The City of Hekeng
Two Years after the creation of the United Republic
Governor Shun of the City of Hekeng walked the streets as he did every morning. He had begun the tradition several years earlier, when his wife had advised him to get some exercise. As always, he walked with elite members of the Royal Army, who had been assigned to guard him.
As he walked, he inhaled the crisp, morning air, smelling cherry blossoms and jasmine plant in the distance. Deciding he had walked long enough, he turned around, intending to order his guard back to the palace. Then, in the distance, in the Industrial Quarter, a chain of explosions blossomed, its fire glowing a dark crimson.
Zheng, the Captain of Shun's guard, ran to Shun's side, shielding him.
"We need to get you out of here, sir," he said, backing away slowly. The Earthbending Guards spread out, cautiously watching the walls and buildings around them.
In the distance, screams and shouts resounded through the city, and the sirens of the Hekeng Police Corps began wailing.
Officer Cheung was nervous. The explosions had come out of nowhere; it was supposed to be an easy day of traffic duty and lounging around. Instead, the entire police force had been mobilized, and wires had been sent to the government in Ba Sing Se.
He stopped the car, and he and his partner, Officer Lien, hopped out, readying their fists. Sweating, they entered the blazing ruins of the industrial quarter, hands held in a bending position. Cheung gestured Lien forward, and the two carefully made their way deeper into the quarter as the sounds of sirens and vehicles pulling over echoed.
"I-I think we should wait for backup," Lien said, looking scared.
There was a profound silence as they delved deeper into the quarter, the crackle of flames loud in Cheung's ear.
Cheung turned to respond when he was cut off by a blast of fire flying over his head. Across the street, from a blazing window, a trio of armored soldiers landed on the street, firing blasts at the two officers. Cheung's eyes widened as he recognized the skull-faced helmets of the Fire Nation Firebending Corps. Reacting instinctively, Cheung raised a wall of rock to shield them from the blasts, which continued to rain down on the officers unceasingly.
"Flank them from the left," Cheung whispered. "I'll make a distraction."
Grunting, Cheung slid the rock wall back down and fired chunks of rubble at the soldiers, winging one on the shoulder before they ducked into cover. Panting, Cheung ducked behind a building as the men returned fire, to which he responded with razor-sharp shards of rock that he punched towards the benders.
As they stood to return fire, however, they were unceremoniously stopped by Lien and the reinforcing officers, who had successfully sneaked up behind the firebenders, and detained them quickly by binding their hands with rock manacles. Relieved, Cheung exited from his cover, walking over to the officers, nodding his thanks.
The men were writhing on the ground defiantly. Angrily, Cheung tore one of the men's masks off, revealing a tanned, hardened face that glared at him in loathing.
"Who are are you and why have you done this?!" he asked hatefully, seething. He would like nothing better than to send a shard of rock into the man's head, but he held back.
The soldier spat a gobbet of dust into the rubble, glaring at Cheung with hatred.
"My name is Sergeant Lee, and we tried to wipe you scum out once and for all," he said, spitting again.
"Are you from the Fire Nation?" asked another officer.
"Of course I am, peasant. His Majesty Fire Lord Zuko sent us to destroy your city."
By the next day, the news had spread all over the world. Fire Nation soldiers, cried newscasters, had invaded the Earth Kingdom on the orders of Firelord Zuko. The City of Hekeng's Industrial Sector had been razed to the ground by Firebender Special Forces. Three confirmed Fire Nation soldiers had been detained by the Hekeng Police Force, and investigation was continuing.
The situation, however, was much worse. The rumor had it that the Fire Nation had been planning to revamp their efforts of World Domination, and was planning to annex the Earth Kingdom. Citizens of all four nations, many of which had lived through the War, angrily protested the Fire Nation's unlawful attack. Many whispered that Zuko had gone insane, and had become even crazier than his father. Others still maintained that the Avatar had gone to join his comrade Zuko in dominating the world. Soon after, despite the government's assurances that the attack was not the work of the Fire Nation, crowds of angry citizens gathered, determined to petition the Earth King to retaliate militarily.
In Hekeng, angry crowds of workers marched on the Fire Nation district, and, in a single stroke, made things worse. Crowds of citizens marched on Fire Nation citizens and had destroyed shops, burned flags, and beaten citizens. The police, enraged over the Fire Nation's supposed act of aggression stood by idly as Fire Nation citizens were forced from their homes and beaten.
The Fire Nation Capital
Six Days after the Hekeng Bombing
"This is preposterous!" raged Zuko, slamming his fist on the table.
His generals, gathered around a map of the world, looked at each other in concern. The Firelord, of late, had been increasingly angry. He had spent most of his time attempting to find out exactly what had happened in Hekeng, and had spent many hours communicating with world leaders, assuring, threatening, and apologizing. General Nagata, the General of the Interior, stepped forward cautiously.
"My lord, the Earth Kingdom is demanding an explanation. The riots in Hekeng are escalating, my lord. We need to act."
Zuko shook his head.
"We can't do anything. Even if it wasn't our troops, everyone thinks it was, and any intervention will be perceived as an invasion. We all know that if the world thinks we have regressed into the old ways, they will not hesitate to wipe us out."
General Nagata nodded, stepping back. There was silence in the war room as the generals thought about their next course of action.
Minister Kisho of the Defense Ministry ventured forward.
"My lord, I advise that you should contact Avatar Aang and appeal for his advice. Only the Avatar can diffuse this situation before it gets out of hand."
Zuko took a step back, thinking.
"I agree. But we can't be idle in the meantime," he said, rubbing his chin. He turned his attention to General Sato, who stood directly to his right.
"General Sato. I want you to mobilize the Tenth Division and prepare an expedition to maintain peace in Hekeng. I will not abandon my people to the mercies of the Earth Kingdom. Do this with the utmost secrecy, General. Are we agreed?" he said, asking the Military Council.
The men looked hesitant, but all but Kisho nodded in agreement.
"If people know that we're mobilizing the Tenth, they'll see it as a provocation of war," Minister Kisho pointed out.
"My men can mobilize with the utmost secrecy, Fire Lord Zuko. I promise on my honor that no word of our mustering will leave the Fire Nation," he said, bowing to the Fire Lord. Satisfied, Kisho stepped back, nodding once in affirmation.
Zuko was silent for a moment, contemplating. Then, nodding once, he bowed to the Council, and then strode out of the Throne Room. Gesturing a servant over, he walked toward his residence in the East Wing of the Palace.
"Send a message to Avatar Aang at the Northern Air Temple. His presence is requested."
The Fire Nation Quarter was in chaos. The screams of pain, anger, and defiance rang through the dense streets, and the dim clanging of weapons clashing resounded through the neighborhood. The din of buildings being torn apart by Earthbenders mixed with the symphony of human pain, anger, and dismay.
The Rioting had gone on for three days. Hundreds of Fire Nation citizens had been seized by the maddened crowd and imprisoned. Many had been beaten thoroughly before being given to the compliant police force, which even joined in on stoning the Fire Nationals in the streets.
Miiko was terrified. She had been hiding from house to house through the entire riot, and had so far avoided the roaming band of Earth Kingdom citizens that stalked the streets. The Fire Nationals had fought back, of course, and the few Firebenders in the city had taken a toll on the mob. A message had been sent via boat to the Fire Nation, but none of the surviving Fire Nationals who hadn't been imprisoned had little hope. There were simply too many of them. And now, they had found Miiko.
A rock dislodged itself from the ground and tripped Miiko, and she found herself face to face with three officers. The lead one, a fat, old man, grinned cruelly at Miiko. She desperately looked for an escape, but to her dismay, she was stuck in an alley.
"Let me help you, miss," the fat officer said, advancing towards her. The other officers looked on cruelly, doing nothing.
She curled into a ball, preparing for the barrage of rocks to hit her, and was surprised to see that none had come. The fat officer had found it difficult to do so when a blue-masked man held a pair of swords to the man's neck. The other two officers looked fearful, but began hurling rocks at the intruder.
The masked man somersaulted, deftly avoiding the chunks, and swiftly dispatched of all three Earthbenders, leaving them on the ground, unconscious. The man looked over his shoulder, glancing at her, and extended his hand, which she took gratefully.
"You're him, aren't you? The one they talked about during the War? The Blue Spirit? Thank you. You saved my life."
The masked man nodded once, then, in a swift movement, scaled the wall and scurried away, bounding across the rooftops.
Zuko removed his mask, stowing it away in a tree trunk. It had been quite a while since he had donned the mask; the last remaining one he could find had been given to him by Ikem, and he had made the decision to go back to the old ways, just this once. He knew Uncle wouldn't like it, but Zuko had been forced to put aside international politics and act. Quietly casting his small boat off, he made his way back to the Fire Nation, hoping that Mai wouldn't be awake waiting for him.
Ba Sing Se
Seven Days after the Hekeng Bombing.
The council room was silent as the Council of Five awaited their leader, Earth King Kuei. The man had grown older since the war; the once-timid young man that had ruled the Kingdom with his trusty bear was gone, replaced by a grown, wiser, and older man who did whatever he could to protect his nation, and, by extension, the world.
The King strode in, and all five generals stood, bowing deeply.
"Sit. General Hang, report," he said, sitting in front of a map of the Earth Kingdom.
General Hang, of the Interior Forces, stood, bowing.
"Riots have escalated significantly in the last 24 hours, your highness. Earth Kingdom citizens in Hekeng have taken to the streets, arresting, beating, and persecuting Fire Nation civilians with impunity."
"Has the Fire Nation responded to our inquiries?"
"No, sir, but my sources have told me that there is a significant military buildup in the Fire Nation. Whether they were responsible for this attack or not, they are up to something."
Kuei nodded, frowning. Zuko was a respected leader, and Kuei knew that the young Fire Lord had nothing but his citizen's best interests in mind. He also knew, after the Yu Dao crisis, that the Fire Lord would commit militarily to defend his people. He doubted that the man was going as far as world domination, but he wouldn't put it past Zuko to send troops into Hekeng.
"What is your recommendation, General Hang?"
"The situation, as you know, is extremely tense. Intervening on the side of the Fire Nationals would certainly turn much of the populace against us, as well as turn popular opinion overwhelmingly against us. The people want us to deal with this issue. However, we all know that the Fire Nation, while defeated in the Hundred Years' War, still poses a very significant military threat. If the Fire Nation deploys troops to assist Fire Nation citizens, we will have no choice but to retaliate."
Kuei looked at his other generals.
"I propose that we put the Third Legion on maximum alert and prepare to intervene in Hekeng. All in favor?"
All five hands went up, and Kuei nodded, standing. The Generals all bowed in unison as Kuei exited the War Room.
"Get it done, Hang."
Kuei exited the palace, and swiftly embarked on the palanquin he had stationed outside. The destination was very close by, and Kuei, accompanied by his guard, entered the Jasmine Dragon Tea Shop abruptly, surprising the patrons immensely. Iroh, who stood in the kitchen, pouring tea, looked at the King in surprise, then set his teapot down and walked out, his expression serious.
"What's happened, your highness?" he asked, drying his hands.
"We need to talk," Kuei said, sitting at a table. He waved his hand once, and his guard swiftly escorted the patrons out, securing the building. After the Captain gave the all clear, Kuei gestured to Iroh to sit down.
"Iroh, In the name of all you've done for this city and the Earth Kingdom, I'm telling you this now. I'm not sure if you've heard about the situation in Hekeng?"
Iroh's face darkened as he stroked his beard contemplatively.
"Of course—it's been all over the radio. It seems my nephew is in a fair bit of trouble. I can only hope he acts with a clear head."
"My generals tell me that the Fire Nation has mobilized troops. I just wanted to tell you that if your nephew intervenes in Hekeng, the Earth Kingdom will have no choice but to retaliate. As much as I respect your nephew and all he's done, I must put my people first. "
With that, the King nodded to Iroh, who sat in silence, and walked outside briskly, departing as quickly as he had come. Frowning, Iroh stood, picking up the new telephone that had been installed in his shop. He dialed the number quickly, and spoke the needed password.
"Send word to our brothers in the Fire Nation. Intervention in Hekeng will be met equally by the Earth King."
He had arrived on glider, and, bypassing the Fire Nation defenses, had landed directly in the courtyard. The Imperial Firebenders had surrounded him, but he had glared at all, flaring his eyes briefly in warning. From his window, Zuko saw the man arrive and, slipping into his Fire Lord Robes, he walked into the courtyard grimly, greeting his friend.
"We need to talk," said Avatar Aang, as the wings of his glider slid back into his staff.
Zuko nodded once, beckoning Aang inside.
"I know what you're going to do, and I'm telling you right now that it's incredibly stupid, Zuko. You can't intervene."
Zuko balled his fists in frustrations, barely holding back his anger.
"I can't just leave my people to die in that forsaken gutter. I have a responsibility to my citizens to defend them with my honor."
Aang frowned, shaking his head.
"Sometimes a leader has to make sacrifices. It's what is necessary to keep balance."
"I won't stay back here while my people are persecuted for something they didn't do!" Zuko shouted, pacing around.
Aang stood, touching Zuko's shoulder.
"I know. But just let the situation simmer down until we can reach a compromise, and we can…"
"You don't understand, Aang. You weren't there like I was. They're dragging families into the street and beating them near to death with their rocks. The police stand by laughing as families are torn apart and my people are sentenced to prison for a crime they did not commit."
Aang's eyes widened in surprise.
"You've been to the city? Why? How?"
Zuko looked away.
"I was there in a mask."
Aang let out a sigh of exasperation, fuming.
"You're the leader of the Fire Nation, Zuko. You can't traipse around in a costume and fight crime anymore! You could have been seriously hurt!"
"I had to, Aang. They're my people, not yours. What would you do if you could save your people too? Anything?"
"You can't invade Hekeng, Zuko. It would only make things worse."
Zuko gripped his hair in desperation, messing it up so it was shaggy as it had once been.
"What would you have me do, then, Aang? Sit back here, sipping tea while my citizens wait for me? Because that won't happen, Aang, I'm sorry. I will not sit back whilst my people are persecuted."
Aang glared at Zuko. Why didn't he understand? Going through with this had a better chance of starting a war than his Yu Dao intervention did. But then, again, he had been right about that.
Sighing, Aang looked at Zuko, wiping his face. The stifling interior of the palace had him sweating like a beaver-frog, and he did not like it. He missed the cool air of the Air Temples, where he would be if it wasn't for this situation.
"Alright, Zuko. I won't fight you on this, but I have one proposal. Just let me visit Hekeng myself and wait for me to try and diffuse the situation. If that fails, I won't be in your way as long as you only protect the Fire Nationals."
Zuko nodded.
"I can do that. Visit Hekeng, Aang. Do what you can, and I'll wait for your return."
The two embraced, and Zuko sat back down on his throne, lighting the surrounding fire trench with soft fire as his friend walked out the front doors, deploying his glider.
As you can likely tell, this miniseries will include a lot of political drama and action. For those of you who aren't into that, I am planning to delve back into the feels-y world, but I've wanted to do something like this for quite a while, so bear with me.
As usual, read and review, and thank you all for your continued support.
Cheers,
-IGdude117