"Very well, we are almost at Gaoling," said Kuzou, looking at the mountainous landscape. "Let's take a quick break here to get ready."

They were at the foot of the mountain, not far from the entrance to the city, which was hidden from view thanks to a curve ahead on the road. The sun was settling at its highest point, illuminating the entire horizon, leaving few shadows to protect them from its constant scourge. Compared to the burning torture of the Si Wong desert, however, that was nothing.

"Get ready?" Yan asked, unsure.

Inside, he knew what his friend meant by that, but he preferred not to think about it too much. He would prefer to think that everything would come out in an ideal way, without any problems, similar to the wonderful night before, in the hot spring house.

"Yes, it is very likely that we are on our way to a trap," replied the former agent calmly. "Let's plan our next steps carefully before we go any further."

The nomad gulped, but remained silent despite everything, awaiting instructions. The others did the same.

"The longer we wait, the worse, so I'll be brief. As soon as I finish, we will act immediately, understood?" Demanded the young agent. "No complaints or futile tantrums, am I clear?"

Ember and Yan flinched, and agreed slightly, embarrassed.

"Great. We will do the following," began Kuzou "We will split up again. Same logic as before: a pair draws less attention than a group. Thus, we can also expand our roles. The pairs will also be the same as last time."

As expected, the catastrophic duo seemed to want to protest, but one look from the former agent was enough to make them give up the idea.

"Ember, Yan," continued "Precisely because you are the ones that draw less attention, you'll go straight to the city, through the main entrance. Your goal is simple: just watch. Act naturally and assess the state of the city.

The two nodded after each pause, almost in sync, like children.

"Watch out for any suspicious movement, any sign of a trap. If there is a serious development in the situation, cause a very loud uproar to warn us that we have to step back. It shouldn't be difficult; after all, noise is your specialty."

Both received the nudge without opening their mouths.

"In the meantime, Rohan and I will follow the foot of the mountains, bypassing the city, until a much more discreet entrance, and then we will go to where Norkka tends to burrow when he comes to this region. If everything goes as expected, from there we will go to a special hidden post of his, a few kilometers to the southwest, between those two mountains.

Everyone looked where he pointed at, as if they expected to see the exact place mentioned.

"We will leave the city through the same discreet place we entered, so you will be stationed exactly halfway, so there is no way to miss us when we pass by. It's a shopping street, if I'm not mistaken. Rohan will let us know about these details about the region, the city and its points of interest, shortly. So far, any problems?

Everyone acquiesced in understanding, despite the tension in the air.

"If things do not go exactly as planned and we end up separated, the meeting point will be in the vicinity of the hidden post. Even if he does not cooperate, it's a very discreet area, full of good hiding places. Any question?"

There was none.

A few minutes later, already informed of the rest of the details and well aware of impulsive attitudes (from Yan and Ember, of course), they went on towards their respective goals.

"Master Kuzou" called the giant, as they distanced themselves from the other friends.

"Yeah?"

"My... establishment is close to our goal in the city. If possible, I would like to go there," said the friend, cautiously. "I know it can be dangerous, but there I can get various supplies and utensils that would be extremely useful to us."

Kuzou was already expecting such a request, and he also knew there was another, bigger, reason behind it.

"What about your friend? He can cause us problems, even if unintentionally..." argued the former agent in response.

"As for that, you can relax. It is very likely that he'll joins us, in fact. In that case, he will be very useful, I guarantee" assured the enormous friend, in an energetic way that was unusual for him.

"We'll see. If this establishment is really as close to our goal as you say, it might even be beneficial."

Rohan thanked him, unable to hide his hope.

Kuzou sighed discreetly. This could be problematic.

Yan had underestimated Gaoling. He knew it was a big place, but not that big. The avenues were of an absurd width, never seen before, able to host a large event, easily. It would probably fit a stadium inside its main avenue. Even the adjacent streets and alleys were abnormally large, eclipsing several of the main streets from other cities. Everything from the floor to the houses was made of crystalline marble. Except for the yellow roofs and some green details here and there, the city was so white that it hurt the eyes.

As a result, their walk to their goal - which happened to be almost on the other side of the city - became a little more arduous.

"This place is unbelievable," Yan said, as they went deeper into the city.

"It's quite wide, indeed," Ember agreed.

"Rich stuff is something else, huh?"

"Expected more, actually."

The nomad looked at the girl with a raised eyebrow.

"What?" She blurted out, uncomfortable with the expression on the other's face.

"High standards, huh? "

"N-Nonsense," stammered the girl, looking away. "Just pay attention. Despite the grandeur, everything seems ill taken care of."

"Right..." discredited the airbender.

As he looked around with more focus, however, he realized she was right. The marble did not seem to shine to its full potential, and there were several piles of sand carried by the wind scattered on the streets. It did not match the meticulous fame of the snobbish people of Gaoling.

"Actually, the movement is also very low, isn't it?" Asked the firebender.

They were almost halfway through the city and had seen only half a dozen passers-by on the streets.

"It must be because we are far from the commercial center of the city. At this time of day, people usually stay there" commented the nomad hopefully.

"Hm..." Ember didn't seem convinced.

That did not help the airbender's mental state. Why did she have to be so pessimistic? It was nothing, really, just a mess here and there. And who was he to judge the routine of those people who were justly known to be... "eccentric"?

They walked for a few more minutes in silence, just watching the landscape. Not that there was much to look at; the path Rohan had planned for them was pretty boring, with almost nothing of note. Apparently, he had purposely avoided all the big interesting points.

"So bored... are we far?" Complained Yan after a few more minutes of the tedious walk.

"And they call me the brat..." spat Ember, and continued before the other one had time to be outraged. "We are almost there. After turning left ahead, we will already be on the shopping street they mentioned. Then we just have to find something to do until they appear."

"Oh great!" Said the nomad, forgetting the girl's offense. "Do you have any idea what we're going to do to pass the time?"

"I don't know, a bar or restaurant, maybe?" She imagined.

"Great idea! A meal now would not hurt, " he agreed cheerfully, and hurried down the street.

He had barely reached the shopping street and had already decided which restaurant to go to. A seafood house! Better impossible.

"Ember, over there! Look at this perfect place, we'll sit there outside, covered by the sunblind, with a full view of the street. Now we just need to fill our bellies while we wait..." the airbender was focused on the establishment.

"Yan..." interrupted the girl.

"What...?" He turned, impatient.

"Where is everybody?"

"What do you m...?"

The street was completely empty. The establishments were lit and tidy, making it clear they were open, but there was no living soul in sight. Not even in the tents, which were also set up, with products on display.

"Does Gaoling have a municipal break at noon or something...?" tried the nomad, unsure.

"Let's go, there's something wrong..." began Ember, approaching to try to pull him.

A strange noise interrupted her. It was coming from somewhere further down the street.

"What the...?" released the airbender, turning towards the sound.

It was a rhythmic noise, which seemed like rattling of metal items. Yan guessed that soon a rich old man with jewelry would appear.

From the corner ahead nearest them, a large and resplendent being emerged, who, except for the humanoid form, resembled nothing like a human. His body reflected the strong sunlight, preventing them from observing him closely.

"The hell is that? A robot?" Asked Ember, placing her hand in front of her eyes because of the reflection.

"No, there are no robots as... compact... as that"

The being began to approach, which allowed for better observation.

"Wait... is that... armor?!" Exclaimed the girl.

In fact, without the hassle of the sun, one could notice the various metal plates that made up the metallic being, in addition to the large display in what appeared to be a helmet. It was clearly a type of armor, but not an inch of what was underneath was visible, not even in the joints. If there was a man inside, it was impossible to see him.

"Oh, no..." released the nomad.

"What?" the firebender was exasperated.

"Is that..."

A metal armor that covered the entire body. There was only one person in the world who wore that. There is no doubt, it can only be...

"Shit, shit..." whined Yan, pale. "T-That's Buma, the metallic! The Avatar's personal bodyguard!"

"W-W-what...?" the girl shuddered, not knowing how to react.

The bodyguard continued to walk slowly towards them. Coming out of shock, they both turned to flee.

A slender man with a military-styled shaved hair was across the street, in the middle of their escape route, effectively cornering them.

That man they knew.

Oh shit...

"It's been a while. Yan, if I'm not mistaken, right?" smiled maliciously Yikki, the former museum curator and personal assistant of the Avatar.

"Turn left here, Mr. Kuzou," said Rohan.

Since arriving in the city through the "secret" entrance - nothing more than a poorly maintained alley, considered as a "service entrance" by the nobles - the giant guided them through the city on various short-used paths, thus avoiding unwanted attention. It was as if a whole web of alleys connected the funds of the establishments throughout the city. An employee could cross the entire city, from one point to another, without even being seen on the main streets by the citizens. On second thought, it was a system that matched the snobbish people of the city. Were it not for the great internal knowledge of the friend, that plan would not be impossible.

"We are almost there. Do you see that fork?" indicated the huge friend. "Going left over there, the third door is already our goal. The path on the right will eventually take us to the shops on the street that we agreed to meet with others. And if we go straight..." he hesitated, unsure.

"More stores, I imagine?" said the former agent. "Including, perhaps, a well-known establishment?" teased.

Rohan said nothing, but his expression gave him away.

"How far ahead is it?"

"It's the second door right away. You can see from here, if you strain your eyes" replied the giant.

"Well then," Kuzou sighed, giving in. "It's close, indeed. You can go; I'll meet you there in a little while."

"A-Are you sure, Mr Kuzou? Is it wise to split up like that?" he was surprised, without hiding his spirits.

"We will be very close, in case something happens. Therefore, it is even wiser in our situation not to go together. Relax, you can go find your friend, I am more than enough to deal with Norkka."

Rohan seemed undecided for a minute, but then he nodded, with apparent anxiety.

"Rohan," called the former agent, as his friend turned to leave.

"Yes?"

"Be mindful, ok?"

The huge friend smiled and nodded, before moving on. Kuzou decided to do the same, and headed for the third door on the left.

He went into a kitchen that was not very clean or tidy. However, the strangest thing was not the lack of care, but the lack of employees. The kitchen was deserted. He strode through it, but not without discretion, to the door that led to the front of the establishment.

The bar was empty, except for a single person who helped himself to drinks at the counter, without showing any indication that he intended to pay. Norkka looked nervous while doing this.

He decided to brush lightly on the counter so that his presence would be noticed. As he feared, his scare was disproportionate.

"W-Who... wait... you...?" He stammered, shaking his hand so much the drink in the glass bounced out.

That made it clear. The former agent was not being expected.

"Why the surprise? I thought this was the deal, right?" Hissed Kuzou, approaching.

Norkka stumbled out of the high chair in despair. When he straightened, he pulled a gun from his waist, and aimed it at the earthbender's chest. He recognized that weapon as the one the police in some cities used to subdue violent benders. If he pulled the trigger, a strong electric charge would hit him.

"Don't get closer!" Shouted the coward.

A siren began to ring through the city. It was an uncomfortable and persistent noise: an evacuation siren.

"What have you done?" Asked the wanderer, moving forward, death on his face.

"I told you to stay away!" Shouted Norkka again, trying to aim the gun more firmly. "I did what I had to do, you lunatic! Now get away or I'll shoot! I can pull that trigger before you are even able to move!"

"No, you can't," he said.

Norkka knew that threat was not a bluff. One could feel the murderous aura around the earthbender, even from a distance.

"I-It doesn't matter," stammered the desperate man. "You should be worrying about other things..."

It was already possible to hear a rush through the city, from citizens evacuating. However, a new noise was noticed: sounds of confrontation. And they came from the direction of the street they had agreed to meet the other two friends.

Shit, this is...

Taking advantage of his slight distraction, Norkka fired. The former agent noticed in time to move, but not to escape completely. The electrical appliance hit him on the left arm. It was as if all of his muscles had spasms at the same time as they stopped. An agonizing sensation.

After the shock, the coward saw the opportunity and turned to flee.

"Norkka!" Shouted Kuzou.

The frightened man turned in fright, thinking he was being chased.

"Last chance," the former agent yelled, keeping on his knees with unbelievable effort, while trying to pronounce the words without curling up. "If you run away now... I can't guarantee your safety afterwards..."

Norkka understood the tone of those words. He seemed to consider it, but finally he gave a nervous laugh and ran away.

"Shit..." cursed the earthbender, now alone in the dark bar.

He punched the wood on the bar counter as hard as he could. It worked; the pain helped him regain control of his body. He leaned on the high chair and gradually managed to stand. When he succeeded, he ran as best as he could towards the alley he had come from. The bastard was right about one thing: there were more important things to worry about.

He had to get Rohan and go find the others. The siren was still sounding in the distance, but it was no longer possible to hear the rush of citizens; even the sounds of confrontation he had heard earlier had attenuated, which was more worrying. If the townspeople had evacuated as quickly as they seemed, there was only one explanation: they were prepared. Someone had prepared them in advance for what was going to happen. However, Norkka's expression had made another detail clear: although everything was planned, they were not expected to get this far. Which meant that someone had been intercepted on the way.

Shit, they ended up as bait.

The door to Rohan's establishment was ajar, which was not usually a good sign. He opened it carefully and entered a dark room, which he supposed was the stock. He went to the next door, which was also ajar.

As he had imagined, that place had been a bakery. It was possible to distinguish a long counter, where the products on display once were, and behind, an entrance to another room that looked like a modest kitchen. He was sure that in the past those green tiles that colored the walls were striking and embellished the place, as well as the holes in the walls denounced the presence of paintings and ornaments handpicked by the owners to give personality to the place.

However, that time seemed to have passed. Glass shards of the most varied sizes and shapes filled the floor; from showcases on the counter and from the large windows at the entrance, he supposed. The walls were stained, and in the few places you could see the tiles, they were broken. The balcony itself was in a deplorable state, with only the part where it curved whole. There were no signs of products, items, utensils or any other equipment. The pieces of wood scattered around the room might have been the remnants of chairs and tables, or even the balcony itself. It was not possible to observe much of the kitchen through the broken door, but what he could see was also not pleasant.

Clear evidence of a riot. The violence and cruelty present was so obvious, it could only be personal; the motive could only be hatred.

A quick glance was enough to determine that his friend was not there. He walked carefully through the old bakery, avoiding possible injuries, but not without haste.

The difference in lighting between the exterior and the interior was so great it almost blinded him. The bakery street was also deserted, but there were clear signs of evacuation. He saw Rohan a few feet to his right.

What he saw, however, made the former agent stop in place, stunned. Of all the terrible scenarios he had imagined, that one had never crossed his mind.

He approached his huge friend slowly, with no idea what to do.

Rohan was on his knees, motionless, with his arms spread at his sides. It was possible to see his fingers trembling slightly. Not even a sound left his mouth ajar. He looked, destroyed, at what was before him.

In front of him, hauntingly, were two large pieces of wood stuck in the ground that together formed a V. Sitting, locked by the wrists in the wood, was a half-naked man, full of injuries and dirt. His head hung over his left shoulder, and dried blood covered his features.

That man had been tortured. He appeared to have been stoned for several days on end by an angry mob, in addition to other types of aggression and humiliation. The former agent deduced, however, that the death was recent. It couldn't have been more than a few hours earlier, most likely during the night.

"...I know very well who the monsters are, Mr Kuzou, and they are frighteningly common..."

The giant moved, slowly. He raised his arms and gently caressed the man's face. A small sob escaped his lips.

Despite all the chaos around both of them, it was as if everything was still and silent, except for the slight breeze that surrounded them.

Even though he had never seen him before, the young agent knew exactly who that man was and what he represented to his friend, although the giant did not know that he had deduced that last part. He had no idea how to comfort him, however. Everything he thought seemed to be wrong in some way. The silence always seemed better. They were not in a position to stand still, but he did not have the courage to disturb him in his grief.

A boom in the distance reminded him of his other companions. He took a deep breath before speaking, but when he did, was resolute and succinct:

"What do you think of releasing some steam? I know just place, and it's close by" He knew the friend would understand.

Rohan didn't seem to hear. He straightened the man's head affectionately and pressed his forehead against his. He stayed like that for a few more moments, then straightened his head back to its resting place.

When he got up, the sun seemed to shrink. When his red eyes met the former agent's, there was no more sadness or weakness. There was only determination. Such was the strength he exuded, that it was possible to feel the pressure around him. At that moment, no one would bring him down. He looked like a real colossus.

Kuzou was glad for not being the target of that fury.

Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit,shit,shit,shitshitshitshitshit... shit!

That couldn't be happening. Where had they come from? Why was there a siren going off? And why them? They were just the scouting team. Rohan and Kuzou were the ones with the dangerous part of the mission.

What would Kuzou do in this situation?

Ember came to her own conclusion before him, and attacked. The former museum curator stepped back from the flames.

"Take care of him, I'll distract the tin man over there..."

Take care of him?! What? Is that girl crazy?

Before he finished his thought, the girl collapsed on the floor when she tried to walk away. Something that would be funny, were it not for the situation.

"What the..." she exclaimed, looking back.

Her feet were frozen.

"So much arrogance..." spat Yikki, approaching, without haste. "And naivety."

"Asshole..." swore Ember, thawing her feet.

As soon as she got up, however, she was thrown back by the waterbending from the Avatar's assistant.

"Too slow," he scoffed.

Yan did not believe in their chances of victory, but he could not just remain stuck in place, looking like an idiot. He turned as fast as he could and attacked.

The air, however, did not obey his right hand, which was now as soft as jelly.

"W-W-what...?" Stammered the nomad, confused.

Before he could reason, Yikki delivered a few more light and localized blows, and knocked him to the ground. Now he felt both arms soft, as well as a sharp pain in the forehead, where he had been hit to be knocked over. He could barely manage to crawl.

"Yan! Get your useless ass up!" Exclaimed Ember, from somewhere out of sight.

It isn't that easy!

"Did you forget about me, little girl?" Said a thick voice, which could only have been from the Avatar's personal bodyguard.

Sounds of earth and metal followed. He was desperate, but he could not manage to see what was going on; he didn't have to wait long, however. After a few noises of confrontation and shouting, Ember fell into his field of vision, wounded. When she tried to get up, strips of metal flew against her wrists and legs, trapping her. The girl cursed, but only managed to crawl and roll harmlessly before Buma approached and pulled her close to them.

"That was pretty easy," commented the metallic man, ignoring the screams and offenses of the firebender.

He left the girl beside Yan and went to join the assistant.

"We are not done yet, two more to go, don't forget" warned Yikki.

"If they're the same as they..." scoffed the metal man. "I expected more from such 'dangerous fugitives'."

"The most dangerous, and the reason we came in person, is the abomination. The rest, like these two, are just accomplices. It was unlikely they were any kind of threat to us."

"And to think they're still alive, useless like they are..."

"Screw you!" Exclaimed Ember, still fidgeting.

"Wow! This one is tough!" Laughed Buma.

"She's just noisy," scoffed the waterbender.

"But what will we do with them? Will we use them as hostages?"

"It's a possibility, but I doubt the abomination really cares about them. They are likely just meat shields; nothing more than a nuisance to us, so..."

"So it is better to eliminate them at once and go look for the others, right?" Completed the metallic man, just as one would suggest a different route for a long journey.

E-Eliminate... w-wait, they can't be serious, thought the nomad, fearful. At his side, even Ember had calmed down in the shock of the situation. When her executioner started to work, however, the firebender started to shake and kick even harder than before, thanks to despair.

The bodyguard was unable to take the first step towards them.

Behind him, a figure came out of the earth. With both hands wrapped in rocks, he struck them on either side of the man's head, crushing the metal helmet. Only a faint, confused moan came out from under the armor, before he collapsed.

Even Yikki was unable to act in time. Before he even understood what was happening, the figure bent the earth and threw him into the nearest store.

"But what...?" Yan tried, fear still clouding his reasoning.

"Kuzou!" Cried Ember, the joy and relief lit up in her face.

"Are you two okay?" He said, crouching down to help them.

"Of course not, damn it!" Exasperated the airbender.

"We're fine," replied the girl. "But what about Rohan...?

The former agent's expression was not comforting. She assumed the worst, but he didn't allow time for her despair.

"Things got out of hand, but the outcome of the plan remains the same," he said, as he bent the metal strips to free the girl. "You two go ahead."

"You are crazy?! We have no way of defeating them!" Exclaimed the nomad.

"We don't have time for... wait, what happened to you?" Asked the wanderer, realizing his friend's strange position.

"I want to know, too," said the firebender, standing up.

The smirk was light, but noticeable. Yan cursed her mentally.

"Hey!"

Everyone turned. A little wobbly but determined, Buma, the metallic, straightened up.

"Don't you think that you have beaten me so easily," hissed the bodyguard.

Oh shit. Yan thought he had been defeated. The dents on each side of the helmet looked like injuries bad enough to wipe someone out.

Kuzou, however, did not seem surprised, much less shaken. He went to the nomad to find out his friend's condition.

"You are very arrogant, aren't y..." continued hissing.

"I," interrupted the young agent, looking sideways at the metal man, "am the least of your problems at the moment."

"What...?"

A tremor, followed by a crash, interrupted the bodyguard. The wall to his left suddenly collapsed, and a stone colossus came out at high speed. Buma was hit hard before he could react, and was thrown hard at a restaurant, demolishing the establishment.

"Rohan!" Cried Ember, relieved, recognizing the stature of the being covered in stone.

"Anyway, what happened?" Kuzou insisted, analyzing his friend's limp arm, as if nothing had happened.

"The museum curator, he did it. The moment I decided to attack, he prevented me from bending."

"What?" Asked the girl. "That is not possible, unless..."

"Chi block, yes. The Avatar's assistant knows this technique" completed the nomad.

"I thought so," said the former agent, taking one of the arms. "I apologize for this."

"Apologies? For what...?"

Using his fingers like tweezers, the earthbender squeezed the skin deeply between the thumb and index finger of Yan's hand. The pain that followed up his arm was unbelievable. Before the nomad had time to react, he took his other hand and did the same. The resulting scream was not pleasant.

"What the fuck was that?" swore the airbender.

"The pain will activate the nerves and blood flow in your arm. Soon everything will be back to normal."

"But... what the fuck was that?" He insisted, looking from his hand to his friend.

"A technique I learned" He preferred not to say where he learned, nor that it was used in unfriendly interrogations.

"Wasn't there a better way to unlock the chi, damn it?" Remnants of pain were still late in extinguishing.

"Probably, but not one I know of. You see, I don't know everything" replied Kuzou. "Now, go. We will delay them. We will meet again soon."

"What? No! We can't split up again!" stated the nomad.

"Yes, we can help," agreed, oddly enough, Ember.

"No. Yan is not yet fully recovered, and I need you to help him out of here. No 'buts'" he cut off, when he saw they would complain. "We don't have time for that. We won't be long, just go!"

Grudgingly, and cursing a lot, Ember ultimately followed the orders. She took the nomad, put his arm around her shoulders and helped him to his feet. The airbender joined the cursing chorus, but did not resist when they turned to leave.

"They'll be back, won't they?" said the girl, unsure, as they walked away.

Yan closed his eyes and took a deep breath before answering:

"They will."

End of chapter.

Author's note: I'm gonna take a break next week. Enjoy the cliffhanger, hehe.