Don't Think Twice
Author's Note: Welcome to Chapter 3! Hope y'all enjoy!
Intro Music: Avatar: The Last Airbender Theme
Chapter 3: Learning Experiences
BGM: The Legend of Korra - Amon
It was a dark and rainy night in Republic City. Most people were sleeping during this time, the only thing really being able to be heard is raindrops colliding with the streets. It had this weird, uncertain feeling. Rain can be a good thing, but it can also bring other feelings that a person may not want to feel. This was exactly the case for one bender, who was trapped in an alleyway. He was fighting for his life against the equalists, throwing fireblast after fireblast at them. As the fight went on, the firebender was clearly outmatched. Losing stamina by the second, the one of the equalists knocked him back with a powerful spinning kick, sending him flying into the wall.
Grunting in pain, the firebender fell to his knees. He tried to find the strength to get up, but it was no use. He was breathing heavily, his head looking up to see the people that had bested him. However… what he didn't expect was to see the leader of these highly trained fighters in person.
Everyone, say hi to Amon.
"We got him, sir. One of the most highly skilled warriors in the Agni Kai Triad was essentially rendered completely helpless." a soldier said to him, Amon having his hands behind his back.
"Good." Amon replied, bending down to the firebender's level, looking at him straight in the eyes while grabbing his chin. It gave this unsettling feeling to the firebender, fear really starting to overtake him at this point.
"Firebender Ike. Second in command in the Agni Kai Triad. One of the most ruthless firebenders there is, always using his power for his own benefit against people that can't defend themselves." Amon looked closer into Ike's eyes, his grip tightening on his chin.
"Oh, I know all about you."
That effectively made Ike freak out.
"P-P-P-Please! Please don't take my bending away! I'll do anything you want!"
Ike losing his will only made Amon scoff. Thunder was able to be heard now, giving the situation even more intensity.
"Look at you. As soon as you come against competition, here you are crying like a baby. I honestly expected you to be more resilient than that." Amon wasn't lying. He actually did sound disappointed. He then got up, slowly shaking his head.
"No matter. You will be cleansed of your sins momentarily."
Everybody knew what Amon meant.
"NO, WAIT! PLEASE, I'M BEGGING YOU!" Ike pleaded, his response being silence from Amon. Everything seemed to be going in slow motion, especially for Ike. Everything he knew was about to be taken away from him in two seconds from now.
Or so he thought.
"Seems like this world isn't without drama."
BGM Change: TMNT 2007 Game – Vigilantism
Amon and the Equalists turned around to see the voice who was speaking to them. When they turned around, they saw a boy that looked to be in his older teenage years. He had spiky red and black hair, his eyes also being an intense red. He sported a white shirt with a red and black jacket, along with having red and black pants.
Amon and the equalists stayed on their guard, not sure what to think of when it came to this new person.
"Run along now, boy. You should probably go home." a soldier told him, but the teen could only smirk to himself.
"Tell me… Do you people go around threatening others like this?"
A soldier shook his head. "You obviously don't know what you're getting yourself into. Mind your own business before someone else gets hurt."
The teen's smirk could only grow wider.
"I surely hope you're not talking about me, because if you are… You'll live to regret it."
Lightning struck at the end of that statement, thunder following afterwards as more rain continued to pour down. The Equalists looked to Amon, awaiting his orders. Amon would say two simple words.
"Handle him."
He didn't need to tell them twice. The Equalists all dashed at the teen, having the full intent to make quick work of him.
But what they didn't expect in the slightest is how formidable this teen would be.
Seeing two Equalists come at him from the left side, the teen performed a sweeping kick that tripped them up. He proceeded to kick them both in the face, sending them flying into a trashcan. Another soldier tried to come at the teen from behind, but his natural battle instinct told him to turn around. Once he did, he sent a massive punch right into the soldier's nose, knocking him out as his back hit the wall.
Other Equalists came to the scene, trying their best to get the drop on him. Their bolas wrapped around his arms and legs, keeping him stationary. At least, they kept him stationary for a short moment.
"Behold the ultimate power!"
Using his pure strength and will power, the Equalists that were keeping the teen still started to struggle. The teen gritted his teeth, letting out a furious yell as he forcefully moved his arms and legs. He sent a kick motion with his left leg that sent the one Equalist flying into the other soldier that was keeping right leg down. Now free to move his legs again, the teen started spinning around, swinging his arms since the Equalists still had them wrapped.
It started to look like a ridiculous rodeo, and once the teen could tell that the soldier's grips were loosening, he swung them into the air. The only thing that could be heard were their yells, seeing as their figures couldn't even be seen anymore due to how high and far the teen threw them.
The teen cracked his neck, seeing that he had defeated the soldiers that had come after him. Well, all except for one, and that would be the ring leader.
It's safe to say that Amon was surprised at how this little fight has developed. Here was this teen that didn't seem to be a bender, coming out of nowhere and effectively made his men look like chumps. Of course, his surprise won't be able to be seen due to his mask covering his face.
He won't give out the fact that he was surprised, but he was indeed curious.
"Who are you?"
The teen crossed his arms, looking at Amon with a serious face.
"Shadow."
Throughout all of this, Ike, who watched with utter amazement and disbelief, he wasn't sure what to do in this moment. That is, until Shadow gave him an order.
"Run."
Ike gave two quick nods, running away from this circus as fast as he could. He stumbled on his way out, but yes, he did make it out.
Shadow and Amon's battle would begin. Amon leaped onto a rooftop, but Shadow wasn't going to let him out of his sights. Shadow ran up the building at high speeds, the rain continuing to pour down while Amon only watched his pursuer. Though, what caught his attention was how Shadow brought out a bright green jewel that he couldn't look away from.
Still having the full intent to take Amon down, Shadow yelled, "Chaos Spear!" Multiple blasts came out his left hand, once again surprising Amon. Super speed, exceptional strength, and now the ability to fire blasts. Was this some sort of new form of bending? That's what he was thinking.
Even with all the skills that Shadow's shown to possess, he still wasn't worried whatsoever.
Amon came running down the building, gracefully avoiding the Chaos Spears with flips. Once Amon was close enough to Shadow, it was like time itself was slowing down. Shadow slowed down, leaping from the building he was running on to get even closer to Amon.
Shadow pulled back his leg, having the plan to roundhouse kick Amon into oblivion. Amon also had his own plans as well, pulling his fist back to punch Shadow right in the chest.
Once the two attacks seemed close enough to connecting, that's when everything faded to white.
It was morning time once again. Air Temple Island seemed peaceful again, considering that Korra finally learned how to defeat the airbending gates. She could finally move on to the other parts of her airbending training. Though, we transfer our attention to another person for now, AKA the Blue Blur himself. Considering that he still pretty much knows next to nothing about this world, whether it was a coincidence or not, he ran into the library that the Air Temple had.
There was such a wide array of books that talked about any event in history. He would be in here for years if he decided to read all these books. Sonic doesn't really do that much reading anyway, unless he's actually in the book. Something like being in books with genies and knights. Nevertheless, he figured that it would be best to expand his knowledge just a bit.
The only Avatar he's heard of was Aang, the Avatar before Korra. Maybe he should read up on that?
"Alright, Avatar Aang… I know there's gotta be somethin' about ya here." he told himself, looking through book after book until he saw something that caught his eye.
The 100 Year War: How It Ended
On the front, it had a picture of multiple people. He recognized how Aang looked due to the massive statue outside the Air Temple. However, he didn't recognize any of the other people on there. Some guy with a ponytail, a young girl that was small but looked tough at the same time, a girl that was controlling water, another girl with two fans, and a guy with a scar on his face.
He sat down, ready to read until someone interrupted him.
"Gonna read about Grandpa?"
Sonic looked up to see Jinora standing there, kinda catching him off guard but he didn't look too surprised.
"Oh! Hey, Jinora. Yeah, I guess I am gonna read about your ol' Gramps."
Jinora smiled. "Well, luckily for you, I can be able to explain things that you might not understand." It's true. Since Jinora was the calmest and most spiritual of her siblings, she lived for this stuff. She sat by Sonic, ready to give him her knowledge.
"Now let's start with chapter 1… When Grandpa was in the iceberg."
As time passed, Sonic and Jinora continued to read some of the old Gaang's adventures together. As Sonic was reading about each event, the more into it he got. He looked like a kid reading his favorite comic book, really. Also, with Jinora helping out along the way, always explaining how such and such happened, this was honestly a fun educational experience.
They made it to the part where Katara was inspiring Haru and the Earthbenders to fight back against Fire Nation. They were going to read more until Tenzin tapped on the wall. "Excuse me, Sonic. May I speak with y-" His eyes slowly analyzed what he and Jinora were reading. A look of interest was formed upon his face.
"Are you reading about the 100 year war?"
"Yep!" Sonic gave a nod, grinning.
"And I'm helping him. We just got done reading on how Gran Gran and Grandpa helped Haru and his home. Always one of my favorite stories, because it really shows how awesome Gran Gran is."
Tenzin smiled. "Yeah. She sure is amazing, huh?" Already knowing the stories, he knew that there were multiple times where Katara would shine. Sometimes he wishes he was there to see it for himself. Well, he knew that wouldn't have been possible… Even though technically it could have… Ah, forget it.
"As much as I hate to interrupt this much needed history lesson for you, Sonic, we need to talk."
Sonic sighed. He was enjoying this educational experience much more than he thought he would. Still, he guesses that he has to talk to Tenzin. "Alright." He turned to Jinora. "We'll continue reading later."
Jinora closed the book. "Not a problem. Just make sure you keep your promise." She smiled, as Sonic smirked.
"I always keep my promises." With that, he and Tenzin left to talk privately.
They were looking just above the training area, talking about current events. "Now Sonic, first of all, I want to say thank you for somehow getting Korra to defeat those gates."
Sonic scratched the back of his head, grinning. "Heh heh. You know about that?"
"I saw it when it happened, yes. Although, it's kinda hard for everybody to not know at this point, because she keeps on announcing it." He then referred to the training area, with Meelo and Ikki constantly doing air blasts so Korra could keep practicing. Compared to how she once was, she was now the total opposite. She was going through those things with no problem at all.
And she would make sure it would be known.
"HAHA, YES! I BEAT YOU AGAIN, AIRBENDING GATES! AND THERE'S NOTHING YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT!"
Tenzin looked on, only able to sigh and shake his head. Sonic had this look on his face where he basically said 'I've created a monster' without actually saying it.
"I see what you mean." Sonic quickly replied.
"But," Tenzin begain, raising his index finger into the air, "I'd much rather have this happy version of Korra instead of her absolutely losing her mind… Which is why I come with a proposal."
Sonic raised an eyebrow. "A proposal?"
"I've noticed that you and Korra are actually quite similar in a lot of ways. Because of that, you two are able to connect well with each other. Believe me when I say it, that played a major role in helping Korra get passed those gates."
Sonic still wasn't getting where Tenzin was trying to come from. "Okay…? But where are you coming from with this?"
"What I'm saying is this. I'll still be Korra's airbending master. However, she'll need somebody else to give her that extra push, someone that's like a reflection of her. That reflection can understand where she's coming from, and that reflection… is you."
With Tenzin explaining what he meant, Sonic finally got it. Though, he could only sigh heavily. "While I appreciate the compliment, Tenzin, I know why you're saying this. The other half in why you're saying this is that you think I'm an airbender, which I'm not."
"Nonsesne!" Tenzin exclaimed. "I don't know why you're denying your abilities. You're an airbender, and not only that, you have supreme natural skill along with the greatest speed I've ever seen. Just imagine what you'd be able to do if you ever reached your full potential!"
"Tenzin," Sonic began, wanting to make this as clear as possible, "I. Am. Not. An. Airbender. Yes, I create gusts of wind when I run around. Heck, if I run fast enough, I can make tornadoes. But please don't get it twisted, I am not an airbender. I don't do things the way you guys do. A lot of my skill is dependent on my speed. You guys are able to send gusts of wind with your hands at a moment's notice. I can't do that."
Sonic thought that would be enough to get it through Tenzin's skull, but even that wasn't enough. "What you just described what you could do are original airbending techniques. Do you know how many tornadoes my father made in his lifetime?" He asked, not wanting an answer to it since he only wanted to put things into perspective.
"Maybe you excel in a few things and struggle in others. However, that can be fixed with training. If you can airbend in all of those ways except your hands, then it's now my duty to help not only Korra, but you too."
"Oh, you've gotta be kidding me…" Sonic thought to himself, wanting his palm to meet his head at this moment.
"Tenzin, I don't have a problem with helping Korra, but this whole 'helping me with airbending' thing ain't gonna-"
"As the head of this temple and the son of Avatar Aang, I now pronounce you as my student." Tenzin wasn't hearing Sonic's reasoning, nor did he really want to if we're being honest. "This is a huge day for the Air Nation getting back on track, and I assure you, Sonic, you'll be one of the greatest airbenders to ever live. I expect you to be ready tomorrow morning in not only helping Korra, but allowing me to help you."
"ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME RIGHT NOW?!"
That was the thought that was going through Sonic's head over and over again. Tenzin wasn't listening to him. No matter how hard he tried, Tenzin wouldn't listen to him. He patted Sonic on the back, soon turning away.
"You may not realize how great you can be, Sonic, but I do. I refuse to let such a natural and great talent go to waste." With that, he left. Sonic effectively wanted to pull his hair out. Why was this happening to him?
END OF CHAPTER 3: LEARNING EXPERIENCES
BGM: Sonic R – Number One
Korra: Bow down to me, you puny gates! YOU CAN'T BEAT ME ANY MO-
Everyone Else: WE GET IT!
Mako and Bolin: And we still didn't appear in this chapter either! What's going on?!
Me: Don't worry. The contract says that you guys will be in the next chapter.
Asami: Since when did we sign a contract?
Next time on Don't Think Twice!
New Arrival
Knuckles and Tails: Oh great, another character to steal our spotlight!
Author's Note: Alright guys, chapter 3 is shorter than I wanted it to be. However, with me recently starting up a new job, it's been tough to get the length I want. Mako, Bolin, and Asami were originally supposed to be in this chapter, but due to time, they didn't make the cut as of right now. So, consider this as a… mini chapter? I know what's going to happen, I just didn't have the time to write it out, lol. And this new arrival… Hmm… I wonder who's that gonna be?! Haha. Go crazy with your guesses. Anyway, thanks for the support, and as always, READ AND REVIEW!