The Night Chase Attack
September 16, 2010 (Late Night)
Nao liked Shin'ichi.
Dipping two fingers in the pool of scarlet paint, she ran a stroke over her eyes.
He was confident, assured, straight forward, independent…
In other words; cocky.
But he could back it up; he wasn't exaggerating.
He was the real thing.
Second color, smoky gray. From the bridge of her nose to her upper lip, the mirror was only there for decoration.
As many times as she had practiced this, it wasn't like there was much she could mess up on.
Dashes of brown on the forehead, she never understood why this exact pattern was chosen.
It's not like there was anything symbolic about it.
Nao held her wet hands away from her, standing before using the damp cloth to clean them.
'Will it really be that simple?' It wasn't so complicated.
The plan, it wasn't ingenious or fool proof, people could easily through it in anyway.
Why not force something more abstract, something impossible to solve?
But then again, she didn't know it all. He refused to explain anything other than her part, the role she would take.
The rest she had to wait to see with the rest of them.
The more she thought of it, the smaller of sense it made.
'At least he doesn't exaggerate like some peoples.'
The commander made it seem like he'd come and order her away irrationally. That she'd be kidnapped or attacked, that her opinions wouldn't matter.
Shin'ichi actually said it was her choice. That she could decide whether or not she wanted to get involved. If she wished to stay here; she was more than welcome to. She could remain anonymous and continue on with this role.
There wasn't even any pressure to make a quick decision.
He said she had until the end of the invasion to think it over.
Either way she was sort of helping.
So long as the war continued they were safe, so long as they ran equal lines with their own world.
Personally she never had an opinion of this war. If the rest of the nations were too pathetic to stop a single country, what good were they?
They wouldn't cooperate; everyone wanted to be the one to stop the Fire Nation. They wanted to take the credit of being the one to stop the repeat in history.
Selfish, inconsiderate.
They didn't deserve their freedom.
Patting her tied hair, her contacts felt dry, irritating her eyes, she yearned for the day she could rid of them.
'I could…' If she took his offer.
Would it be worth it?
She tightened the wraps, suffocating her chest; she was surprised she hadn't lost any of her cleavage over the months with all the constant constrictions.
'If I work with them…we'd have to be a team.' It didn't take much thought to know that Shin'ichi wouldn't approve her striking down everyone they worked with.
But if they had no value, why keep them? Those who can no longer contribute or are weak enough to be taken hostage, why let them live? Death is a noble turn, dying to protect what they believe in, it's an honor.
Although…Masters and Prodigies were probably weighed a bit higher than the average person.
Nao pulled her boots, up half of her shin, the dark leather tucked beneath; she pulled wrist guards over the long sleeves.
Running her tongue across her top set of teeth, she forced her fangs away, rounding the ends of her ears.
'And this is when it gets interesting…' She was ready for this.
She set a coat of energy burning high, just for precaution as she stalked out of the room.
Darkness swept across her vision; the glow of the moon offered such a powerful beam you'd have thought it was flashlight the spirits were showing off.
Nao heard a few murmurs passing the groups.
The talking out of term rule didn't apply during preparation sessions; they needed to ensure they went over everything. Often a few opinions were expressed at this time.
"Does he really know what he's doing?" Rika fell in step with her.
Without the alcohol she was strict, much more sensible in thinking.
And without Nao screwing with her head; she simply thought Ren had ordered her to scare the avatar into backing down from finding the master.
"The commander says to follow his orders." Nao reminded her; she spotted Tamako in a cluster with Jiro.
Same group, probably the ones actually getting sent to the field.
The style of splitting them into so many different groups was unusual.
"Still, attacking during a full moon." Rika shook her head, her ponytail swishing against her black outfit.
She wasn't refusing to follow, only expressing concerns.
They had a large quality of waterbenders; however they didn't make up the majority. Why attack when the opponents were strongest? The area selected wasn't just a single colony, an area filled with real waterbenders.
Some were going after the actual city. Others to battle. Others to the worthless settlements.
Others seemed a suicide mission.
Nao and Seiichi knew; it all had to do with timing.
Everyone else was to be in for a good surprise.
So long as she was perfect, as long as nothing was ruined, it was victory.
"There's nothing we can do." She left Rika behind, heading to dragon stables.
Nao dropped the fake bow and arrows in the trash; they'd only weigh her down. Her seal was all she needed.
Seiichi adjusted his weapon on his back, waiting for her outside.
He said nothing, walking inside with her approach.
The snap of hay beneath their boots, blood was spilled from their pet's last meal, Jade snorted as Nao loomed near her.
"You aren't going to screw this up are you?" He finally asked, mounting his dragon.
Nao stroked the sides of hers, giving him a sharp look.
"Now why would you even ask such a question?" She swung her leg over Jade's back, rubbing behind the horns; the dragon gave a satisfied swish of the head.
Seiichi eyed her.
Of course if anything went wrong it'd be her fault. He never messed up.
"Let's just get this over with." He sighed; a high pitched whistle between his teeth, his dragon took off, slipping through the narrow opening of the stable.
Seiichi had to duck to avoid hitting his head.
Nao watched the tail slash across the floor before sliding behind him as it took flight, a gust of wind hit her face.
"What do you think Jade? Is he worth staying here?" She pressed her face against the scales, closing her eyes; this wasn't the time to be thinking.
Her dragon snorted, either passing the idea off as ridiculous or the fact that she had to think about it ridiculous.
Jade could be confusing sometimes.
"You really need a translator."
Another snuffle.
Nao smirked, satisfied for now.
Sticking two fingers in her mouth, she blew to produce the screech of command, Jade instinctively took off.
All of them, running.
It'd look like a mob, a group of teenagers on a rampage.
As if they cared about their appearance.
With Aeka left behind; there was nothing to slow their pace.
'Was this what he was so anxious about?' Benjiro hated him.
Was this why Huyu wouldn't talk?
Was he really so stupid? Or just too proud to admit when he needs help?
An alignment of his jaw couldn't decide which he believed.
'He won't….he wouldn't do anything like that would he?' Emi was in denial.
Thinking of it.
The shame, anger, despise. How he always viewed his power.
He wouldn't do this.
Yesterday, a child, a kid, so helpless and innocent, found, pale, face down in the snow. It was a rumor heard across the town. The first thoughts being that the invasion had started, that everything was starting to come to an end.
After hours without further activity, they all settled in the false alarm. The facts also said that he had no physical damage. Records so far could only tell that he passed out, and was nearly frozen in the weather overnight.
The night before the full moon.
Last time; that was where it began wasn't it?
Huyu was slipped out the previous evening and never returned, not in the morning nor afternoon.
It hadn't been until Emi was watching the stars did she realize the completed circle, did she point it out to Benjiro, and that they realized what this could mean.
Aeka would be the most endangered.
Despite her handicap, she was the strongest in energy.
The one that'd be the most appealing to him.
As much as they told her, as much as they warned, she wouldn't hear of it.
"Senpai won't hurt me. He's not like that. Senpai wants to protect me. I trust him." Exact words.
She didn't know how bad it could get.
He hadn't even given any energy in over a week; he would feel it full effect.
If Aeka listened, she'd stay home, stay where she was without movement until they returned and would refuse to answer the door to anyone.
Eita and Nakajima broke off a while ago, what exactly they were thinking to do if they were the ones to find him…Benjiro had an idea that it involved a lot talking/beating therapy.
"What if it's not him? He could just be hiding like he always does." Emi was still searching for outlets.
With the two being airbenders they were covering the area through height.
Jumping from rooftop to rooftop, the area was still pretty big; they were barely out of the Earth Kingdom Settlement, heading into the main central city.
"He didn't come back at all, the only reason for that is if he felt guilty." Benjiro figured that should be obvious, "besides, just think of what he did to YOU."
"He was practically dying! It was an automatic response to survive." She defended.
The houses were so low it ruined the point; Emi performed the perfect flip, harshly missing a beat with her steps as she continued down the road.
"He wasn't dying back when he had to leave because Aeka's presence was too much to handle."
Benjiro mimicked her movements, missing the grace but managed not to stumble.
He sighed, knowing that this wasn't something he should be criticizing.
Huyu had his own problem, his own thing to worry about. It's not his fault.
But he should have said something.
He should have warned them he was unstable.
Three months together.
Did they not deserve that?
A crash cut both their strides. Shrieks piercing their ears, flames lit the night as the brighter flashes allowed for the ghost smoke hint in visibility.
Lights on the residential section were fireflies, spotting the darkness in twinkles as figures passed over the windows.
Orders, barks and squawks, some kinds of animals, noises were suddenly mixed together.
"What's going on?"
Benjiro slowed a bit in the tumult.
"Come on!" Emi was already sprinting to the scene, only getting to the next block before finding their first evidence.
Blood.
Spread across the pure snow colored ground, even in the dark it was a stain, demanding attention.
Benjiro's couldn't breathe.
"Please tell me that's ketchup." Another stupid question, not even a false hope here.
Emi only needed a sniff to know it was fresh, holding her breath to ensure it wouldn't flood into a memory of her sense.
Eyes scanning to the sides, glass was shattered, pieces scattered across the shop's hardwood. A body was thrown carelessly, facedown with the liquid leaking down from his face. Half his skin was cut open with…something…something hanging out that was pink and squishy looking. Something that Benjiro would bet was some kind of organ or…worse.
Benjiro gagged.
Dead.
Both knew he was, neither wanted to be the one to confirm it.
Clasping her hand over her mouth, Emi was shaking.
Benjiro blacked out.
Not passed out, no he was still conscious, but it seemed to dull for a moment. His mind just skipped a section until minutes had passed with him having no memory of them. His heart was making a break for it, just the shock made his back sweat nervously.
'I-uh-I- he's-uh….' What was he supposed to do?
Call the police?
How? Where? What would they even do?
Never leave the body right?
"Oh shit." Eita was out of breath, crunching her nose as she came to their side.
"W-uh-yeah." Benjiro bobbed his head uselessly.
His eyes wouldn't leave the picture, his stomach churned as dinner was threatening to come back up.
"Get used to it. You'll be seeing a lot of them soon" Hotaka didn't even tremble on his words.
He was immune to this.
Benjiro never knew if he'd ever be.
"Come on. We got bigger things to worry about. They're starting." Eita took the lead.
The paleness in the others face proved she wouldn't have time to have sympathy for this man.
"B-b-b-ut should we help him O-o-rrrrr uh-"
"He's gone. Ain't nothing we can do for him. They'll clean it up when they count the fatalities tomorrow." Seeing them unable to shake the issue, she walked up and took both their hands, pulling them away.
"Fatalities?" Benjiro squeaked, his voice cracking even higher at the end.
"People die in these things. More will if we don't help out." Eita could almost relate to them.
The first time she had seen of them...the first time she learned the cruelty life had to offer, it wasn't easy. She never had it easy, but that was the breaking point. Now she had adapted, the war made her tough by force, by nature.
They didn't have the advantage.
They were still new to the field; it would settle in their head for a while.
"You mean…they're here? All of them?" Emi seemed to at least comprehend that she had to run with the guide.
Benjiro could only harshly drag his feet, tripping every third step, glancing over his shoulder to catch another look.
Eita shook her head.
"I don't know, but I haven't seen any archers if that's what you're getting at." It was assuring.
At least there was the chance that the master wasn't with them.
"Where's Nakajima?"
Passing to the next block, swarms of people were making it difficult to move. A current of bodies close enough to swish them away in the wrong direction. It was a miracle they weren't pulled apart as they attempted to go towards all the commotion.
In a diagonal formation, they slipped into a less crowded alleyway, only a few frenzied people here bumping past them in a rush.
"We split up when this started." Eita released their arms, red marks showed how hard she'd been forced to hold on.
Two blocks over, it was a giant mess.
Something flew overhead, flames that landed in the next street; cracks in the ice were forming even here. A building was melted while one soldier was visibly bending the structure into a wave, having it swallow the road as screams of people were scrambling away.
Benjiro panicked, taking a deep breath while tucking his head beneath his arms, Hotaka spared him the ridiculing before he took action.
He was suddenly running face on, he slid to a stop; sprinkles hit his face. Spreading arms wide, the water split. He spun his hands over his head and around his back, countering it to the original bender, it was blocked.
Eita was at his side in an instant, shooting her arm out, her metal disk was a bullet. It smashed into the man's skull, straight through the ice shield he'd used to protect himself.
Retracting her arm, it was to her side, she stuffed the device in a pocket.
Chunks of a wooden structure began to break, falling to the crowd, Emi snatched a child from it's path, a blast of wind chilled her skin.
An Airbender was near by; her hair was pushed wildly as the snow being lifted from the ground.
This time none of them needed pressure to move on.
The three made it through the center of the town, holes to the ocean beneath had been smashed through, one on one fights were constantly disrupted with untamed attacks or misfires.
Who was on who side; there was no definite way to tell. Colors of every nation were combined, some in soldier uniforms were obvious, but others were dressed as peasants. Emi had a feeling the Fire Nation had purposely clothed some of their own like this in order to confuse the enemy.
It didn't matter, no one was looking. If it was moving, it was against you.
Pebbles and rocks, earthbenders used what they could, metal containers were the flying faster than the winds. Airbenders were sweeping across the field as sneak attacks; they could slip from battle to battle, strike an enemy down with a single move. Deprive them of air or suffocate them with blasts of to prevent breath.
Benjiro knew that the airbenders were the only ones left out of the last war. That they were all wiped out before they had a chance to have a say.
Now he thinks he knows why. Those who give up the way of a peaceful life can be used as a trump card. Too quick to catch, it seemed impossible to land a blow.
Blood was a creeping shadow, slowly growing larger and larger. He swore there was an arm torn off beneath a pile of ashes; he didn't dare investigate.
"Shit." Eita repeated, holding two of her weapons, she had to keep track of these.
Her hand to hand combat was limited enough for her to have no faith in relying on it.
"We have to find Huyu." Emi reminded them of their main purpose.
Benjiro jumped over an icicle, lashing his other arm out to catch a rock, he spun around and shot it at random, it ran away in the sky without a target.
"Uh…can't that wait!" He was tempted to just back to the house to hide.
Let the people here handle it.
"Your boyfriend isn't a priority anymore." Eita snapped her wrist, intercepting a water whip.
She moved the other to force the gadget to slam into the girl's chest, throwing her back against a firebender.
"Think about it! If the Master does come then Huyu is the only one who can fight her!" She was trying to be as cogent as she could.
A nonbender seemed to think their discussion was unfit for the battlefield.
Charging at Eita, the spear cut her hand as she protected her center, swearing as she twisted out of the way. With both hands on the wood, her and the man had a momentary tug of war, both barring teeth in anger. The blood made Eita's right hand slip.
He pulled it from her grip, giving her enough time to smash her fist into his face, his head tilted back with a dramatic "OOF".
Red streaming down his face, Eita took the weapon and stabbed it in his leg, a cry as he fell to his knees; she knocked him across the head.
An airbender was on Emi, appearing from behind without a trace. Emi managed to slip from the attack, spinning the two exchanged a proper battle motion. Wrists touching as they circled in stepping, Benjiro was distracted with an incoming waterbender.
The opponent struck first, hand to hand first, Emi redirected them; a blast of wind suddenly pushed her back. Head first wasn't the typical airbending style, this enemy fought as an earthbender, nonstop with direct attacks. Emi was dodging efficiently, a distraction before Eita assisted, throwing a chunk of earth against the stomach at a pressure point.
The enemy hurled forward before Emi thumped at the neck.
A water whip nearly caught the two before Benjiro/Hotaka froze it.
"I don't think we'll be getting very far here…" Eita babied her injured hand, the glove was gone.
She applied pressure to stop the bleeding, hardly doing anything other than staining her sleeve.
A boomerang flew over head; the group sprinted behind the nearest building.
"I don't like this!" Benjiro announced, a three on three match was two houses over.
Emi nodded in agreement, flustered as she pulled her hair out of her eyes.
"You guys wanted to fix the world. Well this is what you gotta do." Eita dusted the flakes of snow off her goggles, giving up on the cut.
'I uh…uh….' Benjiro's face was white.
There would be more of these?
Something struck the building, completely shaking the structure in a warning of future falling.
"You should just go back to the house. None of you have armor or are prepared properly. Come on even I know the basics!"
'I'll second that vote but don't really have an excuse for it…' He didn't want to be the coward here.
"Here's a thought. Aeka's back at the house right?"
'Yeah…'
"So who's going to help her out if they attack over there?"
Benjiro crunched his teeth.
He could use that.
"Come on." Emi was suddenly pulling him, keeping low they went down an ally, a dead firebender's body was littered.
'Ew…' He shuddered as they paused to check if the section was clear.
A mass of coal was hurled across the sky; on fire it crashed to the structures as the three of them could feel the trembling of the ice, dragons and bisons were seen overhead.
"At this rate we're going break straight through." Eita bit her aggravated.
"Already done." Watched the extending cracks, how much longer until the entire town began drifting away?
He ran his hand up, blending the ground together at the areas close enough to him; it wasn't going to do much at this rate.
'This isn't good…'
"There's no blood." Emi was next to the man, gingerly moving her hand.
Eita rolled her eyes at the obvious, dismissing the observation without thought.
"Uh…Ok…" Benjiro was with Eita on the unneeded random comment.
"No." Emi felt for a pulse, "He's dead…but not injured." She looked at Benjiro.
It clicked.
Immediately he looked for anything, the snow, boot marks.
He wasn't an expert, but he was pretty sure he had seen Huyu's prints just like them.
'At least he's taking out the bad ones.' Better than getting innocents, it still wasn't comforting.
Following the tracks, the airbenders were swifter than Eita, she lagged behind without complaint.
It was nearly a grenade, something exploded as metal spikes were flying. Eita, still far enough back to have a dumpster like metal near her dived to the side. She withheld a sound of pain from her hand as she was using this as a guard.
Benjiro and Emi were in the opening, he tried to pull the ice up as a shield, too slow; one stabbed Emi in the arm.
She gave a cry, in an instant Benjiro had used his newly noticed strength to sweep her up to the rooftops; it was broken through in the middle but safe. She held her sickening red gushing wound.
"Don't move!" He wasn't sure that was right.
Take her to the hospital! Was there one here? Was it even standing?
Why did he always have to defy what he had learned as a child?
Trembling, Emi knew it wouldn't do anything to leave it, pulling it with her free arm, it stung unbearably as the red juice streamed.
'Why is there so much blood.' Benjiro had seen enough tonight to fill his whole body once over again.
His head felt light.
Ripping off a section of his coat, he wrapped it as best he could as a bandage.
The frost was biting his lungs; there was a cease fire for the time being.
The dead were too many to count, just piling up; people were trying to clear the streets.
This wasn't going to last long.
They needed to be more prepared for when they struck again…or they needed to attack first.
Still withdrawing, there were soldiers to lingering back to strike the nerve of fear into those left alive.
A massacre.
Benjiro never knew the meaning of the world until he saw it. The tears, the screams of agony and loss, they were overwhelming. Row after row families came face to face with the reality that someone was taken. That someone didn't make it.
That one of those blank, lifeless eyes were of their relatives or friends.
So many were still unclaimed, so many dead eyes were staring to no one.
Just lying there, missing sections of the skin through the gashes and stabs, other missing whole body parts.
So much blood.
Pools of it, limbs have cut off with them, drooling out of bodies or colors in the clothing. The debris made up more than the remaining structures, ashes and sand, misplaced snow.
He was still at the main battle sight, eyes refusing to break the gaze, as if he could bring them back by simply staring.
Something dropped in his stomach, the only way he knew it wasn't his heart was from the sharpness he felt in his chest.
Arms quivering, he didn't even know what he was supposed to be thinking.
It was just…there.
A lump in his throat would go down, threatening to restrain air had he not taken a deep whiff, the smell flooding his senses.
'He did this…'
Shin'ichi.
He killed all these people?
He just sent them out there as pawns? He didn't even show; he never even made an appearance.
He let the others solve his work for him, he didn't have the guts to come out here and dirty his own hands?
What it meant to him.
Nothing.
Benjiro's fist was curled, wishing nothing more than to land it on the other avatar's face.
No, how can he even call him an avatar?
Avatar's protected the world.
HE was destroying this one.
"There is only one goal in his mind. And he will do anything to achieve it." Hotaka explained solemnly.
'It better be a damn fine goal.'
To risk all of these people?
To just push them aside for something bigger?
Did he not have a conscious?
No, THAT he probably let die off with the rest of these people.
"Ima kill him." Eita was shaking in anger, her hands crunching, the wound preventing her right from forming a full fist.
For a moment Benjiro swore she had heard his thoughts, that she swearing a justified death for Shin'ichi.
No, her focus was on the body, one yet to be collected.
She ran to his side, the skin whiter than possible, there was a cut on his face and chest, but nothing that could cause this.
Nakajima was unconscious, on his side with low breaths.
"Ima kill that god damn son of a bitch." Eita repeated, even Benjiro agreed with her.
For when he walked up to the body, he could pluck a long boy-length white hair.
'Huyu's a dead man.'