Part 2 - Order
Claire, Khana and Ghazi sat in a black leather booth within a restaurant. The Afternoon Sun shined through the glass panes and black wood poles whilst the clattering of metal and chatter reverberated throughout it.
Kang slowly leant back against the soft leather, "ah, I never get tired of this place. Although if we're celebrating my victory, you coulda picked a fancier place."
"We would've done, but unlike you, we aren't made of money," Khana smirked.
"And I have to be honest... I'm not fond of using an achievement I didn't earn as a way to get discounts or free stuff."
Kang heavily sighed and nodded, "That's... fair, I suppose."
Ghazi silently peered at the menu as Hope, her hair silver as ever and her waitress outfit looking like new, approached their table.
"The Saviour of Republic City and the Glorious Champion under one roof! What can I get you four?"
"Roast Duck bowl!"
Khana peeked over at Claire, "Seared Ox-Tuna."
"I'll try the Beef Bowl."
Ghazi continued peering at the menu, "... I'll try... the cake."
"Cake ain't exactly a meal, big guy."
He hummed and peered once more, "In that case, I will take the largest bowl of meats you can create!"
Hope smirked and wrote down their orders before sauntering off, leaving the four to wait.
"So, Kang... I never realised you had that great big Dragon Tattoo on your back," Claire said.
"Of course, you didn't. That'd mean you've seen me shirtless before."
"Huh... yeah, good point."
"Why do you have a tattoo like that anyway?" Khana asked as she crossed her arms.
"It's a Yakuza thing. Once you work your way up the food chain, you earn the right to get a tattoo that represents your heritage. So I have a Dragon, Zu has a Badger-Mole, and Li has one of Tui and La circling a full moon!"
"Sounds... pretty cool. Now that I think about it, why did you rip your shirt off during that fight?"
"Oh, well, um..."
"To rip one's own shirt from their body is a gesture used to establish dominance over a person they deem to have overstepped their station."
The ladies stared at Ghazi before turning to Kang.
"Yeah, what he said."
"Sure it wasn't to just Rock the Dragon?"
He hesitantly chuckled, "Maybe a little."
Hope eventually returned with three pallets while a brown-haired, green-eyed waiter carried a giant bowl of meat and rice. But as they marched forward, a burst of familiar chittering laughter caught Claire's ear. She shot out in front of Hope, holding her hands out as she stopped in her tracks.
The Avatar's widening glare settled down on the Racoon face and bushy form of the Tanuki Spirit, "YOU WEE BLIGHTER!"
The Tanuki Spirit screeched and made a break for the door, fleeing out into the streets of Republic City.
Hope sceptically stared at her as she and the waiter placed the pallets down, "you, uh... you alright, Avatar?"
She heavily sighed, "Remember like... six or seven months ago, during the whole Yamato Clan fiasco? And that there was a spirit causing trouble?"
"Oh... Tanuki, right?"
"Yeah, the wee blighter's back!"
Kang and Khana stared in shock while Ghazi hummed, "So, you've dealt with that Spirit that fled before, Avatar?"
Everyone turned to him, "wait, Ghazi, you can see Spirits?"
He nodded, "as a side effect of taking in the blood of war's spirit, I gained the ability to see and hear spirits."
"...you... drank the blood of a spirit?" Kang asked.
"Yes. It doesn't taste as bad as one might think."
Claire whiffled her head and sat back down within the booth as Hope, and her assistant went back to work.
"Well, may as well enjoy the meal before we go searching for this wee blighter."
"And here I thought I'd get a break after my Tournament victory..."
"No rest for the Avatar and her companions!" Khana chuckled.
The Party dug into their food, enjoying it thoroughly before Claire paid, and they hit the streets in search of the Tanuki Spirit.
They strode through the crowded Sun illuminated streets while Ostrich-Horse drawn carts rolled on by.
"Do you think it'll target the usual victims?"
Kang pondered, "Strong men and couples? Probably, but it might have spiced up its routine."
Ghazi spied the Tanuki Spirit off in the distance, scuttling into a giant building with a Badger-Mole statue posing with dumbbells.
"I believe the Blighter has just infiltrated that exercise chamber!"
He led the charge while Claire, Kang and Khana followed in his wake.
The Tanuki sprinted up a black matted stairwell into a large open chamber; the sun gleamed through a massive set of silver framed windows and onto the exercise equipment and green matted floor. The muscular, toned, slender and pudgy gym goers performed bench presses, crunches, elemental bending exercises and many others, all the while the Tricky Devil's tailed eagerly twitched, and he rubbed his paws with glee.
As the Party led the charge for the Gym, Lin stepped out through the front, tempered glass doors, adorned in a white sleeveless shirt, grey slops and brown, straw sandals.
She tilted her head back and let out a satisfied puff before setting her eyes on the Avatar and her compatriots, "Well, fancy meeting you lot here."
Kang smiled and dashed forward, "Hey, Lin!"
She smirked, "Hello 'Glorious Champion'," she ruffled his hair as he giggled to himself.
"Remember the quest, Inventor!"
"Sorry, sorry," he perked back up, "nothing strange happened in the gym, did it?"
"Not that I'm aware of... why?"
"The wee blighter's back!"
"The what?"
Khana stepped forward, "The Trickster spirit is back."
Lin's eyes flared as she clenched her fists. But before she could say anything, a Gym manager sprinted out.
"Guard Captain! Someone's got a barbell stuck on their chest!"
Lin sprinted back inside, followed by the Party. They raced up the stairs to find a beefy gym-goer with a barbell weighing down on him, his arms quaking as his brown face turned red. The Guard Captain and Khana ran over, metal-bending it up whilst the Kyoshi Warrior pulled it up with all her strength. But Claire and Ghazi glared at the centre of the bar, where the Tanuki Spirit sat with its chittering laughter permeating their ears. Ghazi marched forward, standing over the red-faced Gym goer as he glared at the Tanuki Spirit. The Trickster's chittering laughter slowed to a halt as it peered into his dark green eyes. It shrieked, then dashed off the bar and deeper into the Gym as Lin and Khana accidentally threw the barbell through the ceiling.
The Gym goer took in a deep breath as he laid there on the bench, "cheers..." he raised a hand before passing out.
Ghazi marched off into the Gym with Claire in tow, passing by equipment and sceptical gym-goers. The Tanuki sprinted into a mirror, its face smushing and bouncing off as its head spun. But as it came to its senses, it saw Claire and Ghazi in the mirror before hesitantly turning to them.
"Alright, you wee blighter, what are you doing back here!?"
"Do not expect it to answer you, Avatar."
Ghazi knelt down to the Tanuki, keeping his scolding gaze on it as it backed away and snarled.
He reached into his satchel, "...cookie?"
He held out the treat to the Tanuki Spirit as it sniffed it and swiped it from his hand before chowing down. Claire crossed her arms and sceptically watched them as the Tanuki finished the cookie.
"As you can see, interrogation and violence are not always the best options."
The Tanuki spun and smacked Ghazi with its tail before jetting off and out of the Gym.
He stood up and grumbled, "although now, Violence seems like a preferable option."
Claire smirked as The Party and Lin regrouped outside the Gym.
"So... what did you two try to do exactly?" Khana asked.
"Well... we cornered it, and Ghazi tried to get on its good side with a treat."
"And unfortunately, it did not work out how I expected."
Kang crossed his arms, "It's a Trickster; how did you expect it to work out?"
"Showing goodwill towards Spirits normally yields positive results. But it would seem this one was an exception."
"Well... where do you two think it went?" Lin asked.
"It is a Trickster; for all we know, it could be anywhere."
Kang rubbed his chin, "well, it still targets specific people... and the City Guard have got pretty strong since its last time here..."
"Let's investigate the Barracks... what's the worst that could happen?" Claire said as she and Ghazi led the way.
The Party and Lin raced through the bustling streets, dodging pedestrians and weaving through Ostrich-Horse drawn carts until they reached the vast and extravagant building of the Barracks; a statue of Toph Beifong stood above the massive green and gold double doors.
They marched into the tiled main hall, scanning around the Spiralling dark wood staircases, beige walls, and hardwood desks with City Guard adorned in grey and dark green uniform dotted around.
"Any sign of it, Ghazi?"
He silently observed before catching a glimpse of a fluffy tail dashing down a hallway, "this way!"
He led them down the dimly lit tiled hallway, weaving through the corridor before coming to a giant steel door.
"Are you sure it came this way?"
"It's hard to mistake that kind of tail..."
Kang hesitantly scratched his head, "this, uh... this leads to the underground workshop."
"You have another underground workshop?" Khana asked.
"Using a hole in the ground saves on building."
Lin stepped forward and bent the steel door open with a thunderous creak, "well, if it went down there, we best hurry!"
Kang nodded as they raced down the dimly lit stairwell spanning deep underground. Lin punched a second steel door open, revealing a massive brightly lit steel room with a giant machine at the far end.
Its right arm possessed a massive crimson three-clawed arm. Its left arm adorned with a giant red canon, and its centre body resembling a giant Dragonhead.
"Kang... what... is that!?" Claire stammered.
A rotund man stood by a control panel turned to them, his moustache spreading out down his jaw and into a beard, his black and grey hair slicked to the side, his amber eyes adorned with circular glasses below his thick eyebrows.
He dressed nicely in a long black coat with gold trim, a grey vest and a red scarf around his neck while black tight-fitting pants and grey boots adorned his legs.
"Ah, Hiroshi! I thought it was your day off; what are you doing here?" Kang asked.
He slanted his gaze and scowled, "I thought it was your's too, Kang, having been beaten so badly in the Tournament."
Khana leaned over, "Kang, who is this guy?"
"Oh, this is Hiroshi; he's been helping me advance the City Guard. He's a genius! Well... compared to the average person anyway."
"Oh yes, but compared to you, I'm just above average, isn't that right!?"
Kang's eyebrow sceptically flared, "well... yes. Is everything alright? Do you want me to grab some Jasmine tea?"
"Oh no, no. No tea will be needed. All I'll need is this here 'Gate Guardian'!" He gestured to the giant red machine.
The mad inventor's gaze darted between him and the machine, "uh... well, we aren't exactly supposed to use it. What are you getting at?"
"You see Kang, while you paraded around that arena like an idiot, I finished work on the 'Gate Guardian'!"
"Wait, what!? How? It was years away from completion!"
"You may pride yourself on being a brilliant inventor, but your efficiency is lacking. If only you were as good at this as you were at murdering Chairmen!"
Kang sharply gasped.
"That's right, I know it was you who killed Aislinn! The man who would lead us into a new age of harmony. The Avatar slaying Aislinn was just a load of Gemsbok Bullshit peddled by the Governors. Why I don't know, but I know for certain she can't generate lightning, at least not like that!"
He clenched his fists and gritted his teeth as Claire and Ghazi spied the Tanuki Spirit racing up the Gate Guardian's arm. Their eyes widened as the two inventors scowled at each other.
"And now, I'm going to use your 'Gate Guardian' to finish what Aislinn and the Yamato Clan started! Beginning with Republic City!"
The Gate Guardian's cannon arm began to raise, it's metal creaking reverberating throughout the chamber. Hiroshi twisted around as the shadow of the Cannon's arm loomed over him.
"WHAT THE-" The cannon arm squashed him like a bug.
Everyone except Kang winced back and gasped as he indifferently scoffed, "well... that's that problem handled."
But while they stared at the blood-stained floor, the Gate Guardian began radiating with yellow energy, its eyes flaring gold as it raised its cannon arm back up.
Claire and the others backed off, "Kang, I've got one question for you."
"Shoot."
"WHAT IN THE NAME OF TUI AND LA'S BLOODY GILLS IS THAT!?"
"A bit aggressive there..."
"Answer the question, Inventor!"
"Well, this is a machine built by Hiroshi and me. It was supposed to be used as a defence against invading armies, mortal or Spirit. A 'Gate Guardian' like he said."
"And now a power-crazed Spirit's gone ahead and fused with it..." Khana muttered.
"If only Hiroshi hadn't rushed the work on it, always did fancy quantity over quality. Never had an appreciation for the art of inventing."
The Tanuki raised its cannon arm and blasted a hole through the ceiling before ascending into the city.
Lin stepped up to him, "Kang, Now's not the time to scold a dead man; we need to plan, and quickly!"
"Indeed! Claire, you can fly, right?"
"Using an Air Sphere, yes."
"Great! Follow me!"
Kang jetted up through the hole on Jets of fire.
"You lot! Get back to ground level, Kang, and I'll hold it off as best we can!"
They nodded and raced out as Claire flexed her arms and formed an Air Sphere before dashing up and following Kang.
The Tanuki Spirit chitteringly giggled in its new body, firing out sets of missiles into the sky.
"Kang, what are those!?"
"Explode-a-poles!"
"Are they susceptible to metal-bending?"
"How do you think Lin made 'em?"
She smirked and ascended into the missiles flight path, floating firm and bending the missiles to her will, stopping them in their tracks as they orbited her. But the Tanuki Spirit flew up at her and lashed out with its giant claw, but she deftly dashed away as the missiles exploded on impact.
The Avatar hovered before the Tanuki's draconic head as it eagerly peered at her, "come on then, you great big blighter!"
She swiftly circled it before egging it on, "catch me if you can!"
She and Kang jetted off into the distance as the Tanuki Spirit flew after them. The duo landed in City Park to the sound of civilians fleeing in terror at the sight of the Gate Guardian.
"Claire, wouldn't outside the city be better?"
"Then it'd just be me and you against this blighter!"
"Fair enough!"
The two readied themselves as The Tanuki Spirit loomed overhead, its giant crimson form dwarfing them. It outstretched its cannon arm as the end opened up to reveal a lightning sphere charging up. Claire readied herself to redirect it as it shot out at her, but a Gigantic earthen wall shot up out of the ground, colliding with the lightning and exploding.
The two turned to find Zu and Li racing over to them, "Trying to redirect that would've been suicide, Avatar!"
"Noted, now what?"
"Well, let's try to stop this thing!"
Everyone else from the Barracks arrived alongside the Governors at the park while the Tanuki leered around and took a massive swing at them, the draft blowing them all back as the claw just barely glanced them. Zu leapt back to his feet with a mighty thud before punching out pillar after pillar of earth, smashing into the Tanuki Spirit and crumbling on impact. It gazed at its dented red armour as sparks began pinging off of it.
Kang kicked himself back up, "Nice work, Zu!"
"Hey, if I'm damaging it, you must be slacking!"
"Hiroshi was the one who finished it!"
"Oh. That makes sense."
Everyone warred against the Tanuki Spirit, boulders and pillars flying, Fire and Lightning surging, air slashing, water whipping and ice soaring, all the while the Trickster fended them off and batted the warriors away.
Eventually, Unalaq and a company of Water Tribe guards arrived on scene as the Avatar tumbled to his feet, "Claire, what in the world is happening!?"
"Trickster Spirit got into one of Kang's inventions."
The Tanuki Spirit roared out a plume of flame at the Chief from its draconic mouth as Claire kicked herself back up and parted the fiery onslaught.
"Men! Fall back, The Avatar, her friends and I will handle this!"
They nodded and headed for the hills.
"Are you sure, Chief?"
"I may not be a spring chicken, but I know how to fight, Claire."
She smirked as they dashed back into the fray. The Avatar's eyes glowed with radiant light as she launched herself at the Tanuki Spirit, slashing out flames and air while Unalaq briefly glared and shook his head. Claire kept the Tanuki Spirit distracted while the others attacked from the ground. The Trickster struck out and gripped her in its three-pronged claw as she pushed her limbs against it. Her face crumpled up as her muscles strained and quaked, her screams hitting their ears.
"Li! Get your Air-bender to give me a boost!" Khana shouted.
His eye twitched as his alter ego took over and tossed out a giant air sphere. Khana hopped aboard as he bent it up onto the Tanuki's draped cannon arm, swiftly ascending her until she leapt for the claw arm, sprinting down it as fire roared from its Draconic head; however, before the flames could glance her, she dived in at Claire, shoving and pulling her from the Trickster's grasp as its claws smashed together, denting and cracking while the two ladies landed, Khana taking the brunt of the impact as they tumbled onto the ground.
She feverishly checked her over, "Claire! Are you alright!?"
The Avatar chuckled as the Radiant light in her eyes dimmed, "Thanks to you."
Khana smiled as everyone continued fighting.
Kang slashed out with a razor edge of flame, cleaving the Tanuki's cannon arm from its body.
Hou launched Jing up on an earthen pillar as he lashed out and slashed its Claw arm from its body.
The Tanuki Spirit's limbless crimson body jittered as sparks flew from its severed shoulders, but Unalaq stepped forward before crouching and launching himself up to it. He placed his palm against the Tanuki Spirit's draconic head as the yellow glow faded around its mechanised form. The Chief pulled the Trickster from the Gate Guardian as it crashed down with a thunderous thud. He threw the Tanuki Spirit to the ground as he gracefully descended. Everyone ran up and surrounded it, Unalaq's actions now uncovering its spiritual camouflage.
But despite its slamming, the Tanuki Spirit fearfully gazed up at him, its form puffier than ever as it quaked, "Dark one! Dark one!"
Everyone's gaze sceptically turned to Unalaq as he anxiously peered back, "I'm... unsure what it's talking about."
"Chief... that's the first time I've heard this wee blighter speak. What is he talking about?"
He cupped his chin in his right hand, "it could be because of Talos. He is my son, after all. Perhaps our little Trickster mistook me for him."
Zu and Lin quizzically gazed at each other as Claire hummed, then waltzed up and squatted before the Tanuki Spirit.
"Alright, you... I've got an idea. Ghazi, make sure he stays right here!"
He nodded as Claire took a meditative posture, taking a deep breath and reaching out to her past lives.
Aang's spiritual blue form emerged from her and appeared before her, "Hello, Clai-" he gazed around at Everyone, "quite the audience."
Ghazi respectfully nodded, "Avatar Aang."
He jerked back as Claire waved her hand to him, "hey, Aang! I need your help with a Spirit."
He nodded and took a deep breath, "What can I do for you?"
"We've got a Tanuki Spirit causing havoc, but we've recently subdued it. Do you have any idea how we can... send him to the Spirit World?"
Aang stroked his beard as he thought to himself, "if you meditate into the Spirit World, the Tanuki will be able to use your body as a conduit and follow you there."
"It's that simple?"
He nodded, "how do you think I get here?"
She hummed and shrugged as Aang's Spirit faded back into her. Ghazi placed the Tanuki Spirit in Claire's arms as she took another deep breath while Unalaq slanted his anxious gaze at her. Her body stiffened as her Spirit left her body, transporting her and the Trickster into a radiant forest within the Spirit World.
She stood up and held the Tanuki in her hands, "now you, don't go causing any more mischief! ...at least not in our world."
The Tanuki Spirit gave her an uncaring look as she let it go from her grasp and watched it prance away into the surrounding foliage.
"I have a feeling it didn't care about a single word I just said."
She chuckled to herself and returned to her body in the mortal world. Claire stood up and rolled her neck to find everyone stood by the wrecked Gate Guardian.
Kang tossed a piece of it in his hand and heavily sighed, "I had a feeling something like this would happen."
Khana placed a hand on his shoulder, "I guess you were right after all..."
He nodded and briefly sighed, "well, I suppose I really should've just... kept my inventions to myself."
Hou strode up and stared into his goggles, "I wouldn't say keeping it all to yourself is the way to go. Probably just limit what you give out and who you give it out to."
He hummed and tossed the piece of the Gate Guardian into the wreckage, "I suppose so... Don't want anything like today happening again."
The Mad Inventor turned to Lin, "Is that alright with you?"
She nodded, "after today, I'd be a fool not to be."
He smirked as Claire marched up to him, "I suppose we best get to cleaning this mess up!"
"Indeed! Claire, Zu, you two get started! Lin, if you could please rally the City Guard to help, that'd be great!"
"Sure thing," she patted his shoulder and marched away while everyone started the clean-up.
But Unalaq swiftly departed for the Northern Water Tribe camp, and as he did, Zu swiftly caught up to Lin, "Hey... could you not get a read on that guy either?"
She turned to face him and quizzically nodded, "you too? Huh... never had that happen before."
Zu sceptically hummed as he looked over his shoulder at Claire and Khana hauling pieces of metal into an organised scrap pile.