Chapter 15: Shattering, Part One

"Now, Kesuk is very busy, and he doesn't have much patience for the North, so you have to convince him very quickly. Play the Avatar card if you have to."

"It won't be long before everyone knows," Sen said with a shrug. "I might as well lead with it."

It was a strange thought, being so open with his identity. Sen had been keeping it secret for so long, it almost felt wrong throwing it around. But if it got him Miyani back, he would tell the whole world who he was. He'd spent too much time away from his friends. First Miyani, and then Hanjo. It was time to get his friends back.

It was an especially cold day, as winter had begun. Sen had a scarf wrapped tight around him to ward the cold away. The bit of red fabric wrapped around his neck was a nice bit of color, for a colorful day. Today he would be one step closer to getting his friends back.

Ariak had arranged a private phone call with the Chieftain of the South, which would hopefully be enough for Sen to learn where Miyani was. Once that was done, they could track her down, and then use her power to help liberate Hanjo. Just the thought of it was enough to put a spring in Sen's step.

His guide on this journey was significantly less light-footed. Sen being the Avatar meant a lot of stress. It was for the better, ultimately, but Ariak was loathe to leave his home completely behind. He would have to abandon the North, his home, and everything he'd ever known. He would miss everything, even the Shorewatchers patrolling the streets.

Ariak glanced at one such patrol and paused. He recognized that spear.

"Arnook, is that you," Ariak said. Every Shorewatcher spear was intricately carved, and unique in that regard. Ariak recognized the pattern of a former friend, but that friend did not respond. "Arnook!"

The Shorewatcher walked by without acknowledging Ariak. Sen paused and turned his head. Something was not right. He felt fear in the Shorewatcher's heart.

"Go talk to your friend," Sen commanded.

"But the phone call-"

"Go talk to him," Sen shouted. Ariak nodded stiffly and complied. He chased after Arnook and grabbed him by the shoulder, turning him around.

He was not Arnook. The man in the Shorewatcher uniform was unfamiliar to Ariak, and seemed confused to see him. Ariak looked the man over curiously.

"You're not Arnook," he said.

"You must have me confused with someone else," The Shorewatcher said. Sen could feel his nerves reaching a boiling point.

"You have Arnook's spear," Ariak said, glancing to the wooden weapon at the Shorewatcher's shoulder. "Who are you?"

"Oh, just a new recruit, must have had a mix up," The 'Shorewatcher' said nervously. He looked at his spear casually.

"No Shorewatcher would ever misplace their spear," Ariak said suspiciously. "Who are you?"

It only took a second of focus for Sen to realize what was happening. The man's chakra had the mark of an artificially created bender: one of Sarin's men.

"He's with the Energybender," Sen shouted. "They're impersonating Shorewatchers!"

The Shorewatcher patrol broke off, one staying behind to fend off Sen and Ariak, while the Arnook impersonator retreated. He pulled out a large radio and activated it.

"We've been found out," He shouted in panic. "We need to move now!"

Ariak's fist slammed down on the Shorewatcher imposters skull, silencing him quickly, but the damage was done.

The message spread across all the false Shorewatchers across the city, sparking their surprise attack. Screams echoed from distant streets as the attack began in full. In mere seconds the chaos blossomed, as the sound of violence and the screams of the innocent echoed out across the icy city.

"No," Sen said, his voice left hollow by despair. "No!"

They had been just days away. Just a few more days and all of this might have been avoided. Ariak was quick to stand and return to the Avatar's side. Perhaps with a few more days time this might not have happened, but there were no days to spare, and it was happening. They needed to act.

"You wanted to save the world," Ariak shouted. "Start with my home. What are we going to do?"

Sen snapped to his senses. This was only a disaster if he let it be. He had the power to stop this.

"The Energybender's trying to spark a war," Sen said, coming to the correct conclusion rapidly. "Chief Kesuk already distrusts the Shorewatchers. If he thinks they've launched a coup, he might order a full invasion."

"And in the meantime local security will be fighting the real Shorewatchers," Ariak said. "All of the North's protectors will be fighting each other. Even if the deception fails, the North will be devastated."

"You take to the streets, spread the word as much as you can," Sen said, pointing out across the city. He then gestured towards the Chieftains palace. "I'm going to find the chief. If Atana knows we might be able to keep this from spiraling out of control."

Ariak nodded and grasped Sen's shoulder tightly.

"Good luck."

With that last sentiment, the two parted ways. The flames spread across the city, as did the heroes.

Kunik kept a careful eye on the city as the smoke began to rise. He wondered perhaps if he should do something, but he figured that Yakkul would hear about anything important happening sooner rather than later. There was no need for him to run off when Yakkul would just get a phone call. Better for him to keep an eye on the gate.

His assumption was proved correct when a host of Shorewatchers marched towards the gates. Kunik was no fool. The Shorewatchers would not send a hundred men to deliver a message or a warning. This was an attack. Kunik was quick to retreat towards the center of the compound. Yakkul was going to be so mad.

"I hate to interrupt your day off," Kunik said. "But it seems that the Shorewatchers are attempting to destroy the city."

Yakkul stopped eating his popcorn. Slowly, he leaned forward, and paused his mover. He kicked his foot against a coffee table, and one of his swords snapped free from its hidden compartment.

"Take up arms," He shouted at his students, his voice echoing throughout the compound. "I haven't been training you for nothing!"

Dozens of swords flashed through the air at once, as Yakkul's students prepared to put their training into action. Yakkul, Kunik, and Ada went to the roof to examine the surroundings of the compound. The Shorewatchers were trying to breach the gate, and by the looks of things they would soon succeed.

"I can't understand why they'd do this," Yakkul said. "But if they want a fight I'll give them one."

Ada grit her teeth. This was uncharacteristic for the Shorewatchers. Even the attack itself was poorly timed. If they wanted to launch a coup, they would have done so during the full moon, not the day after. Something was wrong.

Whistler vaulted her way to the roof, looking around at the chaos that was unfolding in the North.

"I heard we were going to be hurting people," Whistler said. "What can I do?"

"You and I need to find Sen," Ada said. "We've got to regroup."

"Save your planning," Yakkul shouted. "We have contact!"

A battering ram of ice slammed into the gate and shattered the metal. Shorewatchers marched through, their spears high, aimed for the heart of Yakkul's compound. The swordsmaster would brook no threat to himself or his students. Stomping his foot down hard, Yakkul called up a ramp of ice from the roof to the ground. He skated down towards his enemies, then propelled himself along the snowy ground, surfing amidst the ranks of the enemy.

Ada and Kunik were quick to follow him down the icy ramp, using the inertia of their descent to plunge headlong into the attacking Shorewatchers. Whistler went the long way around, gliding over the horde and then plunging down to the ground to attack from behind. The false Shorewatchers had been expecting blades, but not airbending. With her usual advantage of surprise, Whistler forced the enemy forward, right into the blades of her allies.

The combined blades and bending of Yakkul made him an impressive vanguard as he swept his foes aside with waves of water, then cut them down with sweeps of his blade. These Shorewatchers had brought just nigh a hundred men to face him –they had vastly underestimated Yakkul. He would have been able to handle this attack on his own, and having Kunik and Ada at his back made the effort trivial.

The rest of Yakkul's students joined the fray, charging forward in a horde of blades, hammering against the invaders with overwhelming force. The imposters were unprepared for the horde of sword-wielding students, and they were forced backwards, away from the gate, and then down the hill. Some among Yakkul's horde were more than eager to give chase, but he held them back. He knew something was wrong, and he needed to make sure they were fully prepared before they charged into battle.

Yakkul bent down to examine one of the "Shorewatchers" who had not been so lucky as to retreat. He grabbed the broken spear from the impostor's hands and examined it.

"This isn't right," He said. He recognized his handiwork, and this spear had been crafted for someone else. The Shorewatchers never misplaced their spears.

"They're impostors," Yakkul declared. "The real Shorewatchers must have been compromised somehow."

"It has to be the Energybender," Ada said. "We need to find Sen."

"They weren't expecting an Airbender here," Whistler said. The impostor Shorewatchers had been startled to see her. "I don't think they know where Sen is."

"Neither do we," Ada said. She looked out at the horizon. Ariak and the Avatar had been headed into the city to make a phone call. There was no way the two of them weren't caught up in what was happening.

"I need to go warn the Chief," Yakkul said. He sheathed his blade and looked towards the palace.

"Kunik! Take a handful of students and scout the city. Spread the word about the impostors, and tell anyone fleeing to come to the compound," Yakkul instructed. "The rest of you! Fortify our position and establish a safe zone for any refugees from the city!"

The horde of students nodded and set to work fortifying Yakkul's compound and patrolling the area. Kunik selected a few of the students and they all scattered into the streets of the city. Ada and Whistler headed out as well, searching for the Avatar. Yakkul sped off to the Chieftain's palace, praying under his breath that the Spirits would keep them all safe.

Yakkul's home was slightly removed from the city proper, so Ada and Whistler had a short walk before they reached the streets of the North. The moment they did so, they were bombarded by the sights and sounds of chaos. People were panicking, fleeing, trying to hide, and all the while the imposter Shorewatchers were trying to do as much damage as possible.

With a quick lunge, Whistler placed herself between a fleeing citizen and the Shorewatcher that pursued her. His knees made a very loud and satisfying cracking noise as Whistler's staff connected. Whistler made sure the rogue stayed down by striking him in the head with a heavy blow.

Ada likewise interceded in an attack to defend some civilians, but a quick look around the streets said that this might be a futile effort. There were hundreds of attacks up and down the street. As difficult as it was to ignore the senseless violence, the most productive thing to do would be to find Sen.

"Where would Sen be in a mess like this?"

"Where he's needed most," Whistler huffed. She briefly considered taking to the rooftops, seeing if she could find Sen from above, but splitting up with Ada would be counterproductive.

The sound of violence still rang from every corner of the city. Sen would be where he was needed, but he was needed in a lot of places right now. Ada grit her teeth. This was going to be a long day.

The Energybender was not picky in who he recruited to his cause; thugs and brutes lured by the promise of power made good footsoldiers, at least. They were also less likely to hesitate when attacking vulnerable targets: a hospital, for example.

Goaded on by over-eager comrades, a trio of Shorewatcher impersonators charged through the front doors of Yoguda Hospital, intent on sowing terror and pain. The rest of their troupe watched from outside for the chaos to begin. There was a brief moment of silence as the Energybender footsoldiers waited for the fun to start.

There was a sudden, loud, pounding, an impact so intense that the foundation of the hospital shook, and its windows rattled. The first of the soldiers had met his adversary. His fellows waiting outside the hospital waited patiently for the chaos to start.

Their anticipation was shattered, as was the front door, by one of their own going sailing violently through the glass door. The herculean strength of the blow that had struck him carried the launched trooper a few dozen feet through the air before he began to skid and roll across the ground. His waiting comrades watched him roll away down the street before they slowly, fearfully turned their heads back towards the door.

The third of the hospitals attackers exited the front door more slowly, dragged out by his neck. Suda's fist was clenched tightly around the soldiers throat. Suda did not break eye contact with the waiting troopers as he lifted the third soldier into the air by his neck, and then slammed him down face first. The icy ground cracked under the impact.

Suda released the unconscious soldier and flexed his arms. Excitement turned to hesitation as the energybender's soldiers realized exactly what they were dealing with. Some contemplated retreat. Suda did not.

He swept his foot across the ground in a wide arc and then drew it back, lifting up the soil beneath the soldiers feet and drawing them close. As the earth itself pulled them in, Suda slammed a single fist downwards, dropping every would-be attacker to the ground like a hammer. He gave them a moment to lie on the ground and contemplate their pain before he launched them outwards again, sending them flying into walls and windows.

Suda planted his feet. Chaos was unfolding in the streets around him, but Suda would stand his ground. There were wounded and vulnerable people inside the hospital, and he would not allow them to be hurt.

A small group of soldiers marched down the street, and Suda turned to face them. Suda was more than ready to handle such a small group, but they never got the chance to meet.

Surging out of a side street in a tidal wave of force, Ariak swept through most of the soldiers before they had a chance to react. Those that remained standing were quickly disassembled by Ariak's waterbending. The soldiers wore the uniforms of the Shorewatchers, but they were no match for a real warrior's skills. Ariak cut a swift path through the enemy and moved forward towards the hospital.

"Suda, is everything alright here?"

"Just fine," Suda said. "A few guys got in the hospital a second ago. I took care of it before anyone got hurt."

"Good, good," Ariak said. "We need to spread the word, Suda, these attacks are a feint, the Shorewatchers are being impersonated. As many people as possible need to know."

"Then get to work," Suda said. "I'll stay here and defend the hospital."

"Suda, we need to regroup," Ariak said. "Sen could call on us at any minute."

"Somebody needs to protect this place," Suda objected. He wasn't going to just leave the hospital undefended.

"We can defend ourselves," Tlun declared. He stepped through the broken doors of the hospital. A few members of the hospitals security team likewise entered the courtyard in front of the hospitals entrance. Most of the men and women here were trained for healing, but there were enough that knew how to fight that they could defend their own.

"Tlun. I was hoping to find you, you need to-"

"I'll be taking care of myself for now, Ariak," Tlun said. His voice was not exactly brimming with confidence, but he was making a good attempt at faking it. "We need to keep this place safe. If this is a real attack, then more people will be coming to the hospital very soon."

Ariak decided not to waste time with pointless proclamations of love and trust when a simple hug would very well get the point across. He grabbed Tlun in his arms and patted him firmly on the back. Tlun reciprocated in his own awkward fashion.

"Looks like the first of them are already coming," Suda observed. People were running screaming, towards the hospital. Suda and Ariak were forced apart as the parade of people ran forward, carrying the wounded into the hospital. Ariak looked over the crowd, trying to make sure they were safe as they walked past his face. He saw no one wearing a Shorewatcher uniform, but he did see a Shorewatcher spear.

His spear.

Ariak stepped the side as the blade surged towards his heart. The razor sharp spear dove under his arm, cutting through his coat and slicing the side of his chest. The scent of blood put the already frightened crowd into a frenzy as they swarmed towards the hospital. Ariak pressed his hand against the wound. The bleeding cut did not hurt him nearly as badly as the sight of the face in front of him.

"Your family must have such a good memory for faces," Kida taunted. "Your father recognized me too."

She looked similar enough to her sisters that Ariak recognized her instantly. Her face was dark, and harsh, like broken obsidian. In another time, Ariak might have found her beautiful, but any beauty on her face was hidden by her anger. Rage and hate clung to her features like dirt, burying anything human underneath bitter fury. Kida bowed sarcastically, taunting Ariak.

"You can call me Kida. I figure you should know the name of at least one person in my family, since you seem so intent on killing us off."

Ariak tried to push himself backwards, but his legs were not cooperating. As far as he managed to move, Kida followed him, walking slowly.

"It's alright, Ariak," She said, feigning sympathy. She pressed one hand against her heart while the other still clung to her stolen spear. "I'm here to make things right."

She clenched the hand against her heart, and the frost beneath Ariak's feet rose up to claw at him. The icy razor blade cut into his leg, slicing painfully through his ankle and cutting him to the ground. Kida stepped slowly forward, looking down at Ariak.

"I'm here to kill you."

She thrust Ariak's own spear downwards, towards his heart. Ariak pushed himself aside and dodged the blow. With his one good leg he kicked at Kida's stomach, pushing her backwards with the blow. She was quick to recover, and she brandished the stolen spear with murderous intent.

Ariak swept his hand in a broad motion, forming the ice into a wall between himself and Kida. Kida drove her spear right through it, shattering the ice. It was never meant to slow her down very much. Any delay at all worked in Ariak's favor.

Making his usual entrance, Suda arrived on the scene like a boulder, slamming into Kida with all his strength, forcing her backwards. Tlun grabbed Ariak and pulled him up and away from the fight, trying to heal his wounds as they fled.

Kida gasped for breath and pulled herself up. Suda had knocked the wind out of her. She tried to recover and refocus on Ariak, but Tlun had taken him into hiding.

"I have no idea who you are," Kida said, looking over Suda. She shrugged. "But if you insist on dying for Ariak's sake, so be it."

Kida struck with a lance of ice, and Suda swung his muscular arm, shattering the icy blade in mid-air. Kida was impressed by the show of force.

"You're insane," Suda said dismissively.

"Naturally," Kida agreed, nodding as she spoke. "I am not, however, stupid, or alone."

Kida gave a loud shout, rallying the soldiers of the Energybender to her. She had never imagined that fighting Ariak would be easy, and so she had made sure to bring backup of her own. Dozens of impostor Shorewatchers flooded the street, heading for Suda. Kida summarily ignored the metalbender and gave chase to Ariak and Tlun.

With Suda imprisoned by walls of soldiers, Kida resumed her hunt. Behind her coherent and playful demeanor was a burning fury. She had wasted enough time with playful sadism. The next time she laid eyes on Ariak, she would strike without hesitation. She could joke after she crushed his still-beating heart in her fist.

Tlun had done his best to keep Ariak out of sight, but Tlun was not particularly good at hiding. He had, however, done a decent job of healing Ariak's wounds, so Ariak was ready to fight again when Kida found them. The shock of her initial appearance had passed, and Ariak was more prepared to retaliate. He sidestepped her initial attack and tore the ground below, opening wide cracks in the ice. While she was off her footing, a swift-moving ball of water struck her in the chest, knocking her back. Ariak looked over his shoulder. He hadn't thrown that.

"What," Tlun said, prepping another attack. "I'm pretty sure she's going to try to kill me too."

Tlun was proven terribly correct when a spear of ice soared towards his chest. Ariak moved him out of the way by pushing on the ice beneath Tlun's feet. Tlun may have been trained to fight, but he was not a warrior by nature. He lacked the reflexes and skill to face someone like Kida one on one.

Kida closed the distance, striking at Ariak with the spear. Ariak lacked a weapon, so Kida felt she had the advantage in close combat. Ariak intended to prove her wrong.

Ariak took hold of her stolen spear. She may have claimed it as her own, but the carved markings along the shaft marked it as Ariak's. He gripped the spear tightly and twisted it, exploiting a familiar flaw of the balance. The spear turned, nearly pulling out of Kida's grip. Nearly, but not quite. Kida adjusted her grip and held it tightly. She shook the spear in turn and pushed Ariak away.

"This isn't yours anymore, Ariak," Kida taunted. She stabbed at his heart, and Ariak dodged. She struck again, forcing Ariak further and further back.

"This is a killers weapon," Kida said mockingly. "You're just not that kind of person anymore."

"I'm not," Ariak protested as he retreated from her attacks. "I'm sorry for what happened to your sisters, for what I did! You have to know that!"

"I do," Kida said. "I just don't care."

Kida continued her relentless pursuit, striking her spear at Ariak's heart. Suda occasionally glanced at the fight, but he was preoccupied with his own battles. He couldn't simply ignore the dozens of soldiers that had closed in around him. If he didn't deal with them, they would go after the hospital. He was fighting them off, if slowly.

The horde was thinned significantly as the icy ground rose up in broad spikes, grasping at the soldiers with icy fangs. Those that were not captured in the frigid jaws were quickly struck by glittering spears of ice. Suda looked over his shoulders, wondering if Ariak had somehow won his fight already, but the face he saw was significantly more geriatric.

"Granny Loqo?"

The aged doctor moved stiffly, but quickly, striking out with vicious blows of ice and water. There was a sadistic smile on her wrinkled face as she froze one of the last of the soldiers.

"If I can fix 'em, I can break 'em," She boasted. "Now go help your friend!"

Suda never bothered questioning the odd circumstances of Granny Loqo's combat skills. Ariak needed help.

Kida and Ariak were still locked in the middle of a climactic struggle. Suda appreciated a dramatic struggle as much as anyone, but practicality and the safety of his friends came before any appreciation for drama. While Kida was single-mindedly focused on Ariak, Suda dug beneath the ice for any amount of earth to wield. Deep beneath the permafrost, Suda found a workable amount of earth and called it up. Directly beneath Kida's feet.

The ice cracked and crumbled, and Kida let out a loud roar as she was launched skywards. Suda swept the boulder out from under her, sending her plummeting towards the ground. While in the air, she was helpless for a brief moment. Ariak quickly seized that moment of vulnerability and struck her with a sweeping wave, launching her backwards and slamming her into a wall. Suda warped stone and earth to create a grasping prison of rock to hold Kida in place.

Despite her defeat, Kida seemed oddly calm. The ever-present rage still clung to her face, but as Ariak walked up to her, she seemed almost disinterested. Ariak had retrieved her stolen spear from the ground where it had fallen, and he held it idly as he looked at Kida.

"You could end it now, you know," Kida taunted. Her narrow eyes glanced briefly at Ariak's spear.

"I know," Ariak said. He dropped the spear, letting it clatter on the icy ground. Kida had never for a second doubted that Ariak would walk away.

"See you soon, Ariak," Kida said. It was only a matter of time before one of her allies happened upon her and freed her.

"Time to move," Suda said, propping up the injured Ariak and guiding Tlun away as well. "Better get out of here before spooky spear psycho gets out."

Ariak gave a rapid nod in agreement. The further they got away from Kida, the better.

The road the palace was thick with Energybender soldiers. Sen could hardly turn a corner without having some new squadron of soldiers to cut through. Apparently they had the same idea Sen did; if the Chieftain was allowed to take control of the situation, the North might be able to mount a successful defense. Sen had to make sure that happened, and the Energybenders men were eager to see it not happen.

It was difficult for him to move forward, to ignore everything that was happening around him. He could hear screams, see smoke, feel trembling heartbeats, smell blood on the wind. The North was consumed by chaos, and Sen was surrounded by it all. It broke his heart every time he had to charge past some screaming civilian, ignore some burning building, but he had to keep moving.

It was difficult to move and fight at once, but Sen managed, always barreling uphill towards the Chieftain's palace. When he had to fight, he used that forward momentum to lend power to his strikes, diving into his enemies headfirst. He slammed past a duo of Shorewatcher impersonators and continued uphill, rounding a corner sharply. He came to a quick halt.

The enemy had apparently planned for someone to pursue them towards the chieftains palace, because they had prepared a roadblock. A line of soldiers manned a hastily-constructed barricade, blocking off access to the upper street. Sen briefly paused to contemplate a clever way around it.

Even as he thought, an icy ramp clawed its way up and over the wooden barricade. Master Yakkul skated upwards and over the roadblock, landing behind the hasty fortification. He turned blade and bending upon the soldiers patrolling the makeshift wall just as Sen followed along Yakkul's path. Sen paused for a moment to help the swordsman in his fight.

"Your friends are looking for you," Yakkul said flatly. He was more focused on combat than conversation. He sliced through the spear of an impostor and then launched it backwards with a lance of water.

"They can wait," Sen said, with equal detachment. He made a few rapid jabs with his hands, sending bullets of water firing across the wall, scattering their enemies. "I need to reach the Chief."

"Leave that to me," Yakkul said. "Chief Atana trusts me, I can convince her more easily than you can."

"I have a certain ace up my sleeve," Sen boasted. He swept his hands, raising up a wave of water to sweep his enemies away. His red scarf shifted slightly as his arms moved.

"That's not a card to play just yet," Yakkul advised. He made sure to push the enemy soldiers out of hearing range before he continued. "If our enemy finds out where you are, they'll all storm your location. Better for us if they're unfocused, uncoordinated."

"You have a point," Sen admitted. "I'll-"

His thought was left unfinished by the sound of crashing ice and collapsing buildings, followed by a high-pitched scream. Sen had ignored many screams as he made his ascent to chieftains palace, but this one could not be ignored. It was followed by many just like it; high-pitched, shrill, short and terrified.

The screams of children.

"The school," Yakkul said under his breath. The Energybender's men were going after children. Sen's heart began to pound.

"Get to the Chief," Sen shouted. "I'll handle it."

Sen had lost track of how long he had been running now, but he ran again. A part of his brain was screaming at him to stop, telling him that he should be exhausted, but he didn't care. Adrenaline was racing through his veins, empowering him to move forward. The Avatar ran at breakneck pace towards the sound of the screaming, tearing past enemy soldiers and fleeing civilians alike.

Sen could hear the panicked cries of young children echoing from every window. Almost as an afterthought, Sen pulled his scarf up over his mouth and nose and raised his hood. Saving the school might necessitate using all the power at his disposal, and if that were the case, he didn't want his face to be seen.

The streets were a blur as they went by, but one building came into focus the moment Sen laid eyes on it. The school, under siege, with a few desperate defenders the only thing standing between Sarin's forces and a massive number of innocent kids. Sen could hear the screaming of terrified children, and the bladed spears of those who would do them harm.

Sen preferred to think of himself as a man of analytical thought and careful strategy, but there are times when even the brightest thinkers had to charge straight forward. This was not a moment to be careful or cautious. If Sen hesitated, even just to think, then innocent children could be hurt. With an enraged war cry, Sen hit the attacking soldiers like the fist of an angry god, unleashing every spark of fury he had upon them.

Cries of fear and panic became an awed silence as frightened children watched Sen go to work. He held nothing back: no angry scream, no brutal blow, no element was held in check. Sen became a brutal hurricane of air, earth, water and fire, splitting soldiers, soil and sky with his anger. Ice and bones cracked as Sen's boulders tore through the enemy like wrecking balls. The arctic sky burned red as lances of fire carved ashen paths through their ranks. Frozen spires of ice emerged like fangs from above and below, trapping the soldiers in frigid jaws. The air was filled with howling wind and pained screams as whirlwinds scattered the enemy like dust in a hurricane.

The fury settled, the battle concluded, and there was only Sen, standing before a legion of the downed. His heavy breaths turned to cold clouds of fog as it passed through his scarf. Sen examined what he had wrought. Dozens of Energybender soldiers laid ruined before him. He looked over his shoulder. The children were silent but safe.

They looked at him with eyes wide in awe and admiration. They had watched every blow, every move, and they knew. He could see the recognition in their eyes. While the scarf and hood obscured his face, there could be no doubt that they knew who their savior was. The Avatar had saved them all.

The awe, the admiration, and the gratitude he saw in their eyes softened the rage that held his heart. They were safe now, and it was because of him. But only for a moment.

They thought they were safe, but Sen that was not the case. The attack was still ongoing. As soon as Sen turned his back, they would be in danger again. All he had done was delay the conflict.

A radio crackled behind him. Sen turned his back on the school and looked at the soldiers he had fought. One of them had clawed their way to a radio, intent on sending a message. Sen raced to intercept him –just a moment too late.

"The Avatar is here," The soldier gasped into the radio. Sen knocked him away from the radio, a second too late to stop the message. Sen clutched the radio in his hands and carried it away. Out of sight of the school, he shed his scarf and coat. He didn't want to be recognized by anyone later.

"I need confirmation," An all-too-familiar voice intoned. Sen recognized that voice from the message in Republic City. The same voice that had been broadcast across the world. The voice of the Energybender.

"Where is he," Sarin's voice demanded. Sen looked down at the radio. Idle chatter streamed across the airwaves as Sarin's troops communicated. The random chattering faded into white noise as Sen focused.

Slowly, but quite deliberately, Sen's thumb pushed down the talk button.

"I'm here, Sarin."

The crackling radio fell silent. Enemy chatter came to a dead halt. Though the machines fell silent, everyone within range of a radio could feel the tension surging across radio waves. Sen waited patiently for a moment, waiting for Sarin to make the first move. Sen heard the sound of continued conflict in the distance, and decided he could not afford to wait.

"You know, Sarin, I was getting ready to fight you head-on when you pulled this cowardly stunt," Sen shouted into the radio. "It's not going to work. I've already told the Chieftain about your deception."

It was a blatant lie, but Sen hoped the feint would work. If Sarin thought that his feint had been compromised, he might pull back. There was another long moment of silence and tension over the radio.

"Order a full retreat," Sarin's voice commanded. "Set up fortifications on the border of the city and along the docks. Blockade the city. All officers, rejoin me on the Blade Ship."

Sen looked around. The sounds of chaos faded. The attack was being called off. He almost breathed a sigh of relief. A slight crackle along the airwaves told him that Sarin was not yet done.

"I'll be at the docks," Sarin said. "You want to face me, Avatar?"

Sen's fist clenched tight around the radio. Sarin allowed himself a moment of pause, just enough to let the challenge sink into the Avatar's ears.

"I'll be waiting."