Chapter 16: Chaos Reigns
Sky and Khana raced up the stairs to the light of the sky above whilst the maniacal laughter of Talos echoed throughout the chamber.
"Khana, do you think you can cause a cave-in or something?" Sky asked.
"It wouldn't matter, he'll just stop it before I can do anything!" Khana breathlessly replied.
The two emerged back out onto Whale-tail Island, The Magnificent Turtle Duck still in the distance.
Khana raced over with Sky shortly following behind, "Why are we running towards that? Kang has the device that controls it!" Sky called out.
"There should be a hatch underneath the shell... hopefully, Kang didn't remove it," Khana replied.
The two reached The Magnificent Turtle Duck and Khana wedged herself underneath. discovering the hatch still there, "Sky hurry!"
Khana shifted the wheel to open the hatch whilst Sky turned to find Talos emerging from the chamber, propelling himself upwards with jets of violet fire, "Oh, great..." he muttered.
Khana climbed inside The Magnificent Turtle Duck, "SKY!"
Sky crawled under The Magnificent Turtle Duck at the sound of Khana's angered shouts, climbing into its interior.
Khana had already accessed the cockpit whilst Talos marched towards them, the stress piling on top of her, arms quaking and eyes twitching around the control panel.
Sky sat next to the Kyoshi Warrior, nervously watching her stare at the Control panel, "Do you know how to fly The Magnificent Turtle Duck?"
Khana pressed the red button, "Vaguely..."
The engine ignited as Khana pressed her foot down on the slender pedal. Fire erupted from the exhausts as The Magnificent Turtle Duck shifted forward, but Talos continued his approach, "Khana, he's getting closer!"
"You don't say!?"
Khana pulled back on the steering stick, The Magnificent Turtle Duck to listing up and flying off into the sky.
Talos stopped on the spot, watching them soar before glancing at his Blade Arm. The Avatar Thief swung it back, the blade arching out, and with a mighty swing, Talos unleashed a razor-sharp slash of air at The Magnificent Turtle Duck.
However, Khana instinctively retracted the wings, the Air Slash to just barely missing them. Khana ejected the wings once more before the Magnificent Turtle Duck crashed into the ocean.
Sky held his gut, "Oh, my stomach did not like that."
Talos watched the Air Slash miss, laughing with amazement, "Brav-" he gazed at his hand and prosthetic, "Oh... yeah."
Talos chuckled to himself, watching them leave, wryly smirking. Khana and Sky breathed a sigh of relief, the Magnificent Turtle Duck rumbling as it flew to the northern horizon.
"Do you... know where we're going?" Sky asked.
"I think so... Kang periodically looks at this... thingy," Khana gestured to the Compass on the Control Panel, "Whenever he flies, and at the moment it's pointing North."
Sky let out a heavy sigh, slumping back in his seat, "What should we do?"
"For now, we should get back to Republic City. Warn Lin and the Governors about what happened," Khana replied.
Sky sat up, the two remaining silent as the Magnificent Turtle Duck flew towards Republic City.
The sight of Republic City came into view after an hour of flying. Khana aimed for the Derelict Estate, remaining focused until a realisation hit her, "Uh... Sky?"
"Yes?"
"I... don't know how to land The Magnificent Turtle Duck."
Sky blankly stared at their destination, "... Try your best." he said as he covered his face.
Khana aimed for the front of the house built above Kang's Lab, diving at an angle as she slowly brought her foot off the slender pedal.
Sky peaked out of his fingers, quickly closing them again as Khana struck the Ground. The Magnificent Turtle Duck crashed and slid along the ground, a grimace coming over the Kyoshi Warrior's face, closing her eyes as she held on for dear life.
The Magnificent Turtle Duck stopped right outside the house above Kang's Lab, and as The Magnificent Turtle Duck stopped, the two peaked out of one eye, "Are we alive?" Sky nervously asked.
"Yep..."
"Well... can't say I've felt that much adrenaline for a long time."
"Not even when eaten by an Unagi?"
"That's a close second."
Both of them stood up and walked out of the cockpit, kneeling to the hatch, trying to open it, but despite Khana pushing with all her strength, the hatch wouldn't open, "Unluckily... the ground is blocking our way out."
Sky observed the walls of the Shell's interior, spying a small button and pressing it out of curiosity. The proper entrance opened up, as Sky looked over to Khana with a smile, "Luckily, the observant one didn't get kicked into a portal."
Khana rolled her eyes, the two exiting The Magnificent Turtle Duck, both looking at the stairs then to each other, "How do we, uh... close it?" Khana asked.
Sky reached back in, searching for the button, finding it and pressing it once more, causing the Shell piece to retract back into place, "Sometimes, you have to think like Kang!" Sky pulled his arm out.
Khana smirked before the two raced to city hall. The duo barged in through the front doors, finding the Governors and Lin Beifong discussing matters about the city, agitating them as they looked over.
"What are you two doing? We're in the middle of a meeting!" Sheng shouted.
Sky and Khana hastily walked up to them, "Sorry to barge in like this, but we have a lot of trouble on our hands," Sky said
"And that would be?" Lin asked.
"Someone's stolen Claire's Avatar Spirit... well, half of it," Khana explained.
Lin and the Governor's eyes widened, quietly chattering to themselves before Hou turned his attention to Sky and Khana, "That... shouldn't be possible, should it?"
"It happened, and we saw it," Sky adamantly replied.
Sheng scoffed, "These claims are preposterous!"
"Now, Sheng. It's not everyday friends of the Avatar come running in claiming her Avatar Spirit's been stolen," Gao argued.
"That's true... but if someone stole it, who was the thief? And where are they now?" Jing asked.
"It was someone disguised as Chief Unalaq... Tal- something," Khana replied.
Sheng placed his hand to his forehead, "This must be a joke..."
"As for where he is, he's-" A loud boom cut Sky off, "... I think he's here."
The Governors, Lin, Sky and Khana all raced out of the door, finding citizens fleeing from an approaching figure in the distance. The Blade Arm glistened in the sun, the Jet black hair became more prominent: Talos had arrived.
"That's him... That's Talos," Sky said as Khana raised a surprised eyebrow to him.
"If he's looking for a fight, it's Seven on one. Avatar or not, this shouldn't prove difficult," Sheng said.
"No, Sheng. Look at our terrain," Jing replied, gesturing to the narrow terrain surrounding them, "If we fight all at once, we'll defeat ourselves before he defeats us."
Sky withdrew his dual swords, "In that case," he charged at Talos.
"That didn't mean fight on your own!" Jing shouted as Sky ran at Talos.
The Avatar thief scoffed at his charge, rolling his neck, "The one who took Vaatu from my grasp... this will surely satisfy!" he smiled, unleashing a stream of Violet Fire, but Sky leapt over the flames, dipping his blades in it and imbuing them with the power of fire.
Sky let loose waves of fire, shocking Talos as he swiftly evaded and bent the flames away from himself, "My, my. A non-bender who can bend the elements his enemy provides... fascinating!"
Talos deftly weaved in between the waves of flame, swinging his blade arm and unleashing a mighty slash of air.
However, Sky crossed his blades, blocking the slash and imbuing the blades with the powers of Fire and Air, "You might just regret that!"
"Will I?" Talos smugly asked.
Sky leapt into the air, raising his swords above his head, bringing their tips together as Fire flourished along the blades. Sky descended and clashed the blades on the ground, unleashing a tornado of flames at Talos.
"Oh, my!" The excited Talos replied.
Sky pointed his sword at Talos, air swirling around the blade, the air dragging against Talos. The Avatar thief tried to resist its pull, but Sky's Blade pulled him in with mighty suction, dragging Talos directly into the Fire Tornado.
Talos screamed in pain as the flames swirled and ravaged his body, the Governors, Lin and Khana watching in amazement, "I guess I had nothing to worry about!" Jing said.
Sky stayed ready with his swords as Talos flashed a malicious glare, sending a chill down Sky's spine.
Talos flexed his arms out, dissipating the Fire-Tornado. Burns ravished his body. The Avatar thief heavily breathed, "Impressive..." Talos pulled water from a satchel, forming three aqua rings around his body, each radiating a healing light as the Avatar thief's burns faded away.
Hou scowled at Jing, "You just had to jinx it!"
Khana began running in towards the fight as Talos descended to the ground, dashing in like the wind and mercilessly striking the stunned Ex-Mercenary's gut, blasting him back.
But Khana caught the airborne Sky, twirling around then laying him down on the ground before continuing her charge and withdrawing her daggers.
The Avatar thief scoffed, "Is that the best you can offer!?" Talos unleashed a mighty gust of air, striking Khana as she dug her feet into the ground, resisting the merciless gale.
The winds shoved Khana all the way back to Lin and the Governors, The Police Chief clutching the Kyoshi Warrior's Pauldron, "Let's work together rather than alone."
Khana nodded, her, Lin and Hou strode together towards Talos, the Avatar thief continuing his march. The three Earth-benders dug in their feet, holding their hands to the ground, the earth quaking beneath them.
The three erected a gigantic Boulder before them. Sky looked over at it, swiftly shuffling himself out of the way.
Talos grinned at the boulder, raising his arms with glee, "Now we're talking!"
"On my mark!" Lin shouted, the three raising their left palm to the boulder, their right fist ready to punch out, "Now!"
The three punched their fists out, lethally launching the boulder at Talos, but the Avatar thief laughed, launching himself at the boulder, thrusting his fist into the boulder, penetrating its surface as it slowed to a halt.
Lin, Khana and Hou stared in disbelieve as Talos manically grinned, "I'M GOING TO ROLL ALL OVER YOU!" Talos blasted the boulder back at Lin, Khana and Hou.
The three earth-benders watched their demise fly at them, but a swift lashing of water cut through the boulder near a thousand times, turning the giant boulder into mere tiny pebbles.
The three Earth-benders looked behind to find Sheng with water formed around his arms, "Well, I can't have you lot go dying on me!"
Lin smirked, turning to Khana whilst Talos stared in disbelieve, "Where are Claire and Kang?"
"When Talos ripped out the Avatar Spirit, he tried to kill Claire, but Kang leapt in and saved her at the cost of his left arm. They're in the Spirit World... I hope," Khana explained.
Lin glared at the now marching Talos, rushing in with reckless abandon.
"Lin!" Hou shouted.
But his cries fell on deaf ears as Lin came face-to-face with Talos, striking out and shooting up massive pillars of earth. But the Avatar thief leapt atop the emerging pillar.
Lin ran up at him, breaking away the high-ground from Talos, throwing his balance off as she leapt in with a diving kick, striking Talos and blasting him down to the ground.
Talos deftly swept himself around, placing his palm on the ground then pushing himself back to his feet, but Lin relentlessly charged in once more, leaping in at Talos and swinging with a flurry of punches and kicks.
"A bender resorting to fist fighting?" Talos dodged, but to his surprise, Lin formed a gauntlet of the earth around her fist, delivering a powerful uppercut to his jaw and propelling him high into the air.
Lin launched earthen pillars at Talos, punching her fists into the air, each pillar of striking the Avatar thief one after another, launching him higher into the sky. But after the fifth pillar, Talos corrected himself, blasting jets of violet flame from his feet, readying his blade to cut Lin down.
However, Lin pulled a lamp post to her, grabbing hold and letting out a mighty cry as she slammed Talos, swatting him out of the air.
Talos smashed into the ground as Lin dropped the lamppost, her breath ragged, but Talos stood back up, cracking his neck, the Police Chief's heart skipping a beat, "Now, now. Don't wear yourself thin!"
Talos lunged at Lin, slashing his blade arm at her neck, but Lin just barely dodged, the tip of the blade cutting into the right side of her cheek. Talos punched the Police Chief's gut, launching her into the bakery, shattered glass surrounding her as she fell unconscious.
Talos smirked and gazed at Khana and the Governors, The Kyoshi Warrior withdrawing her daggers once more and surfing along the earth towards Talos, "Back me up, Hou!"
Hou launched slabs of the earth around Khana, aiming at Talos, but he effortlessly evaded as he inched closer to Khana.
The Kyoshi Warrior leapt in at Talos, swinging her daggers and glancing his face and sweeping the Avatar Thief's legs.
But Talos flip himself back up, swinging his legs and striking Khana's chest, knocking her down. However, she quickly recovered as Talos brought his blade down upon her.
Khana lunged back in without mercy, the Avatar Thief's blade cutting across her eyelid, and blinding the feckless Kyoshi Warrior.
Talos swiftly kicked her chest, smashing her into the ground as she held her sliced eyelid. Talos knocked the wounded Khana into the air with a gust of wind, grappling her leg and tossing her at Hou.
The shocked Governor tried to catch Khana, but the sheer force of their heads crashing into each other incapacitated them both. Talos chuckled to himself, glaring at Sheng, Jing, and Gao.
"This has turned into quite the mess," Gao said.
"No kidding..." Jing replied.
The remaining warriors readied themselves for battle, Jing leading the charge with sword and fan in hand whilst Gao and Sheng backed him up, unleashing streams of fire and water at Talos.
But the Avatar Thief brushed the Governor's bending away, launching in at Jing. Their blades collided. The two warriors stood in a stalemate. Talos tried to strike Jing with his free hand, but the Governor countered it with his fan, using the force of his fist to his advantage, creating an opening and striking his sword, slashing through Talos.
The Avatar thief collapsed to his knees, grasping the wound whilst Gao and Sheng watched on in surprise. Jing twisted back around, readying his sword to deliver the killing blow, but to his surprise, Talos kicked out, striking Jing's wrists and knocking the sword from his grasp.
The Avatar Thief launched himself back up, kicking Jing's head and knocking him out and onto the ground. Talos turned to the last line of defence: Gao and Sheng.
Sheng unleashed a flurry of sleek ice blades, whilst Talos met it with a blast of violet fire, melting all the ice blades, but one slipped through, piercing the Avatar Thief's chest as he winced.
Gao struck both his fists out, not wasting the opportunity the Ice blade provided, but Talos raised a wall of earth to stop Gao's torrent of flame. The pain subsided and Talos mercilessly launched the wall at Gao and Sheng, striking them both and smashing them into the ground.
Talos took a deep breath, cracking his knuckles and grinning to himself, "Seven on one, and you still lost. But your effort was admirable."
But Lin, Sky and Khana got back to their feet, ready to continue the fight. Talos scowled at them as they approached, "You would be better off staying down. This fight's over."
Lin clenched her fists, "Not yet... We can still fight!"
"Look at you, You're beaten and out of breath! Stand down!"
"We won't back down just because you tell us to!" Khana shouted with her daggers at the ready.
"I will give you one last chance to stand down, don't be fools!"
Sky clutched his dual swords, "No, we're seeing this through to the end!"
"Fine! I'll put it in simpler terms for you!" Talos dashed at the trio, "IT'S USELESS! USELESS! USELESS!" Talos slashed across Lin's face a second time and punched her chin, fractured Sky's ribs and struck the top of his head, and shattered Khana's leg.
All three of them fell defeated and groaning whilst Talos gazed at them with a disappointed glare, "Lament on the Consequences of your actions while your time remains."
Talos ascended into the Skies of Republic City, taking a deep breath as the clouds blocked out the rays of the sun. He hovered ominously in the air, his arms outstretched to his side.
"Fear no longer clouds my mind, for I have nothing to fear!" The base of his spine twinged.
"Guilt is but a memory now, fading into the invisible depths of time!" His Sacrum twinged.
Ty Lee, Zu and Li heard the carnage of Talos' battle, arriving late to see the defeated warriors scattered along the ground, "Well... we were late."
Zu and Ty Lee looked around at everyone whilst Li looked up to see Talos hovering above the ground, "That guys up to something... quickly, let's heal these guys and get them out of here."
Li rushed over to Lin whilst Zu and Ty Lee looked at each other, "But we can't heal?" Zu replied.
"I do the healing, you two do the escorting!" Li replied, healing Lin's wounds, wincing at the sight of her, "Are you alright, Lin?"
"Nothing, I can't walk off..." Lin replied as Li finished healing, bringing her back to vitality.
"I'm afraid you're going to have a couple of scars on that cheek," Li said
But Lin scoffed at his concern, "I'll be fine, Li. Go help the others!" The Police chief limped over to Zu and Ty Lee.
Li rushed over to everyone else, healing their wounds and bringing them back from unconsciousness whilst Talos continued to unlock his Chakras, taking in another deep breath.
"Shame no longer perverts my mind, for I have nothing to be ashamed of!" His stomach twinging, a black inky aura forming around him.
"Grief no longer burdens me, it is a pain I will no longer feel!" his heart twinging.
"Lies have become the truth, I am all-powerful, I. Am. Talos!" his throat twinged, the inky black aura violently swirling around him whilst everyone on the ground gazed up at him.
"Whatever he's up to, I don't like it... we better run!" Zu said.
"Agreed... but what about the civilians? Do we order an evacuation on a whim?" Jing asked.
Lin pulled out a long-range communicator, "Airship units begin a full evacuation of the city!"
A brief silence came from the device, "... Understood, Ma'am. Beginning evacuation,"
The airship commander sent a message out to all available Police Officers to escort civilians to the outskirts of the city whilst a city-wide alarm blared in the distance.
Talos came to the final two chakras, the black aura still swirling violently.
"Illusions no longer cloud my mind, I now see clear as day!" his forehead twinging, taking in a last breath.
"My earthly attachments... are no more, I. Am. The Avatar!" the crown of his head twinging.
Everyone on the ground ran to the Derelict estate.
Talos opened his eyes, thrusting his Blade Arm to the sky, "Raava! Bestow upon me your powers of Chaos!" his eyes turned pitch black as the aura absorbed into his form, "Yes... YES!" The power of the Avatar State flowed through his body.
Talos brought his Blade Arm behind him, arching out the blade as the earth below him split open, slicing at City Hall and unleashing a wave of Lava, crushing City hall in one fell swoop. Talos cooled the Lava with a gust of wind, forming a pedestal of Obsidian on top of City Hall's ruins.
Talos directed his hand to the centre of the giant Pedestal, the ground quaking as giant crystals shot out of the ground, The Avatar Thief bent the crystals into a semi-sphere, before pulling a large amount of ocean water up to his side, placing it within the floor of the crystalline semi-sphere.
Talos formed the semi-sphere into a complete crystalline sphere atop the Obsidian Pedestal, finally descending to the ground and walking towards his creation, bending part of the Crystals into an arch at the front of the sphere before forming a staircase into the interior.
Talos stood before the water, outstretching his hand and flexing his arm, creating a massive bridge spanning across the entire length of the Crystal sphere.
Talos walked to the centre of the bridge, gazing up to the ceiling of the crystal sphere, Chaotic energy pulsing around his hand, "Chaos... be unleashed!" he cried, Raava's voice echoing as he thrust his hand upwards, ejecting a massive amount of Chaotic energy into the sky, spreading across the four nations.
Fire Lord Zuko and Shu gazed out to the sky, watching the Chaos spread out amongst it, as did Earth King Kuei in Ba Sing Se and Chieftain Sokka along with his wife Suki in the Southern Water Tribe.
Ho Tun and Toph sat within the Foggy swamp looking to the sky as the Chaos rolled out like a thunderous cloud, "I don't need to see to tell something's not right..." Toph nervously said.
Tenzin and Jinora awoke from their meditation, the chaos breaking them out as they both looked up from the Southern Air Temple, gasping at the sight of the Chaos.
Talos looked to the opposite end of the bridge, walking towards it and erecting a large platform before creating a throne of Obsidian before pulling up water from the side of the bridge to form a waterfall behind the throne.
Talos gazed at the throne with a bitter-sweet victory in mind, descending from his Avatar State, "Claire must have obtained Vaatu by now, I suppose this will be a good enough way to catch her attention when she returns."
He sat upon the throne, heavily sighing with his elbow resting on the arm of the throne, his head perched upon his fist with his calf resting upon his knee, his blade arm draped along the left side of the throne.
Talos closed his eyes, "I await your arrival, Claire..."