He got to watch the sun rise, something that he thought was beautiful. An array of yellows, oranges, pinks, and blues layered the sky. Without anything to obstruct his view, only the open ocean below, he gazed at it for as long as he could, before tearing his eyes away and focusing on his journey. His shoulders were starting to strain but he ignored it. 'I can bear with it a little bit longer. Should be coming up on dry land pretty soon.' Pretty soon would turn into a half hour. Half an hour turned into one. One turned into two. It was just about to turn into three when he finally sighted dry land. He let out a sigh of relief. 'Finally, sweet, sweet terra firma. Get me down there right the fuck now.' He dove down, racing towards the forest, backed by massive pillars of rock. Seconds before hitting the ground he pulled up perpendicular to his momentum, morphing the hang glider into a more spherical shape, the closest thing he could make to a parachute. The impact knocked one of his hands loose, and he barely held on with the other. Still, it slowed him down enough that when he hit the dirt it only scraped a little skin off his feet.
He flopped down onto the ground, planting a kiss on the earth. "Goddess I missed you. I'm not going to fucking do that ever again. Actually, I probably will, but I'm using shrapnels to speed it up." He rolled onto his back and started up at the sky, dark gray clouds overhead. "And rain? Hell yes, it's my lucky day. Come on, open up, sky. I know you can hear me, Dogoda, Acciona." Apparently the god of the wind and goddess of water did hear him, and didn't care for his tone, since the heavens themselves started to come down. Rain wasn't the right word to describe it, more like a monsoon. He chuckled and sat there, feeling the water pour over his body, closing his eyes and listening to the sounds around him. He relaxed for thirty minutes before rolling forward onto his feet. "It's been fun getting drenched, but I've got to get going. No way I'm going to prevent this genocide loafing around."
He turned around and made a pair of lumps behind his feet, one farther back than the other. He settled down, one leg at a 135-degree angle, the other bent up against his chest. His hands were extended in front of him as he counted down in his head, 'Three, two, one, GO!' He pushed off the blocks and ran forwards, the ground hardening under his feet, making it easy to keep running. His stupid grin never left, even as he dashed through the forest, leaping fallen logs and side-stepping the occasional startled forest creature. This was what he was meant to do. Run from one place to another, never stopping, never giving in, getting soaked to the bone, and wearing a shit-eating grin the entire time.
September 22nd, 3:00 PM
Over the Northern Ocean
The fact that he was now coasting along over the open ocean again was somewhat mitigated by the fact that he was cold. Very cold, in fact, but he absolutely refused to put on any kind of protective wear, instead just covering himself in a sheen of rock with a thin layer of air in between it and his skin. 'Anything else will hurt my aerodynamics too much, and at speeds like these, I don't really have a choice. Running down what has to be the tallest mountain in the whole fucken world gave me so much speed that it's ridiculous. I'd clock it at two hundred, maybe two-fifty.'
He shook his head as soon as he saw land. 'And it's only been what, three hours? I'm not going to land just yet, though, I still have to get to the peak. If I've got things right, I should be at the horn right now, and the peak is a little further inland.' He twisted a little, turning to the left and heading for the mountain range he really hoped was in that direction. Snowy tundra was all that he could see below him, with the occasional rocky outcropping and mossy patch, making him think 'I can look forward to a soft landing if I botch this, or no landing at all.'
He spotted the first of the mountain peaks when they were still a ways away, just snowy hunks of rock in the distance. The closest to the water that he could see was the most unusual. The top shimmered and wavered in the pre-dusk light, almost making a rainbow effect. 'That's gotta be it. Well, no point in coming in hot when I can come in not splatted against the ice.' He pulled up, gaining some height but mostly just stalling his forward momentum, as he formed it into another parachute, something he'd had plenty of practice doing. He grabbed the straps and leaned forwards, coming slow and steady into the ice-capped mountain.
September 22nd, 5:00 PM
The North Pole
Marksman's Peak
He had made sure not to touch the ice on his way down, instead clinging to the (intentionally, he was sure) sheer rock face, only lightly coated with snow. He bent out a small platform to stand on and knocked on the ice. "Hello? May I come in? I'm on your side, I promise!" He got no response, and he facepalmed. 'Of all the things not to say, that's probably number one.' He pressed a finger into his forehead. "I know you're in there. I'm just asking to be polite." Again, no response. "Well, don't say I didn't warn you."
'Is it my turn? Come on, tell me it's my turn!' He smirked and drew the Reaper. 'Yes, Emera, it's your turn. Remember, we're trying to save these people, not kill them.' A high pitched whine sounded out in his head. 'But you haven't given me any blood in days!' He tutted, shifting into his normal L stance. 'If you can wait a few weeks, I'll give you more blood than you can handle. If my hunch is right, you can have a snack in between now and then too.' The sound of lips smacking signaled anticipation. 'Fine. But you better let me have some of yours if that hunch is wrong!'
His blade glowed red in the light as it blurred out of his scabbard. His arms were a flurry of motion, chopping a circle into the ice, slicing deeper and deeper with every cut. When he finally felt no resistance, he jabbed into the ice at an angle and started to lever it out. He could barely make it budge, but the more he pulled, the further it came out. He groaned, straining against the weight. "This must be some really fucking heavy ice." He gave one last herculean effort, finally throwing it out and panting from the effort. "I guess on the bright side, all this work has warmed me up pretty nicely." He walked through the tunnel to see ten people standing there, all panting and sweating like him, slowly taking out daggers and bending pieces of ice and water in front of them. "Oh. You guys were working against me? Well, nice to know I can overpower a decad of benders with nothing but my muscles."
He stretched, touching his toes with his fingers, swinging his arms from side to side, completely ignoring the glares he was getting. "So who's in charge here? Believe it or not, I didn't come here to test my physical acumen." One of the men on the edge snarled. "How did you even find this place?! The location of Marksman's Peak is one of the most closely guarded secrets the water tribe has!" He shrugged. "Then I'll hate to hear what the other ones are. What, am I going to look under a rock in Ba Sing Se and find out the chief has a third nipple?" One of the men's faces turned pale. "Wow, I'm great at guessing. Point is, the whole of the Fire Nation military knows where this place is." That statement made one of the women on the outskirts lunge at him, dagger outstretched.
He popped a wall of rock out of the ground in her path. "Not me, by the way. I was just spying on them. They had a really good map and everything too." The youngest boy in the group frowned, his eyes scrunching in concentration. "You seem familiar." He rubbed his chin, then snapped his fingers. "Right. You're the kid I conked on the head with the stinger. Sorry about that, by the way." He pulled the wall down. "You know this kid, Toru?" The woman from earlier was rubbing her nose, red from impacting the wall. Toru's eyes widened. "Wha- what the hell are you doing here? Shouldn't you still be in Gaoling?" Jacob cocked his head to the side and smirked, hand under his chin. "Well, I would be, if not for an incredibly unfortunate series of events. But alas, destiny has forced my hand, and so here I am, unfortunately the bearer of bad news. The Fire Nation is attacking this place in… I think sixteen days now?"
He looked around at the icy building he'd been taken into. A table made of ice, a chair made of ice, a fireplace made of ice (don't ask him how the hell that worked), even an ice box, not an icebox for storing food, just a box made of ice. 'Huh, building materials don't really vary much here, do they?' The ice door in the ice doorframe opened and he rose from his position, sitting on the ice floor. The older woman that stepped in with a gaze made of ice, brown hair, and a killer figure waved him forwards. "The chief will see you now." He gave her his best smile. "Sure I can't see you instead? I'd bet you're easier on the eyes." She rolled her eyes. "I am married." He chuckled. "Well, that hasn't stopped me three other times. I see no reason why it would this time." Her eyes narrowed and he held up his hands in surrender. "Fine, you respect your vows, I get it."
The chief was not at all who he expected. His jaw dropped when he saw who it was. "Oh, this is just fuckin' perfect." The woman slapped the back of his head. "Do not use rude language in front of the chief." He grabbed her hand and looked at it. "Hmm. Burned off, or frozen off? Either way, no prints. Good, I'll keep that in mind." He wheeled back around and sat down in front of the chief. He was sitting down on a throne of ice, a confused look on his face. "Do I know you from somewhere?" He raised an eyebrow and then facepalmed. "Ah, right, my bad. I like the way this thing looks, and it's great for not being recognized instantly, but that has its disadvantages too." He pulled down his mask and took out his sword, laying it on his lap. "Yo, Kazu, been a while. I also maintain that I did not fuck your wife, before you say anything else."
A vein pulsed on his head. "What in the name of the spirits are you doing in my village?!" He pressed a finger to his forehead. "Well, it's in bad taste to reference Lemony Snicket twice in one day, so I'll cut to the chase. Your village is going to get railed by at least four legions of Fire Nation soldiers in a matter of weeks. I came all the way here to warn you and then offer my help, if you'd like it." Kazu put both hands in front of his face. "Spirits preserve us. Why should I believe you?" He shrugged. "Long way to go in an awful big hurry to tell a lie. It's your call. I have to stop at Agna Qel'a anyways, so if you want some time to think, I'll peace out for now." He began to rise, before Kazu stretched out one of his hands. "Against my better judgement, I will believe you. As long as you can explain a few things." Jacob cracked his neck. "Go ahead." "Why did we receive reports that you were dead? How did you find this place? And why do you know the Fire Nation is going to attack us?" He rolled his shoulders. "Do you mind if I stand? I hate sitting down. I'll assume you don't."
He got up and tapped the pommel of his sword. "The answer to all three of those questions is the same. I went undercover to infiltrate the Fire Nation's military. My death was a necessary ruse, because my killing of their spies gave me quite a great deal of notoriety. I am, to say the least, experienced in flushing out and exterminating the disloyal." His brow tightened. "Are you implying something?" He shook his head. "I'm done lying or leaving things unsaid. They knew exactly where your village was. They even had the layout of the houses, and from what I've seen, it looks like it was right. I found out in my third meeting on the topic of the invasion that they even knew there were two-hundred and thirteen people here, one-hundred and eighty of them being waterbenders, and forty-three of them are not ready for combat. You have a traitor on your hands, chief. Whether you'd like to admit it or not."
Kazu sat in silence for a moment. "You're one off. One-hundred and eighty-one." He tapped his temple, a confident smirk appearing. "That was the number I saw. But it does tell me something very, very important. After all, no traitor would include themselves among the number of what they thought to be dead men. He or she is a bender." He frowned, a heavy look on his face. "I am the chief of this village, and that means I must deal with unfortunate realities. I am willing to accept the possibility that there is a traitor. But we are probably still dead men. There isn't enough time to do anything about it, and we won't abandon our home." Jacob nodded, pulling his mask back up. "I had a feeling you'd say that. Don't worry, I've got a plan."
September 22nd, 6:30 PM
Marksman's Peak
Town Square
Kazu had gathered the whole town around the ice fountain in the center. "As I am sure most of you have heard, there is a very serious threat facing our village. The Fire Nation has discovered where we are, and in the middle of October, will be launching an attack on us." Men and women, young and old, started murmuring to each other. "How could they have found us?" "Probably the same way that stranger did." Kazu held up his hand. "You are all wondering how we were discovered. The answer is short and simple. We have been betrayed by one of our own." This set the crowd into a nearly riotous mood, people reaching for daggers and putting distance between each other. Kazu snapped his fingers, and Jacob appeared next to him. He threw something in his palm down to the ground, and a loud bang sounded out, confusing everyone present except for them.
"Listen to me! This is Jacob, an accredited detective and killer of spies. He will be dealing with this problem, and if anyone has an issue with that, they can take it up with me." Jacob bowed to the crowd in front of him. "There is nothing I hate more than the disloyal. One of you here is that very thing, and believe me when I say that I will find you, I will beat you, and I will kill you. Come forward now, and I will skip the beating part." Nobody in the crowd moved a muscle, and he nodded. "Good. I enjoy a challenge, waterbender. I would ask that any benders with a mission outside the village in the next few weeks come with me for questioning." Kazu pulled him aside. "It's late. I think it would be best if you waited until tomorrow morning to start." He mulled over the idea before nodding. "Very well. Your death is postponed another day." "As of right now, every mission you have is canceled! Get some rest, because tomorrow will be a stressful day!" Jacob stalked off purposefully, giving nobody so much as a second glance as he walked back towards the tunnel. Once there, he remade the platform and a small lean-to against the ice.
'Now let's see who takes the bait.' He settled down on the rock floor and raised a small section for a pillow. He didn't bother making it soft. "Can't fall asleep. Not in a place full of trained assassins. I've gotta… stay… awake…" he failed, succumbing to his exhaustion, throat, head, and chest perfectly exposed.
Five hours later, in the dead of night, a shadow slipped through the icy streets. It rounded a corner, crossing one of the five streets that made up the whole of the Peak. It was about to cross the final one between it and it's goal, but then pressed flat against a wall as a patrol of three people walked down, all with tri-pronged shuriken in their hands. The silhouette revealed itself to be a woman, breathing even under her mask, betrayed by the pounding of her heart that she couldn't seem to silence. 'I shouldn't be doing this, but I have to. If I'm caught in broad daylight, it's curtains. Now, with the cover of darkness, I have a chance.' She crept towards the hole, edging her way along the wall of ice that bordered it. She made her way into the tunnel, coming out the other side without a single whisper of sound. She saw her target, sleeping soundly. Her hand reached towards his chest, then to his neck, then up to his face. It got closer and closer, millimeters from his skin. A bead of sweat formed on her face.
She grabbed the top part of the mask and pulled it down. His sleeping face was calm. She lightly tapped his cheek, making him stir. "Go away, I'll talk to you in the morning." She pinched his nose, making him bat her hand away. "I can't talk to you in the morning, dummy." He pulled her down next to him, wrapping her in his arms. "I don't see why not. We can sneak off to some secluded place if you're worried about" he tapped the necklace and blue gemstone around her neck. "this. But right now, I have a traitor to catch. And if it's not you, I'll have to ask you to leave." She sighed, pushing his arms off of her. "Fine. See you never, Jacob." "See you in the morning, Freya."
'I was wondering whether or not I'd run into her. I'm glad I had the chance, even if she's planning to play the dutiful wife. Meh, if she's happy, she's happy, but given she came to see me, I don't think she is. I have to go back to sleep, though, or this won't work. Come on, boner, go away.' He settled down, groaning softly as he lulled himself back to rest. Thirty minutes later, he had another visitor. This one was a man in his mid-twenties, and he pulled out a dagger as he entered the tent. The soft whisper of "Idiot, leaving an open path to a village of trained assassins. I'd have cut his throat for that alone, but if he knows that much, it will only be a matter of time. Now you must die." He pressed the dagger to Jacob's throat and applied some gentle pressure, cutting into it.
Jacob's eyes shot open and he looked up in terror. "It's too late, boy. You failed. I'm sure the chief will give you a nice funeral." He levered all of his force behind it, seeking to chop off his head. "Well, nicer than the one you're about to get." Sand flowed out from under the blade, wrapping around his arm. He tried to pull away, but Jacob wagged a finger at him, terror completely gone and replaced with a cocky grin. "It wouldn't be much of a trap if you could get away so easily." He clenched his hand, destroying the man's arm and making him let out a blood-curdling scream. "Oh, and before you start thinking you did anything, the only thing you cut was the rock I had over my neck. Checkmate." Jacob whipped out the Reaper and beheaded him, hearing a quiet little giggle. 'Thank you Jake!'
He strolled out, carrying the dismembered head. The entire village was awake, and they gathered around the fountain once more. Jacob hoisted the head high. "Got him. Anyone want to tell me who just tried to slit my throat?" One person stepped forward. "My betrothed, Hense." He bowed. "I'm sorry for your loss, miss." She rolled her eyes. "No you're not, and frankly neither am I. Would you quit playing gentleman detective and go back to normal already?" He scratched the back of his head. "I really am that transparent, huh?" He pulled down his mask and swept Freya into a kiss. They made out in front of the whole village as he dropped the severed head on the floor, rolling away. A barrage of icy spears launched towards him, and he completely ignored them, instead letting the sand catch them. It spelled out "Stop being a killjoy, old man." and they warped away in a flurry of sand.
September 23rd, 8:30 AM
Marksman's Peak
Jacob yawned and opened his eyes, smiling at the sight in front of him. His arms were still wrapped around Freya, her doing the same to him, both of them less than clothed. "Hey, wake up. I'd love to stay like this longer, but I've got work to do." She grumbled and pulled him closer. "I don't wanna wake up. I wanna stay here with you." He kissed her forehead. "Me too. But I'm moving, and unless you'd like another village to see you naked, you should probably get dressed." She rolled to the side and tossed off the earthen covers he'd made. "You're a lot better at this than when I last saw you." "What, kissing or bending?" She hummed as she pulled on the parka and pants that made up her attire. "Both. It's still hard to believe you're here." He grinned as he pulled up his mask and tugged on his own pants. "I said we'd meet again, didn't I? Just happened a bit sooner than I thought. That reminds me of something, though."
"You killed that guy back in Gaoling." She shrugged. "I'm an assassin, what do you want from me?" He shook his head. "Not the point, I think I already know why and I don't really blame you. What I do care about is the state his body was left in. His head was pasted by a block of ice, and a pebble was left in the middle. You see why that was a problem for me?" She shrugged again. "No." Then it hit her. "Wait. A pebble?" He opened his palm. "This one, to be precise. So, I'll ask, and please don't lie, did you try and frame me?" She stared into his eyes, and put her forehead against his. "No. I did not try to frame you, dummy. Why would I even bother? We were out of town by the time he was found." He waited for a moment for her heartbeat to reach his feet, then sighed in relief. "Thank you. That makes me feel a lot better." She smirked, putting an arm around his shoulders. "I'm hurt you suspected me." He leaned onto her head. "Kazu wasn't kidding when he said I was a detective. Every suspect, every possibility, no matter how much it hurts to ask, the truth is my only goal." He warped them just inside the entrance to the village, and they started walking.
He made an odd motion with his hands, and something flew out of the pack at her hip. "You kept it all this time? I'm touched." It was the sapphire crystal he'd given her more than a year ago now. It flew back in as she pecked his cheek. "Well, you did kill my fiancé, so now you have to take his place." He grimaced. "Not sure that's a good idea. My track record with wives is horrible, and I wouldn't want to lose you too." Her eyes widened in disbelief. "You had a…" she grabbed her arm and looked at the ground. "I'm sorry for joking about that." He waved his hand. "You couldn't have known, and I'm… well, saying I'm over it would be a lie, but I'm getting there." He chuckled. "Besides, I don't think Hiro would want me to mope forever." She gave an awkward smile. "Do you… want to talk about it?" He shook his head. "Nah. Seeing a familiar face is doing wonders already." Their fingers interlaced.
"So you mentioned something about work?" He nodded, grin obvious even under the mask. "Oh, have I got a few surprises for those Fire Nation bastards when they get here. If I pull this off, they won't even make it in catapult range." She blinked once. "Cata- what?" He shook his head. "Basically just mechanical earthbenders. They throw big rocks long distances, at high speeds. They're one of the most destructive weapons in the Fire Nation arsenal, seconded only by the ballista in power, though it has a far shorter range, only about 75 meters compared to a full kilometer, when they know what they're doing. That's a giant crossbow by the way. Anyways, how deep do your ships sink in the water?" "About 10 feet. Why is that important?" He smirked. "Because I need to know how deep to set the mines."
His face was set in concentration as he molded a thin earthen shell around the clump of shrapnels he'd made. "So what does this do again?" He blew out a breath as it was finished. "The short of it is the bottom of the ship hits it and sets off the shrapnels, blowing a huge hole in the boat. I'll have to seed the water around here with quite a few or it won't take out all of them, but I can always just get rid of the rest later." He stretched his arms out, pulling more rocks up from the ground, compressing them slowly. "Although, I wouldn't be able to make enough to take out the main fleet if I had a month." She blinked, then a frown settled on her face. "You're trying to do everything yourself? We aren't helpless, you know." He shook his head. "No, you aren't. But if I can finish this without sending a single other person in to fight and risk their lives…" he formed a chain on the end and swung it around, before letting it fly out into the ocean. "… I will." He chuckled, rubbing the back of his head. "Besides, they called me a super-soldier that could tip the balance of the war. I wouldn't want to disappoint them."
He turned around, seeing the troubled look on her face. He gestured over. "I know something that'll cheer you up. I have something cool I want to show you." She raised an eyebrow. "The first time it was earthbending, next it was compression. What now, you're going to tell me you can move a mountain?" His head fell forward. "No, I can't do that, not without another mountain to jump off of. It is related to what I said back then, though." She tapped her chin. "What you said back then? Did you bring the little girl?" He smirked. "What, Toph? No, but I wouldn't mind her being here. I asked you a question, and you laughed at it, a very understandable response, were I an unimaginitive dipshit like most earthbenders." He settled into a lotus position, sweat appearing on his skin. He gave a grunt of exertion and pointed a hand towards the water. A tentacle came out and poked her forehead. Her jaw hit the floor. "WHAT THE FUCK?!" He opened his eyes and it splashed onto the ground, losing form. "About the reaction I expected." Her eyes were as wide as dinner plates as she gasped at him. "You- waterbending- wha- how-" he held up a hand. "No, it's not waterbending. Let me explain and bring you back down to earth, pardon the pun." He extended a hand towards the ocean again and brought a glob of water towards him. Something was wrong, though. Instead of a neatly contained orb like most waterbenders would make, it was dripping and shuddering. "Water isn't pure. Every lake, every stream, they've all got particles of rock and minerals floating inside them. In most sources, there aren't enough for me to actually bend, but the ocean is a different story." He bent it around his hand and clenched. A crystal of salt formed in the center and the water dropped away. "It's salty. I'm not bending the water, just the salt inside. It's the same principle as bending mud, just taken to the most extreme level I could think of." Her eyes were still wide, but now there was a smile on her face. "That's amazing. How did you learn to do that?" He scratched the back of his head. "Ehm. I got stranded in the middle of the ocean on my way here and the sea floor was too deep for me to bend. I felt like that would be a really lame way to die, and I couldn't see any reason why it wouldn't work, so I tried. As you can see, it's nowhere near as polished as a real bender, but for what I need, it works just fine." He gritted his teeth and stomped his foot, punching his arm into the air at the same time. A spout of water thirty feet high came out of the surface, then after he lowered his arms, it splashed back down.
"Wait. You're going to do that to every single ship in the main fleet? But you said there would be hundreds!" He shook his head. "No. My plan is to make a wave that fucks them up and gives us the time to clean up the people. But to do that, I'm going to need to be a lot better at this. It was hard enough to even do that." He bowed at the waist, surprising her. "Could you please teach me waterbending?" She blinked. "What?" He straightened up and scratched the back of his head. "Well, you're the only waterbender I really know, and I don't plan on going to Agna Qel'a much, so…" she put a hand on his shoulder. "I'd love to. But you realize how hard this is going to be, right? It's not your element, and it's not even what you're really bending." He nodded. "Whatever it takes. It's not a matter of if I can do it, because the simple fact is I have to do it. If I'm going to take on Ozai at some point, then a way to put out his fires is going to be necessary." "You're going to take on the Fire Lord?" He shrugged. "Well, assuming Aya doesn't get to him first, yeah. Oh, you probably heard, but the Avatar is back." She rolled her eyes. "Yes, I heard. I also heard you jumped off a hundred meter tall pillar of rock and singlehandedly beat an entire Fire Nation warship with three of the deadliest fighters in the fire army. Forgive me if I don't believe everything I hear, dummy." He started to whistle innocently and she stared at him deadpan. "Alright, to be fair, only half of that is true. I barely had to do any fighting, they were willing to leave because I knew the captain's girlfriend. We did spar, but the only person I actually attacked was some prick general who's still awaiting trial in the Fire Nation. Their courts are really, really slow." She shook her head and sat down next to him. "You're ridiculous, you know that?" He shrugged. "It might as well be my middle name at this point, sensei." They leaned onto each other and she smiled. "That has a nice ring to it. I think I want you to call me that all the time." He pulled down his mask and turned his head. "Maybe it's time for my next lesson in "bending." Up for another sparring match, sensei?" She turned her own head, lips parting. "Do you even have to ask?"
I've decided to pump out chapter 8, 9, and 10 all today, because I've been a little lax in the upload schedule. Sorry about that, hope you enjoyed these.