Chapter Seven:
Akio handed two pieces of paper to Genji and Sela. Sela stared at them in confusion. "What are these?" she asked.
"Pro-Bending tickets for the Spider-Wasps battle with the Gorilla Goats." he replied.
"What?!" Sela exclaimed. "I'm glad you would give me something like that, but I don't watch Pro-Bending matches.
"But Sela, I want to go." complained Genji.
"Well you can go." said Sela. "Why don't you? Huh? Why not? Why not?"
Sela was silent for a few seconds. She stared vaguely with an expression of frustration and confusion. Then she broke the silence. "All right I'll go." she declared.
"Great" Genji said.
When Genji and Sela got to the arena they found our seats and waited for the match to begin. The lights turned off and the spotlight went onto the other team. "On the red side." the announcer said. "We have the Gorilla Goats.
That spotlight turned off, and the one over Arata, Kaze, Tetsu, and Yao turned on. "On the blue half we have the Spider-Wasps."
The spotlight turned off and the whole arena light up. The teams lined up at the center and prepared to battle.
The bell rang and the match begun. The teams backed off and began to launch their elements at each other. Arata threw a watershot and it hit the other team's Airbender. The Gorilla Goat's Earthbender threw a pair of disks, which hit Arata and Yao. Yao related with a fireblast, and Tetsu followed up a earth disk. Both projectiles hit the earthbender who fell back, but he recovered before he went across the line.
The Gorilla Goat's Airbender and Firebender threw their projectiles at Kaze, who dodged them both. Kaze threw an Airball at the Airbender, who blocked it but was hit by a Fireblast from Yao.
The Firebender tried to recover, but was hit by a water shot and a earth disk from Arata and Tetsu. He stumbled backwards and went over the line. The buzzer rang. "Yes that's it. Get them Arata." Sela cheered.
Genji looked at Sela, and she looked embarrassed. "Never mind." she complained.
The Gorilla Goats stepped backwards, and the Spider-Wasps advanced to the next zone. The buzzer rang and the match began again. The Gorilla Goats took the offensive this time, trying to push back the Spider-Wasps. Arata was hit by two earth disks and nearly went over the line. "Arata!" Sela cried.
"C'mon." Genji replied. "He's not hurt."
Kaze tossed two airball at the other team's Earthbender, who dodged the first and one and lifted a disk to block the second. He was hit by a fireblast from Yao, and the earthbender sent a disk at him in relation.
Yao was hit by the earth disk, and before he could recover, he was hit by a fireblast and watershot knocking him over the edge.
"This match currently looks like a tie folks." said the announcer. "Let's see how it plays out."
The buzzer rang and the team resumed the game. Both teams gave it their all, and neither would budge. The shots continued to go back and forth, but no one was pushed back. Eventually the buzzer rang. "This game looks like a tie." said the announcer. "It looks like there must be a Tiebreaker.
The ref tossed the coin and it landed on blue. The Spider-Wasps gathered around to discuss which element they would choose. "C'mon Arata, this is your moment." Sela muttered.
"Sela?" Genji asked, but Sela ignored him.
The team continued discussing, and Genji wished he was close enough to hear them. "C'mon c'mon" Sela continued to say.
The huddle broke up and Yao stepped up to the center. "Looks like they choose Fire." said the announcer."
Sela angrily face-palmed. "Ugh, why did they do it." she growled.
"Look" Genji replied. "Yao been doing this for a while. He knows what he is doing."
The platform lifted up, and Yao faced off with the Gorilla-Goat's firebender. "Begin!" said the announcer.
The firebender lunged forward, and Yao jumped to the side dodging him. Yao covered his hand with fire, and punched the firebender.
The firebender was pushed backwards, and had to boast so he would not go over the edge. He shoved Yao, giving himself some space. The firebender tried to follow up with a fireball, but Yao dissipated it. Yao hit the firebender with a fireball of his own and lunged at him. Yao dodged a clumsy punch, and then shoved the firebender off the edge.
The platform lowered down and Yao rejoined the rest of the Spider-Wasps. The spotlight went on them, and the announcer declared them the winner.
"This Arata guy seems useful." came a voice from the upper box. "We should tell Arashi about him.
Genji heard this and looked over at Sela who was staring at Arata. "Sela." Genji said trying to get her attention.
Sela continued to look at the Avatar. "Sela their talking about Arata."
Sela head whipped over to me in shock "What!?" she exclaimed.
"Keep it down." said Genji.
Genji and Sela lid slowly across the bench to get closer to the box. "What would Arashi want with the Avatar?"
"I don't know" replied. the original voice. "We aren't hired to ask those questions."
"Who is that?" Genji asked.
"That's, Kosuke, the leader of the Agni Kai Triad." Sela replied. "Whatever he and this 'Arashi' want with Arata, its not good. We need to warn them."
I pulled a rock of the wall and threw it towards Genji. He jerked to the side and the rock barely missed. Genji pulled out a small cannister and green gas came out. The gas made me feel light headed so I tried to use Airbending to keep it out of my mouth.
I threw a few more rocks, but I wasn't sure if they hit, because of the low visibility. I saw Genji jumped through the gas, and I leaped out of his way. I tried to throw another rock, but Genji had gotten to close. He threw a punch and I dodged and punched him in the stomach.
I lunged at Genji and grabbed him by the shoulders. I tried to take him down, but he kneed me in the gut, and then I felt shook go threw me. I collapsed with my muscles feeling tight. I had been hit by a Shock Glove. "I should have remembered you guys used those."
I looked up and saw it was a small black glove, with a coil on the palm, and a battery on top. "This is a Mark-11 shock glove." said Genji. "For comparison Amon's forces used the Mark-3."
"Okay" said Yao. "So this is what the 'New Equalists' are. Maybe your not so bad."
After I recovered Sela walked up to me. "Look Arata there's something I need to tell you. While you were at the Pro-Bending game, we heard people talk about you from the box."
"Wait." I replied. "You went to a pro-bending match. After all this 'I don't go to pro-bending matches rhetoric.' C'mon."
"I was worried about you." Sela replied. "You could get hurt."
"Oh so you and your brother could hurt me instead. Is that how you are. You can beat me up but no one else can. What is wrong with you."
"Oh and you think if because you're the Avatar you can..." Sela tried to say.
"...Guys." Kaze interrupted. "If you have something to say, say it. You guys need to stop having this lover's quarrel.
I looked at Kaze in shock. "Me and Sela? In love?!"
"Kaze!" Sela shouted.
"Look guys." said Genji. "I overheard two guys, who Sela said where Agni Kai gangsters, talk about you Arata. They talked about bringing you to this Arashi guy."
"That the leader of the Order of the White Lotus." said Kaze.
"Why would he have ties with the Agni Kai Triad?" I asked.
"I don't know." said Tetsu. "But we have to find out."
"I know my way around the Agni Kais." said Yao.
"Huh?!" I asked.
"I used to do work for them. Thankfully I left on good terms so I might be able to get you guys some info."
"That would be helpful." Tetsu said.