Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters mentioned here.

This story was made only with entertaining purposes and is not intended to be taken seriously in any social, political or religious context under any circumstances.

"Avatar" and its characters belong to "Nickelodeon".

"Spawn" and its characters belong to "Image Comics"/Todd McFarlane.


This chapter took far too long to make…

I hope every single one of you is having a wonderful time despite the current situation decimating society worldwide. I wish you nothing but the best this life has to offer. Please be safe, be kind to everyone around you and don't let this crisis change who you are.

We have been through worse and survived, we can overcome this, just hang in there!

But meanwhile, may you find some enjoyment in the story I deliver today.

Thank you for your patience and devotion to this humble project.

Cheers!


Book Two: Earth

Fateful (K)nights

III

The Night of Strife


Beneath a bright half-moon, Ba Sing Se lied dormant under a silver light blanketing the earth. Long, wide shadows crawled all over the soil, warping across the surrounding houses, to the point of mismatching the buildings they spawned from.

During their silent advance towards the firelight fountain, Aang looked up at the darkened sky, seeking guidance in the countless stars sprinkling the cloudless celestial vault.

He inhaled deeply as he glued his back to a wall within reach, cherishing the calm before the most-likely storm. With the advent of a foe they knew almost nothing about, aside the fact that their lives were at risk simply becau-.

"Cucú!"

Aang snapped out of his trance, his pulse quickening while his muscles tensed. He immediately turned, tightly clutching his staff, finding Sokka behind him with his palms cupped around his mouth.

"What are you doing!?" he yelled in a whisper.

"It's a signal!" Sokka frowned, lowering his hands.

"Yeah, now the Dai Li will know we're here." Aang rolled his eyes and spun again, cautiously peeking beyond the corner concealing them.

At the other side of the empty square, two silhouettes emerged from a nearby alley, which resulted to be Katara and Toph walking into the moonlight.

"There they are," Sokka said. "Coast is clear, let's go."

They hastily abandoned the shadows, gathering with the girls at the center of the plaza.

"What was that noise?" Katara asked when the group was reunited.

"It sounded like a sick bird begging for its misery to end." Toph added, scratching the inside of her ear with her pinky.

"Don't look at me, I told Aang it was a bad idea." Sokka shook his head, shrugging.

"What!? Me!? But you were the one that-"

"Nevermind that, now we need to focus on the task at hand, finding that spirit."

"And how are we exactly going to do that?" Katara questioned anew. "The merchant said the bodies were near the fountain, but there's nothing here."

"The Dai Li must've cleaned all clues by now… Hmm…" Sokka brushed his chin with his index and thumb while he gazed down contemplatively.

"We have to call it. Summon it."

"And how are we going to do that if we don't even know its name?"

"Hey, I'm just trying to help," Katara furrowed her brows and placed a palm on her bosom, seemingly annoyed. "There's no need for you to be all cranky about it."

"Maybe if you didn't try to boss everyone around!" Sokka retorted, crossing his arms as he looked away from his sister.

"What!? How do you expect me to act after you dragged us here without having a plan first!?"

"Could you guys stay quiet!?" Toph stepped between the siblings, pinching the bridge of her nose. "The Dai Li could pop out of nowhere at any moment, and you two knuckleheads decide now's a good time to brag about who's in charge!? Which, let me tell you, neither of you are! I swear you are driving me nuts! Were it not for the war, I would've-"

Aang sighed heavily, remaining silent while the argument continued.

A soft breeze unexpectedly enveloped him, flowing across the empty, serpentine streets. Then, his attention was drawn to a solitary leaf navigating the wind as a firefly.

Bewitched by the spirit of inquiry, he followed the meandering petal leading him far from the fountain.

At some point, the leaf disappeared amidst the duskiness inking the environment, leaving Aang alone in the dark, standing before an obscure alley. Through its walls and soil coursed a blackened web of deep crevices, like the bloated veins from a rotting corpse, permeated with a washed-out crimson.

"H-hey, guys! I-I think I found something!" Aang exclaimed, his vision fixated in the ominous passage.

It wasn't long until his friends joined him at the entrance of that street.

"What did you- Oh…" Sokka trailed off when he arrived to Aang's side, his eyes widening. "Well, s-something definitely happened here…"

"I-Is that what I think it is?" Katara moved a shivering hand in front of her slightly-parted lips.

Toph took a step forth, and began scenting the air.

"Yeah, it's blood. Not fresh but still recent. Our spirit friend has been busy."

"It's way past your bedtime, kids…"

A rasping, husky whisper rumbled in the atmosphere, echoing throughout the alley.

The wind's blow suddenly ceased.

"Toph?" Aang glanced over his shoulder. Then, as if reading his mind, the girl crouched, and pressed her palm against the ground.

"I-I can't feel anything," she said, deeply mystified. "There's no one here but us! I don't know where that voice is coming from."

"Don't you know what happens in these alleys?" the formless one spoke again.

Despite the chilling tremors gnawing at his skin, Aang managed to gather some bravery. He stared upwards, audibly cleared his throat, and raised his voice.

"We-We know, and that's why we're here. Spirit, my name is 'Aang'. I'm the Avatar."

"I don't give a damn who you are."

Aang pouted his bottom lip at the response, narrowing his eyes, but he quickly shook away his discontent.

"Please, let me ask you something," he resumed. "Two people were murdered in this alley a night ago. Tell me, were you the one who killed them?"

"Yes, it was me… And you know what? It felt good to make them suffer. But so what if I did?"

"I don't know if those people offended you in some way, but violence is never the answer."

"I have nothing to explain to you, boy! Why don't you ask what happened to the last couple of turds who came here looking for a fight? I'll give you a hint, they're gonna' have to be spoon-fed from now on…"

"Aang, we should go," Toph said, approaching from behind. "He clearly doesn't want to be bothered."

"You took their lives, you had no right!" Aang talked back to the darkness, ignoring the other comment.

"I'm just taking out the trash, and you're out of your league. I really don't wanna' have to hurt you. Leave, and don't ever come back here."

"We won't let you go around killing people on a whim."

"Alright, then. Don't say I didn't warn ya'…"

The shadows fell silent, the air endured static, and the temperature of the square dropped significantly in just a second. Anxious gazes surveyed the reddened pathway from end to end once, twice, thrice, yet no visible threat manifested on the vicinity.

The stillness was unnatural, abhorrent, like a downpour birthed by a clear, sunlit heaven. The obscurity that shrouded the alley proved to be far more sinister than the mere absence of light.

"You guys see something?" Katara asked, spinning on her heel, wandering with her sight across the terrain.

"No," Sokka replied, his focus fixed in the sky as he unsheathed his boomerang. "We shouldn't-"

But then he hushed.

"Sokka?" Aang called, not giving too much thought.

And he fell prey of dread upon encountering a dark silhouette of broad shoulders looming above a petrified Sokka, greatly surpassing his height.

The somber entity possessed two eyes shining in a bright shade of green, and was enveloped by a long, vermillion cape undulating as if a strong zephyr flowed through it.

However, there wasn't any breeze at the moment…

"A-At-At-ta-a…" Sokka stammered, retracing a few steps before tripping over his feet and falling to the soil, landing on his backside.

Nonetheless, even fallen, he continued retreating while the mysterious figure slowly grew closer.

"Boo…"

"It's here!"

Sokka's scream awakened Aang from his fear-induced catalepsy. A marked frown tainted his face as he hastily lifted his staff, and swung it with all the strength he could muster, unleashing a powerful wave of air towards the spirit.

Tempestuous winds made the earth tremble, dust swirled across the alley like a swarm of buzzard wasps.

Yet, the entity remained rooted to the spot, unfazed by his attack…

"What?" Aang unconsciously lowered his staff, tilting his head to the side out of bewilderment.

That blast would've been enough to move a huge boulder, or sweep away an entire platoon of armored soldiers.

And the Avatar, master of the four elements, only managed to billow its voluminous shroud…

Which, surprisingly enough, unveiled a human form…

An athletic body of lengthened, muscular limbs, with a white stripe flowing across his chiseled torso, similar to a sharp fang pointing down.

Such figure was concealed under a plethora of ominous ornaments. Skull-shaped medallions held its cape, as well as what appeared to be living chains curling around it.

Lastly, the spirit's crimson-gloved hands had beastly claws instead of nails. Biceps, knuckles and calves were encircled by red-steel bangles embellished with iron spikes, clearly designed for battle.

Eventually, the shroud touched firm land, concealing the entity's physique anew.

Aang gulped audibly, his knees quivering when the spirit released a low, wry laugh that reverberated inside his mind…

"My turn!"

Beside him, Toph stomped the ground and threw her fists forth, summoning a wide stone-pillar from below, striking the dark figure.

The entity yelped in pain as it was knocked backwards. The battering ram of rock shattered into a million pieces after the clash.

Numerous pebbles were scattered throughout the street, followed with a thick mist of powder obscuring the scene.

Every soul in the group began suffering a coughing fit elicited by the fine dirt engulfing them. Closing his watery eyes, Aang started waving his free hand to disperse the raising dust, but that didn't work.

So instead, he slammed the bottom of his staff against the soil, creating a vortex that instantly cleansed the ambient, and dissipated as fast as it appeared.

When the air filling his lungs became fresh again, Aang blinked a few times, steadying his breathing. Later, he glanced at his companions approaching him, cured from the croup.

Nevertheless, the spirit was nowhere to be seen…

"He's… gone…" Sokka said, scanning the alley with his gaze.

"What!? No way!" Toph exclaimed while she kneeled and placed her hand on the ground. "I hit him, I'm sure of it! Is he-"

"About to punch your lights out."

A dark blur manifested on the corner of Aang's sight, triggering the fight-or-flight response in his system.

He instinctively turned.

It was already too late, though…

Since the living chains rose from the shadows, rapidly trapping Toph and Sokka without them noticing, wrapping around the torso of each like lianas encompassing a tree.

They fiercely kicked, writhed, even cursed. However, the chains weren't budging…

Crippled by trepidation, Aang could only watch his friends being lifted far above the soil, leveling with the malformed shade of the shrouded entity towering over them.

"Put me down!" Toph snarled, still trying to pry open her constricting ties.

"I will if you promise to behave." the spirit replied.

"I promise to stick my foot right in your-"

Before that sentence ended, the living chains slammed Sokka and Toph's heads together in a swift, powerful move, immediately rendering them unconscious.

"No!" Aang yelled, scowling, tightening the grip on his staff while he explored his options. Earthbending would probably endanger them more due to collateral damage, and the spirit had endured Airbending of the highest caliber.

'Maybe a distraction? A quick maneuver to get its attention? But those chains are very fast, too. What if I can't surpass them? I can't let Katara fight this monster alone!'

Unexpectedly, a second blur traversed his flank, and the noises of breaking glass jangled his nerves. Soon, Aang noticed that the chains had been partially covered by fuming ice.

He looked to his side, finding Katara casting a long tentacle of water from her canteen.

"Let them go!" she exclaimed.

"As you wish, missy…"

The chains waved amply, effortlessly shattering their frost coating. In that moment, the dormant bodies of Toph and Sokka were thrown forward.

Taken off guard, Katara was knocked to the ground by her unconscious brother, also spilling her water in the process.

Meanwhile, a still-fainted Toph pierced through the wind at full pelt, resembling an arrow aimed towards Aang.

Yet, he did not falter, for he quickly dropped his staff, lightly spun his heels to arise a stone encasing on his feet, and braced for the impact.

Despite the rocky anchors keeping him in place, Aang wheezed when Toph's body crashed against his, mightily pushing him back because of the overwhelming collision force.

Landing on his rear, he shook his head repeatedly, hoping to reduce the severe pain plaguing him.

Once his senses recovered, he glanced down at the sleeping earthbender resting upon his lap, breathing softly with an almost serene look in her face, devoid of any discernible wounds.

Aang let out a relieved sigh. She was safe, that's what truly mattered to him now…

But then, a faint tinkling sounded. A ferrous, barely perceptible rattle…

Suddenly, a strong grip surrounded his ankle, making his whole leg go numb.

And within a mere heartbeat, Aang was torn from the land, he screamed as everything around him turned into fuzzy smudges.

Subsequently, his elevation stopped, allowing the young Avatar to find himself hanging upside-down, held like a fishing trophy by a long chain encircling his left calf.

The idea of undoing those tethers couldn't even cross Aang's mind when the massive, undulating crimson cloak abruptly enveloped his entire being, leaving only his eyes and nose visible.

He forcibly squirmed, fought the suffocating shroud with his last energies, to no avail, for the red cocoon suppressed all his efforts of bending or escaping.

He was effectively restrained, defenseless…

"Now, let me show you why I killed those men…"

The entity abandoned the darkness, approaching at a snail's pace, bringing to sight its vermillion claw that emanated a blinding, spectral-green glow.

Uncapable of fighting back, Aang clamped his eyelids shut and gritted his teeth behind the accursed cloth. Cold sweat drenched his nape, his skin becoming white as paper while the spirit's shining palm slowly descended over him.

This was it…

"Stop, please!"

After the echo of that woeful cry vanished, the world entered a stationary state.

Cautiously, Aang opened one eye, then the other. A mix of joy and perplexity invaded him with the realization that he was alive when he probably wasn't supposed to be.

Nonetheless, the cloak still imprisoned him.

Only… no further confrontation ensued.

In fact, the spirit simply stood there, completely motionless before him, seemingly lost in thought.

Turning as much as he could, Aang looked to the same direction the entity was staring at, spotting Katara, on her knees upon the ground, extending her hand in plea.

"We'll leave you alone…" she croaked raspingly, tears traced her cheeks, dripping into the earth. "But please… don't hurt him…"

His gaze darted back to the entity, expectant of its next action.

Surprisingly enough, the shroud did the unthinkable, and began unfurling…

Aang inhaled profoundly, relaxing his muscles as the cape released him, and the living chains gently flipped his posture, putting his feet on the soil anew. The pressure in his head finally eased, causing a mild feeling of dizziness.

"Get out of here," the spirit said, lowering its claw, which was steadily losing its radiance until it fully extinguished. "And for your own sake, stop sticking your noses into other people's business."

With that, the stygian entity made a slight squat, and leaped to the heavens, disappearing amidst the obscurity.

Remaining apprehensive, Aang froze in his stance for several seconds, his focus fixated on the area where he lastly saw the spirit.

"Katara!" he exclaimed sharply, growing aware of the current situation, his friends still needed him.

Swiftly spinning, he rushed towards her side without hesitation.

"Are you alright?" as soon as he reached her, Aang took Katara's hand, and assisted her to rise from the land.

"Y-yeah, just a little sore…" she replied lowly.

"Man… What did you hit me with?" shortly later, Sokka drowsily stood, rubbing his forehead. "I had this crazy dream where we fought an evil spirit with a long cape, then some living chains appeared and then-"

"Sokka, that just happened a few minutes ago!" Katara retorted, placing her hands on her hips.

"Oh… That explains the pain."

Aang couldn't help the tiny laugh that left his lips. Even in the presence of the most absolute adversity, Sokka would always find a way to crack a bad joke and brighten the dire mood. It automatically reminded him the amazing feats they have experienced together during their journey across the globe.

Which in turn served him to recall that his staff was missing. A quick glance at the vicinity exposed its location.

And something more…

While he walked to retrieve his staff, Aang discovered a small, gleaming object beneath it. Overtaken by curiosity, he crouched and picked up the mysterious item. Upon inspecting it carefully, he realized that it was a golden ring, which had a strange engraving on the inside, but written in a language he didn't recognize.

Utterly intrigued, the young Avatar continued examining the peculiar finding through narrowed eyes.

'Where did you come from? Could it be…'

"Ugh, my head…" unexpectedly, Toph awakened. "I honestly didn't see that coming… Now what?"

"Stay here, I'll go find the spirit." Aang answered earnestly, closing his palm around the ring, then standing from the soil to face his friends.

"What!?" the group yelled at unison.

"You can't be serious!" Sokka hastily approached him, grabbed his shoulders, and shook him lightly. "We just got our butts whooped from left, right and center, and you still want to go after that thing!? I thought I was the one who had hit his head!"

"He's right, twinkle-toes," Toph said as she sat upon the ground. "I'm not sure about you, but I can only take so much beating."

"You said it yourself, I'm the only one who can stop that spirit from hurting more people."

"Aang, please…" Katara joined the conversation. "You can't go on your own, it's too dangerous."

"I have a hunch, trust me."

Biting her lip, she let her vision fall and linger quietly. Following a moment of contemplation, Katara looked upwards anew, displaying a serious, yet calm expression.

"Just be careful, alright?" she said after a bit, tightly surrounding Aang's torso with her arms.

"I'll be back soon, I promise." he cooed, smiling, eventually pulling away from the embrace.

Thus, everyone retraced a step when Aang spread out the wings within his staff, repositioned himself underneath it, and jumped towards the moonlit firmament by conjuring a thunderous wind to guide his ascend.

"You shouldn't have let him go." Sokka commented as they watched Aang's silhouette fade in the distance.

"He promised to be back…" Katara whispered, sounding melancholic.

"Wait…" having risen off the land, Toph pointed to the entrance of the alley. "Someone's coming."

The trio wasted no time in assuming a fighting stance against whoever, or whatever stalked the street.

"Stay calm, kids…" a hoarse voice announced from the shadows. "I am not your enemy, neither is the 'spirit' you think you face."

The nocturnal, ivory light revealed an old man wearing a lengthy, worn coat above dark, saggy clothes, quite unlike the traditional garments of any nation. His wizened face peered from under a black hat. And his beard, so long that it reached his chest, was as thick as a broom with bristles sticking out in all directions.

"Who are you, old man!?" Sokka questioned.

"And why do you talk like you know what's going on?" Toph added.

"Because he and I come from the same place," the newcomer replied huskily. "And carry the same burden…"