Don't Think Twice
Author's Note: Oh boy, chapter 13. This one is going to be an adventure; I'll tell you that much. Let's not waste any more time.
Intro Music: Avatar: The Last Airbender Theme
Chapter 13: The Announcement
It was almost tournament time, and the people who couldn't get it off their minds were the two bending brothers.
Mako and Bolin.
They were currently training with each other in the gym, Mako throwing a flurry of fireblasts at Bolin. The earthbending brother would be on the defensive, rolling out the way while countering with earth discs, multiple amounts coming full speed at Mako.
"You're gonna have to try harder than that!" exclaimed Mako, taking deep breaths as he clapped his hands together. The moment he did, a flaming circle of fire came from the impact, shooting like a torpedo towards the earth discs, utterly annihilating them.
Bolin's eyes widened, yelling, "Oh boy!" Moving his arms quickly, he bended more earth discs to act as a shield for Mako's oncoming attack. Once his defense mixed with his brother's offense, a decent sized explosion happened in the gym. The two brothers were drenched in sweat, signaling they've been training for a long time.
"Soooo… Was that flaming circle of death always in your arsenal, or did you learn it from Blaze?" Bolin curiously asked, plopping on the floor since he was tired.
"Learned it from Blaze." Mako confirmed, wiping the sweat off his brow as he came near Bolin and sat with him. "Seems like I learned it just in time too. It's not going to be too much longer until I actually get to unleash it on the biggest stage."
Bolin flashed a grin, putting an arm around his brother. "Yeah, it's almost time. We got this. I mean, who can really beat us? You're constantly learning new moves, I'm getting better by the day, and we have the freaking Avatar!"
Mako sighed loudly at his brother's overconfidence. "Tahno and the Wolfbats exist. You know, only the champs who've won three times in a row?" he reminded.
"Yeah, yeah, I know they exist. But come oooon, you don't really think they could beat us, right? We've trained so hard!"
"And what makes you think they haven't done the same thing?" Mako retorted, making Bolin pout.
Someone else would enter the gym, agreeing with Mako.
"He's right, Bolin. Don't let overconfidence be your downfall." Toza said, the legendary pro-bender and owner of the gym. "Though, you are right when you talk about your training. Not only have you two grown in power, but you've grown as people as well." he said with a smile, getting closer to them.
Bolin scratched the back of his head, having a smile on his face because of Toza's words. Mako had a blank stare, but on the inside, he appreciated the compliment.
"Really, it's all thanks to you, Toza." Bolin said. "If you didn't take us in, I honestly have no idea where we'd be right now…"
"We'd still be on the streets or dead." added Mako.
Bolin nodded. "Yeah, probably that."
Toza smiled, his tone becoming softer as he laughed a bit. "When I took you boys in, you seemed lost and confused. I know your parents dying has been hard for both of you to deal with, especially seeing it at such a young age. I know I could never replace your parents, but seeing you two grow up the way you have… It's like I'm watching my kids, my boys, become men. And I couldn't be any prouder."
Mako and Bolin looked at Toza, the room now carrying a somber aura. Though, it was a touching aura all at once. Mako and Bolin owe their lives to Toza. Ever since their parents died, talking about that only being a big loss would be the understatement of the century. When Toza took them in, their lives final started to change.
He became a father figure to them.
Bolin, who may or may not have been on the verge of crying, got up and hugged Toza, his head sinking into his shoulder.
As for Mako, he wasn't crying, but it was proving extremely hard not to cry. Remembering his parents, remembering his father's scarf, the days that went on where he and Bolin didn't know if they were going to survive. Toza changed everything for them. He gave them the chance at a new life.
And now he had a chance to capitalize on it by winning the tournament.
Getting up as well, Mako got closer to Toza and Bolin, joining in on the group hug as the touching scene resembled a father hugging his boys.
Air Temple Island
It's been a weird time for Sonic. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but ever since the night where he almost looked like he was dead…
Something didn't feel right.
It's been difficult for him to explain, since he doesn't even fully know what's truly going on with him. He feels… sad. Confused. He knows this, but he doesn't know why.
This was making him beyond frustrated.
He sat on the edge of the cliff, looking at Avatar Aang Memorial Island as the sun was shining on it. Sonic felt like a piece of him was missing. Like, there was something stored in his memory that he couldn't remember if his life depended on it.
"God, is this what Shadow felt like when he had amnesia?" Sonic thought, his palm meeting with his face, groaning loudly. He thought he would be alone for the time being, but a certain Avatar wouldn't let that happen.
Her steps signaled she was getting closer and closer, eventually speaking to her friend.
"Hey," Korra said, sitting by Sonic while having a small smile on her face.
"Hey," Sonic replied, trying his best to make his tone a little happier. "What's up?"
Sonic really didn't have to ask why Korra was here. He knew why she was here, but he was trying to be oblivious.
"You haven't really been yourself for these past few days. I'm just wondering if you're okay?" Korra asked, showing concern. Sonic stayed silent, looking down to initially avoid eye contact with the young Avatar.
But he couldn't stay like this for long. Sonic and Korra's friendship has grown so much ever since he began living on Air Temple Island. They're definitely on a 'best friends' type of level, and as a result, the two feel like they can talk to each other about anything.
Well, mostly anything.
As long as it doesn't involve the real reason why Sonic, Blaze, Tails, and Knuckles are really here in the first place.
He looked at Korra, beginning to explain how he felt. "Honestly… I feel sad. Like, the type of sad you feel when you lose a loved one."
Korra tilted her head, at first thinking she knew what Sonic was talking about. "Are you talking about your Uncle Chuck?"
Sonic gave a disconfirming nod. "No."
It's safe to say Korra was confused. "Oh… Then who are you talking about?"
"That's the thing, I don't know." Sonic clarified, sounding frustrated. "It's like… It's like I've been gone from my friends for a really long time. I feel… empty, almost like a piece of my heart is missing, but I have no idea why I'm feeling this way."
Hearing Sonic's explanation, if Korra wasn't confused before, then she was otherworldly confused now. She tried her best to connect the dots, for her sake and for Sonic's.
"Soooo… What you're saying is you don't remember these people?"
"That's what it feels like." Sonic confirmed, looking at Korra. "But you wanna know something even weirder?"
Korra raised an eyebrow. "What?"
Faint hints of red started to appear on Sonic's cheeks, knowing how this could possibly sound. "Whenever I'm near you or talking to you, I can't explain it, but I start to feel better."
Korra smirked widely at Sonic's statement. "Well, I do have that Avatar charm on people." she joked, the two friends sharing a laugh.
"Very funny." Sonic sarcastically said. "I'm being serious, though. Whenever I talk to you, it's like I'm talking to an old friend. I know it sounds crazy, but… there's a part of me that thinks we've met before. It doesn't make any sense, because it just isn't possible."
Korra casually pointed her index finger at the blue blur, keeping her smirk. "Unless you were here 100 years ago and talked to Aang. But since you don't look over 100 years old, I guess you get a pass."
Korra's joking was cheering Sonic up, getting a small laugh out of him. "Even if I was 100 years old, I'd be the hottest 100-year-old you'd know."
Good, Sonic was playing around. Her plan was working.
"Oh really?" she replied in the same playful tone Sonic had. "I'm not too sure about that. I still exist you know."
"You're saying you'd be a hotter 100-year-old than me?" Sonic asked, his voice intentionally becoming dramatic like he couldn't believe Korra could speak such blasphemy.
"Aang was pretty much 112 years old, but still looked like he was twelve," Korra pointed out.
"He was trapped in an iceberg!" exclaimed Sonic, making a mental thank you note to Jinora since he learned this fact during their reading together.
"My point still stands!" Korra said, lightly elbowing Sonic as they continued to play with each other.
By the way these two interact, you would think they've known each other for their whole lives.
While it may not have been their whole lives, it's something within the approximation.
When the playfulness began to calm down, Sonic figured he should tell Korra this. "Korra, thank you. Thank you so much. I can't count the amount times you've helped me."
Korra smiled. "Just trying to return the favor, because you've helped me countless times too."
Sonic returned the smile, the red on his cheeks appearing again. "These moments make me really happy that I met you. Honestly… It's gotten to the point where I can't imagine my life without you." He sounded embarrassed, not really sure on how Korra would take his statement.
Oh boy, what the flameo is happening right now?
Korra blushed when Sonic said this, knowing his words were sincere. "Sonic, that's so sweet."
The blue blur scratched the back of his head awkwardly, but then a thought came into his mind.
What was he doing?
He can't do this. They're friends, and that's as far as it needs to go. Knuckles' warning was playing in his mind all over again. Yes, he was harsh about it, but he was telling the truth. Sonic keeps on trying to convince himself of this false reality with him and Korra being anything more than friends.
It's simply not possible.
He has another life. He has another world, his world. He, Tails, Blaze, and Knuckles were just uninvited guests.
And they were all here because of him.
Besides, Korra likes Mako anyway.
He has to focus on getting back home.
"Sonic!"
He heard his name being called, making him and Korra turn around.
It was Tails.
"What's going on, Tails?" Sonic asked, noticing Tails' face which seemed to be on high alert.
Tails didn't really want to fully describe what was going on, so he hoped his face would be enough for him to listen. "Not enough time to explain, just come on!" he told him, running off.
Sonic and Korra gave each other baffled looks. However, given how much Tails was freaking out, they both got up and ran after him.
Tails led them both to the radio, where Blaze and Knuckles were also present, having serious looks on their faces. The reason why they these serious looks?
It was due to the voice coming from the radio.
"I'VE COME TO MAKE AN ANNOUNCEMENT!"
The voice, the shouting, the tone, the pitch, Sonic knew all too well who this person was.
He clenched his fists, now understanding why Tails was reluctant to say anything extra. "Eggman…" he thought to himself.
"Citizens of Republic City, allow me to introduce myself! I am Dr. Eggman, the greatest scientific genius in the world! Now, I know you all might not know who I am, since this is the first time you all have heard of me. However, that doesn't mean my words should be taken lightly. This is a message for the Republic City Council! If you don't cancel the Pro-Bending Tournament, then there will be a major price to pay. And if you think I'm bluffing… I have Amon to confirm my threat."
After Eggman finished talking, Amon would take over the announcement. "Thank you, Doctor. My fellow Equalists, it's time to stop worshiping these bending athletes like they're some heroes of society. Republic City Council, listen to me and listen well, if you decide to continue this tournament, I will make sure there there's nothing left of that arena, and that goes for the benders as well. I will make it my mission to eliminate them permanently."
Ending his message, static came from the radio as it shut off, leaving the group speechless.
Well, the Sonic group anyway.
"I'm going to City Hall." Korra proclaimed, Team Sonic knowing exactly what she was going to do, or at least try to do. She eventually ran off, forming a plan as Sonic shouting her name would fall on deaf ears.
"Korra! Korra, wait!" he called out, but it was futile. He knew where this was going.
"Crap."
City Hall
"This is outrageous! Tarrlok, you can't actually believe that keeping the arena open will be beneficial for anybody!" Tenzin shouted, refusing to take his nonsense for the billionth time.
"You're only looking at one part of it, Tenzin. Shutting down the arena is exactly what Amon wants us to do. We'd be playing right into his hand."
Tenzin slammed his fist on the table, refusing to believe this was even a discussion. "By not shutting down the arena, we risk multiple lives! The citizens, the pro-benders, there's so much that could go wrong, and here you are acting so casual about everything!"
During their argument, the City Hall doors were pushed open, revealing Korra, Mako, and Bolin. "You can't shut the arena down!" Korra said, her face being determined to change any doubts the council might have.
"Korra, you shouldn't be here. This is a closed meeting."
"Well, since I'm the Avatar and a pro-bending player, I have a right to be heard. You can't cancel the finals."
"We've worked way too hard for this!" Mako added.
"Yeah, you can't just shut everything down! Pro-Bending is one of the only places where benders and non-benders can come together in peace and watch pro-benders-" Bolin was on a roll, but he had no idea what to say at the end.
"Beat each other up?" Mako suggested.
"My thoughts exactly, bro!" yelled Bolin. "They can come together in peace and watch pro-benders beat each other up!"
"This is not the time for watching pro-benders to 'beat each other up.' While I admire your passion for the game you play, the fact of the matter is it's a game. This is not more important than the safety of innocent lives. With that being said, I-"
"Such little faith in your police force, Tenzin?" Another voice came into play, the person walking inside revealing to be Lin Beifong.
"Lin?" Tenzin replied, clearly surprised.
"I refuse to abide by Amon's rules when I have the best metalbenders in the world. If you keep the arena open, we will be able to protect it. Our armor is impervious to their chi blocking attacks." To prove how confident she was, Lin also added another thing.
"If anything happens, I will personally take responsibility for the safety of the spectators in the arena."
Tarrlok held his chin, shrugging. "It's hard to argue with Chief Beifong's track record. If she believes she can protect the people, she has my support. All in favor?" Tarrlok asked, looking at the rest of the council members as he raised his hand. The three other council members would raise their hands as well, as Tenzin could only close his eyes and sigh.
"Then the arena stays open. Good luck in the tournament!" Tarrlok told Korra, Mako, and Bolin, as the three teens pumped their fists in victory.
Lin began to walk away, until Tenzin ran and stopped her. "Lin, wait. If you're going to do this, then allow me to be on guard with you."
"I don't need to be babied." Lin scoffed at Tenzin's suggestion.
"I'm being serious. If Amon means anything by his threat, then you need all the help you can get."
Lin waved her hand, dismissing Tenzin in her own way. "Do what you want. It's not like I've been able to stop you before anyway." she ended, soon walking away.
Korra, Bolin and Mako walked up to where Tenzin was, seeing how badly Lin brushed him off.
"Well, she's a big ol' ray of sunshine, isn't she?" Korra pointed out, her tone dripping with sarcasm.
"Why is she so grumpy anyway?" Bolin inquired, clearly not getting why Lin was always in a funky mood.
Tenzin sighed deeply. "I have a feeling a lot of her grumpiness comes from me. You see…" he began, motioning his hands as he found it difficult to explain. "Lin and I… used to… date." he finished. Upon hearing this news, Bolin and Mako fell back in classical anime fashion, while Korra started to laugh out loud.
"What?! You and her were a thing?! Oh man, this is rich!" Korra exclaimed, wiping the tears from her eyes. Then she thought about it some more, and it all made sense. She had a gasp, exaggeratingly pointing at her airbending master. "Wait a minute! My goodness, Tenzin! I didn't know you were such a heartbreaker!"
Steam started to come out of Tenzin's ears, his entire face becoming red. "I regret ever talking about this!" he yelled, meaning every word as he stormed off.
Later At Night
BGM: Transformers 2007 - Optimus
"What the heck are we gonna do now?" Tails brought up, being with Sonic, Blaze, and Knuckles. "I understand why they want to keep playing, but they also have no idea what Eggman is capable of."
Knuckles shook his head, folding his arms. "Best case scenario, Eggman and that freak Amon don't destroy the entire gym."
"And the worst case is that something much bigger comes from them attacking. We're talking about an all-out war for this city." Blaze added, sighing.
"Not to mention this world in general is so far behind in tech… With Eggman joining Amon, I wouldn't be surprised if their entire Equalist army had a freaking Egg Fleet. These people aren't prepared to face that kind of thing, I don't care how you slice it." Tails was going down the list of reasons on how bad this situation has gotten.
"I wouldn't say all that." Sonic interjected. "There's some really powerful benders here who can hold their own."
Knuckles scoffed. "Oh yeah, sure. Keep that same energy when there's a billion beams being fired at their butts."
"You underestimate them, Knux." Sonic told him, looking at the group. "Regardless, we're now needed more than ever. We're the only ones who know how to deal with Eggman." Sonic's voice started to take a commanding tone, knowing he was the reason why everything was happening in the first place.
"I'm responsible. I know I'm responsible for everything that's happening right now. I put the blame on myself because if any innocent lives die, their blood is on my hands. Not Amon's, not Eggman's, not Infinite's, but mine." he proclaimed, the group looking at him wide eyed. "If worst comes to worst, if it means saving you guys, my friends, and saving this world, I will not hesitate to sacrifice myself so everyone can live in peace. It'll be a necessary sacrifice to bring peace to this world. I cannot, and will not, let these people pay for my mistakes."
Ending his speech, Sonic walked away. Tails, Blaze, and Knuckles all looked at each other in silence, knowing what the blue blur said was right. Not only did this world need them more than ever, but the same could be said for Sonic.
He's putting everything and everyone, the entire world on his shoulders.
Sato Mansion
Asami entered her mansion, beginning to walk up the stairs but soon stopped when she heard strange sounds. She looked up, immediately being cautious. The last time she heard strange noises in her home… Well, you guys know what happened.
As she continued to walk up the steps, she started to hear laughter, and it got clearer and clearer with each step she took. The laugh was unsettling, almost sinister sounding.
"Dad?" Asami called out, but she didn't get a response. "Dad, is that you?"
Now she was worried for her Dad's safety. She began to walk faster, but she stopped when she saw Hiroshi appear. Once Asami saw her Dad was okay, she had a sigh of relief.
"I'm here, Asami." Hiroshi said, acting like nothing was wrong. He took a good look at his daughter, sensing that something was wrong with her.
Even if he and Asami became distant, the fact of the matter is he's still her father, and he was able to tell when something was on his daughter's mind.
"What's wrong, sweetie?" Hiroshi asked her, being in a genuinely caring tone which initially caught Asami off guard.
She looked down, but then she looked back at her father. "I'm just so sad and angry… and hurt. What happened at Air Temple Island, I don't want us to be like that ever again. I-"
Asami looked away, biting her lip as she looked like she wanted to talk about something else. Not only was she dealing with Daddy issues, but there was another issue she was facing. Hiroshi noticed this look as well, his face being serious. "There's something else you're not telling me."
Asami looked back at Hiroshi, wondering if she should even say something like this. With a somber tone, she spoke, "I've been going through a lot, and…" She struggled to say this, but eventually gave in. "I feel like Mako likes somebody else."
Hiroshi's eyes widened at this, his curiosity peaking. "Who?"
Asami remained silent for a few moments, shaking her head as she got closer to her father. "He likes Korra."
That's all Hiroshi needed.
"The Avatar?"
"It's so obvious he likes her. He pretends like he doesn't, but I can tell by the looks he gives her."
Hiroshi would continue his questioning.
"And how does Korra feel about him?"
Asami paused, taking a deep breath. "She likes him back. As much as Korra wants to hide it, she's even worse at it than Mako is." Clearly, she was hurt. The truth is she's been suspecting the two having deep feelings for each other for a long time, and her suspicions were confirmed the more she saw how they interacted.
BGM: Spider-Man OST – Father and Son
Hiroshi came closer to Asami, putting his hand on her shoulder. "I'm so sorry, Asami." he told her sincerely. "I haven't always been there for you, have I?"
Asami looked at the floor, avoiding eye contact. "Well, you're busy… You're an important man, I understand."
Hiroshi gave a disagreeing nod. "That's no excuse," he told her. "I'm proud of you, and I've lost sight of that somewhere but I'm going to make it up to you, Asami. I'm going to rectify certain inequities."
Hiroshi brought in Asami for a heartfelt hug, embracing each other as it sounded like a true apology. Asami's eyes started to water up, a visible tear being able to be seen streaming down her face. This is what she always wanted.
Oh, if only she truly knew how far gone Hiroshi really was.
1 Day Later…
The Pro-Bending Tournament
Korra, Mako, and Bolin were acting as a well-oiled machine, utterly obliterating any team that stood in their way. On the other end, Tahno and The Wolfbats were doing the same exact thing. Though, they might be getting away with more, considering the conditions of their opponents after the fight. Like, after Tahno and The Wolfbats got done with their opponents, they legitimately had to be carried out of the arena, most likely heading to the infirmary.
Those dudes were vicious, but what was allowing them to be that vicious in the first place? Did the ref not care at all?
"My gosh, folks! The Fire Ferrets are on an absolute roll tonight! They're breezing through these matches like they're nothing!" the radio announcer said, clearly being hyped up. "Though, the same can be said for Tahno and the Wolfbats, the Pro-Bending Champs three years running! It seems like it was destiny for these two teams to face off! But who will win? Will it be the new kids on the block, signaling the era for a new dynasty to take over? Or will experience prove to prevail once more? FIND OUT NOW!"
In the locker room, Sonic and the gang were trying their best to stay positive. They had front row seats, considering the special access they had to the locker room. Korra, Mako, and Bolin made it all the way to the finals. Now it was time to capitalize on the opportunity.
"You guys are almost there! Just one more match!" Asami said, trying her best to be positive. Her conversation with Hiroshi did help her mood out a bit.
"Nothing's going to stop me. Nothing." Mako replied, his feet tapping as he sat on the bench, feeling really anxious.
Asami came by him and started rubbing his back. "Don't put too much pressure on yourself. You got this," she told her boyfriend with a smile. Mako managed to muster out the smallest of smiles, but that was only for her. His mind in general was somewhere else, realizing the opportunity he had.
He did not want to mess this up.
"Remember your training and you'll be fine." Blaze reminded him, folding her arms while smirking. Adding to Blaze's point would be Toza, who was in the locker room as well.
"It's okay to be anxious, but don't let it consume you. You'll start making careless mistakes." Toza told the young firebender, Mako giving a nod.
"Right, right. I know." he replied to them all.
"May the Fire Ferrets come to the ring?!" The ref called out, Mako being the first one to get up. Bolin got up as well, slamming his fist into his palm.
"Showtime, people!" the younger brother shouted, making his way to the ring as Pabu cheered in his own little way.
Sonic turned to Korra, seeing her get up. "Well, this is it, Fire Ferret." he said, smirking. "Ready to show em' what the Avatar is made of?"
Korra smirked herself. "Oh yeah, I've been waiting for this moment. Can't wait to knock that stupid grin off Tahno's face." she confirmed, the two high fiving each other. Afterwards, Korra joined her team, heading towards the arena.
Sonic looked on, as Knuckles came close beside him to say something. "Good job, man. A high five. I can approve of that."
Sonic rolled his eyes, knowing why Knuckles said what he said. "Oh, shut up."
BGM: The Alan Parsons Project - Sirius
"INTRODUCING THE FUTURE INDUSTRIES FIRE FERREEEEEEEETSSSSSSSSSS!"
The crowd erupted, massive amounts of people being in the stands as they were on the edge of their seats for the match of the century. The arena may have shaken a bit just by the screams alone.
"AND INTRODUCING THEIR OPPONENTS, THE THREE TIME DEFENDING CHAMPIONS, THE WHITEFALLS WOOOOOOOLFBAAAAAAAATS!"
The crowd cheered once more, signaling once again how they couldn't wait for this fight to start.
Heck, the ring announcer clearly couldn't wait for this moment either.
Being moved to the arena, the crowd cheered for the two teams finally getting to face each other. Tahno, acting as cocky as ever, asked the Fire Ferrets, "You guys ready to lose?"
"We should be asking you the same question." Korra replied, all six pro benders getting into their stances.
The bell would ring.
*DING DING DING*
BGM Change: Avatar: The Last Airbender – Agni Kai
Tahno would be the first to strike, sending off multiple waterblasts along with his team who literally combined their attacks with his. Right out the gate, Tahno and The Wolfbats were cheating. The three Fire Ferrets were on the defensive, effectively dodging attacks but noticed the little trick the Wolfbats tried to play.
"What the?! They can't do that!" Bolin pointed out. "Ref, are you blind?!"
The ref acted like he didn't even know what was going on, acting like everything was ay' okay.
"Oh come on! That's a violation right there! They should move back a zone!" Tenzin shouted from the stands, being right beside Lin who looked at him in surprise.
"I didn't know you knew about the rules of Pro-Bending." Lin pointed out with a sly grin, Tenzin soon composing himself.
"I've been brushing up." he said casually, not wanting to speak on this matter any longer.
Getting back to the fight, Mako was shooting a flurry of fireblasts at the Wolfbats. The amount of fire he was putting out was impressive, and that's the result of training with Blaze. Spinning, ducking, weaving, and turning, Mako provided an outstanding display of acrobatic fire attacks. Slamming his fists together, he unleashed a seemingly endless stream of fire that was covering the top of the arena, providing quite the light show.
The crowd gave oohs and ahs, looking on in amazement at Mako's improved abilities. The radio announcer was losing his marbles during this moment.
"FOLKS, IN ALL MY YEARS OF ANNOUNCING PRO-BENDING, I'VE NEVER SEEN SUCH A LARGE AMOUNT OF FIRE BE UNLEASHED LIKE THIS! THIS KID MAKO IS SOMETHING SPECIAL!"
Tahno, knowing he had the element to counter Mako's large fire stream, bended a large amount of water, making his own stream and shot it right at Mako's. Upon impact, Mako's fire and Tahno's water created a cloud of smoke.
"WHAT'S HAPPENING FOLKS?! I CAN'T SEE A THING!"
With the announcer being lost along with the audience, as soon as he said that, the cloud of smoke cleared, revealing Tahno firing an enormous water bullet right at the Fire Ferrets.
"OH ME OH MY, LOOK AT THAT ATTACK!"
Seeing the water bullet, Korra jumped right in front of Mako and Bolin, yelling at the top of her lungs as she pulled her arm back, almost looking like she was charging up an attack.
Though, attacking wasn't her intention.
Moving her arm forward, her hand met with Tahno's water bullet, blocking the attack completely as it turned into nothing but droplets. The fire in Korra's eyes and the move she performed resembled her Master Katara, who once did the same exact thing during her battle with the puppetmaster Hama.
Tahno looked on in absolute shock, as well as his team. The crowd couldn't believe their eyes. One second, Mako was doing something ridiculous, Tahno did some ridiculous, and Korra arguably did something even more ridiculous by jumping in front of the attack and blocking it the way she did.
Sonic was acting like a fanboy on the sidelines. "That's what I'm talkin' about, Korra! Show em' who's boss!"
"Excellent form, Mako!" Blaze yelled.
"WHAT IS EVEN HAPPENING?!" Tails screamed, this battle being so fast paced it was hard to keep up.
"DID YOU SEE THAT FOLKS?! I'VE NEVER SEEN SUCH MASTERY ON THE DEFENSIVE SIDE!"
"Looks like it's my turn!" Bolin proclaimed, now shooting multiple earth discs at the Wolfbats. With Bolin being an absolute madman with how often he shot the earth discs, he was able to successfully knock Tahno, the firebending wolfbat, and the earthbending wolfbat back a zone by hitting them all in the gut.
This is not how the match was supposed to go. It's embarrassing the champs got pushed back a zone in the first place. Tahno, directing his team, yelled, "TAKE HIM OUT!"
In mere moments, all three of them started directing their attacks at Bolin. Though, it was difficult to do since Korra and Mako wouldn't let their teammate get ganged up on like that. Reflecting and deflecting their attacks, Korra and Mako were making sure Bolin was safe.
"SEPARATE!" Tahno demanded, his team doing so which made Korra and Mako separate as a result. The earthbending wolfbat saw an opening to attack Bolin, not wasting the opportunity and fired numerous earth discs at his shoulder. Not seeing the attack come his way, Bolin was not prepared for the pain he'd feel, and a few seconds afterwards, he yelled out in pain.
Mako and Korra turned around, exclaiming, "Bolin!"
Bad, bad mistake.
For the one second Mako and Korra turned around, the wolfbats showed off their offensive prowess, their attacks hitting all three of them. Mako was sent flying off the stage and into the water. Bolin, while doing an admirable job fighting for a few more seconds with a busted shoulder, got knocked off the ring as well.
The only one who was able to regain her balance was Korra. Every attack was coming at her full force, and the only reason why she was able to avoid them was due to her airbending training, teaching her to be light on her feet.
In the stands, Tenzin gave a nod of approval.
But she wouldn't be able to keep this up forever. Dodging all these attacks would eventually have a negative impact on her stamina.
"Hold on, Korra!" Sonic yelled.
Korra gritted her teeth, beginning to feel tired as she blocked the attacks. This might be the end.
Fortunately for her, she was saved by the bell.
*DING*
"The Wolfbats take round one!" the announcer said, the crowd being as loud as ever since they felt the adrenaline themselves.
Back in the locker room, it was clear Bolin was in major pain. "Gah! It's like I can't even feel my shoulder!" he said, Korra currently doing her best to heal him up.
"But you'll still be good enough to fight, right?" Tails asked, Bolin just giving him a blank stare and remained silent. The whole locker room got a lot more quiet, Bolin's silence being the answer they didn't want.
The ref came into the locker room, saying, "You have one minute to get back out there or you're disqualified." he told them, closing the door.
Mako slammed his fist into the wall, gritting his teeth out of anger. Everything they worked for, everything leading up to this moment, would it be all for nothing? It's clear Bolin can't go out there with the condition his shoulder is in. Even if he did get out there, he'd be a liability with only being able to use one arm.
Sonic put his hand on his chin, wondering aloud. "If only we can find somebody who can resemble Bolin's strength. A strong fighter who can knock anybody out the park." he said, his head slowly but surely turning to a certain red head.
Knuckles had his arms folded, but as soon as Sonic started looking at him, that's when everyone else started to look at him.
Knuckles stared at all of them, realizing what they were thinking.
"Oh, you gotta be kidding me!"
"Sonic's idea isn't crazy the more you think about it. If you switch out with Bolin, you're experienced enough in fighting and clearly strong enough to make up for the loss." Blaze pointed out, Knuckles now not believing what he was hearing.
"Are you serious?! I'm not even an earthbender!"
"No, but you do have the strength of one." Asami liked the idea of Knuckles getting out there. "If you can just punch the earth discs, you'll at least be good for defense."
They all started to gather around Knuckles, making his eye twitch.
Why do these things happen to him?
The ref came back into the locker room, asking, "Time's up. You in or out?"
"We're in!" Korra shouted.
"WHAT?!" Knuckles yelled.
Korra got some extra Pro-Bending gear, throwing it at Knuckles who caught it. "You'll thank me later."
"I'm getting a weird sense of Déjà vu here." Mako added, feeling like he's been through something like this before.
Heading back to the arena, Knuckles was suited up in Pro-Bending gear along with Korra and Mako.
"I can't believe I'm doing this…" muttered Knuckles.
"Just follow our lead and you'll be fine." Mako assured him, the crowd cheering at the Fire Ferrets finally coming back to fight.
"Well folks, it seems like the Fire Ferrets have a replacement for the injured Bolin! However, will he actually be able to contribute, or will he be dead weight?!"
Knuckles heard the radio announcer talking, specifically hearing the dead weight part. He looked up at the announcer and started screaming at him. "I'll show you dead weight!"
"It seems like their replacement has quite the temper!"
Knuckles scoffed, turning his attention back to the ring as the Wolfbats laughed at him.
"This is who you got to replace Bolin?" Tahno asked mockingly, being unable to contain his laughter. "You guys might as well forfeit now, because I assure you, this isn't going to be pretty."
Korra and Mako were about to say something, but Knuckles had enough of Tahno's crap.
He made one hard, furious step, creating cracks in the arena where he stood. This clearly caught the Wolfbats' attention, getting only a small preview at Knuckles' pure strength.
"You know, I'm getting real tired of your crap." A red vein mark appeared on Knuckles' forehead, people literally being able to see steam come out his ears. "YOU'RE MESSING WITH THE WRONG ONE!"
He would take it personal.
*DING DING DING*
BGM: Voker - Understand Me ft. Hunnid P
The Wolfbats and the Fire Ferrets began to attack each other once more, pure bending mastery being put on display from everyone.
Well, everyone except for Knuckles.
Knuckles was going head to head with the earthbender of the wolfbats. While Knuckles wasn't earthbending anything back, he was destroying any disc that was shot at him, turning them into tiny little pieces.
The crowd and the announcer looked on, being baffled yet also being impressed all at once.
"Folks, I have no idea how this new guy is taking these earth discs and punching them like it's nothing. But what's even weirder is he hasn't even bended any kind of earth! He does know the game is called Pro-BENDING for a reason, right?!"
Every attack that was thrown at Knuckles, he would just punch it. And he proved to be more knowledgeable about Pro-Bending than others thought. Contrary to what people believe, Knuckles is actually intelligent when it comes to battle and many other things.
He's just a little gullible, but that's okay.
"TAKE THIS!" Knuckles shouted at the top of his lungs, slamming his fists down onto the arena causing it to shake, making the Wolfbats be off balance.
"FOLKS, I HAVE NO IDEA IF THAT'S EVEN LEGAL, BUT IT MAKES FOR GOOD ENTERTAINMENT, SO I DON'T CARE!"
While the Wolfbats were getting overrun, Korra and Mako took turns in pushing people back a couple zones. Korra pushed back the earthbending wolfbat a few zones from a water bullet, while Mako was going absolutely insane.
Each time Mako made a move, he was shooting immeasurable amounts of fire missiles which had to be dodged unless the Wolfbats wanted to be burned. Tahno and his teammates started running for their lives, but the missiles themselves would be the least of their problems.
Mako clapped his hands together, shouting to the heavens, "EXPLODE!"
The fire missiles that were chasing after the Wolfbats suddenly exploded, the blast radius knocking the waterbender Wolfbat flying into the water, along with the earthbender wolfbat. The only one standing was Tahno.
If it wasn't clear enough already, Mako was on a mission.
"WOOOO! GO BIG BRO!" Bolin joyously shouted.
"That's my boy!" Toza said.
"You got this, babe!" Asami added in her support.
Tahno saw he was essentially a one man show now, and while he was angered by it, he didn't dare show the Fire Ferrets he was losing his cool. He was the three time champ for a reason. Sure, his team was good, but as an individual…
There's a reason why he's the best Pro-Bender out right now.
BGM: Imagine Dragons – I'm So Sorry
Seeing the variety of attacks being thrown at him from Korra and Mako, Tahno had to call in the big guns. Raising his hands in the air, he started to bend the water below the arena. His arms were slowly shaking because of the large amount of water he was trying to bend, but he was able to bring it all the way up.
Korra's, Mako's, and Knuckles' mouths were all agape, the people in the stands and the announcer effectively losing their marbles.
"ALRIGHT FOLKS, I KNOW FOR SURE THAT ISN'T LEGAL! I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT GAME THIS REF IS WATCHING, BUT AT THIS POINT, I'M CONVINCED IT'S A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT ONE!"
Tahno, looking straight at the Fire Ferrets, started to laugh menacingly. "CHECKMATE!"
He swung his arms down, releasing a massive wave coming straight for the Fire Ferrets. Even with Korra being a waterbender, this was such a large amount of water to bend in a very little amount of time.
Doing her absolute best, Korra brought her hands together and fought off the wave, stopping it momentarily but she wasn't sure if she could throw it back at Tahno.
Using this opportunity to play even dirtier, Tahno kicked to his right, getting even more water from below to surprise attack Mako. Mako was sent flying off the ring from the side, Knuckles and Korra being the only ones left.
"REF, ARE YOU BLIND?!" Lin yelled, Tenzin now being the one with the sly grin.
"The strict chief of police is a fan of Pro-Bending?"
Lin realized what she said, the roles now reversing. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
Meanwhile, Korra was still struggling to push back the wave. "I… can't… hold it… much longer!" Her stance was starting to get weaker. Plus, when you add Tahno was putting more force into it…
Well, things weren't looking good.
Knuckles knew he had to do something. Anything. Freaking anything would help.
Before he could do so, Korra lost control of the wave. Knuckles raised his arms in the air to guard for the oncoming attack, but given how big of a wave it was…
The Fire Ferrets weren't going to win this.
Korra was taken by the wave, falling to her doom. After that was settled, Tahno started to hysterically laugh, seeing no trace of the Fire Ferrets anywhere. "I've won yet again!" Tahno said, looking at the crowd as he expected his annual cheers.
"Well folks, it looks like the Wolfbats have won yet agai-WAIT A MINUTE! THE FIRE FERRETS ARE STILL IN IT! THE FIRE FERRETS ARE STILL IN IT!"
On the other side, Knuckles was still standing tall, but that wasn't even the most surprising part.
You wanna know what was?
He was covered in multiple earth discs, forming a barrier around himself which protected him from Tahno's wave.
Knuckles didn't even realize what he did, but when it hit him, he shocked himself.
"Wait, what?!"
Sonic and the rest of the gang couldn't believe what they were seeing.
"Wait, I thought Knuckles couldn't bend?" Asami questioned, her mind spinning at this point.
"He can't!" Sonic yelled, rubbing his eyes to make sure he was seeing things correctly.
Who, what, when, where, and why.
Those were the words going through all of Team Sonic's heads right now.
Though, Knuckles couldn't be in shock forever. He saw Tahno thinking he won the match. After all the battles Knuckles has been in, he knew to never let your guard down.
"Amateur!"
Tahno turned around to see Knuckles still standing, but what he also saw was him shooting all the earth discs he had from the barrier he unintentionally made. Tahno couldn't react to this in time, getting knocked off the ring.
The people were speechless at this development, letting reality sink in for a second.
Then they exploded.
"IT'S A KNOCKOUT, FOLKS! THE FIRE FERRETS ARE THE NEW PRO-BENDING CHAMPIONS!"
In the locker room, Team Sonic and the new Team Avatar couldn't believe it. Everyone started to hug each other. Bolin was crying like a baby, Mako and Korra were losing their minds, Toza looked like the proudest father on the planet, Asami was jumping up and down, while Team Sonic was trying to figure out if they took any drugs before the match. Tenzin did a quick, "WOOHOO!" but composed himself. Lin seemed to care a bit too, showing it more in her face instead of words.
But still, how was Knuckles an earthbender?"
"THE ROOKIE BRINGS THEM HOME! THE ROOKIE BRINGS THEM HOME! UNBELIEVABLE!"
The celebration wouldn't last long, however.
A beam would blast the roof and strike the arena, creating a massive explosion which made the people scream in horror.
"What's going o-AH!" Lin began, but was struck in the back by an Equalist electrocuting her, knocking her out.
"Lin!" Tenzin called out, but he was electrocuted as well, falling to the floor as he went unconscious.
"Hold on folks, something seems to be happening! People are getting electrocuted!"
Multiple, humongous aerial battleships surrounded the entire Pro-Bending Arena, Equalists jumping from them as a full-on invasion was happening. Even if you're not talking about the arena, the battleships already surrounded the entirety of Republic City, the Equalists eliminating any bender they saw.
Team Sonic and the new Team Avatar looked up, being speechless at the sight.
Sonic clenched his fists, knowing only one person who could have this massive of a fleet.
It was the Egg Fleet, which only meant one thing.
Eggman is here.
END OF CHAPTER 13: THE ANNOUNCEMENT
BGM: Sonic R – Number One
Sonic: I'm ending this now!
Korra: Sonic, wait! You can't do it alone!
Sonic: I have to!
Amon: It's time to cleanse the world of benders.
Eggman: It's time to cleanse the world of Sonic!
Next time on Don't Think Twice!
The Siege of Republic City
Knuckles: Well, that championship only mattered for a few seconds, didn't it?
Author's Note: Well guys, for the long-awaited update, I gave y'all a meaty chapter. Next chapter is going to be the Book 1 finale. Or, part 1 of the Book 1 finale. I'm honestly not sure if I'm going to split it up into two parts. Regardless if I do or don't, though, chapter 14 is going to be LOOOOOOOOOOONG. Still, it's what I expected since it is a finale chapter. After Book 1 is over, oh man, I can't wait to see your guys' reaction to what I do with Book 2. Book 2 of LOK is the definitely the most controversial one out of any Avatar Book/season ever, and I can't wait to tackle it. Before I get to Book 2, though, I already know I'm going to be typing all dang day, lol. But anyway, lots of stuff happened in this chapter. I know what the question is going to be. "OMG HOW IS KNUCKLES ABLE TO EARTHBEND?!" The answer to that question will be revealed in my other Sonic/Avatar fanfic, More Than One Lifetime. Y'all are gonna have to read that to get answers, because I am a troll, LOL. Now I have to get to work on this finale. I know what's going to happen, it's just going to take a long time to write. HOOOOO BOY! I'm not going to have fingers after this.
As always, if you guys like what you read, leave a follow and a favorite. Don't forget to READ AND REVIEW! See you guys next chapter!
Also yes, the cheating the Wolfbats did, especially in Tahno's case, was waaaayyy crazier here compared to the official Legend of Korra series. This was to make the fight more exciting. I'll talk more about the ref in the upcoming chapter, haha. Be sure to check out my other fanfics too. I have a new Spider-Man fanfic, Ben 10 fanfic, and Persona fanfic to keep you guys occupied. Alright, that's it. See ya!