remote and unjammed the signals. "Call an ambulance."

Phoenix looked over at the bloody pulp of a man who used to be the most feared bender in the city as his dialed 9-1-1.


"It worked." Granite said smugly as he walked into the office, noticing Amon waiting for him in the room.

On the T.V was the news which was reporting on a video that had been sent in to the press, a video of Amon beating Stone and delivering his warning. The headline on the news was 'Masked Man Puts End to Bender's Reign of Terror'.

"How did-?" Amon stopped mid-sentence and looked over at Granite who still wore a smug smirk.

"You've hit the big time, my friend." Granite said as he placed a hand of Amon's shoulder. "The public loves you."

Amon didn't respond, he merely watched himself on the TV mercilessly beat a man to near death.