The two armies clashed in a tangle of bending and bodies. United Forces earthbenders catapulted entire platoons across the lava moat, one after the other. With most of the Dragon Empire's front lines decimated by Azula's dragon assault, their initial charge penetrated deep into imperial ranks. Iroh led the charge, with Izumi at his side. Together, they pushed back the first wave of enemy soldiers, while their allies unleashed a combined barrage of earth, fire, and water.
The Dragon Empire fell back, desperate to defend themselves. A futile effort, in the end. With the United Forces attacking from the ground, while Azula and Druk rained down searing destruction from above, the imperial troops found themselves outmatched. Despite the size of their Army, their numbers made little difference now.
"Keep pushing!" Iroh shouted, as he punched a pair of fire blasts at the line of enemy soldiers in front of him. "We have them on the run! We can win this!"
Behind him, the Third and Fourth tank battalions rolled forward, continuing to bombard the enemy with concentrated streaks of fire from the other side of the lava. Azula and Druk swooped down again for another pass above the imperial forces, incinerating an entire platoon of soldiers. Screams of pain and horror erupted from the enemy's side, as they fell farther back. The Empire's counter attacks were few and uncoordinated, easily defended against by the United Forces front lines. Iroh kept his troops in rigid formation, never breaking, never caving. Dragon Empire forces, on the other hand, descended into a frantic mess.
As Iroh advanced his troops forward, a violent tremble rumbled through the ground. The tremble grew into a powerful quake, and soon the United Forces troops began to stumble and trip, struggling to maintain their balance. Plumes of loose earth erupted beneath the tank battalions, widening deep holes beneath them. Within seconds, every single tank sank below ground, disappearing in a churning whirlpool of dirt and stone. Nearby soldiers ran in desperate attempts to reach safety. Some succeeded, while others fell screaming into the earthen maelstroms, buried along with the tanks.
Seconds later, giant fissures ruptured across the ground, spidering rapidly through the United Forces like earthen lightening bolts through the dirt. Massive chasms split outward. Soldiers unfortunate enough to be standing directly in the path of these chasms fell into open air, disappearing into the darkened abyss below. The remaining soldiers scrambled away, as the growing fissures spread wider, separating them into small groups isolated by wide crevasses on all sides. Within minutes, the United Forces had been completely divided and cut off from each other, unable to advance or regroup.
"What just happened?" Iroh said, as he gazed out over the newly formed chasms. "How did it happen?"
"I have a feeling I know," Izumi muttered, looking out towards the enemy forces. Her gaze focused on a man standing at the edge of the gaping fissure in front of them. A man with a wide brimmed hat, his arms held behind his back. Avan. The earth next to him churned, as more than a hundred Dai Li agents emerged alongside him.
Iroh's brow shot upwards. "The Dai Li? I thought they were disbanded!"
"Yula reinstated them," Izumi said. "Their commander, Avan, is a freak of an earthbender, with more raw power than I've ever seen."
"So what does that mean?"
As the Dai Li prepared to attack, Azula and Druk dove into view. The great dragon unleashed a trail of flames at the Dai Li on its way by, intent on roasting them the same as he had the other imperial soldiers. The Dai Li were ready. Half their agents lifted defensive earthen walls above their heads to shield from the flames, while the other half countered with a relentless barrage of large boulders.
Druk weaved through the stone projectiles as best he could, diving and lurching to avoid them. Not quite quick enough. One of the boulders collided with the back of the dragon's neck, eliciting a pained shriek from his throat. Druk spiraled out of control and plummeted to the ground, crashing with thunderous impact. Azula ejected from the top of the dragon's head. She hit the ground in a wild spin, bouncing and rolling to a violent stop some hundred feet away. She didn't get up.
Izumi swallowed. "It means we're in trouble."
Anraq propelled himself through the water, spiraling deep into the depths with a full bubble of air bent around his head. When he was deep enough, he looked around with widened eyes. Ten submarines. Eleven. Twelve. No, even more. Twenty at least, each of them firing multiple torpedoes at the Water Tribe battleships above. With no way to defend themselves this deep below the water, those ships were sitting turtle ducks.
With a stern glare, he rocketed through the water towards the nearest sub. A torpedo launched out of the vessel's front chute. Before the torpedo could find its mark, Anraq bent the water around it and guided it towards the ocean floor far below, safely away from the ships. Another torpedo fired. With this one, he bent the water sharper than before. The missile followed its new path around in a circle, aimed straight back from where it came.
When the torpedo struck the side of the submarine, an underwater detonation ripped outwards with a massive burst of bubbling liquid. Anraq recoiled, too close to get away in time. The shockwave blasted him through the depths, unable to regain control. The air bubble surrounding his head popped. With a choke of seawater, he righted himself and kicked desperately up to the surface.
The sound of explosions and screaming greeted him when he broke the surface. Water Tribe soldiers scrambled to keep their ships afloat, bending as much water as they could out of the punctured hulls. With each new explosion, more water poured inward, far too much to keep out forever. One by one, the ships dipped low and began to sink. Only a third of their fleet remained intact. He shifted a desperate look back at the enemy fleet. At the very least, the United Forces biplanes continued to wreak havoc upon the Dragon Empire ships. If only they could get rid of these subs...
"Anraq!"
He shifted his attention towards the sound of the voice, where he noticed a pair of figures skating across the surface of the water towards him. "Eska? Desna?"
"It is good to see you are unharmed," Eska stated, as the twins arrived.
"What are you doing out here?" Anraq asked, with a guiding wave of his arm. Water lifted him to the surface, allowing him to join the twins on his feet. "Did they get your ship?"
Desna exhaled a deep sigh. "Yes, indeed. They sank our battleship."
Anraq frowned, glancing down at the water. Dark shadows of the submarines swarmed deep below. "We need to take out those subs, or there's no way we win this."
"We have an idea," Eska said. "Follow our lead."
Eska and Desna spread out across the water. Anraq did the same, distancing himself evenly with the other two. The twins whirled their arms through the air with circular motions. As water churned between them, Anraq followed in recognition. That just might work. Soon, the water began to spiral. Slowly at first, building faster and faster, until a caving depression sank downward in the form of a raging whirlpool. The three waterbenders skated backwards to put more distance between themselves, allowing the rim of the whirlpool to spread wider. Within moments, a churning underwater cyclone extended deep to the bottom of Yue Bay. Still, they spread it wider.
Murky shadows of submarines began to flow backwards towards the whirlpool, drawn in by its violent pull. One of the subs attempted to fire a torpedo at the surface in desperate attempt to free itself, only for the underwater missile to lurch backwards into the whirlpool and explode. Anraq focused on the shadows. Ten, eleven, maybe twelve submarines drawn violently to the bottom of the bay. Not all of them, but hopefully enough to make a difference. Once he and the twins disabled this batch, they could move on and try to take out the rest.
As the submarines sank deeper into the water, the hum of airplane engines filled the sky. Anraq snapped an instinctive glance towards the Dragon Empire fleet, where United Forces planes continued assaulting them. No, that's not where the new sound was coming from. With a furrowed brow, he glanced over his shoulder at Republic City. A second fleet of biplanes lifted over the city, soaring towards the bay. He squinted at them curiously. A second wave of United Forces backup?
When they drew closer, his gut lurched. No, not the United Forces. Not with golden dragons painted on their sides. "Eska! Desna! We have a problem!"
The twins managed to look up in time to catch sight of a plane flying overhead. No time to react. They could only watch, as the aircraft dropped a pair of bombs dead center in the whirlpool. A massive torrent of water exploded upward in a towering pillar, lifting all three waterbenders off their feet. Anraq's world spun in violent fashion, shouting for the twins. His shouts silenced with a choked gag of water as he plunged beneath the surface.
He floated unmoving for several moments, uncertain which way was up or down. When some sense of equilibrium returned, she shook out of his daze and swam up to the surface, all while his chest screamed with dull, throbbing pain. He broke the surface with a deep gasp of air, shifting a frantic gaze around Yue Bay. So many enemy planes. Too many, far more than their own. One swarm ravaged the remaining Water Tribe ships, while another attacked and overwhelmed the United Forces planes. A third group dropped bombs in the water between the two fleets, detonating a chain reaction of rippling explosions.
The minefield. They were detonating the minefield! In a matter of minutes, the Dragon Empire fleet would have free access into Yue Bay to lay waste to whatever was left of the Crippled Water Tribe resistance. Anraq's chest pulsed, seizing with a numb breath of air. They were going to lose this battle. His mind raced, as he focused his attention on the water around him. Moments later, he spotted Eska and Desna floating motionless atop the surface. An urgent jolt propelled him forward. He grabbed tight onto both twins, turned himself around, and swam in the opposite direction of the battle. He had to get these two to shore, at the very least. Once he was there, he could try to figure out something to help. Anything.
Even as he neared the shore, a deep, sinking bubble of dread crashed into his gut. There was nothing he could do.
The Water Tribe Navies had been defeated.
"Oogi, down there," Tenzin said, pointing deep into the narrow canyon.
While the imperial biplanes had not pursued them over the mountains, they would still do well to take cover where they couldn't be followed, in case the Empire decided to circle back for another attack. Better safe than sorry. Not only that, but they needed to gain their bearings and recover. That initial attack had left them in a state of disarray. More than half their metalbender passengers had fallen out of the sky, plus several missing bison and airbenders. That wasn't even mentioning the injuries that needed tending.
When Oogi landed, Wing and Wei hopped out of the saddle onto the ground. Opal stumbled behind them, fluttering down on a gust of wind and nearly tripping when her feet met the dirt. Although she had regained consciousness, her movements were sluggish. Her brothers attempted to help steady her, but she shrugged them off.
"Has anyone seen Juicy?" she asked, turning a hollow glance up to the sky.
"We'll send a search party back to look for more survivors as soon as we're able," Tenzin said, as he floated down from Oogi's head to the ground. "I'm sure your bison is alright. They're very resilient animals."
Hong Li poked his head over the side of Oogi's saddle. "I think those of us that can still fight need to hurry and regroup. We weren't able to take out all of those airships, which means they'll be reaching Republic City and causing who knows what kind of damage any minute now. We need to provide backup to the United Forces as soon as we're able."
Tenzin gave a slow nod, looking around at the other airbenders. Most of the faces staring back at him sank in distress. Some faces weren't there at all, missing since the previous attack. Still, there were a lot of metalbenders here that would be useful in the battle to come, which meant the priority was to get them back to Republic City. "Alright, Jinora, Ikki, Meelo, I want you to organize a search party and look for survivors at the sight of the attack. I'll lead anyone who's still able to fight back to Republic City to regroup with General Iroh. Opal, Bumi, Kai, I'm leaving you three in charge here to take care of the injured. We'll be back for you as soon as we're able. In the meantime—aaagh!"
A jolting electric shock exploded through his body, surging out from the spinning bola that wrapped around his arms and torso. Spirits, how hadn't he seen the attack coming? Too distracted. Too distraught. Should have been paying attention. With a wheezing groan, he collapsed to the ground, stunned and unable to move. Several smoke grenades launched into the center of the group, exploding with a cloud of thick, choking fog. Airbenders sprang into action to blow away the smoke. Not enough time. A platoon of mecha suits rolled into view at the bottom of the canyon. Dozens of them, accompanied by an entire battalion of foot soldiers dressed in Dragon Empire uniforms.
Within moments, half the airbenders fell victim to bursts of knockout gas or mecha tasers. Others tried to fight back, only to be wrapped with a barrage of spinning bolas, stunned by the electric jolts that followed. Several mechas raised flat slabs of metal attached to their arms. A powerful electromagnetic hum filled the air, as metalbenders lurched off their feet, drawn in by their armor. They collided with the magnets, no better than flies caught in a trap. Not even the bison were spared. While some of the animals were able to flee into the sky, most of them suffered from the mechas' entangling shock cords. The ten ton beasts howled as electricity surged through them, soon falling to the ground unconscious.
"No!" Opal huddled close to the ground with her arms wrapped around her abdomen. Wrapped around her baby. "Please, just stop! We surrender!"
"Yes, you do," said one of the soldiers. He approached her, flanked by a pair of mechas. "You are all now prisoners of the Dragon Empire."
Iroh looked out over the edge of the wide crevasse in front of him, where a sheer drop descended into darkness. His gaze shifted, focusing on his troops. The entirety of the United Forces had been separated into small groups, trapped atop isolated pillars of land. Gaping fissures surrounded them on all sides. "We'll never be able to advance like this. We have to figure out a way across, or bring the earth back together somehow. We can't do anything like this."
"Look out!" Izumi dove at him, dragging him to the ground seconds before an earthen, hand-shaped projectile flew above his head.
The hand tightened its grip around the man standing behind him, swiftly yanking the soldier over the edge of the crevasse. A terrified scream erupted from the man's throat, as he disappeared into the void below. All around them, similar screams echoed across the chasms. One by one, more soldiers tumbled forward, pulled to their deaths by earthen hands. Iroh scrambled to his feet, glaring towards the other side of the chasm. Dai Li agents casually shot out their stone gloves to snatch as many United Forces soldiers as they could and pull their victims to their doom.
"Defend yourselves!" Iroh shouted, as he punched a blast of flames to destroy one of the incoming gloves. Another one appeared in its place, forcing him to lunge out of the way. "Earthbenders, give us a wall! And try to bring the ground back together! Get rid of these fissures!"
The more they attempted to defend, the more intensely the enemy attacked. As soon as their earthbender troops began erecting walls in front of them to block the glove-projectiles, the Dai Li hurled massive boulders through the air. The first wave of boulders collided directly into the walls, breaking chunks away at a time. The second wave launched in an arc, crashing into the troops beyond. Making matters worse, the previously decimated front lines of the Dragon Empire began to regroup and join the Dai Li in their assault.
The United Forces fell completely on the defensive, mustering every ounce of effort into hunkering down and blocking against the relentless barrage. As long as they were cut off from each other, they had no opportunity to regroup in proper formation. No chance to put together any kind of counter attack. Couldn't even make an attempt to reunite the earth and close the fissures. If things kept up like this, the Dragon Empire would obliterate them in a matter of minutes.
"Hold strong, men!" Iroh called, ducking low behind one of their earth walls. "Reinforcements will be here soon!"
Even as he said the words, his gut sank with dwindling hope. Ever since Azula had been taken out of the equation, they had lost their biggest advantage, and still there was no sign of Bolin or the others. What if they hadn't survived the explosion? What if there was no Avatar anymore? What if—
A violent rumbling snapped him from his thoughts. He stumbled, struggling to maintain balance as the ground beneath him lurched forward. Seconds later, the enemy attack ceased, allowing him to lean over the wall to get a better look at what was going on. A sharp gasp burst from his throat. Earth and rock shifted, guiding the fissures closed and returning the United Forces together. The Dai Li and Dragon Empire troops watched in stunned confusion, while several of them reached out in attempts to prevent the ground from closing. Their efforts proved futile. Within moments, the earth fused together as a single, solid mass of land, allowing the United Forces to regroup into formation.
"Who did that?" he questioned, shifting his gaze over to his mother.
Izumi glanced over her shoulder, squinting towards the city. A sudden smile curled across her face, and she pointed. "She did."
A raging whirlwind exploded forward, racing through the United Forces towards the front lines.—Korra, her eyes glowing bright white in the Avatar State. She didn't slow down until she reached the enemy forces. Dragon Empire troops gawked at her, paralyzed in stunned silence. By the time they recovered enough to attempt an attack, Korra rushed forward with a windburst of concussive air erupting from her palms. Dai Li agents and soldiers alike screamed as they hurled like ragdolls through the air. Those farther back in the ranks were sent spinning head over heels, unable to resist the Avatar's might.
"General Irooooh!" Bolin came sprinted into view. When he finally reached the general, he doubled over with his hands held against his knees heaving deep, exhausted breaths. "Ran here... fast as I could... found the Avatar... got help... everything fine..."
Iroh smiled, and gave the lavabender an appreciative pat on the shoulder. "Good work, Bolin."
Kuvira appeared moments later, making her way through the line of troops. "We're not too late, are we?"
"Just in time, actually," Iroh replied, offering her a firm handshake. "Things weren't looking too good there for a while, but now that the Avatar is here..."
They all turned to watch as Korra raised her arms upward. A spinning cyclone lifted her high into the air, only to abruptly dissipate, sending her into freefall. She landed with a thunderous boom, slamming her fists against the ground. A monolithic tidal wave of earth and stone rippled directly into the heart of the enemy troops. Dragon Empire forces shouted and scattered, desperate to defend themselves. Earth exploded, throwing them violently off their feet. Not a lot they could do in the face of an enraged Avatar. As soon as the earth settled to a stop, Korra floated forward and released gale force burst of wind into their ranks. Soldiers flew airborne, creating more distance between them and the United Forces.
"So, should we... help?" Bolin asked.
Kuvira shook her head. "We'd only be getting in her way right now."
Contrary to her response, Kuvira watched with bated breath. One false move was all it took. One lucky shot, and Korra might fall. As powerful as the Avatar was, she was not invincible. In the face of an entire army, with thousands of soldiers desperately fighting back against her, she couldn't fight them all forever. Sooner or later, Kuvira and the others would have to assist her.
As they watched the Avatar wreak havoc upon the enemy forces, a series of explosions cracked through the air. Kuvira swiveled her gaze curiously, searching for the source. Not from the battle in front of them. Then where? Iroh realized it first, spinning around to stare back at Republic City. Kuvira and the others followed, looking up at the skyline. Several large airships drifted above the city. Bombs fell free from the aircraft and detonated below. Glass shattered, fire erupted, and soon entire buildings began to topple and collapse.
"No, what are they doing!" Iroh ran a few steps forward, eyes wide. "There aren't any troops in the city! That's just senseless destruction!"
Kuvira's heart sank in recognition. "Yula never meant to take over the city. She's doing exactly what she did to Zaofu. She's wiping it off the map."
"What happened to Tenzin's team?" Izumi questioned. "Were they unable to stop the empire's air fleet?"
"Well it certainly looks that way!" Bolin said. "Oh man, what do we do? The city isn't completely empty. Mako and Asami are still in there!"
"Shayu, too," Kuvira added, as a harsher jolt of panic knifed through her chest. Her voice squeaked out in a pale whisper. "My father, and Huan. They should all be in City Hall right now. If the airships make it there..."
Iroh turned around and raced towards the enemy lines. Towards the Avatar. "Korra! Stop!"
Korra released another blast of wind at the enemy troops, and glanced back at the general with a confused stare.
"The city!" Iroh called, pointing back over his shoulder. "Those airships need to be stopped! We'll take care of their main troops!"
Korra's glowing eyes widened when she spotted the airships hovering over Republic City. She gave one more look at the front lines of Dragon Empire troops, and rocketed towards the city atop a raging whirlwind. Her voice boomed with a god-like echo. "Leave the airships to me! They will all perish!"
As soon as the Avatar was gone, Iroh set his sights on the recovering imperial soldiers. Fortunately, a good number of them had either been incapacitated or rendered so disoriented by Korra's attack that they were in no position to keep fighting. At the very least, the United Forces would have the advantage for a while. Kuvira, Bolin, and Izumi came to his side. He gave them a firm nod, and pointed his troops forward.
"Attack!"
"Uhh, guys? We have trouble!" Mako said, as he peered through the front doors of City Hall. Another explosion ruptured across the plaza, blowing apart a building in a shower of broken glass and concrete. "Those airships are headed this way!"
Huan paced back and forth behind him, holding his hands against his head. "What do we do, what do we do? This is so not good for my creative spirit!"
"Son, try to relax," said Baatar Sr., holding a hand against his son's shoulder. "We'll be alright. Won't we?"
They both turned a look towards Asami, who held the still-unconscious Shayu in her arms.
"If we stay calm, we should be fine," she said, taking a step towards one of the doors along the back wall. "There's a bunker built below City Hall, just through there."
Huan blinked at her, and sprinted towards the door. "Well what are we waiting for? Get to the bunker!"
"The faster the better!" Mako insisted, as he ran from the entrance. "One of the airships is flying in overhead now!"
Asami hurried as fast as she could with Shayu in her arms, leading the way through the door. A steep set of stairs greeted them on the other side, descending deep below ground into darkness. Mako flipped the light switch at the top of the stairs, but nothing happened. Rather than waste time trying to get the lights to work, he ignited a bright flame in the palm of his hand and took the lead, guiding the group down the steps.
"It shouldn't be too far," Asami said. "Just a little more, and—"
The entire building ruptured. Piles of dust and concrete rained downward, as the ceiling above their heads collapsed. Mako shouted something, his voice drowned beneath the sound of the crumbling building. He made a dive for Asami and Shayu, knocking them both to the ground and covering them with his own body, seconds before the weight of falling rubble crashed upon them, burying them in stone and darkness.
