Note: I'd Like To Give A Shout Out To Whatsthatsound... again. Recently, She Put My Story On One Of Those C2 Thingies Under... Get this... "Best Stories I Ever Read on Fanfiction. Congrats To Authors."

Whoa! Thank You So Much, I-I'd Like To Thank God, My Mom, My Manager... Uh, Nevermind, I Don't Like my Manager... Don't Cut Me Off I've Waited Too Long For This... Uh

Ahem, That Last Speech, Pretend You Never Saw That. And now... To Chapter 20

Chapter 20: The Element Benders

Friday arrived after a quiet week, consisting mostly of school work and a few late night patrols. Other than that, it was another calm one in the city. In his last class of the day–auto shop–Tyler worked on his motorcycle, cleaning the chrome crash bars, valves, just about everything, making sure his bike was in tip-top condition. The others in the class–ten other teenage guys–worked on their own cars, or the autos supplied by the school that were there only for learning purposes.

Since the class was small, Mr. Fleming, the teacher, allowed them to listen to some music. Playing on the stereo was Tyler's favorite song, DARE by the Gorillaz. As he worked, he mouthed the lyrics to the song. After he finished cleaning, Tyler mounted the motorcycle and did some electrical work on the dashboard panel computer that he rigged together by meaning of "borrowing" some components. In reality, Tyler made a few late night flights to the various bone yard airports where retired planes lay to rest, and scavenged a few things from the cockpits of decommissioned fighter jets, including a radio system thus allowing him to tap into the phone lines and make calls while riding.

Whenever he flew to those places, however, it made him semi-sad to see so many planes that at one point served a purpose, sitting in the desert, corroding away from the gritty winds and blazing heat. Though he only made three flights, thus far, each was bittersweet. Bittersweet because since he liked planes a lot, it was nice to be around them–without having to lug one back to Earth this time, but the fact that they were now permanently part of the landscape and would never fly again was depressing.

Another reason why Tyler found the bone yards so bittersweet–more nerve racking to him, anyway–was the fact that there were tarantulas. And lots of them. Sure, Tyler could take on thugs, psychos, and disasters, but for some reason, those furry arachnids freaked him out. Frankly, he wasn't too fond of any bug, be it a spider, ant, or fly. In fact, he had a rule when it came to bugs: kill first, ask questions later, especially when it came to spiders. Just the thought of those eight legged freaks, let alone hairy ones, made him shiver. I seriously hope I don't have to face any giant man-eating spiders, he thought to himself.

Study Hall–Tyler's last period–was twenty levels past boring. Since it wasn't an accredited class, he could have went home. For some reason, though, he decided to stay. Well, he knew the reason... it was obvious, in fact.

It had been a week since he and Chelsea spent "special time" with each other. Since they both said the three words, I love you to each other, he didn't really know how to classify her anymore–meaning were they boyfriend and girlfriend? The thought of having a significant other was nice, but to him, the term boyfriend and girlfriend just had a strange sound to him.

Soon, his thoughts turned about how he was going to tell Chelsea about his true background. He knew he had to tell her at some point. His reasoning for being reluctant was not only how she would take it, but if his dream was any indication of a message or sign, Dupont was still out there. And if he found out that Tyler loved somebody, Dupont would use that to his advantage to draw him out.

"I'll tell her tonight," he whispered to himself. "She deserves to know."

Raven, along with Chelsea and Eddie, sat in Senorita Rodriguez's Spanish class, finishing up some work. As she wrote some Spanish phrases on her paper, a vision flooded into her mind, causing her to stare off into space. Once it was over, she blinked her eyes rapidly, then shook her head.

"Rae? D'you have a vision?" Eddie quietly asked, causing Chelsea to turn around as well.

"You guys?" Raven began. "I think... I think I saw who Magna man is."

The bell, indicating that the day was over, rang and quickly, the three made their way to Raven's locker. Once there, the three huddled together.

"Well, Rae? Who is he?" Chelsea asked in an excited manner.

"Well, I didn't see his whole face. But he does have green eyes and his hair was black, except for a few strands that were either gray or white, I dunno. In fact, his hair and eyes were kind of like–"

"W'sup guys," Tyler said, walking up to them with his helmet in hand.

"Rae was just tellin' us that she saw who Magna Man was," Eddie explained.

Tyler's eyes shot wide open. He couldn't believe that it hadn't dawned on him that Raven very well could have known that he was Magna Man. She knew just about everything else about him. His throat felt like it was closing and his palms felt warm. How am I going to explain this? he thought. Chelse is gonna find out I'm a freak and everyone's gonna know I'm the weirdo in the black and silver suit and cape.

"Tee? You okay, playa?" Eddie asked.

Tyler shook out of his brief stupor. "Y-yeah, I'm cool. So who's Mags?"

Raven shrugged. "I only saw part of his face. But his hair and eyes are exactly like yours, though."

"Oh," Tyler chuckled, relieved that she didn't know, and hoped that it would stay that way. "Well that's good. I-I mean, it would be cool to meet him... you know."

The three gave him a strange look, usually reserved for Chelsea.

"What?" Tyler exclaimed. "Oh don't give me that look. I'm only weird because I've been around y'all too long."

The three then glared at him. Noticing his fault, Tyler threw his hands up in submission.

"So what's up for the weekend?" Eddie wondered aloud.

"I dunno, but I'll call y'all later. I've gotta meet up with my mom in Chinatown." Raven noted.

Saying their goodbyes, Raven and Eddie went their separate ways, leaving Chelsea and Tyler at her locker. She opened her locker, then using the door as a make-shift partition. She then pulled him down by the collar of his jacket, grinned, then gave him a kiss. A welcome surprise, Tyler cocked his eyebrow, but relaxed.

"My parents want you to come for dinner. Seven okay?" Chelsea whispered.

Before he could answer, she kissed him again, knowing that she could get Tyler to commit to just about anything when she did so. Earlier that week, she managed to get him to come with Raven, Jennifer, and herself to the mall. She even almost got him to get a facial and manicure. Almost.

"I will be there with bells on," Tyler said with the plastered demeanor he always received whenever Chelsea kissed him.

"Oh," Chelsea scoffed, then laughed. "You don't have to wear any bells. But my parents are psychiatrists and they may try to psych you out or something. See you at seven."

Without another word, she shut her locker and bolted away. For another moment or two, Tyler stood there, his mouth slightly ajar and the corners of his lips curled into a small grin. It then dawned on him–

"Wait a second... I'm gonna meet her parents? Oh great."

After dropping his motorcycle off at the house, Tyler went into his backyard and took a quick look around, making sure there was no one in the neighbors yards. Satisfied, he stuck his arms straight out to his sides.

"It's go time," he said nonchalantly, causing him to transform into his alter ego.

Once the blinding light vanished and the resulting black speckles in his sight dispersed, Tyler vaulted high into the air. In about ten seconds, he was a mile up in the sky. Off in the distance, he could see the afternoon air traffic rush arriving and departing from San Francisco International. He hovered in place as he watched a Japan Airlines Boeing 747 rocket off and head out over the Pacific. Next, a United Airlines 747 roared off, hot on the Japan Airlines jet. For some reason, however, that plane looked familiar. Tyler knew that United had dozens of 747's, but for some odd reason, Tyler knew that plane very well. Quickly, he hurled himself towards it, then focused in on its tail number.

"Four three one U-A," he said to himself, reading the plane's tail number near the rear of the aircraft.

Wanting a true confirmation, he sped up his flying and soared side by side with the jumbo jet. Soon, he was parallel with the steadily ascending jet. Through the small, oval windows that dotted the side of the dark gray plane, Tyler noticed the passengers staring out at him, a few waving in an effort to get his attention. As not to disappoint, Tyler waved back, then increased his velocity so as to get to the cockpit.

Once he was there, he peered off to his left. The first person to notice his presence was the co-pilot of the plane, who acknowledged Tyler by giving him a awestruck look. The co-pilot then motioned something to the captain, who then peered out to his right. Instantly, Tyler recognized him as the same captain from United Flight 293–the plane he landed. Inside the cockpit, the captain saluted crisply, then made a thumbs up, which Tyler responded by doing the same.

Glad to see it was the same captain and plane, Tyler rolled to the right and turned back towards land, allowing the plane to speed on ahead, off to its destination somewhere in the world; its four engines making a thunderous roar that was like music to Tyler's ears.

"Have a safe flight, guys," he said to himself as the jet gradually became a dot off in the sky.

As he flew back, he felt a breeze blowing to his back. At first, he didn't pay any mind to it, until he happened to see the trees down below rustling in the opposite direction. Tyler then noticed the breeze become more intense, and much warmer.

"Strange," Tyler said to himself, stopping to a hover, then turning around.

Off in the distance, Tyler identified two shapes. He magnified, then focused his sight on the two shapes–which turned out to be people. The fact that they were flying like him was a sure sign that this wasn't going to be a walk in the park. He noticed that the two were wearing flowing robes reminiscent of a Star Wars Jedi Knight, however, instead of earthy tones, one was wearing orange and red while the other was sporting light blue and white.

Before Tyler could do anything, even blink, one of the robed figures became engulfed in dancing flames. The figure then did a series Northern Shaolin Kung Fu movements, creating a fist shape with the flames, and propelling the blaze straight for Tyler.

"Whoa!" Tyler screamed just as the fist of fire impacted and swallowed him into a self contained inferno.

The force sent Tyler flying backwards and crashing down onto Geary Boulevard, tumbling out of control until he made acquaintances with a semi truck's trailer at the intersection of Geary and Park Presidio. The force and heat of Tyler left a gaping hole in the trailer that smoldered. Before Tyler could react, the second figure hovered above him, their light blue robe flowing in the wind. The figure then moved its arms in a rhythmic motion. The air around Tyler began to rustle, gradually gaining strength. The rustling breeze then became a violent gale, sending onlookers to the ground from the force of the wind. The figure then focused in on the disabled semi trailer. Moving their arms in a swirling motion, a minute tornado formed under the trailer, lifting the fifteen ton object of the ground as if it was noting more than a feather. The trailer then hovered, not over Tyler, however, but over a group of bystanders. It then began to drop.

Without saying a word, even thinking, Tyler sprang to his feet, scooted over to the petrified on lookers, and caught the large trailer before it could crush the people. As he did so, the ground beneath the street shook.

"Earthquake!" some shouted, causing panic and hysteria.

Since it was the beginning of the evening rush, there were hundreds of people, be it pedestrians, drivers, or those on mass transit, all screaming and in pandemonium. Quickly, Tyler set the trailer onto the street, but was welcomed by another robed figure, this one adorned in dark brown and tan attire, erupting from the ground, bursting through the pavement and sending debris and underground piping everywhere, littering the streets and sidewalks as well as injuring some people. A severed waterline then shot water high into the air, dampening everything. Following the third figure was a fourth, who wore robes of turquoise and silver.

Tyler had had enough of this. If it was a fight they were looking for, then they were going to get one. Gracefully, he lifted off and hovered above the intersection.

"Who are you and why are you doing this?" he demanded to know. "And don't make your intro's too long 'cause I've got plans later on."

The figures pulled the hoods off their heads.

"I am Zuko," the one in orange and red stated. "Master of fire."

Next, the one in light blue and white spoke. "I am Aang, master of air."

"I am Sokka, master of the earth," the one in brown and tan noted.

The final one, in turquoise and silver exclaimed, "I am Katara, master of water. We are the Element Benders."

Tyler crossed his arms, then checked an imaginary watch on his left wrist. "Are you guys done? 'Cause I have an important date at seven where I'm meeting the parents. So if we could wrap this up quickly, that would be swell.

"Oh... and just to be polite, I'm Magna Man, master of... well... nothing really, I guess."

Katara stepped forward, her white hair braided into tight strands. "If you are mocking us, it will be your undoing, hero."

The four Element Benders went into their respective martial arts stances. Tyler landed and he too got into a ready position, his cape blowing in the wind, their robes dancing as well.

"Let's do this," Tyler noted.