It was beautiful day, the sun was in full view, there wasn't a cloud in sight, the birds were chirping, and the the breeze from the ocean made everything feel cool. It was a pleasant day for all who are able to experience such a peaceful time, but not all were able to enjoy such a day.
At the Island all things were silent not even the sound of the chimes made a single ring, for the people of the Island were mourning the sudden loss of Zero. Everyone who have came in contact with the mysterious golden hair boy had come to pay their respects to him, his body was completely wrapped in cloth and was laid into a hole. So far only the sounds of a few whimpers and a few shedded tears escaped from the Avatar family as they watched as the grave was being filled.
Lin was also present on the Island, she never thought in all her years would see this, seeing a life of someone so young be taken away so soon. It just took her off guard. She didn't get a good enough chance to know the kid, but what she heard from Tenzin, the boy's name was Zero, he had a pretty terrible life until Tenzin took him in. At least his last few days were his happiest.
Lin just never thought this could ever happen to a child. Not once. She just wish there was a way to aviod all this. After the cermoney the family spent their time inside the temple discussing the very few precious times they have spent with Zero. Lin lingered in the halls and wandered on about the temple until she found herself in front of Zero's room. She wondered what he was like after the day she first met him at that diner, until she heard something topple over inside.
Lin could hear the sounds of bare feet moving about and the sounds of soft murmurs, Lin slowly opened the door and was shocked to find a boy inside the room with his back turned to her. However she found the boy oddly familiar, the boy wore an entirely red jacket, his head was completely shaven with a noticeably large scar running down the left side of his head, but the boy sensed he was being watched and turned around. Lin's eyes widen in shock as she saw the face of Zero once more, but more... Broken.
It was like time has stood still as Lin saw a scarred Zero in a red jacket standing right before him, but she saw how his eyes were, they were a different color, and the pupils were shrunk and bloodshot, his teeth was clenched, and his fists were bloody. Line saw the expression on his face like he was going mad. Before she had the chance to do anything the boy yelled at her in anger, "LEAVE ME ALONE!" then Lin was sent crashing through the wall behind her without being touched.
Laying on the floor Lin saw the boy looking right at her and saw the way his eyes just burn into her with contempt, then the door slammed shut on its own, Lin got back to her feet and tried pry the door open, but it was as if the door was part of the wall as it didn't give a single inch. "Lin what happened?" Lin turned her head and spotted Korra with a concern expression, "kid, I saw Zero, his alive and he's just hidding in his room," Lin told her while she struggled to ooen the door, "Lin that's not Zero," Korra told her.
Lin ceased her attempts to open the door and turned to her confused, "what? what'd you mean it's not him?" the chief of police demanded, "how can I put this, the boy the room is Charlie, Zero's son," Korra explained. "Wait, the kid... Had a kid?" Lin prompted, "... He has three actually," Korra informed her, "but he looks just like him?" "that's because he's a... Copy of Zero," Lin was confused, she had no idea what the Avatar was trying to say, "just let me explain, it's an awful long story."
One long explaintion later.
Lin was sitting with the rest of the Avatar family in the dinning room holding a cup tea, "so... Charlie is Zero, but he's "not" really Zero, he's just a clone?" Lin listed making sure she got it right. Everyone in the room nodded their heads singling her to be right on topic, "so what makes this kid different?" Lin asked, "from what we know so far, Charlie is more powerful than Zero, but he's also more unstable," Jinora put it, "how unstable?" Lin pushed further. "... He killed about twelve people before he escaped," Korra informed and the police chief did not like the sound of it. Not one bit.
"WHAT!?" Lin shot up letting the glass cup in her hand fall to the floor, "twelve people BEFORE he got lose, this kid is just sitting a room with paper walls, this kid should be watched at all time and I'm sorry, but locked up," Lin opted. "Lin we can't do that," Tenzin objected, "we need him to trust us, putting him back in a box is probably gonna push him over the edge," Korra spoke out, "how can you promise if this kid isn't gonna flip out on us and decides to go on a rampage?" Lin demanded, she didn't trust that the clone with such power could be kept under wraps.
"Lin, the kid's been through a lot and he just lost his dad," Mako sided with the others, "that and he nearly got killed by a freaky monster with an up-side down face," Bolin added. However with all their reasoning Lin didn't listen, her mind was made up, "I'm sorry everyone, but I have a city to look out after, even if it means locking one child up," Korra and everyone else was about to run after Lin to stop her, but right when everyone turned to the main door their stood Charlie.
No one uttered a sound or even dared to draw in a single breath of air, only silence claimed the room as Charlie stood before the Chief of Police, "... You want to lock me up?" he asked. Lin stood were she was with one drip of sweat rolling down the side of her head, "I'm sorry Charlie, but you're just too dangerous-" "so is she," Charlie mentioned towards Asami, "and him," to Mako, "and him," to Bolin, "and her," to Korra, "and even you," then to Lin herself, "why am I the only one GETTING LOCKED UP!" Charlie was growing agitated and paranoid.
"We're not arguing over this kid, you just have come with me," Lin approached Charlie and attempted to grabbed hold of his wrist, but in heartbeat Charlie had smacked away her arm, grabbed hold of her leg, and threw Lin through the weak walls. Lin rolled as she hit the dirt of the outside, she was a bit dazed as she didn't aspect a child to have such strength. After she got up she saw Charlie jump through the holes in walls seeing the enraged expression on his face, "I'm taking you in, like or not," Lin told him taking her stance, "I RATHER DIE!" Charlie roared and then he launched himself forward.
Lin quickly slidded away from the attack, she stomped the ground causing a piece of the Earth to spring out from under Charlie, sending him flying in the air, and then Lin shot another piece of the Earth to him before he hit the ground, sending him to a tree. Charlie immediately got back up, but before he can do anything else two walls came up beside him and slammed in to him, as the two walls crumbled Lin searched through the rubble for him, and only to have Charlie pop out still not willing to back down.
He attempted to punch her, but Lin blocked his fist and and kicked him across the head, knocking him down, Charlie got back up and leaped towards her, but got out of his way, and grabbed him by his collar. She then with full strength swung Charlie down to the ground and pressed her shin firmly onto his back to hold him down, "give it up kid, you can't beat me," Lin urged. "Like HELL!" Charlie shouted and Charlie with his mind ripped a peice of the wall from the temple and shot it towards Lin which knocked her off.
Lin got back up and so did Charlie, Lin tried controlling some of the shattered Earth she used on Charlie, but only for him to rip the trees from their roots behind her knocking around, so Lin drew out her wires as the flying timber was thrown at her. When Charlie ran out of trees to throw she clashed with Lin again, Lin then ready her fist planing to drive it into the ground to sink the ground in front of Charlie, to trip him, but this time he had managed to get the drop on her.
Charlie swiped her hand away from the dirt, and then socked Lin in the gut making her hunch over, she then got hit directly in the face making her kneel, and Charlie swung his foot to her face sending her flying across the yard. The family watched in horror as Lin and Charlie were fighting and feared for their well being, "wait? when did he learn to do that?" Bolin pointed out seeing how Charlie made his moves, "he must be learning right on the spot," Asami suggested, "this isn't good, he's gonna figure out how to beat Lin in second if we don't stop them," Korra said. Mako, Bolin, and Korra looked to one another and decided to end this.
Lin was now on the ropes, Charlie was knocking her around like cat with a yawn ball as Charlie slammed her back to ground and pressed down his foot onto her neck. Lin tried desperately to remove his foot from choking her, fortunately for her, Charlie was bolted away from her by a surge of electricity, finally able to take in air Lin looked to see Mako making his stance alongside Bolin, "Lin go inside we got this," Korra told her. Charlie stood back up not even showing any signs of exhaustion. The three benders squared up to Charlie, "I have to do something," Jinora thought to herself and then ran to grab something that she believes that can put a stop to this.
Charlie charges towards Bolin, which he quickly stomps the ground and a small pillar of the Earth shot up to stop the enraged child, but Charlie used it to launch him further, and landed both his feet square in his chest sending him to the ground. Planning to curb stomp the earthbender's face in, Charlie was kicked off Bolin by his brother, "you alright Bolin?" "ugh, yeah, but this kid hits hard."
Charlie than lashes out towards Mako which was dodged swiftly, but as Mako was going to deliver a kick he suddenly felt heavier like a giant hand was pressing down on him, the ground beneath his feet cracked, so he dropped to one kneel, and next thing he saw was the Charlie's head crashing into between his eyes. Charlie had head-butted Mako making him arch his back from the force, Charlie than ran, stepping onto his chest to launch himself straight up, making two fist, and then slammed Mako into the Earth.
Planning to beat Mako to a bloody pulp, Charlie was struck by a head-size rock to his face, Korra had grabbed Charlie's attention, the rock shattered upon impact with his head, when the dust cleared Charlie was furious, but as he was distracted Mako shot flames from his finger tips hitting Charlie in his face. The boy cried in agony, stepping away from Mako giving him time to get away, but he can not believe what he has done, Charlie held his face as it gave off dark smoke, when he removed his hands the three saw the blistering and scorched skin, but then saw the skin on his face twitch and shift. The burnt flesh was healing on its own and with only a few seconds the burn mark was gone without a trace.
"Now that's just gross," Bolin commented, Korra boxed Charlie in by forming walls all around him, and for a moment all was silent. Until it blew up. The three were blown back by the explosion, they looked to see a bright light of purple by the dark energy that Charlie wielded. The three benders only saw the boy's shadowy figure and hate filled eyes burning in the dark while his hands glowed.
With every step Charlie took towards the trio the ground was scorched and out came these strange clear rocks as it grew from the dirt, then in shocking turn the three young adults witness a ray of energy shoot out from Charlie's eyes, "what the-" "DUCK!" Korra, Mako, and Bolin, evaded the deadly beam that could've cut them in two, the ray cut into the Earth behind and around the three missing them completely by inches. Bolin looked back at the burning line that laid just behind them and they were quite relieved, "HA, you missed us-" BOOOOOM!
Before Bolin could finish his remark the ground where the ray hit exploded, the three were thrown into the air and before they could meet the ground Charlie made Mako fly into a tree, Bolin into wall, and Korra to the dirt. Mako and Bolin were out cold, but Korra still held on, "STOP IT CHARLIE! DON'T MAKE ME DO THIS!" Korra warned him, but Charlie didn't respond, "FINE!" Korra channeled all of her strength, she cleared her mind to enter the- BOOM!
Not even giving her the chance, Charlie had blasted Korra square in the chest with his powers, a surge of unimaginable pain ran throughout Korra's body. Korra struggled to stand as the pain intensifies, Korra attempted to bend the ground beneath her, but the Earth didn't move an inch, and looked to see the blast where Charlie struck with his eyes was spreading "corrupting" the ground if I might add.
Korra watch as large gagged spikes spouted from the ground threatening to impale her, one even came close to her neck, Korra stood still not wanting the sharp shards of the corruption to graze her, but now saw Charlie hovering in front of her. With one hand Charlie reached out for Korra's face to make an "example" out of her. Korra in futile attempt to get away from the boys hands as it electrified, she even felt the heat coming from his palm, "CHARLIE STOP!" Charlie halted and turned his head to see Jinora standing before him.
"I'm not gonna fight you Charlie, but you need to stop," Jinora pleaded, "I know all you ever saw is how cruel the world can be, to you, your brothers, and even your father, but I know he doesn't want you to give in to what others think of you, to let think you're nothing more than just a monster." Charlie didn't utter a sound, but the dark glow he emulated started to die down showing that he is listening, "Zero broke out and destroyed everything that those people created, so you and your brothers can finally be free, to live your lives with people you can call your family. I found this in your dad's room," Jinora held up an envelope in her hand.
"it's a letter that your dad wrote before he died, and it's ment for you," Jinora just stood their as Charlie did nothing, but stare down at her, she was hoping she made it through to him. In a instance the glow died completely and the envelope was ripped from Jinora's grasps by nothing, when the envelope was in his hands Charlie opened it up and looked at the letter.
For a long long looooong moment Charlie didn't say anything so Jinora asked, "are you done?" "... No, I can't read this," Charlie then hands the handed the written letter back to Jinora to translate what it says.
"It says, Charlie I wished I had more time, to see you grow, to help you prepare for the world and to what's to come, but that's not going to happen. I know after I'm gone, you're gonna feel like everything round you is caving in on you, and you might even fear if people are even gonna accept you as you are and that they'll be afriad of you and honestly Charlie even I'm was afraid you. You're like ether Charlie, you can be a volatile person at times, but if people just took the time to know and understand what you gone through, you can be such a good and pleasant person to have as a friend, but I need you to do is trust me when I say this. Trust Jinora (aww he trusts me), she taught me to read, to write, and how to have faith again, so please Charlie have faith in her like I did. Goodbye Charlie, always remember, I love you."
Charlie processed everything he had heard and finally the spikes surrounding Korra fell apart and turned to dust and all signs of the corruption vanished from the Earth. Korra dropped down exhausted and Mako and Bolin were gaining conscious and looked to see Jinora holding a sobbing Charlie, "What happened?" Mako asked, "Jinora saved our buts," Korra informed him, thankful that the air nomad had defused the situation.