Being thrown straight into a store was not a pleasant thing. Luckily, the store that Yikki had landed on was a clothing-focused one. The clothes prevented his situation from worsening, despite the fact the window had done its damage.
Covered in cuts, but somewhat healthy, the Avatar's assistant returned to the street from which he had been ejected, steadfast. He left the store in time to see two of the targets fleeing the area. However, as much as he wanted to stop them, his attacker was in the middle of the street, his posture making it clear he would not allow anyone to pass. Yikki remembered him very well.
A noise beside him caught his attention. To his right, heading towards the fallen Buma, there was a stone giant. Its size left no doubt.
The abomination!
The waterbender did not think twice and prepared to attack it from behind, but before he could even turn, a wall of earth was there, in his way.
The face of the abomination's partner in front of him said it all: Your opponent is me.
"So be it," said the former museum curator.
Determined to get that over with, the Avatar's assistant went straight to the earthbender, attacking with water whips. Kuzou dodged most of the blasts and defended others with rocks with cold efficiency, while bending the earth in waves to ward off the attacker.
Yikki grimaced in annoyance when he was rebuffed, but kept moving forward, looking for openings as he attacked with waterbending. Kuzou, however, was relentless. He avoided all attacks, without fail, and always managed to keep him at bay.
For some reason, however, he was defensive. As if he was buying time. That pissed him off. They were being underestimated; a mistake they were going to regret.
The assistant pressed more and more, varying the strategy, but continued to be disarmed.
"Is that all you can do? Defend yourself?" teased the former curator.
His opponent did not bother to answer. His expression unchanging, unreadable as always. He would never admit it - after all, the biggest threat was the Abomination and he was just another one of his cronies - but every time he met those eyes, he got a shiver all over his body. It was as if each step he took in his direction was a step taken for his own slaughter. Every move, a new mistake for him to take advantage of.
Behind him, the sounds of battle continued. He wanted to be participating, but was afraid of even turning to look. Turning his back on Kuzou didn't seem like a wise choice. He recognized a groan of pain, however. It wasn't from Buma. Yikki allowed himself a smile.
"Looks like your little game didn't work," he said.
Their "plan" was obvious. The partner distracts him so the abomination could use his size and bending advantage to be able to beat the other, and then it would be two against one. They did not count, however, that both of them were elite combatants. Only one of them would be more than enough to deal with that ragged bunch of vagabonds.
"You underestimated us," he continued, preparing for what he believed would be the push of victory.
Kuzou did the last thing he expected: smiled and relaxed his posture. His expression seemed to say: "Who underestimated who, exactly?" Another shiver ran through his body. He couldn't resist and looked back.
He didn't go that far.
A hard and initially incomprehensible mass hit him before he even turned around. He felt something in his waist snap when he hit the wall across the street, but he couldn't identify what in between the pain and all the air leaving his lungs. When he opened his eyes, everything was blurry. A figure walked towards him through the now destroyed stonewall that separated them before. He did not have to wait for the vision to settle to know who it was; its stature did not allow mistakes. His stone armor was full of flaws that revealed wounds, but if they did anything, it seemed to be just irritating the colossus who walked up to him with pure hatred in his eyes. A freak indeed.
Where the hell is Buma?
Yikki tried to move, but something heavy in his lap prevented him, in addition to the pain.
What the...
Buma lay on his lap, unconscious. His armor had several new dents, in various places. How did he get there? Was it possible the hard mass that had hit him and threw him against the wall was the metalic? It couldn't be possible.
A huge shadow covered them from the sun. The abomination had stopped in front of him and was looking at them with implacable eyes, full of hatred, of malice. It seemed ready to crush them. However, whatever he was going to do, never came to be.
"Let's take the chance" said Kuzou approaching.
The abomination did not seem to want to leave, but ended up giving in to his partner's request.
But Yikki was not beaten. He had adjusted himself in the best position to quickly get rid of his metallic weight in the meantime if he needed to, and went after them both, overcoming the pain. Kuzou, however, had not let his guard down, despite having turned his back to flee. He turned, ready to fight.
This was what the assistant expected. It was too close for them to defend themselves with an effective bending. He would block the chi from both of them and carry them to prison, and the arrogant accomplice would be the first.
Kuzou bent his wrist and hit him in the nose with his fist.
The blow bewildered him, but it was the shock that prevented him from even reacting when a kick hit him in the chest, throwing him over the unconscious metal mass. Before it was possible to straighten up, the earth rose to trap them in a shell.
And once again, Kuzou ran away after surprising Yikki.
"Faster!"
Easy for him to say, since he was barely doing anything besides limping now and then, while she ran for two.
"I would be at the appointed place by now if I weren't carrying a dead weight with me," replied Ember, panting. "Feel free to go alone if you want."
Yan had the decency not to respond.
They passed through the city gates and then the entire mountain range received them. The trail they should take was just ahead, a direct climb to the heart of the mountains. It was not the steepest inclination, but it would still be a nightmare under the present circumstances.
"Ah, shit... look at this trail..." whined the nomad, suffering in advance.
Ember pulled him tighter, ignoring his cries. The firebender had more to worry about than a mumbling monk and steep climbs. She looked back anxiously. There had been no sound from the city for some time. Before, the sounds of battle were audible from afar, in addition to the occasional tremor; now, however, it seemed that the confrontation had been decided, which could be something horrible.
Could they be...
No. Both were excellent fighters, they would never lose. Rohan alone would be more than enou...
Rohan...
She had been so happy when she saw he was fine. When only Kuzou had appeared to save them, she had thought the worst had happened, but of course it was just a strategy. She had been foolish to have doubts. However, there was something wrong with the giant. He didn't even look at he... them when he arrived. The girl had deduced at the time that it was pure concentration against the enemy, but that was still uncharacteristic. He seemed oblivious to everything else, as if taken by something, as if he was... mad. She had never seen him like that before.
Did something happen? Could it be...
She looked back again and her thoughts were interrupted, but she couldn't have been happier for the reason. The two people she most wanted to see were running through the city gates towards her, and it didn't look like they were being followed.
"You are fine!" Exclaimed the girl, without thinking, when they approached.
Kuzou nodded slightly, but it was obvious he was focused on something else - probably on keeping them alive, as usual - and she didn't want to get in the way. When she looked at Rohan, she saw that she was right to be concerned. Something was wrong with the giant; it was as if he was not there at that moment, as if he were just a viewer watching something very horrible happen. Different emotions seemed to take turns in his glassy eyes.
Ember wanted to call him, to understand what happened, but the former agent was quicker.
"Rohan, help me out here," he said, turning to the city. The giant imitated him, showing mild confusion through his shifting mask of emotions. "You two can move on. We're going to say one last goodbye to Gaoling."
The mention of the name of the city seemed to have created a new flood of emotions in the colossus. Kuzou appeared not to notice - which was quite unusual - or if he did, he ignored it.
Separating was the last thing they wanted to do, but the look of the two earthbenders did not allow them to deny it. They turned and started up the trail. Luckily, the nomad was getting better and was able to walk by himself.
When they reached the highest point of the trail that still gave sight to the city, a noise called their attention. The two gasped when they turned. A huge, wide stone wall began to emerge. Meters and meters of land mass rose and widened, so large the soil around it began to uneven. When the two of them down there were finished, the hole they were in looked like an abnormal crater, and the shadow of the wall eclipsed half the city.
"T-That... is... unbelievable..." stammered the nomad, amazed. "H-How do they... what the..." He didn't know what to ask first.
"All this just to block the way?" Asked Ember, trying to see the top of the wall.
It wouldn't be very useful against earth benders in that case, replied the girl to herself, in a voice very similar to that of the former agent.
We're going to say one last goodbye to Gaoling.
The firebender shuddered. Could it be...?
The two earthbenders seemed to exchange a few words. Rohan looked shaken, but soon accepted whatever the other had asked for. Coordinated, they both punched the wall.
Then the wall began to fall.
The noise was deafening. She almost fell down from the force of the earthquake that happened when the colossal wall hit the city. She closed her eyes just in time to avoid the cloud of sand and smoke that hit them next. Some cursing beside her showed the airbender was not so lucky.
When she opened his eyes, what she saw through the smoke was horrible. Half the city was unrecognizable, nothing more than a pile of colored rubble. If people thought they were terrorists before, now there would be no doubt. Ember had never seen such damage in her life.
Before either of them had time to get out of shock, the cause of that disaster appeared through the dust and dragged them away.
"Why, the fuck, did you two do that?!" exclaimed Ember, for the fifth time. The two earthbenders had ignored all of her questions so far, concentrating only on dragging them as far as possible from the chaos they had caused.
So long had they been running, in fact, the dust cloud was barely visible behind the mountain range. Kuzou, however, did not seem satisfied and continued to run, knowing the others would imitate him. Ember didn't even know if he heard her questions. However, not even Rohan answered her. The Giant barely showed any kind of emotion, in pure concentration. The firebender couldn't get close to him, no matter how hard she tried. Her heart sank more and more.
A few kilometers later, they finally slowed down. Fatigue had taken over even Kuzou. He leaned against an elevation beside the trail, panting. Ember and Yan collapsed, while Rohan remained standing, as if he were the only one able to continue.
Five minutes. That was the time that Kuzou let them rest before rushing them again. As Yan seemed too exhausted to complain, Ember decided to do the honors.
"We can't take... much more of this…" she gasped, trying to get up.
"We're close... we can rest better there" replied the former agent, observing the surroundings.
Ember deduced he was referring to Norkka's hiding place. As if everything was answered, the wanderer moved on, leaving the trail behind. Thankfully, they just walked from there, instead of running.
The firebender made her question again. Now they were no longer running, someone would have to answer it.
Kuzou took so long to open his mouth, the girl almost asked again.
"A farewell to the city, as I said before"
"Can you explain it better, damn it?" Asked the girl, with no patience for vague answers.
"That should hinder anyone that is after us," continued the former agent.
"Hinder?!" gasped Yan, finally back to life. "I've never seen anything like that in my life. You destroyed half the city!"
"It didn't get to half..." began the wanderer.
"Don't give me that shit, Kuzou, enough of your technicalities, please" interrupted the airbender, before Ember could.
The former agent laughed as best he could with his short breath.
"Well, that's the practical answer. Beyond that, I guess we did it because we wanted to" he replied, looking sideways at the giant.
Rohan was ahead of them, the shadows of the trees hiding his face, making his look somber. He didn't seem to pay attention to the conversation.
Is he implying that that was Rohan's idea?, pondered Ember. The girl knew very well about the rancidity the giant felt for his homeland, but that seemed too much. Besides, he had...
Wait... could...?
"After all, what happened..." began the girl, with a heavy heart.
"There it is" Kuzou said, as if he hadn't heard her.
In front of them was a shabby hut at the top of the small hill on which they stood. There were fewer trees around it, almost like a clearing, allowing plenty of sunlight. A peaceful and beautiful place, in contrast to the mood of the group.
"Is that the hiding place? It looks like it's going to collapse at any moment" Yan commented disappointed, in a way. He had heard so much about the place and its importance in the past few days that he had come to expect something more... "secret agent".
"That is the intention, no doubt," mentioned the former agent. "You were saying, Ember?"
Ah, so he was listening, cursed the girl.
"What, after all, happened at Gaoling?" she said finally.
Kuzou took a deep breath. He looked at the giant, who did not move, as if pondering how to answer the question. That worried her even more. Even the nomad seemed to notice something strange about the situation.
"Well, it..." began the wanderer.
A sudden noise interrupted him, drawing his attention.
The hut's door was wide open. A figure hurried out, carrying a large backpack. When he turned to close the door, the man saw them and stopped, paralyzed like a statue. From that distance, one could see the shock and fear on his face.
Is that...
Rohan was already halfway the distance to the man. The group had barely noticed his movement, despite the land he had moved to move faster.
Norkka was only able to let out a cry. The giant grabbed him by the neck, lifting him off the ground with just one hand.
"Rohan!" shouted his companions, as they overcame the surprise and went after him.
The informant's despair was visible. He kicked and tried to break free, tears streaming down his cheek. He was suffocating.
"IT'S YOUR FAULT!" roared the colossus, scaring the birds around them.
Norkka seemed to want to say something, but his attacker did not seem interested in letting him speak.
The group reached them, but were not even noticed.
"What the fuck is going on here?!" Yan tried, not knowing how to act.
No one answered.
The nomad looked at each one of them, but no one seemed able to speak. The giant ignored them and Ember looked terrified. It was no wonder; they had never seen their friend like that. Even Kuzou seemed more agitated than usual.
"Rohan..." cried the girl, trying to get his attention.
"IF IT WASN'T FOR YOU...," continued raging the colossus, ignoring everything else.
Norkka saw Kuzou and his eyes immediately turned to him, asking for help, begging for his life. His face was already purple.
The former agent's eyes, however, only responded with coldness. Yan could clearly see the exact moment the wanderer's face changed after seeing the informant's pleading eyes. The moment when he became Dai Li again. The nomad felt a shiver run through his body.
Norkka's eyes widened as much as they could. One could see the veins in his eyeballs.
If you run away now... I can't guarantee your safety afterwards...
That was everything the informant received from those impassive eyes.
A snap silenced all sound.
Norkka stopped struggling. His limp body hung in the air by the giant's hand.
Nothing nor anyone dared to break the silence.
Rohan opened his hand.
The informant hit the ground, offering no resistance. And there he stayed.
Ember covered her mouth in pure terror. Yan didn't know how to react. Unconsciously, he looked at the former agent. The latter, without looking at anyone in particular, just sighed. The nomad's hands started to tremble.
The giant did not move. His breathing was heavy, and his fingers were having small spasms.
Those same fingers were marked on the body's purple neck on the floor. The corpse's head was stretched out unnaturally, and a bulge was seen below the chin, as if something was trying to come out of the throat.
"W-w-what... happened..." stammered the girl, in an almost inaudible whisper.
No one seemed to hear her.
"Rohan..." she whimpered.
The giant ignored her.
Could it be...?
"Did something h-happen to... Nohro...?" the girl sobbed, fearful.
Kuzou looked at her, curious.
That caught the attention of the colossus. In one movement, he turned and looked at her with red eyes.
"You!" Rohan roared, and went straight to the firebender.
Ember flinched, terrified.
With a single step, Kuzou got between the two.
The giant stopped immediately. He stared at the 23-year-old who barely reached his chest, as if challenging him. The former agent just stared back at him. The tension at that moment was so strong it was suffocating.
After a few seconds that seemed like hours, the colossus turned sharply and withdrew towards the trees, leaving them behind.
As if something had finally come loose, Ember collapsed on her knees, her face moist with tears. Yan considered doing the same. He couldn't even think of his personal mantra.
Kuzou just relaxed his shoulders as he watched Rohan walk away. He decided to let the silence settle, so that his friends could recover.
Not that there was anything he could say.