Morning came and the air was starting to get brisky as a result of the approaching winter, Zero had woken up earlier than usually and was just looking out the window that had a clear view of the city. Zero had noticed that cold chilly air had made his breath visible and started to puff out vapor from his mouth like he was a steam train.
The door slid open and Zero turn to see Korra standing in the doorway, "hey Zero you're up early," Zero turned back to the window and Korra joined him to gaze at the view of the city, "it's very beautiful isn't it?" Korra asked and Zero nodded his head in agreement, "... Well come on outside we got training to do, and the pier doesn't open til tonight so we have quite some time to kill," Korra added and with that Zero changed into his air nomad clothes and followed Korra out the door.
Heading outside Zero saw that Katara, Kya, and Bumi were also present on the training grounds, "good morning Zero," Katara greeted and Zero waved to her in reply, "c'mon Zero try lifting these stone orbs and carefully guide them through these hoops without touching them," Tenzin instructed gesturing to several large stone spheres and a set of hoops arranged in a path, "this will help you learn patients." Jinora added, "yeah c'mon kid, show us what you got," Bumi encouraged.
Zero walked up to the stones and lifted one of the orbs into the air and carefully guided it through the hoops, he then tried to guided two more orbs through the hoops, but with a bit more difficulty almost hitting the edge of one of the hoops for it wasn't the weight of the orbs he had to worry about, it was about trying to keep track of all of them. The more orbs he tried to guided through the path of rings the more he found it difficult to keep the orbs from hitting the hoops. Each time Zero touched one of the hoops he had to start over and each time he failed he got a little more frustrated, "easy Zero just concentrate and be patient," Tenzin advised.
Zero had tried to just guide one orb through, but couldn't seem to do that anymore, the orb ran into a hoop, Zero let go of the orb letting it fall onto the ground, he paced around and pounded the sides of his head in frustration. "C'mon Zero you can do this just-," Ikki tried to cheer up his little brother, but before she could Zero shot his fist towards one of the orbs causing the stone ball to blow up into pieces and Zero storms off.
The shards scattered all over the ground, Bumi and Kya were taken back by this for what they saw seeing how he made a large stone ball about the size of a tire blow up into little bits without even touching it got them worried. "Did you see that? he blew that stone to pieces" Bumi whispered to Kya, "yeah, he just popped it like a grape," she whispered back seeing Zero disappear in the temple.
In his room Zero just sat in the middle of the room with his arms crossed still frustrated on what happened that is until heard the door slide open, he looked over his shoulders seeing Korra poking her head through the door once again, "hey, you wanna talk about what happened?" Zero just shuts her out not really wanting to dwell what just happened. Korra made her way through the book litard floor then sat right down next to him, "c'mon you can't resolve your problems by pouting in your room," Korra started, Zero continued to ignore her.
Korra can see that maybe she should take a different approach, "c'mon Zero you can't stay mad forever," she said and then gradually started tickling him. Zero tries to swat away Korra, but found very difficult to resist letting a smile slip, "I see a smile," Korra humored and Zero was now laying on his side laughing.
As the sun finally sets down disappearing under the horizon the stars began to take their place, Korra and Zero had come in front of the gate of the small amusement park, "well Zero you ready for some fun?... Zero?" Korra looked down to Zero seeing him watch the rides climb up then roaring down. Zero turned back around almost looking dizzy and pluging up his ears, "I guess you not really used to all this commotion huh?" as Zero gather his bearings he gave a nod, "just try keep it together and you'll be alright," with that Zero replied with a thumbs up.
After Korra paid for her ticket the two walked right in, Zero keep pointing his head to the ground so no one coul- "hey a yuan," O.K. maybe he was just keeping his eye out for cash. After Zero picked the coin off the ground he then saw Ju and her brother waiting for them, "hey over here," Ju called out waving her hand in the air, "glad you can make it," Chen spoke up, "oh c'mon this guy can't say no to a pretty lady," Korra teased while pulling Zero's cheeks.
Ju giggled as she watch Zero's cheeks turn red from either from having his cheeks pinched or from embarrassment, "see you got a new hat," she noted, "you wanna go on some rides?" she asked and before Zero can a nod Ju grabbed his hand and dragged him towards the rides. Korra laughed as she witness Zero being dragged off by the earthbending girl, "she really likes him does she?" Korra wondered, "I'm surprised he came, Ju doesn't get much friends," Chen told her, "what'd you mean?" Korra asked.
Chen sighed and took a deep breath in, "Ju can be rough at time with other kids, and the other girls in the neighborhood seem to make fun of her for it," Korra listen to the words that Chen had spoken thinking that Ju was quite the tomboy. Just like her. "I'm surprised he stuck around, most boys run away when a girl throws a rock at them," he added watching the two getting on one of the rides, "well Zero's been picked on too, he probably thought getting hit by a rock is normal, and I'm pretty sure he likes her too," Korra reassured with her arms crossed unaware that somebody was watching them.
After Ju and Zero were finished ridding the roller coasters the four went to the game booths coming up to a high striker booth with the man running it shouting out trying to get someone to play, "hey it's the Avatar I bet she can prove she can slam the puck into the that bell," he yelled out for all to hear, "sure I'll give it a go," Korra accepted the offer taking the hammer, but no one knows that the booth is rigged with a loaded puck.
Korra takes a stance, swings the hammer down, slamming the lever, but only for it to make it half way, Korra frowned seeing the puck return to the bottom, "let me try," Chen offered, taking the hammer off Korra's hand. Chen walks up to the lever, then he raised the hammer high in the air, winding up his strength, and next he brought it down, the puck went high enough to be under Korra's attempt.
Korra giggled seeing that Chen wasn't able to pass her, "you gave it your best shot," she remarked, "I wanna turn," Ju excitedly asked hopping up and down. She took the hammer from her brother, coming up to the booth, she brought up the hammer over her head, and slams it down, but this time Ju managed to pass Korra making the Avatar impressed, but still feeling disappointed that she didn't make it to the top.
Zero saw the sad expression on Ju's face, then looks up to Korra seeing her looking down to him, feeling that she wants him to do something about it, and Zero gives a quick sigh, "my turn," he bluntly said. Ju handed the hammer to Zero while the man in charge of the high striker smirks thinking he'll never make it. Zero comes up to the lever dragging the hammer on the wooden floor, he swung the hammer over his shoulder, and he took in a deep breath, Korra, Chen, and Ju watched closely as he readied himself, and then Zero smashes the hammer down the lever and everyone heard the ding.
Zero swung the hammer so hard that the puck actually dented the bell and the handle for the hammer snapped in half, the man at the booth just stood their seeing that the kid beat his rigged game, he eventually gave Zero his prize and closed his booth due to damages. Zero looked at his prize which was a stuffed toy of a bison, but Zero dosen't have anywhere to put it back home so he gave it to Ju which she happily accepts, Zero looks over to Korra seeing a big smug on her face, "you sly dog," she commented on Zero actions which he didn't understand why.
Ju and Zero went on ahead of Korra and Chen Ju was telling Zero everything that was going on in her day at home while Zero just had to listen to every word she uttered until the two heard another girl call out to Ju, "hey look it's the weirdo," the two turned around and they saw three nicely dressed girls that were scoffing Ju. For the first time Zero saw Ju timid to these snobby girls, "what are you doing here? aren't you supposed to dig around in the trash?" the head girl mocked, "yeah and who's that kid?" the second spoke out pointing to Zero who he just kept his cool.
seeing that the boy was unresponsive the girls pressed on him, "hey what's with the hat? I didn't know dumb farmers lived in a city," she mocked, but Zero remained silent. The girl was getting a bit impatient with him so she tried again, "why you hanging around this loser? you do know she picks worms out of the mud and eats them," she continued, but Zero didn't pay no mind to them knowing wht they said were unture rumors. Ju on the other hand was getting mad seeing that her bullies were now trying to gang up on her friend, "HEY LEAVE HIM ALONE!" she shouted
The the three girls just scoffed at Ju seeing her mad, "oh please his just a creep, he' not even saying anything, you two weirdos are meant for each other," the head girl mocked on last time. Zero was getting tired of listening to this mean little brat so looked over to a waterbending game booth that was standing right next to the three girls. A smile began to appear on his face and the three girls noticed it, "look at him smiling, I told he was a creep," one of the girls commented until Zero made the water from the booth jump out of a large bucket, drenching the three girls.
As three tried to figure out what had just happened, Zero looked at the prizes the booth had, and spotted a large black eel with orange fins. He lifted the the head of the toy up, and bring it eye-to-eye with the learder of the three. The girl looked at it with confusion wondering what was happening until Zero made the toy look like it was about to eat her.
The three snobby girls took off running, screaming from the top of their lungs, all the while Zero was laughing seeing them turn tail and run, Ju couldn't believe that for once someone had stood up for her for a change, "why did you defend me?" Ju asked wondering why Zero had done that. Zero looks to the ground and then spoke his reason, "I get called names too," he said, "like what?" "... a freak," he stated sadly, "because I was different," he concluded. Out of nowhere Ju gave Zero a big hug, Zero on the other hand didn't know what was going on, and was even more confused when Ju planted a kiss on his cheek. Ju let go of Zero seeing him a bit confused in which in turn made her giggled, "I don't think you're freak," she told him, but before Zero did anything else both him and Ju were caught off guard when they felt a sudden jab to the back of their necks.
They both fell, but was caught by two goons wearing dark masks with two glowing green eyes, "EQUALISTS!" Ju shouted out, but was unable to move, "the Avatar is going to pay for what she did to the Equalists," one of the goons threaten. They picked up the two throwing them over their shoulders, Zero looked for Korra within the crowd and then spotted her, trying to find him, Zero saw one booth that people were trying to get the ball into a narrow hole, Zero concentrated hard and made the balls fly everywhere especially in their direction.
The people looked to where the balls were rolling, spotting the two goons, "HEY IT'S THE EQUALISTS!" one shouted, "and they're kidnapping those two kids," another yelled out. Korra looked over to where the poeple where pointing at and saw the two goons caring away Zero and Ju, "ZERO!" Korra cried out seeing him over the former Equalist's shoulders.
The two goons saw that they've been spotted so they tossed a smoke grenade at the crowd running off while everyone was distracted, Korra charged through the smoke, chasing after the them as they ran into an alleyway, "put us down!" Ju demanded, until the Korra caught up to the two by knocking the first one down carrying Zero and kicking the other to the wall, "I thought you guys were done terrorizing benders?" Korra remarked until she was then cuaght off guard by bolo wrapping around her.
A third goon dropped from the roof of the alleyway, "I don't think so Avatar, because you're gonna pay for tearing down our movememt to get rid of bending," he threaten, "Amon's dead it's over," Korra protested, "no it's far from over," the first one spoke getting back up, "because we're gonna make an example out of ya," the second proclaimed. "HEY STOP RIGHT THERE!" everyone turned to direction of a man standing outside the alley, it was Chen, "beat it this doesn't concern you," the third warned, "oh yes it does when some punks try to make off with my little sister," Chen stated trying to be intimidating, but the goons can see him shaking.
"So you wanna be a hero huh?" the the third noted, "then let's show him what happens to heroes," the three slowly made their way to Chen, Korra tried to get free from her bounds so she can save Chen, but was unsuccessful. Ju watched helplessly as she was unable to move, "CHEN!" she yelled out, Zero was getting angry seeing that Ju was helpless to save her brother and even saw a tear rolling down her check.
Zero with all his strength slowly made his limbs move to where he was on his knees, "c'mon hit us," the goons tempted and knock Chen to the ground, Chen held his hands up in a desperate attempt to protect himself. As the three goons were about to pummel Chen to a pulp until one of them was sent flying to the wall, "WHAT THE HECK!" he screamed frighten that he was suddenly thrown to the brick wall by some unknown force. Chen rose up from the floor, taking a couple of steps back.
Before he can do anything else he was then smacked to the wall repeatedly, the two goons watched as their friend was then thrown to a wooden bench smashing it to pieces, the two remaining goons looked back into the alley and saw that Zero was back on his feet, "I thought you blocked that kid's chi?!" the third goon questioned, "no way that kid did that! it's impossible!" the first panicked and tried to run away, but Zero seemed to bind his feet to the floor where he stood.
"I CAN'T MOVE!" he cried and then was smashed through the wooden floor falling into the bay, the third turned back to Zero afraid seeing what he did, "y-you stay away from me you freak!" he threaten, but by calling him by that name set him off. Zero lifted the man into the air letting his feet dangle, he held his neck like there was a noose wrapped around his neck. Korra saw the man struggling to breath trying to grasps for air, "ZERO STOP!" Korra pleaded, but Zero didn't hear her, he was lost in anger. Zero rose his right hand, clenched his fingers, and then twisted his hand, when he did Korra heard the man's neck snap.
His limbs went limp and Zero dropped him onto the floor, Zero began to get full control of his limbs back, he came up to Korra and untied her, "Zero... you-," "AAAAAAAAAHHH!" before Korra can say anything else a woman screamed seeing a man levitating in the air and his neck being snapped. "THAT MAN'S A BLOODBENDER!" she screamed pointing at Chen. Korra's, Ju's, and Zero's eyes widen seeing that the women only saw Chen holding his hands up while he watched the goon get his neck broken; Korra turned to Zero seeing him no longer wearing his hat, "Zero hide," she ordered him seeing the crowd grow in numbers.
Chen was soon arrested for Bloodbending and was taken away by the police, Ju was sent back home while her family scrambled to find a lawyer to help prove their oldest child's innocents. Zero went back to his room seeing that this all his fult, thinking if he just kept it together he wouldn't have killed that man, but yet again. They would've told everyone about him, he probably thinks Ju hates him now.