Team Avatar and The Boys strode through the city, the Afternoon sun illuminating the buildings and walkways surrounding them.
"Are we sure attacking in the middle of the day is a good idea?" Sokka asked as he looked to Toph, who led the group.
"Day or Night. Yakone won't run," Zu sharply replied as he strode beside Toph, Sokka nodding as the group made it to the entrance to the Dragon Flats borough.
"We're all aware of the plan right?" Zu asked as he turned to everyone.
"We wait outside whilst you, Kang, and Li infiltrate the hideout," Aang quickly deduced as Zu nodded.
"And remember, bang four times if he makes a run for it," Toph added, pointing to Zu as the Giant nodded.
"Let's go then," Zu bluntly replied, the group making their way into the Dragon Flats borough.
They strode passed buildings in moderate disrepair, and people leant against walls and poles, sceptically looking to the group, some disappearing from view as they marched in deeper. The group arrived before the Red Doored building, the ominous Aura of the building looming over them.
"It's time, Let's go, Boys," Zu demanded as he went to push the door open, but Kang interjected.
"Are you sure going through the front door is a good idea?" Kang nervously asked, The Giant smirking and scoffing.
"Hey, I'm not about to try squeezing through those vents," Zu jested as Kang and Li smirked, standing behind Zu as he pried the door from its hinges, slamming the red door down to his side, charging in with Kang and Li in tow.
"YAKONE! I'M COMING FOR YOU! YOU BADGERMOLE HUMPING BASTARD!" Zu shouted at the top of his lungs whilst Team Avatar looked on in bewilderment.
"So much for the element of surprise," Kuvira muttered as Toph smirked.
"Well, let's find every exit we can, who knows how many he's got," Sokka commanded as Team Avatar split up around the building.
The rumblings of Zu surged across the building whilst Yakone sat in a small, dimly lit dining room with two henchmen by his side, each worryingly gazing at the doors.
"Uh, boss... are you sure you don't wanna leave?" A henchman asked as Yakone scoffed.
"I've got just the thing to deal with Zu," Yakone coldly replied as he watched the door, dust slowly falling from the ceiling as the foundations quaked.
Zu, Kang and Li smashed into the Hideout with Reckless abandon, entering a restaurant-style room filled with multiple lackeys of Yakone.
The lackeys wasted no time swarming The Boys, but with a mighty slam of Zu's foot, the foundations of the building shattered through the floorboards, throwing the lackeys off their balance as Kang and Li leapt in, the young Fire-bender unleashing a pirouette of flame, scorching several henchmen whilst Li water whipped them away and froze them to a wall, Zu, on the other hand, charged through the crowd before him like an unstoppable bull, cleaving and crushing Yakone's henchmen as he travelled deeper into the Hideout, leaving Kang and Li behind.
"We better catch up to him," Kang told him as he and Li swiftly chased after Zu.
The Giant strode down a hallway, two henchmen charging at him with swords in hand, but Zu slammed his foot on the ground, rupturing the ground beneath them before shifting the earth into him, dragging the off-balance henchmen towards him as he swiped his massive biceps into their heads, knocking them unconscious as they spiralled around in the air.
The Giant continued his charge, smash through doorways and walls whilst Kang and Li saw him charge off, his reckless pursuit shattering the building as several wooden beams collapsed before the two, blocking their way.
"Oh, great..." Li exclaimed as Kang observed the wooden beams, measuring the gaps between them before squeezing through and onto the other side.
"Never despair so quickly, Li!" Kang encouraged him as Li knelt towards the gap Kang squeezed through, shuffling through himself and popping out of the other side.
"Alright, let's catch up to Zu," Li sharply told him as the two charged after him.
Zu smashed through a door, revealing a small dining room. A small round table sat on the opposite side. Two henchmen stood by it whilst Yakone sat behind it, his leg perched atop his other, his fingers interwoven under his chin as he maliciously smiled at Zu.
"Finally found you," Zu breathlessly growled as he approached, the henchmen readying their weapons as Zu flicked his wrists out, shooting up two earthen columns and striking both the henchmen in their heads as he approached.
"Oh, you look a little tired there, Zu," Yakone taunted him as the Giant loomed over him, the devilish man's rigid fingers raising, "Perhaps you should sit down!" Yakone proclaimed, a seemingly invisible force pulling Zu down to the ground, but the Giant resisted its pull, forcing himself back up.
"I'll sit down when I know you're dead!" Zu snarled as Yakone grimaced, striking out his rigid fingers as Zu slumped down, resisting the force the Devilish Man exerted. Kang and Li saw Zu slumped within the room, ducking at the sides of the doorway as they looked to each other.
"Wait here!" Li commanded as he pulled out his stick, whispering into it before his eye twitched, "I got this," Li replied in a gruff voice, swishing the air around his body and forming an air-ball beneath him.
Kaz shot along the ground, floating up Zu and leaping from him, swishing his leg out towards Yakone, but the Devilish Man took hold of the Air-bender's leg, puppeteering him across the room, slamming him into the wall.
But with Yakone's brief release, Zu struck the ground, launching a monolithic spike up toward Yakone, but the Devilish Man just barely avoided his attack, taking control of the Giant once more, pinning him with his blood before picking up an Iron cleaver as he chuckled.
"This is a moment I've longed for!" Yakone chuckled as he loomed over Zu, the cleaver poised towards his neck.
"Hello There," A voice reverberated around the room, breaking Yakone's attention from Zu as they both looked towards the doorway, seeing Kang casually leant against the doorway.
"Oh, it's you... I'll deal with you in a minute," Yakone nonchalantly replied, preparing his cleaver as Kang loudly scoffed, the Devilish Man's eye twitching.
"No, you won't," Kang menacingly replied as he strode in, loosening his arms as Yakone looked up, raising an eyebrow to the Young Fire-bender, "You're a pretty old guy Yakone, late fifties, probably pushing sixty right?" Kang smugly asked as Yakone and Zu bewilderingly looked to each other.
"Kang, stop messing around!" Zu shouted as he lunged out towards Yakone, but the Devilish man pinned him back down.
"Oh, don't worry Zu, I just have one question for him," Kang replied, cracking his knuckles, his arms swaying out to his sides, "How fast are those reflexes?" Kang asked as his arms continued swaying around, sparks fluttering along his fingertips.
"My reflexes?" Yakone perplexingly asked as his eyebrows raised, but before the Devilish Man could react, Kang swiftly swung his arms around, electricity crackling along his fingers as he shot his arms out, unleashing a bolt of lightning towards Yakone.
The Devilish Man's eyes widened, trying to block the attack with his cleaver, but the electricity surged along the iron of the cleaver and up Yakone's arms, the lightning cascading onto the silver chain.
The force of the lightning blasted Yakone back into his dining table, barely clinging to life as Kang proudly smirked, Zu shooting up off the ground, turning to Kang.
"Since when have you been able to do that!?" Zu asked as he gestured to Yakone.
"I wasn't able to do it for a while, but with you, Li and Eamon being by my side... I didn't have to bear the turmoil alone," Kang replied as Zu lightly chocked, the Giant smiling at the Young Fire-bender. But the sound of Yakone standing back up tarnished their moment.
"You little... You little...!" Yakone breathlessly exclaimed as he stood back up, his blazer arm burnt to shreds and his flesh scarred.
The Devilish man clutched his chest, the scolded silver chain dangling in his hands.
Kang leapt in, forming a Fireball on his fists, but Yakone swayed his rigid fingers to the young Fire-bender's fist, throwing him aside as the Devilish man fled for a side door.
Zu lunged forward, but Yakone took control of his arms, forcing Zu to bring part of the building down behind Yakone.
"Damn it, he's getting away!" Zu exclaimed, loudly slamming on the ground four times. Toph picked up on Zu's slamming, her eyes widening as she did.
"He's on the run!" Toph shouted, alerting the rest of Team Avatar, readying them whilst she and Kuvira stood by their exit at the ready.
Kang walked over to Kaz, lightly tapping his cheeks and awaking the Air-bender.
"Why did I fly into a wall?" Kaz groggily asked.
"Blood-Bending," Kang nonchalantly replied as Zu bent the rubble out of the way.
"Come on, you two!" Zu shouted as he charged through the door. Kang helped Kaz up, letting the Air-bender get his bearings before chasing after Zu.
Yakone limped through the hallway, heavily breathing before looking to his Full Moon Pendant, gazing at the scorched metal with a disgruntled glare.
Yakone made it out onto the streets, coming across Sokka with his sword poised, ready to strike. Yakone flexed out his rigid fingers, but nothing happened, the sword almost cleaving The Devilish Man's arm off as he dodged.
"Damn it! The power's gone!" Yakone exclaimed as he threw the pendant away, quickly bending water out from a nearby plant and freezing Sokka's feet to the ground before limping away.
But Sokka pulled out his boomerang, taking aim before slinging it at Yakone. The Boomerang spiralled through the air, flying low before striking Yakone's leg, shattering the shin as he fell forward, yelling in pain before pushing himself back up.
Zu, Kang and Kaz crashed through the door, finding Sokka frozen whilst Aang dashed around the corner atop a large air-scooter, Kuvira, Toph and Katara following behind.
"Where's Yakone!?" Zu exclaimed whilst Sokka chipped away at the ice.
"He went that way, but Aang's already on him!" Sokka replied as he pointed to the distance.
Aang leapt from his air-scooter, flying over Yakone and landing before him, taking a firm stance before thrusting his fist into the air, trapping the Devilish Man in an earthy prison.
The Avatar swiftly approached Yakone, striking his thumbs to his forehead and heart. The Devilish Man's eyes spaced out as Aang took a deep breath, opening his eyes and mouth, a beam of radiant blue light shooting out from his face whilst a crimson light shot out from Yakone's.
"What's he doing?" Kang asked as Zu tried to charge in.
"Hold it, Zu!" Toph shouted, halting the Giant in his path, "If you stop Aang in the middle of his Energy-Bending, who knows what could happen," Toph told him as Zu let out a heavy sigh, watching from afar.
Yakone's form turned into a crystalline blue as the light erupted into the skies, briefly fading before The Avatar removed his hands from Yakone.
"What...!?" Yakone groggily exclaimed as he turned his hazy gaze to Aang.
"I've taken away your bending, you won't be killing anyone with your blood-bending ever again!" Aang proclaimed. But Zu approached, cracking his knuckles as he looked to Yakone.
"Wonderful work, Avatar. Now to finish the job!" Zu proclaimed, smashing his foot into the ground and pulling up a giant boulder, bending it over the top of Yakone as Aang's eyes widened, the Avatar struck his hands out, taking a firm stance and resisting Zu's might.
"Zu! Stop this, you shouldn't kill him!" Aang told him as Zu scoffed, pushing his hands down as the boulder inched closer to Yakone, the Devilish man's eyes widening as he tried to squeeze himself out of his earthy prison.
"Let me guess, you're going to ramble on about forgiveness, and peace and all that Air Nomad philosophy?" Zu mockingly asked as the two strained against one another.
"He can't hurt anyone anymore, Zu! With his bending gone, he's no longer a threat!" Aang argued as Zu snarled.
"You think without bending that this scum-bag isn't a threat!?" Zu shouted, forcing the boulder down as Yakone quaked in his boots.
"Avatar, please! Release me from these binds, then I can escape!" Yakone pleaded as Aang nodded, releasing one hand from the boulder, but his brief release allowed Zu to force the boulder down further, the earthy demise looming mere inches from Yakone, but Aang put his hand back on the boulder.
"I can't!" Aang exclaimed, turning his attention to Zu as the two strained against each other.
"Zu, just listen to me! If you kill him now, it won't bring you peace, death will never bring peace! Forgive and move on, think of your family, think of Eamon! Would they want you doing this!?" Aang argued, but Zu scowled, shaking his head to the Avatar.
"You don't know any of us Avatar, but you're right... Death won't bring peace," Zu replied, briefly loosening his grip on the boulder as Aang breathed a sigh of relief, "because this isn't just death, THIS IS JUSTICE!" Zu shouted, slamming his fists down, Aang almost buckling under the force whilst the rest of Team Avatar and The Boys watched.
"Toph, you have to help Aang!" Katara exclaimed as Toph sharply turned to her.
"What? Why?" Toph quizzically asked as the other looked to her.
"Aang is right, if I can let the man who killed my mother live, perhaps Zu can do the same," Katara argued as Kaz shook his head.
"It's not that simple, Katara. Yakone's taken a lot more than just a mother, if anything... I think you should help Zu, Chief," Kaz sombrely spoke as Toph lightly tapped her foot.
"Sokka? Kuvira?" Toph spoke aloud, Sokka and Kuvira sceptically looking to each other.
"I'm not sure, Toph... Normally I'd be on Aang's side, but Yakone's slipped out of the clutches of the law more times than I can count, maybe killing him is the better path," Sokka sombrely replied as he watched the two.
"I agree with the Governor, Chief, and even without Blood-bending, Yakone still poses a threat to the stability of the city," Kuvira replied as Toph turned her attention to Kang.
"Hey, kid?" Toph spoke aloud, catching Kang's attention as he turned to her, "What do you think we should do?" Toph asked as Kang let out a heavy sigh.
"Zu... despises Yakone, and if... killing someone you love," Kang spoke, clenching his fists, choking on his words as he took a shaky breath, "If that brings nothing but pain, and grief... perhaps killing someone you hate can relieve you of the pain they've caused," Kang told her, as Toph turned to face the struggling two, marching in towards them, Aang noticing her approach as a gleeful smile came over him.
"Toph! Thank goodness!" Aang exclaimed as Zu turned to the approaching Toph, seeing her stand beside him.
"Chief?" Zu shakily asked as Toph raised her hands to the boulder.
"Sorry, Twinkle Toes," Toph sombrely spoke, forcing the boulder down with Zu, the earthy demise just barely touching Yakone as he desperately flailed around.
"Toph... why!?" Aang asked through gritted teeth, as Toph turned her strained gaze to Aang.
"He's too dangerous to be left alive, Twinkle Toes! I'm sorry, but Zu is right!" Toph shouted as Aang shook his head.
"Fine, then you leave me no choice!" Aang proclaimed, his eyes and tattoos glowing with radiant light as he pushed the boulder up and away from Yakone.
"I was wondering when he'd do that," Zu growled, pulling the boulder back down as he and Toph stood fast against Aang's Avatar State.
Katara breathed a sigh of relief, whilst Sokka, Kang, Kaz and Kuvira watched on, but Kuvira clenched her fists, sprinting in towards the straining three.
Kuvira leapt to Zu's side, kicking up a boulder and launching it at Aang, crippling the Avatar's side as he doubled over. Kuvira quickly swiped out two pieces of metal, locking Aang's wrists in place and pulling him away as Yakone yelled at the top of his lungs.
"You pathetic ingrates! I should've risen to be the king of this city!" Yakone desperately shouted as Zu and Toph scoffed.
"'King'?" Zu asked, the Giant and Chief looking to each other with wry smirks, "Yeah, here's your crown!" The two proclaimed, slamming the boulder down on Yakone, the mighty thud bringing a deafening silence.
"Really? You two just had to get a one-liner in, didn't you?" Kuvira asked as Zu and Toph chuckled.
"You only get to use 'em once," Zu replied as he pointed his index finger up.
Aang stood back up, the glow fading away as he looked to the three, shock washing over him as Katara approached, standing beside Aang, the two disapprovingly glaring at the three.
"I know what you're thinking, Avatar, and yes, I do realise what we've done," Zu told him as Aang shook his head, turning around and walking away with Katara.
"I'll go get the morgue to come and pick up Yakone," Kuvira told them as Zu and Toph lifted the boulder, grimacing as they saw the splattered corpse, "Or... what's left of him," Kuvira uneasily added as she began her trip to the morgue.
"Hey, Sergeant!" Zu shouted as Kuvira turned back to him, "Thanks," Zu added as Kuvira smiled taking her leave to the morgue whilst Sokka, Kaz and Kang approached, seeing the splattered corpse and grimacing at it.
"Would you mind covering that up?" Sokka asked as he looked away from it.
"Oh, sure," Zu replied, bending the earth around the splattered corpse, forming an earthy box around it.
"So... what do we do now?" Kang curiously asked as Zu let out a heavy sigh.
"I won't say no to a tavern visit," Toph nonchalantly replied as Zu uneasily looked to Kang.
"Are we... sure the kids old enough?" Zu whispered as Kang scoffed.
"Zu, I'm twenty years old," Kang replied as Zu and Toph stared at him in disbelieve.
"You're WHAT!?" Zu exclaimed as Kaz quizzically looked to them.
"You... how old did you think he was?" Kaz asked as Zu thought to himself.
"I don't know... a lot younger than twenty!" Zu uncomfortably replied as Kang shook his head.
"Well, if he's twenty, he's old enough!" Sokka told them as he put his hand on Kang's shoulder, "Come on, I can get us a discount with the Barkeep!" Sokka added as they began their journey to the Tavern.
"We already get discounts, Governor," Zu nonchalantly replied.
"I bet it's not bigger than mine," Sokka jokingly told him as the Giant scoffed.
"Oh, I'm sure it is," Zu smugly replied.
"Yeah, it is," Toph nonchalantly added.
"Why do I get the feeling you three aren't talking about discounts here," Kaz hesitantly asked.
"Oh, get your mind out of the mud!" Zu told him, as the group chuckled and walked off into the City.