Chapter 8: "A Best Friend For All Reasons"
Inside the dungeons of the Earth Nation palace, the servant returned with a key.
"Here, My Lord. I've got the key to set you free. But, where do we go once you're out?" the servant asked. The Earth King looked at him.
"I'm going to hunt down that King Bumi. I want you to call the elves and tell them to change targets."
"I should tell them to leave the innocents alone and target the Blue Spirits?"
"Correct."
"Finally; an order that makes sense." The servant unlocked the jail cell, and set the Earth King free. They ran back upstairs.
"I will head to the throne room. You head to your chambers and contact the elves!" he shouted. The servant nodded.
The Earth King almost forgot about the booby-trap that was set. Right as he was about to step down, an instinct told him to jump over. He did so, and avoided the walls that caused Smellerbee's death. He entered the throne room…
The servant made contact with the leader of the elves.
"We have another order from the king. He wants you to leave the innocent alone and combat the Blue Spirits."
"What's with the change in orders?"
"I'm…..not sure. Perhaps his job is too stressful for him to make up his mind?"
"Perhaps…. Okay, mission initiated."
The elves put away their flamethrowers and searched for Blue Spirits. One half searched around the whole town, while the other half headed to a certain tunnel…
Sokka glared at the girl he thought was his friend. Why was she threatening Toph? What motive did she have? And where did she go on Christmas Eve?
"Please, Sokka……she's hurting me…" Toph gasped. More tears fell from Sokka's eyes.
"Please, let her go." The water-tribe boy pleaded. The girl just laughed and started to press the fan closer. Toph whined as the spikes entered further.
Sokka grew angry. This girl was going to kill Toph no matter what happened. He needed to distract her somehow. Perhaps asking a barrage of questions would let her guard down…….
"So, where did you go on Christmas Eve?" he asked as calmly as possible. The girl smirked.
"Oh, nothing. I just left the house to make sure I didn't get caught in the crossfire."
"So, you knew Santa was going to attack us?"
"Of course I knew. I hired him!"
Sokka's eyes widened. He was hoping that the dream he had was only that; a dream. But, alas, it wasn't. One of his friends had hired Santa Claus to murder everybody.
Sokka remained calm. "So, why'd you hire him? Did you really feel the need to kill us? Do you hate us?"
"No, I just felt that you would interfere with my plans."
"What plans?"
"I'm planning world domination, with the help of an old friend."
"How do you expect to do that?"
"Well, first of all, by arranging the fall of this city, the world will recognize my accomplice as all-powerful, seeing as no one could ever take over this city at all; let alone, destroy it…"
"Wait, you caused this whole mess with the zombies and Blue Spirits?"
"Yep, but don't interrupt me. It's rude. Anyways, after this city is gone, my accomplice will be feared throughout the world. We will unleash numerous zombie and Blue Spirit outbreaks all over the world. My accomplice will then take the place as ruler of the world……..and I will then murder him. I will finally be the true ruler of the world."
"If the world is destroyed, what will you rule?"
"Oh, I'm pretty sure there will be many survivors. I will force them to obey me, and the world will repopulate itself."
"And you expect this plan to work?"
"Yep, but I wouldn't expect you to understand. It may be too much for that small head of yours." The girl then pulled the fan away from Toph's neck, who sighed as she dropped her head lower. The girl laughed and kicked the blind girl in the face. She hit the ground with a sickening "smack."
"TOPH!" Sokka cried. He ran towards the girl, who was bleeding from the head. Blood also dripped from her neck, where the assaulter had held the fan.
"YOU'VE…..CROSSED…..THE….LINE!" shouted Sokka. He stood up and glared at the girl.
"Bring it on." She said.
Sokka rushed towards the girl in the jumpsuit and, taking out his axe, swung as fast and swiftly as he could. The girl dodged easily and kicked the water-tribe boy into a building. She picked up Toph and walked over to Sokka. She pulled him up and proceeded to run into a relatively tall building. The boy followed.
"Get back here!" he screamed. They ran up numerous flights of stairs, and found themselves on the top of a square roof. The girl walked over to the ledge.
"Do you know how easy it would be to drop this girl to her death from up here? I mean, she's already injured. This fall would seal the deal." The girl mocked. Sokka's eyes opened wider.
"LET……HER……GO….…………………….SUKI!" He panted in anger. She smiled.
"Real bad choice of words, my friend." With that, she dropped Toph off the building. "But I'm flattered that you remember my name."
Sokka's heart sank as he saw Toph fall. Without thinking, he jumped over the ledge himself. He managed to grab the girl, who seemed to be unconscious.
"I love you…." He whispered as soft as he could. He held onto her tight. If they were going to die, atleast they would die in each other's arms…
Aang, Katara, and Zuko walked slowly through the dark tunnel. No light whatsoever could be seen. Eerie silence surrounded them.
"So, does anyone have…..anything that could make this place brighter?" Aang asked cautiously.
"If we did, we would have used it long before now!" Zuko screamed. Katara remained silent. She prayed that Sokka was okay. She broke away from Aang and started walking on her own. Her leg still hurt, but not as bad as it could have.
They had made it to the middle of the tunnel when they heard the shuffling of feet.
"Does anyone hear that?" Zuko asked. No one answered, but he knew that they heard it too.
Something grabbed Zuko, and he screamed.
"Sorry, Zuko. I tripped." Katara blushed. Zuko, embarrassed, just grunted back and walked on. Another hand grabbed onto him.
"Did you trip again?" he asked.
"No. I'm still standing." Katara said.
"Why do you ask?" Aang asked. Zuko's eyes widened. None of them were grabbing him. He kicked out towards where the hand was coming from, and made contact with something. A moan could be heard, and Zuko screamed. He had hit a person.
"What the hell was that?" Aang asked. Katara grabbed onto Aang's hand in fear. The boy shivered, not knowing who was touching him
"That's me, Aang." Katara whispered in order to not cause any more confusion.
Everyone froze in their tracks, for they knew that they were not alone. Zuko suddenly screamed out.
Something had bitten him in the neck. He pushed outwards, and hit another person. He suddenly felt sick. He knew what had bitten him.
"Guys…." He moaned in a sickened tone. Instantly, several dim lights turned on. They were all that the group needed to see what was happening.
Zombies surrounded the group. Virtually thousands resided in the tunnel. Aang cried out. Katara whined. Zuko continued to groan in pain.
"I've been bit, guys…" Zuko said. The others ignored him as best as they could. What could they do?
"Should we retreat out of here?" Katara asked.
"Have you forgotten about the Blue Spirits out there?" Aang replied. It looked like they would have to stampede past the zombies.
An arrow shot out from behind the group. It caused one zombie's head to explode. More arrows ran forward, creating a path for the group to follow. Katara and Aang supported Zuko as they ran. Now was not the time to ask questions.
They came to another long path, this one seemingly clear of zombies. Numerous holes, possibly leading into the sewer, covered the walls.
The path looked like it was clear…….
Zuko sat on the ground, realizing that his life was over. He sobbed.
"Where's Jet?" he cried. No one could give him an answer, for they did not know.
"Go on without me, guys. I'm gonna turn into one of them." Zuko said. He started thinking about his sister. "Where's Azula?" he sobbed. He never knew how much he cared for her.
He thought of his friends who weren't here. "Where's Smellerbee……Where's Longshot……..Where's Toph………….Where's Sokka………..Where's Suki?" Again, the group could not answer.
Katara looked away. She couldn't stand to look at Zuko while he was in this state.
Something caught her eye in one of the holes in the wall. A boy's head was sticking out. Someone was climbing out of the hole. She walked over to get a closer look and gasped.
"Teo! Is that you?" She asked. The boy looked up at her with red eyes. He stepped out of the hole. Teo, the crippled boy, stepped out of the hole.
"Oh my God! You're walking!" she cried in delight and minor confusion. The boy stepped forward, and Katara felt fear boil up inside of her. She stepped back and tripped on her own feet.
Aang saw what was happening. A zombie was approaching Katara, who had fallen due to her hurt leg. He ran forward…
The zombie Teo lunged towards the girl, who screamed.
"NOOOOO!" Aang cried in what was almost slow-motion. He collided into the zombie and wrestled it to the ground. The undead life form's strength took Aang by surprise. It was stronger than it looked. It overpowered the boy and…..started biting his chest.
"AANG!" Katara shrieked. She attempted to stand up, but howled in pain. Her leg was fractured. The falls she had taken had finally gotten to her…
Zuko found strength to stand up, and ran for the zombie. It was now biting Aang's head. What else did he have to lose? He stomped on the zombies head, causing guts to explode from it. Katara managed to avoid the bloody chunks.
"So, you were bitten..." Zuko said in despair. The boy nodded. Zuko lowered his head and walked over to Katara. He picked her up as carefully as he could, and brought her over to Aang. Zuko placed her down, and she painfully stood on her knees.
"Oh Aang…" she sobbed. Aang smiled at the girl.
"I'm sorry I……abandoned you when that fat guy attacked, Katara. I…..was stupid a few days ago. I hope I…..redeemed myself in your eyes." Aang said softly. Tears fell from Katara's eyes.
"You……were willing to kill yourself in order to save me. I could have been the one bitten..."
"I'd do anything for you, Katara."
"I'm sorry, too, Aang. I was too stubborn to realize that nothing was your fault…"
"I love you, Katara."
"I love you too, Aang." She cried as she carefully placed a kiss on Aang's cheek, avoiding all remains of 'Teo.' She now knew how she felt about the boy, but it was too late.
"Leave me here, Katara. Escape from here. I know you will find a better love out in the world."
"I'm not leaving you behind!"
"Katara, if you love me, you'd leave me here. I could turn into one of those things any second now. I don't want to hurt you. Leave before you witness my transformation…"
Katara reluctantly allowed Zuko to pick her up. They walked forward, and Katara peeked at her love. Aang waved at them with a half-hearted smile. The girl cried terribly as she blew a kiss back at the "dead" boy. She knew she would never see him again…
They came to the end of the tunnel. Zuko looked at the girl. His eyes had turned a foggy-green color.
"You know, once we make it to the train, you're on your own. I was bitten by a zombie. It's only a matter of time before I…..turn into one of them…"
Katara nodded, although she didn't accept the truth. Hopefully, something helpful would turn up…
Sokka, still holding onto Toph, saw the ground approach at an alarming rate. They would hit it in less then ten seconds. He kissed Toph's head and attempted to roll in the air, causing his back to face land. Hopefully, when they hit the ground, Sokka would take most of the impact. He would probably die, but Toph would survive. Right now, that was all that mattered to him…
Toph began shuffling around, and everything froze. Sokka was barely one inch from the ground. He gasped as he saw they were no longer falling. He stood on the ground, still holding Toph.
"What the hell?" he questioned out loud. He looked at the blind girl. Her eyes had turned a light blue, but they soon changed back to their normal faded green.
"Toph, are you okay?" He whispered. The girl started to awaken.
"Sokka?" she asked sleepily.
"Everything's going to be alright, Toph. Let's get out of here." He said. Sokka started walking away, but Suki jumped in front of him. She was smiling.
"So, you used that machine on the little brat, as well. How else could she have done that?" Suki laughed. "Well, it's only a matter of time before the power eats away at her. I'll give her……..two months, total."
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"Oh nothing. I forgot that you weren't gonna survive long enough to witness the effects of the surgical machine…"
Sokka placed Toph down and grabbed Suki by the neck. He rammed her into the side of a building.
"What's going to happen to her?" He snarled. She remained calm.
"The same thing that's gonna' happen to you. The power given to you from the machine will slowly cause your body to degenerate. You will both die a slow and antagonizing death. I actually feel sorry for you…" She kicked Sokka in the groin, and he keeled over in pain. He gasped out, struggling to take air into his lungs.
"You mentioned an accomplice. Who is it?" Sokka asked. Suki looked at him and thought for a moment.
"You solved the message. You figure it out. It's spelled out for you…" Suki jumped onto a building and climbed to the top. She looked back one more time and smiled at the water-tribe warrior. She waved and jumped out of sight.
When this city was gone, Suki was going to sit down and have some aptly named "Chicken soup for the soul." Perhaps she would even have a second helping….
Sokka watched his past friend flee the area. He needed to make it to Katara and the others! Seeing as Toph could walk on her own, he held her hand and ran towards the tunnel…
Sokka finally knew what the secret message meant. He remembered what it had said...
SUKI IS BUMIS MIND
A man named Bumi would take all the credit for this incident, but Suki had planned it all. She was the mastermind...
Katara walked into the train and glimpsed sadly at Zuko. She would have to fend for herself out in the world.
Zuko found the switch to activate the train, but before he could press it, a hand grasped his shoulder. He turned his head and gasped as he saw a strange face.
A man, clutching a bow and carrying a quiver of arrows, had entered the area. He was skinny and had a small head. A gray beard protruded from the small head.
The mysterious man looked at Zuko's eyes and chuckled to himself.
"Well, it seems I've found another person immune to the virus." He said. Zuko raised an eyebrow at the man. He spoke again. "Do you have a sister, or something?"
"Yes, my sister is named Azula. She disappeared a while ago. Do you know where she is?"
"Yes, I do. She was immune to the virus, as well. A strange boy in a wheelchair wanted to see her."
Zuko's hopes soared as he heard this."Where is she!?"
"She's rotting in a hospital tent in the poor district."
Zuko's heart sank upon hearing this. Teo must've been the kid in the wheelchair. He had gotten infected somehow and had murdered his sister.
Zuko was glad that he had crushed his head…
"Wait, so Zuko's not gonna' turn into a zombie?" Katara asked as hope flew into her mind.
"Nope. He's safe for now. He can infect others, though. In fact, something as simple as a kiss could spread the disease."
Zuko looked at the man. "Is there any way to destroy the virus?"
"When you get out of here, I will try to find an antidote. It may take awhile, though…"
"Well, I guess it's time to leave." Zuko said as he slowly entered the train.
"Not so fast. I detected some of your friends out in the city. Two of them are alive and well. In fact, they are heading to this tunnel right now as we speak."
Katara and Zuko looked at each other. They wondered who had survived.
"I will provide cover for them as they enter the tunnel. These zombies are going down…" The man said. He walked back into the depths of the tunnel. Katara and Zuko had no idea who he was, why he was here, or how he knew so much. What they did know, however, was that they had to remain here until their remaining friends arrived…
The Earth King busted down a door in the palace, enraged that he could not find Bumi. He glimpsed the girl in the jumpsuit enter through an open window. He snuck behind her, following her every step. She opened a door and made her way to the top of the palace.
The Earth King saw King Bumi enter a balloon with Suki, the girl in the black jumpsuit. Bumi saw the king and waved as they left ground. At that moment, the servant walked out onto the roof and saw the fleeing balloon.
"C'mon, sir, we can't lose them!" he said. He led the Earth King to another war balloon and they soon took off. They tailed King Bumi and Suki……
Sokka could now see the tunnel. He stepped forward, and saw a terrible sight. Ty Lee's body was lying in rubble. A massive hole was in her chest, and blood was everywhere. He nearly threw up.
"Let's continue, Toph." He said quietly. She nodded, feeling sick herself. She felt the vibrations of Ty Lee's body, and knew that she was dead. The tunnel loomed before them. Sokka could practically taste freedom…
A Blue Spirit wobbled in front of him. In time, over twenty surrounded Sokka and Toph. They both gulped; this was gonna be one hell of a fight...