Yo, my benders and non-benders from across the Verse! Welcome to the next chapter of Avatar: Duality.
I hope your all going to enjoy it as much as I had writing it and now on to the reviews.
Girlbook: Of course I was going to include Uncle Iroh! He is my favorite Avatar character. Of course they are going to save Jinora, or die trying.
cdog21: Well his dad was more a gangster, Mirai was more a corrupt politician. Soshi is going to give an answer on what his future might hold.
TragicFiction: I thought so too.
The Storm Master 567: He is going to reconsider a lot of things after this reveal. The only times Batman retiring that comes to mind is at the end of The Dark Knight and after Knightfall (You know, when Bane broke his back). As for what kind of spirit Soshi has... You will see. As for the girl, she's going to be important later.
Lelouch of Zero: Now is not the time for explanations... That comes later. No, that girl obviously isn't going to be important next Book. And thanks!
Marc1345: It's not a mistake. Its suppose to be written that way.
Spartan 108: Yeah, me too!
Now story time.
Soshi had woken up back in his body, and he was now standing in the living room, looking up at the massive family painting his father had commissioned fourteen years ago.
"Soshi!" the voice of Mitsuzo said behind him, "Thank the spirits your alright. I found you in the Lair nearly twelve hours ago, you didn't respond to anything..."
"I was in the Spirit World... I saw memories of my father." Soshi said, with a emotionless chuckle, looking at the helmet in his hand, "Did you know much of a monster he was? How corrupt my mother was?... This crusade. This mission I started those years ago, to make sure no child will ever have to go through what I went through that night... IS BASED ON A FUCKING LIE!" in his rage, he began to smash his helmet against the wall.
"I always wanted to be brave! Just like him that night! I wanted to be just like him! the thought sickens me!" he punctuated each of his lines by smashing his helmet against the wall, where soon cracks beginning to appear on the white surface and the wall he was smashing it on, until the white helmet shattered in his hand, the pieces falling to the ground.
Leaning against the wall, panting as he still felt rage boiling inside him, he began to explain to the stunned Mitsuzo what he had seen.
"But you always claimed it was a simple mugging... I guess such a traumatic experience might have made you suppress certain events..." Mitsuzo pondered, "Still the assassin is capable of bending two elements, just like you... It's a frightening prospect."
"That's the only facts I know. Capable of two elements, and the fires are blue... And I know only one Firebender in recent history that was capable of blue fire." Soshi said, not looking at his father figure, "The assassin was very small. I won't rule out that the assassin and the first success aren't one and the same. I wish there where more clue's."
"I wish so too. But I have to wonder... What would you do if you found the assassin?" Mitsuzo asked, "What would the Vigilante do with the murderer of his parents?"
Soshi didn't directly respond, as he stared out of the window overlooking the back garden. "I'd only want to ask them one question... Why?" he finally answered, "But soon it won't matter."
"What do you mean?" Mitsuzo asked, though he did seem relieved at the answer he got to his previous question.
"I can't do this... Not with all this based on a lie." Soshi said calmly as he began to walk out of the room, "Once I have dealt with Unalaq and saved Jinora... I am going to bury the Vigilante."
"Soshi, it's true your parents where very bad people... Even my Mirai... But you should always remember that they genuinely loved you." Mitsuzo said, watching him stop for a moment, "Your father might have been a bad man, but he had some good qualities. He was brave, determent and fiercely loyal to his friends... In many ways your much like him, he would be so proud to see that you took a different path."
He didn't respond to that, simply continued to walk while saying, "Prepare the ship. Unalaq started this war, and I'm going to finish it." he said, "But first I have to put a corrupt CEO where he belongs."
Mako is sitting inside his apartment, looking through some files, not noticing the shadow being cast over him. "Mako."
The young firebender looked startled up, seeing the Vigilante perched on his window ledge.
"By the spirits!" he exclaimed in fright at his sudden appearance, but to his credit he composed himself quickly, "What are you doing here?"
"I'm on my way to the big finale for 'Nuktuk: Hero of the South'." Vigilante growled, stepping into the office, "I know that you know that Varrick is behind the bombing and the attempted theft of Future Industries. He's going to use this night as an opportunity to kidnap the president. Forcing Republic into the war in the south."
"So Varrick was hiring gangsters to pose as Northern soldiers to get Republic City to join the war!" Mako exclaimed.
"That's why he wanted to have you arrested. If I hadn't stepped in and taken the bag with money and explosives, you would be in jail right now." Vigilante growled.
Mako looked surprised, "That's why Lu was suddenly so eager to get out of the apartment after looking into the bathroom... But why would you help me?"
"I know we don't like each other, but you are one of the few honest cops on the force, this city needs more people like you." Vigilante growled, "We can bring him to justice tonight, but I am going to need help."
"Why?" he asked.
"I didn't had enough time to prepare, I was busy with another investigation." he explained, "Korra isn't here, Bolin is too close to Varrick, Soshi and Asami aren't an option. You are the only one I can trust... please." extending his hand.
That evening at the Pro-bending Arena, which was decorated with a large poster of Ginger and Nuktuk hanging above the main entrance. A crowd had gathered as a Satomobile limousine arrives.
Bolin and Ginger step out of the limo, arm-in-arm as the two walk into the arena.
"There they are folks." Shiro Shinobi reported, "The sweethearts of the big screen, and Republic City's most famous couple, Bolin and Ginger."
"Did you hear what Shiro said?" Bolin said as they stepped inside, "We're Republic City's most famous couple."
"Bolin, you're a doll, but you're as dumb as the rocks you bend. We are not a couple." Ginger said, spotting Soshi stepping out of his limousine with two very pretty young women, one with golden eyes, long black hair and a red dress and a girl with tanned skin, dark brown hair, light blue eyes and a blue dress.
Each of them had their arms wrapped around his arms. Ginger angrily and jealously walks away.
"We are a couple!" Bolin shouts after Ginger, "That's what Shiro said!"
"Let it go Bolin." Soshi said as he walked up to him, placing a hand on her shoulder, "You can do better. Oh, by the way, this is Kanari. She is a big fan of Nuktuk." he gestured to the girl that had let go of his arm.
Kanari, the woman in a red dress, smiled flirty at Bolin, wrapping her arm around him, "So your the real Nuktuk... You look even better in real life than on the silver screen." she said, making Bolin blush deeply.
"I-I-I... T-Thanks!" he exclaimed happily and surprised, "D-Do I know you from somewhere?"
"Kanari and Meinu are our current top models for Shaung Corp's fashion department." Soshi explained, "Meinu, why don't you let Bolin take you and Kanari to your seat. I need to use the little boys room."
Meinu nodded gracefully, taking a hold of Bolin's other arm. The two walked with a Bolin who's face was as red as Kanari's dress.
"You girls be nice to him!" Soshi shouted after them, "He has no experience with real woman!", before walking in another direction.
In the arena, where the playing area has been fitted with speakers and a giant screen. In one of the VIP booths where President Raiko and his wife were seated. In the second Vip Booth, where Bolin was seated between Meinu and Kanari, who where laughing happily at his jokes. Ginger and Asami to the left.
In the playing area where Varrick is standing in the darkened arena, before a spotlight shines on him.
"Thank you all for coming for the finale of 'Nuktuk: Hero of the South'!" Varrick announced to the full arena, "You know, when I first started this project there were a lot of naysayers out there. 'You can't make pictures move' they said. 'You can't take some knucklehead earthbender and make him a star' they said."
As the crowd laughs, "'You can't teach a polar bear dog to speak' they said. Only one man believed in me! Soshi Shuang, and we proved them wrong! Thanks to the magic of the movers, our furry friends have found their voices, and you'll be shocked to hear what they have to say. They speak of the injustice that is happening in the Southern Water Tribe right now."
He stared at the VIP booth, specifically at Raiko, "My hope, is that their words, and this epic mover, will inspire another real life hero to rise up, and help." Varrick said, "Thank you again, enjoy the show!"
During the show, Bolin sadly exits the booth to the balcony of the arena, where Asami approaches Bolin.
"Are you okay?" she asked, "It seems like this mover is really getting to you. You do know Juji's not really dead?"
"Of course I know. Juji's fine." Bolin said, "He comes back to life in the end when the doomsday device shifts the polarity of the Earth. Oops. Spoiler. Sorry."
"Then what's wrong?" she asked.
"I guess I just miss my friends. Everything is going so well for me, but it feels empty without everyone around." Bolin said, "Korra's gone, Mako and I aren't talking... you're doing business-lady stuff with Soshi and Vigil... Well he is Vigil... Team Avatar's fallen apart."
"I know, things have changed to much since we first met." Asami said, looking out over the opent ocean, with Air Temple Island in the distance, "Why don't you come back in and finish watching the mover with me?"
"You go ahead. I need another another minute." Bolin said, as Asami leaves.
Mako enters a hallway where he nearly slips on something on the floor. Though he manages to maintain his balance by stopping into a split. Upon closer inspection, he saw that it was a cake. He hears banging on a nearby locker and opens it.
He sees Lu and Gang gagged and bound inside. Mako removes Gang's ropes over his mouth to enable him to speak.
"They're after the president!" Gang said.
"Then we don't have much time." Mako said, standing up and rushing up the stairs.
Mako burst into the VIP booth where a group dressed in Northern water tribe gear, are busy tying up the already gagged Raiko and his wife Buttercup. The president's guards are slumped unconscious against the wall next to the door.
"I don't think so." Mako send, using a quick blast of fire to send one of the soldiers back.
Giving Buttercup the chance to wriggle out of her gag and screams. One of the soldiers sends a water blast in Mako's direction, who acrobatically flips out of the way.
As he lands, he uses his momentum to send a blast of fire to hurl his attacker from the booth and into the pool down below.
The audience gasp and turn toward the direction of the noise.
Mako evaded another strike when suddenly the ground crackls with an earth wave which throws the three remaining waterbenders against the ceiling. Mako looked back to see his brother.
When they land on the floor, Bolin throws another punch straight forward sending the three soldiers out of the booth and they land with heavy thuds on the metal bridge which allows access to the playing field from the players' locker.
Mako unties the president and his wife; Buttercup hugs her husband.
"Mister President, get back, I'm here to help." Mako said.
"Your not going alone." Bolin said and without hesitation, the two brothers runs to the edge of the booth and jumps down. As Bolin lands in a crouch, ripping the sleeves of his suit as he lands.
He stands up and tears his sleeves off completely, a determined look adorning his face.
"I missed this." Bolin admits to his brother, evading a water bullet, which was bend in the mid-air and hit the attack, making him slide back.
From the ceiling, the Vigilante had landed between the two brother's. "Is it in place?" Mako asked.
"Of course." Vigilante said, cracking his knuckles, ready for a fight.
"Wait! Mako and Vigil are working together?" Bolin said surprised, cracks his neck and walks forward, "This can't get any cooler!"
A waterbender attacks Bolin with water from the playing area, but he manages to dodge the attack. He bends out three earth discs and each disc at a waterbender.
Vigilante runs to the speaker on the right, before changing course to avoid an attack. When attacked on the other side, he stops at the center and bends out two pillars of fire. The waterbenders throw hoses at Vigilante, but the fire pushes through it, successfully hitting him but the clash of cold and heat creating a mist bank.
Mako bends a blast of fire and knocks out one of the soldiers. The other soldier waterbends and prepares to attack Bolin, but Vigilante attacks and bends out two water blast, knocking him out to a nearby speaker.
Vigilante held up a device, pressing a button when a different audio recording began to play.
"I don't care how much it cost!" the voice of Varrick echoed through the arena, "Tonight I want president Raiko kidnapped at the showing of the Nuktuk final!"
Bolin instantly becomes shocked, looking up to Varrick, whom is now worried.
"I think this is our cue to exit." Varrick said, he turns around only to find his exit blocked by Beifong, four officers standing behind her.
"Where do you think you're going?" Beifong demanded to know. Varrick eyes the surroundings uneasily.
A soldier attempts to attack Vigilante, but he retaliates in time to break his arm and throwing him into the pool.
"That was awesome! Hug me brother!" Bolin said, putting his arms around his brother before turning to Vigilante, "You too..." but he had already disappeared.
"I heard from Korra he does that sometimes..." Mako said.
Later that night, outside the arena where Varrick and Zhu Li were led into a police truck as a reporter takes a picture.
"Varrick's plan was to kidnap you and blame it on the North." Beifong said, "Then Republic City would have no choice, but to join the war on the side of the South."
"I can't believe Varrick would do something like this, and no one saw it coming." Raiko said.
"Actually someone did." Beifong pointed out, noticing the irritated groan on the president's face with a satisfied smirk, "No, not the Vigilante. Remember Mako?"
"You got a great officer on your hands." Raiko complimented, looking at officer who was getting his picture taking with his brother.
Ginger runs up to the beaming Bolin and kisses him, taking him aback. When the kissing stops, Bolin looks on dreamily.
"I can't believe my boyfriend is a real life hero!" she said.
"Boyfriend? Wait, stop. I thought you said we weren't a couple." Bolin said confused.
"You really are as dumb as those rocks." Ginger said, "Of course we're a couple." as she kisses him again.
"Nice job, Mako." Beifong said, Gang and Lu where with her, "You're going to make a great detective."
"But chief, there aren't any detective openings right now." Gang pointed out.
"Actually we have two openings." Beifong said, making the two detectives stare at each other in shock.
"Thank you chief!" Mako said happily.
Soshi looks on, Kanari and Meinu around his arms, Asami standing next to him.
"It's a good thing, the Vigilante was there." Asami said, looking at Soshi, "Where were you the entire time?"
"I rather not say... It's embarrassing." he mumbled, looking to the ground, "The lock on the toilet stall was faulty. It wasn't until a cop came to check on the toilets that I got out. I was banging on the door for like an hour."
Asami nodded, though he had a feeling she wasn't entirely buying it. He turns up to see Oogi descending to the Arena. Soshi watches Korra jumps off the bison and approaches the president.
Excusing himself from Kanari and Meinu, he quickly walked up to his friend and the president, Asami close behind him.
"...Avatar Korra? What's wrong?" the president said.
"Sir, I know I've asked for your help before, but things have changed." Korra explained while Tenzin, Kya, and Bumi walk up, "Unalaq doesn't just wanna take over the South anymore. He wants to destroy the whole world."
Raiko looks on in fear.
"Unalaq is going to destroy the world?" Bolin said surprised, "He really does have a doomsday device?"
"He's trying to release a powerful dark spirit during Harmonic Convergence, which is only a few days away." Korra said, "If he succeeds, the world as we know it, is over. Sir, we desperately need your help."
"I'm sorry, Korra, but my answer is still no." Raiko said, Korra and Aang's children widen their eyes in shock.
"President, you have to reconsider." Tenzin said, "There are lives on the line."
"I'm aware that lives are on the line, and that's precisely why my troops are staying here." the president said, "If the world is going to be thrown into chaos as you claim, I need to protect my citizens. I'm sorry. My decision is final." as he began to walk off.
"The Vigilante, Mako and I should never have saved him..." Bolin said with an irritated tone, "Yeah, I teamed-up with the Vigilante."
"I know who you aren't going to vote for in the next election." Soshi said, earning himself an angry glare from Tenzin, "Sorry. That was a bad joke. I'll do anything to help, I promise."
"No... No... It was a good joke." Tenzin apologised, "And thank you."
"I am here to help too." Asami said, walking over.
"Count Nuktuk in as well!" Bolin said.
"Me too." Mako said.
"Thank you. It's so good to see you guys again." Korra said, to her friends. Suddenly running forward and hugging Soshi, who was taken aback by the sudden gesture of affection, "Soshi, I've missed you so much."
"That's great." Soshi said, with a soft grin, "How did it go?"
"Well, I got attacked by a dark spirit. Sorry about your speed boat." she said.
"What!? I don't give a fuck about that boat! I can buy a thousand more and it won't even make a dent in my bank account." he said angrily, before turning to a very soft tone, "I can't buy another Korra... Why are you laughing?"
"I'm sorry." she said with a soft laugh, "It's fun watching you shout."
"Korra, we don't have much time." Tenzin said, getting their attention, "We need to figure out how to deal with Unalaq."
"I think I know just the man to talk to." Korra said, taking a communicator from her pocket.
A massive black warship was crushing through the waters towards the South Pole. Korra is standing on the deck together with Mako, Bolin, Asami.
"It might not be the fleet you were looking for, but it's the next best thing."
The Vigilante growled as he walked up to them.
"It's great, thanks Vigil." Korra said.
"All right! Team Avatar is back in business." Bolin said ecstatic grabs Korra and Vigilante by the shoulder and pulls them toward Mako and Asami, where the five share a group hug.
The other four walked away, leaving Vigilante and Korra alone.
"It's alright. We are going to stop Unalaq, and get Jinora back." Vigilante growled, leaning on the railing.
"I know. We have the Vigilante on our side." she said, leaning next to him, "I hope my dad's alright."
"I'm sure he's fine." he growled sadly.
"Vigil?... Is everything alright?" she asked.
"I just found out my parents were scum. My entire mission to make sure no child would have to go through what I had gone through." he growled, "I am going to finish this war with you... Then I am going to disappear from Republic City, from this world... If I don't fall in battle against Unalaq."
"What? No!" she shouted in a panic, realizing what he was implying, "Republic City needs you! I need you!"
"No, you don't... I can't continue doing this, Korra..." he growled, "I can't keep doing this crusade when it's based on a lie."
"It's not based on a lie." she began, looking at him, "If you can't continue to do this in your parent's memories, then do it for your other reason. To make sure no child will have to go through what happened to you."
He looks from her back to the waters down below, not sure how to respond to her suggestion. "You might not know, but you have brought change to Republic City. People dare to go out in the streets at night, knowing you are watching over them and that comes from people who don't know you."
This made him look up back at her, his amber eyes behind his mask looking into her sky deep blue eyes. "But I like to think I know you a bit better than most people. I see you as a figure who shows us that you can rise above tragedy to do good in the world."
There ya go, another chapter. I hope you enjoyed.
Many thanks to everyone who reads, reviews, favorite or follows this story, you beautiful bastards!
If you liked what you read, don't forget to leave a review, for now I wish you all a fantastic day and I hope to see you ladies and gents, next time!