AVATAR: Last of the Black Core Chapter 9: The Silver Lady, an avatar: last airbender fanfic

You know what this site need? A Gundam: Other catagory. You know, for all those Gundam fics that arn't set in Universal Century, After Colony of Cosmic Era. It'd be a good place to put original Gundam stories too, like the Star Trek: Other slot over in TV shows. If anyone knows how to request new catargories, let me know, cause I have no idea.

Anyway, I would like to start off proper by saying I am not pleased with most of this chapter at all. I think I went overboard with the Bioshock references and I feel some of the characters go OOC several times throughout the story. It is an important chapter though, and so it had to be written. I have a better idea of where I want to go with the next one though, so hopefully, it'll be a whole lot better.

Enjoy

008
THE SILVER LADY

It was dark, pitch black. A shroud of onyx enveloping him.

He was definitely moving, of that he was certain. A distinct pressure gently pressing against his body as the grit and sand of the ground caressed his face.

Then he saw it.

Framed by unseen lights, the immense prow of a ship pierced the darkness in the distance, it's hull crumpled and broken from a impact against the seabed well over a hundred years ago, far newer support struts holding the massive vessel up.

He passed the massive wreck however, pursuing the lights that lay beyond it in an artificial crater, a distinct sense of familiarity passing over him as he rushed up the side of the hollow, his eyes widening at what he saw.

A city. A city of skyscrapers, lit up by a thousand white beams of light.

He could see it all as he gently swam around it's parameter. A circle of buildings, perhaps the size of the city of London, each ring of structure taller then the next, all connected to the truly immeasurable might of the single skyscraper in the centre, all connected via transparent tunnels and access pathways.

The building into it's centre stood the tallest however; a immense structure reaching up to the surface miles above, easily six hundred metres tall, a single light atop it's the antennae on it's pyramid shaped attracting all kinds of weird fish to it's gentle crimson glow.

He suddenly had a great urge to head for the light himself. To bask in the small warmth it gave in these bitterly cold depths. But it was not to be. He found himself being dragged away from the light. Away from the city. He struggled in vain, trying to pull against whatever force had him in such a tight hold, but still he was haulled upwards. Away from the light, away from the city, until all was obscured by the darkness once more.

Then, the world him began to lighten. Black becoming navy, then turquoise, then baby blue.

Finally he broke the surface, strangely not out of breath or worse for wear for his experience, not even cold from the frigid time of year.

Then, the sun above began to set, the moon rising soon after. Then the cycle repeated, again and again. The celestial objects rising and falling faster and faster with every passing second.

And then, just as quickly as it had begun, it stopped.

Floating listlessly in an endless ocean. He watched as the sun reached it's peak in the sky.

There was a scream, like sound of energy fire, a bright blast of white light fired from the very sun, then…

fAlistair sat up bolt upright as he woke up with a gasp, his breathing hard and laboured as he took in his surroundings wildly.

He sighed with relief as he realised where he was, the sound of Sokka's loud snoring above him never sounding so welcoming.

"What a dream," he shook his head to clear it as he wiped cold sweat from his face, "It was so real though," he pinched the bridge of his nose as he felt around in the semi-darkness for the fresh clothes he had laid out the night before, "Maybe…yeah…it couldn't hurt,"

Slinging his tie around his neck, the officer silently made his way to the cockpit, begging careful to close the door as quietly as he could, before heading for the cockpit.

"Char, local time please,"

"0600 Alistair," Forge raised an eyebrow as Aang slumped into the cockpit chair, "You're up early,"

"Had a bad nightmare," the officer turned his gaze to the cockpit window as he finished knotting his tie, a slight wince appearing in his eye at the sight of boundless ocean in all directions, "How we doing on time?"

"Your twenty-four hours are up if that's what you mean," Forge brought up the map, a small pulsating dot hovering over the Mid-Atlantic, "At our current speed, we'll fit the Spanish coast in another day or two, and reach Everest Base a day after that,"

"I see," Alistair steeped his fingers quietly, "Char…this may sound odd but…do you know when the next Winter Solstice is?"

"Winter Solstice?" Forge's face betrayed her puzzlement for the briefest of moments before blanking completely, a sure sign she was trying to find the answer, "Yes…it's tomorrow I think. Why do you…"

"We need to make a course correction," The lieutenant suddenly rose from the chair, "Everest will have to wait,"

"Wait?" The hologram looked surprised as the pilot headed for the Launch Bay, "Bt Alistair, it's your home! You said you wanted to go see it and…"

"It will have to wait," The AI flinched at the harsh tone inflicting Aang's voice as he slid down the ladder to the ground floor, "Set course for Landmark coordinates 41°43'55" North by 49°56'45" West.

We're returning to Atlantic Base,"

"Atlantic Base?" Katara frowned as she lent up against Fortitude's knee, "But that's completely in the wrong direction,"

"I know, I know," Alistair paced the Launch Bay as the bemused siblings looked on, "I just…I had a dream last night,"
"Lots of people have dreams Al," Sokka twiddled one of the deactivated Lumber's control sticks from his position stretched out lengthways across the cockpit, "I for one had a rather nice vision of this chick I met near Roseville…"

"This wasn't one of you stupid wet dreams Sokka!" the officer clenched his fists angrily at his sides, glaring daggers at his friend. This was real, at least a lot more real then most of the dreams I've had. I saw Atlantic Base. I the Winter Solstice. And I just know something's going to happen there, and we have to be there to see it!"

"But Alistair, the twenty four hours are up," Katara tried to calm him down, "If we go back, there's a good chance we'll run into Artirius and that giant Supercarrier of his,"

"And If we don't go back, there's a good chance we might miss something important," Aang cast her a desperate look, "Katara, I've been wondering the planet trying to find some kind of purpose to my life. The Black Core is gone, and right now all we've been doing is going from place to place, doing nothing in particular. I know a visit to Atlantic Base will give me a purpose, or at least give me a push in the right direction. Please,"

Katara bit her lip as she took in her friend's pleading eyes and tense stance, before letting her shoulders sag.

"Alright Alistair, we'll do it your way,"

"What?!" Her brother gawked at her incredulously, "But if we go back, we're bound to run into G.U.N.! Not that I mind or anything but…"

"Avat is Alistair's rig Sokka," the young girl sighed, "By all accounts, we're just passengers going along for the ride. If he wants to go to this Atlantic Base, we can't really stop him,"

Aang smiled in relief, "Thanks,"
"Oh don't thank me Black Core guy," she gave him a stern look, "I think your nuts, taking on a Berlin Class just because you had a pretty intense dream. But…we said we were with you," she smirked wryly, "And we're with to the end,"

Alistair nodded with a grateful grin.

"So…Atlantic Base…" Sokka sighed as he pushed himself off the Lumber's Cockpit onto the deck, "It's like Pacific Base right? A underwater utopia kinda theme?"

"Not in the same extent," Alistair frowned as he lent up against a nearby table, "Atlantic Base was designed to be the main construction facility for Ranger units. Also taking into consideration it severed as the Black Core Navy departments main base of operations, it also had to be larger then Pacific Base, around the size of the primary city of London,"

"These bases must have taken a while to build," Katara closed her eyes as she pictured it, "Black Core must have been operational a lot longer then five years, that's for sure,"

"I'll be the first to admit I don't know The Black Core's entire history," Alistair smirked mysteriously, "But I do know that the Black Core as I knew it was only operational from the day Robert Sozin was officially sworn in as the Führer of Germany, and the civilian departments only a few years before that. Even then, nearly all seven bases were operational by the end of the Black Core's first year. Keeping in mind how much both units counted on Alien technology though, I don't doubt it speeded up the construction process,"

"I guess,"

Originally, Atlantic Base was supposed to be more of a metropolitan version of Pacific Base, a city in a bubble. But there were…complications. You see, it's hard enough to build the installations in the first place, but damn near impossible to build them on site. Both Pacific and Atlantic Bases, were constructed in hidden facilities along the eastern Canadian coast, before being sailed to their respective destinations. However apparently there was some kind of malfunction during the construction of Atlantic's bubble. Determined to finish both bases on time, the big brass decided to reinforce the buildings rather then start over on a new bubble, and both bases were launched at the end of their year, and sunk within the following month.

Just as Pacific Base uses the deepest part of the Mariana Trench as a landmark, Atlantic Base uses the wreck of the RMS Titanic as hers. That's what we have to look out for,"
"The Titanic?" Katara blinked in surprise, "That ship's been lost for just over a hundred and thirty years!"

"Well, we found it while searching for sites for the underwater bases," Alistair smiled thoughtfully, "Professor Roku always had a strange obsession with that ship. He was always determined to make sure that ship lasted the ages. I think as a memorial to those that died. I think he was actually a passenger. Anyway I'm straying from the point. We'll reach the Landmark Coordinates in around a day. After the dive, we should reach the city at around 1000 hours. Plenty of time to reach the central command building for midday,"

"I'm still not to happy with this," Katara looked troubled as her brother clapped her on the back.

"Relax sis," he smirked ironically, "We'll make there in one piece. We have so far. And even if we do run into Artie, what's the worse that could happen? It's not like we're dealing with Sozin here…"

"So cold," Zuko's eyes narrowed to slits, "Why is the trail so cold?"

"Maybe because we haven't seen the Courier since Kyoto?" Iroh cast a wary glance towards his nephew as he drummed his fingers angrily against the Command Chair's armrest, "You have to admit my nephew, it's certainty been a while since you at the Avatar last tangoed,"
"We almost had him at Shangri-La. Almost. DAMMIT!!" the old man jumped as the Captain slammed his fist down angrily, "I had him in my grasp Uncle, in my grasp! We were only a few hours away, and Sovereignty beat us too it! Helmsman, what's our current heading?"

"Current course is on route to the island of Tortuga. According to intercepted transmissions, the Sovereignty investigated a disturbance there,"

"Ugh, the Pirate stronghold," Zuko cradled his head in a hand, "This better not turn into another Cuba incident. But if Sovereignty is checking it out then…"
The Captain jumped as an alarm blared across the Bridge, his Uncle clutching his chest in surprise as the Command Centre was bathed in a blood red light.

"What's going on!" the scarred man rose warily from his chair, "Someone answer me!"

"Receiving automated message sir," The communications officer held put a hand to his ear piece, "To the Captain of G.U.N. Vessel Bismarck. By order of the Führer Julius Sozin, under the recommendation Colonel Takanori Zhao, as an Exile of the German Unified Nation, your sentence has been extended to include the engagement of all ships under the flag of the G.U.N.. If you are encountered by any such vessels without prior notification, you will be flagged as hostile and said ships will engage in combat until you have either been sunk or retreated. This message has been relayed to your Communications Officer due to your currant course intercepting that of G.U.N. Vessel Sovereignty. Again, if you continue on your present course, contact with Sovereignty will result in the sinking of your ship, and should you survive, your arrest and return to Berlin for violating the terms of your exile. Yours sincerely, G.U.N. Navel headquarters,"

"They're not allowing you near any of our own ships?" Zuko's body shook angrily, "What right do they have to deny us contact with our fellow officers? We run into another ship of the homeland at least once a month. Do you know how this will affect our supplies?"

"That's the general idea," Iroh sighed heavily, as he rubbed his chest sourly, "by cutting off contact with other G.U.N. ships, it also limits our use of G.U.N. facilities like New Gibraltar. As much as I hate to admit it, The Colonel got us good,"

"Not good enough," a sly smirk suddenly crossed Zuko's lips, something that worried his Uncle intensely, "The message said we were intercepting the course of the Sovereignty, Zhao's little Avatar hunter. There's no way Meridiano would stray into the Atlantic with G.U.N. territory so far away. The coward prefers to circle around the South American boarder and then cross the sea where the land is closest. This is a bold move for him. It means he's chasing something. Helm, adjust course to directly intercept the Sovereignty!"

"Are you crazy?" Iroh felt his jaw drop as the Helmsman merely nodded in acknowledgement, "Zuko, you're willing to go up against a Berlin Supercarrier over a hunch?"

"No hunch Uncle," the Captain sat down carefully in his chair, his fingers closing tight around the ends of the armrests, "This will be a fight, for what's mine and mine alone,"

"The Sovereignty," Alistair growled angrily at the ship below from the cockpit chair, "Of all the rotten luck,"

"We were basically backtracking Al," Sokka smirked as he gazed at the massive ship through Avat's periscope, "You didn't really think Sovereignty wouldn't be hot on our tails by now did you?"

"No, but I thought that floating city Artirius calls a ship would be a lot slower then this, considering it's size," Aang drummed his fingers against the armrest agitatedly, "We don't have time for this, is he launching Rangers?"

"No, doesn't look like…Wait," Sokka's eyes narrowed through the visor, "Looks like their mounting something onto the catapult. Looks like some kind of plane,"
"Let me see," Katara pushed her brother aside as she stared into the periscope, "I've never a aircraft like that before. Look at it's wings…and those cannons…it's launching,"

"It's Eternal," Alistair scowled darkly as he vaulted over the armrest of the cockpit chair, making his way to the Launch Bay, "That means Artirius is coming,"

"Are you sure?" Katara frowned as she watched the machine fly off the deck, "Because I don't think…wait…it's changing! It's a Ranger! A transformable Ranger!"

"Exactly," Aang through a grim smile over his shoulder, "That's the thing when dealing with Artirius Meridiano: He's always full of surprises. Avatar! I need you!"

"Taking on a Berlin Class Supercarrier," Iroh shook his head in disbelief as he watched the Bismarck's single cannon slowly rose to the Launch Deck from his nephew's side on the Bridge, "Of all the stupid idiotic things you've done in your life Zuko, this really takes the biscuit,"

"I'm sure there are men in Cuba who would say differently Uncle," the Captain smirked to himself, "But I have no choice. The Avatar is above us, and I'm not going to let that blind bastard get his cold fingers on it if it's the last thing I do!"

"Sovereignty has launched single unit…confirming signature as the Eternal," An officer frowned at his readings, "Also reading launch of the Avatar. But it's wielding…"
"What?" Zuko looked over at the crewmember irritably, "What's it holding?"

"A…A energy blade…sir,"

"An energy sword?" Artirius smirked, Eternal pulling it's own blade from it's back at his command, "You disappoint me Mr. Aang, I thought you'd at least of the brains to figure this out!"

With a metallic clank, the right had portion of his sword parted and folded back on themselves, a beam of brilliant white filling the gap just in time as Avatar's own energised blade came down.

"A energy sword?" The Major merely continued to smirk at Aang's cry of surprise of his comm. channel as sparks flew across the open sky, "You had one all this time?"

"The pirates didn't steal the only copy in existence my friend," Artirius managed to throw his opponent off in a brief reprieve, "G.U.N. had been developing energy weapons for years. We just haven't had a lot of success. But on to other matters, like WHY THE HELL DID YOU TURN AROUND!?"

The sound of power and sparks screamed through the blue as Eternal caught it's opponent off guard, the two Rangers now dashing in and out of clashes as they darted across the open skies.

"Major Meridiano,"

"Ming, make it quick," Artirius bit down on his tongue as his latest crash sent Eternal spiralling, the Ranger transforming into it's fighter form, The Avatar in hot pursuit, "I'm kinda busy here,"

"It's Bismarck sir. Twelve O'clock,"

"What? Damn," The Major groaned heavily as he recognised the form of Sozin's vessel ahead of Sovereignty's prow in his rear camera, "Of all the luck…Fine. He wants to play, let him play. Ming, keep Bismarck of our backs. Don't shoot it directly though. Just make waves. Deter Zuko understand?"

"Yes…Yes Major,"

"Energy swords," Zuko's eyes narrowed to slits as he watched the battle above, "I'd always heard of their existence…but to see them in action…"
"Sovereignty is blocking our path Captain," The helmsmen looked around nervously, "Should I slow down?"

"No, keep our course straight,"
"Zuko if we turn around now we can still live to fight another day," Iroh clung desperately to his nephew's arm, "I beg you, do not sacrifice our lives and your ship just because you have the Avatar in your sights. It's not worth it!"

"Receiving message from Sovereignty, text only," The communications officer interrupted before Sozin could open his mouth, "Attention Bismarck, this is Sovereignty. By order of Major Artirius Meridiano, you are to stand down and retreat, or you will be fired upon. Signed Lieutenant Ty Lee Ming,"

"Ty Lee," Zuko felt his shoulders sag slightly, "Azura's friend. The one…"

"The one with the wonderful voice," Iroh smiled slightly, "Do you really want to fight her Zuko? I beg you. Please do as she says. There will always be other chances,"
"Not this time Uncle," the Captain sighed as he straightened up in his chair, "If we turn back now, I just know Sovereignty will capture the Avatar. Ready the main gun, target the ocean ahead. Let's see what we can do to dissuade Miss Ming about her current orders,"

Clash after clash. Thud after thud. Alistair gritted his teeth angrily as his every hit was blocked, blades colliding causing his gut to wrench from every impact.

"Why Mr. Aang?" The swords locked against each other, yellow eyes burning into each other, "I gave you twenty-four hours and yet you turned around. Why? What possible logic turned the gears in your mind to get you to come to this decision? I warned you didn't I? No more meetings. So why Mr. Aang, are we having this conversation so soon after we last parted ways? Why? WHY?"
"Because of a dream!" with all his might, Alistair pushed Eternal off, the shear force of the blow sending his surprised enemy high into the air above the Avat, "Because of a vision!" pure anger fuelled the pilot now as he soured into a prime position over the stunned Ranger, "Because I just know I'm in the wrong place at the wrong time, and no blindfold wearing G.U.N. lackey is going to stop me from reaching Atlantic Base, DO YOU HEAR ME!?"
"Atlantic…"

With an electric screech, the Eternal's Energy sword shattered from the Avatar's impact, a follow up kick to the chest sending the mech down into Avat's open Launch Bay with a sickening crunch, the entire craft buckling slightly under the weight.

Before Artirius could react Avatar was upon him, crouched low as the Launch Bay doors slowly closed, but still standing tall enough to aim it's energy rifle at it's enemy's chest.

"But seeing as your so interested in why we turned around, I guess this will be your chance to see why,"

Ty Lee could only watch.

Watch in horror as Eternal collided heavily with the Launch Bay of the Avat, Avatar crashing down after it, the entire rig sent plummeting into the icy waters of the Atlantic below and sinking below the waves in one fell swoop.

"ARTIRIUS!!" Ming's cry was lost as another cannon volley shuddered through the ship, "Damn! can't a women cry out for her commanding officer without being interrupted? Damage report!"

"We're still good to go," Ysara frowned at his readings, "Starboard secondary hull is taking most of the brunt though…"

"Ma'am! The Bismarck! It's…retreating?"

"Retreating?" Ty Lee stared in bemusement as the metal hull of Zuko's ship as it slowly turned away, "But why? Zuko's never exactly been the kind of guy to just give up,"

"Maybe he decided it wasn't worth taking us on with the Avatar sunk?" Ysara glanced over his shoulder at the lieutenant.

"It just…doesn't seem his style," Ming fiddled with the end of her ponytail as she watch Bismarck make it's way towards the horizon, "Well…I guess it's good that the fighting's stopped,"

"So what do we do know?"

"What else can we do?" she sighed as she gave the Ensign a morose look, "We lost our commander, the Avatar and Zuko's in the area," she sighed again as she cradled her head in her hands.

"What else can we do…but contact Colonel Zhao?"

"You. Sit there. Don't move,"

Katara jumped as something heavy slumped down onto the grated walkway behind the cockpit, her eyebrows hiking up as she took in the G.U.N. uniform adorning the familiar body leaning up against the nearby bulkhead.

"Artirius?"

"Hey Katara," The major smiled friendly with a quick wave, "Didn't think we'd meet up again so soon,"

"Don't talk," Alistair snapped as he pushed himself up into the cockpit, Katara hastily getting out of his chair before he almost sat on her, "Sokka, get up here and make sure he doesn't do anything stupid. Forge what's our ETA?"

"Around ten minutes until we hit the Landmark Coordinates. We're sinking like a stone thanks to all this extra weight," Forge cast a uncertain look Artirius' way as Sokka came up the ladder from the ground floor, pistol primed, "Sparks should be calling soon though,"

"Sparks?"

"Atlantic's Monitor," Aang smiled grimly, "A bit of a nutcase, but mostly harmless,"

"Harmless eh?" Meridiano chuckled ominously, "We'll see,"
"What's that supposed to mean?" Sokka waved the pistol around threateningly.

"Oh, you'll see. Wouldn't want to spoil the surprise,"

"Atlantic Base," Iroh frowned as he watched the excursion Exo-suit slowly lowered into the frigid ocean; a large bulky looking thing, resembling an white Endurance, eight metres tall with a large visor to give the pilot a full view of everything in front of him. The legs replaced with a propeller propulsion system, "I didn't realise we were so close,"

"Clearly the Courier isn't aware of went on down there," Zuko traced his scar lightly cast his eyes towards the obscure smudge that was the Sovereignty near the horizon, "Artirius might tell him, but I doubt he'd listen. It looks like Ming's waiting for something, that's why Sovereignty hasn't moved off yet since their commander's capture. I won't get another chance to get down there undetected. If I time this right, I'll only be five minutes behind the Courier and his friends,"

"But taking a single excursion suit?" His Uncle looked on worriedly as the Captain hopped gingerly onto the rear of the machine, awkwardly wiggling down in via the hatch on it's back behind the head, "I would be far happier if you at least took another man with you,"

"I can't risk being detected by Sovereignty," Zuko scowled slightly, before letting his features mellow slightly, "Keep heading Toronto's way for the next three hours, then circle back. I'll be waiting for you…" He slammed the hatch shut, "Avatar in hand,"

"Hello? Hello?" Everyone jumped as a uncertain yet definitely British voice came over the speakers, "Is anyone there? You are about to enter dangerous territory. Might I suggest you turn around immediately to avoid any further consequences?"

"Is that Sparks?" Sokka gave Forge a quizzical look.

"Sounds like him," The AI frowned as Alistair fitted his headphones and mic over his dark hair, "He always was a bit strange…but he almost sounds like he's threatening us,"

"This is Flight Lieutenant Alistair Samuel Aang," The officer cast a grim look into the dim pool of light that shone ahead from Avat's headlamps, "ID number 796019571-21 of Installation Zero Two, Everest Base Ranger Flight Oh-Seven-Nine. Requesting permission to land,"
"79...79...I'm sorry Lieutenant but there is no one registered on my database with that ID number. I ask again please turn around, or I will have to take you out. And you are getting a bit close to the Titanic Memorial…"

"Sparks, It's me!" Alistair stared at the speaker in disbelief, "ID number 796019571-21. I was here a hundred years ago. I picked up the Avatar remember?"

"I'm sorry Lieutenant, but I do not have you number on record. Now please return to the surface, or I will have no choice but to shoot you down,"

"Well this is getting us nowhere," Alistair gripped the control sticks tightly as his foot pushed down on the accelerator, "Alright Sparks, you better have that door open by the time I reach Titanic, otherwise Atlantic Base is about to become a whole lot…OW!! HEY!!"

"Amateur," Artirius gave Aang a pitying look as he slung the recently captured headphones over his head, setting his hat atop Katara's head as the two men looked on with bewilderment, "Monitor of Installation Zero Four, Atlantic Base. Number Three Four Three, Code name: Guilty Sparks, Recognise Meridiano, Artirius, Major. Currant assignment: New Gibraltar, Acting Captain of G.U.N. Vessel Sovereignty. Requesting permission to land, Authorisation Code thirty one Sigma Delta dash two nine,"

"Ah, Major Meridiano! Yes here we are. I must say it's nice to speak to someone of such prestige…and competence," Artirius smirked slightly at the monitor's cheerful tone, ignoring the stormy looks sent his way by the Black Core officer, "Let me see now….Yes we do have a open bay. I must warn you however there has been a certain…containment breach. Very messy. Are you sure you wish to proceed?"

"I'm sure Sparks," Artirius' mouth became a thin line as the hull of a ruined cruise line loomed out of the darkness, "Just open the hatch, we'll deal with any subjects we encounter. Try and secure us a path to the control centre though, understand,?"

"Oh Yes Major, absolutely. I'll meet you there myself. Sparks out!"

"You mind explaining?" Alistair shot the Major a dark cold look as Meridiano handed him back the headphones, "What did you do to him? He didn't even recognise me!"

"I didn't do anything," Artirius scowled darkly, "You didn't really think G.U.N. would let all the Black Core's bases go to waste did you? No, Atlantic Base was rather dear to G.U.N. not so long ago," The Major frowned as Avat crossed the peak of the ridge, the lights of the city beyond illuminating his pale face, "After all, this was where the Neurological Interface, and indeed the Mecha Suit itself, was born,"

Sokka cast a grim look out of the Launch Bay doors as Avat set itself down in docking bay, the machine gun in his hands becoming slippery with his sweat.

"And I thought Pacific Base was bad,"

The smell of damp radiated across the small dome before them, the clear glass above covered in green algae across it's outside, casting strange bizarre shadows across the ruined docks via the spotlights that surrounded it.

But it wasn't the lighting that made Sokka's skin crawl, it was the bodies.

Scattered between splintered boxes, leaning against oily metal surfaces, sprawled across a pool of their own dried blood. These were nothing like the bodies they had found at Pacific Base. These weren't skeletons of bone, dust and tattered clothing. These were actual bodies of flesh and blood, their rotting corpses attracting flies as they stared vacantly at the nothingness, looks of fear and pain etched forever into their faces.

"What happened here?" Katara's face turned several shades of green as the landing area shuddered from the large footsteps of Eternal, Artirius (under Alistair's watchful eye in the Avatar) moving his Ranger out of Avat's Launch Bay to make room for it's original occupant.

"G.U.N. happened here," The Major sighed bitterly as he set Eternal down on one knee, the entry hatch opening with a pop as he leapt down to the ground, "This was a primary supply base right up to around ten years ago. It's close to the U.S.A.C. territories, and was the reason we were able to hold a solid position in North Carolina for a while. But then…then things went wrong,"
"And what exactly gave you the right to just move on in?"

"Hey, don't shoot the grunts of today for the decisions of the big brass of yesterday," Artirius held up his hands in submission as Alistair appeared from the gloom, a pair of machine guns in his hands, "I wasn't even in the military when they took over this joint. I…"
"Shh!"

"What?" the three men looked towards Katara as she stared up at the ceiling, her own weapon cocked.

"There's something up there. Can't you hear it?"

The group became silent, uneasy glances crossing the cavernous area as the noses of the desecrated dock became apparent. The sound of scrabbling sending chills up everyone's spines, every weapon raised as pale scratchy voices rose up from the destruction and mess.

"Is it someone new?"

"One wears the robes of the enemy?"

"Are they all the enemy?"

"We should tell the Masters,"

"No…we should kill them!"
"Yes! Kill them!

"Rip them apart limb by limb!"

"It'll please the Masters!"

"Yes…please the Masters!"

Artirius turned his blind eyes towards Aang carefully "Throw me a gun and a flashbang,"

"What?" the officer scowled over his shoulder, "You're joking right? I wouldn't give you a weapon if my life depended on it. And why do you need a flashbang? You're blind!"

"Believe me, it's for your benefit as much as mine," The Major scowled darkly, "Right now you have to trust me, otherwise we'll never get out of this alive. Or do you really want to get sliced up by a bunch of rapid DNIs?"

Alistair thought it best not to ask what a DNI was as he reluctantly handed over the weaponry.

"Kill!

"Rip!
"Tear!"

"Destroy!"

"Get ready to shield your eyes," Artirius glanced upward as shadows moved across the dome, "The minute they fall, shoot. Don't hesitate, don't let them get away. This is for their own good as well as ours,"

"Rip them apart!

"Please the Masters!"

"Destroy them all!"

"NOW!!"

The flashbang flew into the air.

A single shot was fired.

Then, burning white light.

Alistair squinted as painful screams echoed around the dome, the thud of at least a dozen bodies falling to the floor resonating through his mind as he saw his apparent enemies, twisting and writhing on the metal deck as they clawed at their eyes.

"FIRE!!"
A part of Alistair's mind realised he could only hear two machine guns going off as he almost automatically fired off several rounds into the nearest DNI, the humanoid creature squealing like a pig as his broken body spun across the floor from the impact.

Finally a third machine gun entered the fray, the screams of the creatures being drowned out by the sounds of bullets splattering into their bodies.

"Miss Katara!" Aang felt his blood boil at the angry tone in Artirius' voice, "Don't let him get away, something far worse will appear otherwise,"

"But he's defenceless!" Katara stared after the DNI as it scrabbled off towards the large door at the opposite end of the dock like a wounded cheetah, "And have you even seen what your shooting! They're human beings!"

Blinking at her words, Alistair stared down at the nearest enemy at his feet, his blood running cold at the sight.

By his long boots was a male, no older then his late thirties, dressed in a tarnished grey business suit and ragged loud tie.

But his face.

His skin was brown and scabbing, half his dark brown hair missing, the remaining bloody straggly. His lifeless eyes were completely orange, one a good few centimetres lower then the other. His lips were red and swollen, hanging jaw revealing a incomplete set of jagged yellow teeth.

One sweep across the battlefield made the Lieutenant realise something else. Almost no weapons, save for a shotgun that had belonged to what appeared to have been the leader, hastily picked up by Meridiano as he chased the fleeing DNI, Katara and Sokka hot on his heels.

"They're just ordinary people," Aang looked around with a mixture of horror and bewilderment, "They're not even soldiers…Hey wait!!"

"They hurt me Master. They killed my friends…"

Alistair tried to control his laboured breathing as he found his comrades and prisoner at a junction a little ways from the exit of the docks, the hurting his eyes as he joined them as they peered cautiously around the bend, himself, Katara and Artirius on one side, Sokka on the other.

"Those people back there," he lowered his voice to a deadly whisper, so as not to alert whoever they were spying on, "They were just ordinary civilians. One guy was in a business suit for crying out loud. You had me shoot unarmed men…"

"I'd hardly call them men and women anymore," The Major gave Aang a dark look over his shoulder, "Not after what G.U.N. did to them. You can't help them Mr. Aang, trust me. If we hadn't killed them, they'd just go running to their masters, like this one,"

Alistair glanced up the corridor to where Meridiano indicated, his grey eyes taking in the DNI's supposed "master" properly for the first time.

Standing at twelve feet tall, the Master seemed encased in a small mecha suit, thick arms and legs seemingly built around a large sphere, perhaps big enough to hold a small child, the globe dotted by various emerald tinted portholes, the entire orb spinning every minute or so to allow another window to get a look at the deformed human.

Strapped to it's right hand, a fairly lethal drill whirred quietly, it's spin increasing with every pain ridden word as strange rattling noises resonated from the large tanks hoisted against it's back.

"What…what is that thing?"

"That…" Artirius clenched his fist angrily at his side, "That is a Direct Neurological Interface, Zero Generation. One of the fifteen that made Mecha suits what they are today. You think the DNI is inhuman, you wait until you see what's in that spinning dome. Grenade,"

"What?"

"I need a grenade,"

"Who made died and put you in charge? You're the prisoner remember?"

"Sorry," The Major flashed a sheepish smile, "I have been in command of a giant Supercarrier these past few months. Guess I just forgot where I was for a moment. Still need the grenade though, trust me. You won't get to where you want to go otherwise,"

Alistair paused for a moment, before reluctantly handing over the explosive, a awry Katara looking on.

"What are you going to do?"
"The only thing I can for these people," The Major shouldered the shotgun, slowly raising the machine gun, blinded eyes cast towards the jabbering DNI, "Put them out of their misery,"

"They're coming this way Master. We must lay traps, we must be ready for them Master! We must…Ugh!"

The being let out a gurgled grunt as a spray of blood spat from three exit wounds in the side of it's head, the Master taking a step back as one of it's windows was stained by the sticky liquid, the windows suddenly glowing red as it focused on the G.U.N. soldier that stepped into it's sights.

With a roar the monstrous machine charged towards it's foe, the glass visors all spinning wildly to get a look at the Major as it's drill spinning aggressively.

A hail of bullets met it full on as Artirius dumped an entire clip into the Master's body, strange red streaked onyx liquid spurting from every hole that punctured through, not a single wound or cracked visor slowing the giant down a single step.

The machine gun died with a hiss, masking the click of the grenade's key as the Major threw the apple sized explosive into the leviathan's path, his face ever passive.

With a mighty boom the Master's right foot exploded in a grotesque array of black/red liquid, gears and gyros, the mammoth machine crashing to the ground as it slid dangerously, towards the group, it's drill tearing up the corridor ahead of it.

Casting the empty weapon away, Artirius shrugged the primed shotgun into his hand as he ran up the passageway to meet the skidding machine, the drill desecrating the ground where his feet had been moments before as he leapt into the air, the firearm held high above his head as the Master's dome spun wildly trying to track him.

With a crunch the Major's boot hit the monster's good arm, a single cracked porthole managing to lock onto him before the shotgun came down.

"NO WAIT!!"

The glass smashed.

The trigger was pulled.

A single shot rang out across the corridor.

The Master gave a pitiful moan, before finally slumping, it's drill slowly whirring to a stop.

"Why…why did you do that?" Katara stared disbelievingly as Artirius pulled the shotgun from the head of the machine, her brother and Aang paling slightly at the sight of the blood soaked barrel, "We could of talked to the pilot. If it was the Master of these…these DNIs then maybe…"
"I did them a favour,"

"A…A favour?" She stared at him incredulously as the three approached, "You think killing a human being for any reason is a favour?"

Meridiano glowered darkly as he stepped down to the floor, "I'd hardly call their Masters human,"

"You what? You bastard!!" Katara made a move to slap the Major hard, only for her hand to be caught by his pale fingers, "Let go! You're sick! Your disgusting! You're…"

"I'm right," she stopped suddenly as she was pulled by the wrist to come nose to nose with Artirius, the Major scowling as Alistair flinched slightly at their closeness, "Do you Actually know what a Zero Generation DNI looks like? Here, see for yourself,"

With a hollow kick to the side of the slack globe, the entire sphere cracked in half, both Sokka and Katara jumping back with a yelp as a torrent of crimson stained onyx liquid gushed out over the floor of the resulting crack.

As the dome slowly creaked open, three pairs of eyes peered cautiously inside, Sokka suddenly going several shades of green as Katara and Alistair stared in horror.

"Ugh," The older brother put a hand to his mouth as he ran for a nearby public bin, "I think I'm gonna be sick!"

"What…What is this?" Katara took several steps back from the broken rig, "Where's the pilot?"

"That is the pilot," Artirius cast her a grim look as he cast away the bloodied shotgun, "At least just the vital organs needed to keep him or her running anyway. Just the brain, lungs and heart, all floating around in a mixture of it's own blood and oil. This is the Direct Neurological Interface Zero Generation., one of the fifteen that made Mecha suits what they are today. Right Sparks?"

"Indeed," Aang looked up in surprise as a monitor flew around the corner of the corridor, his single eye a bright azure as he came into a orbit of Artirius' head, "I'm sorry I didn't arrive earlier Major Meridiano. I'm afraid my tactical laser was damaged in a recent attack by Zero Generation Four, so I wouldn't have been much help to you. A technical marvel," The floating ball sighed as it observed the wreck of the Master, "A near perfect combination of biology and technology. Such a shame about the accident?"

"Sparks?" Alistair stared at the monitor in disbelief, "What's wrong with you? There's…there's not even a body in there! How can you be so nonchalant about this?"

"It's not his fault," Artirius brushed himself off as Sokka groggily returned to the scene, "When G.U.N. moved in, one of the first things reprogrammed was Sparks. Seeing as he basically runs this operation, seemed a logical thing to do. Made him a bit…out of phase though,"

"Alright that's it!" Alistair levelled his weapon at the Major's chest angrily, "What the hell has G.U.N. been doing here!? The bodies, the DNIs. You got some 'splaining to do Major Gory!"

"You think I had something to do with all this?"Artirius regarded the officer, "I was never assigned out here Mr. Aang. I spent most of my time in Berlin before I got assigned to New Gibraltar. Now Colonel Zhao on the other hand…"

"Er, if I could interrupt?" Sokka held up a hand queasily, "Not that I mind seeing Artie being held at gunpoint here, but don't we have places to be at a certain time today?"

"He's right Alistair," Katara placed a comforting hand on his tense shoulder, "If we don't get to the top of the central tower by mid-day, this entire trip will be for nothing. We have to go,"

"The Central Tower?" Sparks turned his body onto one side, almost as though he were cocking his head, "Well why didn't you say so? We can take the main elevator to the Command Centre if you like. With the death of one of their leaders, the DNIs will be unwilling to assault us, so I'm sure we'll have no further problems,"

"Fine," Alistair sighed with a reluctant nod, "You're right, we should get going. But you've still got some explaining to do Artie-boy," he nudged the Major onward, "So walk and talk at the same time!"

"The Neurological Interface," Artirius sighed quietly as the group headed deeper into the city, hands behind his head as Alistair's machine gun barrel poked him in the back every so often, "Designed by Professor Richard Roku in 1943 as a the way forward in the piloting of Ranger units. Ever wondered why they're called Neurological rather then Neural?"

"Not really?" Sokka shrugged as he peered round a junction, "I always thought it was because old man Roku thought Neurological sounded cooler,"

"Neurological. Pertaining to the science of neurology, the study of the nervous system and it's disorders, the key word being study. A neurological interface constantly learns it's pilot every time it is worn, particularity which neurons fire in the brain when a certain limb is moved. The general idea behind it was that eventually, the interface would learn enough about it's pilot to allow for a unit to be moved completely by thought alone. However, because every human being is different, Professor Roku predicted it would take at least fifty years for a normal human being to be fully analysed by a single Neurological interface, and even that was if they wore it twenty-four seven. As such…"

"The design was scrapped, and the more conventional design of pedals and control sticks was used instead," Alistair frowned as the Central Tower loomed ahead, his eyes flitting to the shadows as the sound of scurrying shoes reverberated along the corridors, "Guess G.U.N. couldn't resist the thought of having the upper hand against the U.S.A.C. huh?"

"Something to that effect," Artirius smirked over his shoulder, "But you have to remember, Mecha suit's have only been around for twenty years or so. Just like Roku, the Neurological Interface had been discarded in favour of current Ranger cockpit configurations, although a variation was developed that is more akin to current Mecha Suits that simply mimics the movements of the pilot, more of an interface in name only.

Around fifteen years ago though, one of our scientists decided to try and recreate the interface by trying to find a way to decrease the length of time it took to properly analyze the brain.

So, he created the Direct Neurological Interfaces.

A similar device that directly connected to a person's brain, creating a blend of man and machine that was far superior to any Ranger or Mecha Suit, even the Avatar or Eternal,"

"And the Zero Generations?" Katara gave the Major a cautious glance as they stepped into the clear walkway connecting the area to the Central Building, Sokka looking over the railing warily while Sparks continued to hum tunelessly to himself, "There wasn't a human in that Mecha Suit,"

"The scientist's first prototypes," The Major's fist's clenched as he bared his teeth, "Fifteen men and women chosen from the prison camps at random to have their very humanity stripped away from them…all just to see proof a theory.

And it worked. Fifteen brand new Zero Generation class Direct Neurological Interfaces, each able to accurately control a Mecha Suit without moving his or her hands or feet.

But it wasn't what the Führer wanted.

Say what you will about Julius Sozin, but the man simply wasn't comfortable with the thought of a army of walking brains," The Major smiled wryly, "I guess the thought of thousands of men and women saluting and shouting your name in unison has more of a…appeal. There was also another…problem,"

"You mean besides the fact they used prisoners of war to conduct their experiments?" Katara spat, "That's just sick Artirius. It's bad enough they made those…things…in the first place, but to use captured soldiers,"

"Exactly," Meridiano kept his blinded eyes straight ahead, "The brain is a amazing thing. There is so little we know about it, and that was the Zero Generation's primary flaw: They remembered what they were, and they knew what they had become," his features darkened as they left the tube and headed for the main elevator in the centre of a expansive lobby, "And it drove them insane. They destroyed three labs, killed a dozen scientists before they were subdued and locked away in the deepest parts of the Base,"

"Sounds very Andrew Lloyd Webber," Sokka smirked as they piled in, "So how'd they get out again? And what's with the little gremlin like things?"

"Direct Neurological Interface First Generation," The Major lent up against the back of the car as it zoomed upwards towards it's destination, still acutely aware of the weapon aimed at his chest, "Just because fifteen Zero Generations went crazy didn't stop the scientists from continuing their quest. They ordered another two hundred prisoners of war from the camps this time, but not before developing a mind altering drug, named cortrozine. This specialised medication was designed to make the DNI completely submissive, and thus less likely to realise what they were about to become.

Unfortunately, what they hadn't counted on was that one of the subjects…had a cold,"

"A cold?" Sokka suppressed a short chuckle, "So what? I get colds all the time? What happened, the poor scientist get sneezed on?"

"Worse," Alistair shot the major a grim look, "The cortrozine mutated, didn't it?"

"Precisely," Meridiano nodded quietly as Katara gasped in horror, "in the span of just twenty-four hours, the first subject had become something akin to the DNIs you saw running around earlier. With it's combination with the cold however, this new virus became airborne and spread throughout the base. Nothing could stop it. It infected every living thing, transformed them, warped their minds…they went insane. Eventually the virus ran out of bodies to inhabit, and simply died out, somewhere in the confusion though, the Zero Generations were also released. Judging by what we saw down by the docks, I think it's safe to say they managed to establish some kind of hierarchy of relationship with the First Generations,"

"This is all very interesting Artie, really," Sokka leaned up casually against the side of the car as the elevator ground to a halt, the doors opening wide, "But I just have one question: If no one survived this 'mass catastrophe', How do you know about it?"

"Because his superior is Colonel Takanori Zhao,"

Katara let out a cry of surprise as her machine gun flew from her hands by a spray of carbine fire, Sokka's following suit as the three comrades and one monitor ducked behind the what cover they could find in such tight quarters, Artirius remaining perfectly still in the centre of the car.

"Peek-a-boo," Zuko smirked devilishly from behind his makeshift stockade, "I see you,"

"Sozin!" Alistair cursed quietly as he checked his watch, "With only five minutes to go too. How the hell did you get up here before us?"

"The Grand Tower is has emergency escape pods across it's surface, Courier. It didn't take a genius to remove one to use as a make-shift airlock," The Captain gave a puzzled look to Meridiano's stance, "Are you just going to stand there all day, or are you going to take a side?"

"Depends," The Major scowled, "I have to decide between the enemies of the Nation and an exiled son of the Führer. It's not much of a selection,"
"We don't have time for this," Alistair scowled as he peered cautiously around the side of the door, taking in his surroundings.

In terms of general design, the Command Centre of Atlantic Base didn't differ too far from that of Pacific Base, both large square rooms with an near three hundred sixty degree view of the base below, mostly filled with banks of giant computers, view screens and consoles, with a raised platform in the centre to allow the Commandant or whoever was in charge a clear view of all around him. Unlike Pacific however, due to being more venerable to attack, all consoles and view screens were set upon a smaller circular slightly raised platform in the centre of the room, holding a mechanism that could withstand anything short of a atomic explosion.

"We're running out of time," he looked calmly over at his friends, "The minute I move, hit the button that gets you back to the docks. Understand?"

"What?" Katara stared in disbelief, "No! Alistair, we won't leave you!"

The officer smiled sadly as he stood up.

"In that case, you don't have a choice,"

"What!?" Without even pausing to explain, the lieutenant shoved Artirius roughly out of the elevator, slamming the butt of the machine gun into the bottom half of the car's control panel, the car confirming his order with a ping as he slipped out, "No wait! Alistair!!"

"Oh My! Major Meridiano!" The officer ignored the cry of Sparks as he grabbed Artirius under the armpit, using the surprised G.U.N. solider as a human shield as he fired at Sozin in short bursts.

"Two minutes left. Only two minutes," Aang bit his lip as the Captain ducked behind one of the chairs he had set up as a barricade in front of the console, "Come on, come on…hey!!"

The Black Core officer barely had time to cry out in surprise as he found himself grasped tightly by the shoulders, Meridiano throwing the lieutenant with all his might over his head and across the Command Centre into the Commandant's chair, the poor man landing upside down as his hand graced the armrest's console.

Alistair only had time to look up as four massive slabs of metal came down around the command centre, a small smile crossing his lips as he was engulfed in the sudden darkness, the soft azure glow of a panicking Sparks above him his only light.

"You fool!" Zuko spat angrily as he fired burst after burst at Artirius, the Major darting behind one of the chairs that lined the windows, "Do you know what you've done!?"

"I have a fair idea," The Major smiled slightly as the chair shuddered under heavy fire, one finger tapping quietly on the onyx watch that adorned his wrist, "Three, two, one,"

The entire room was suddenly flushed with a bright blinding light that poured from every crack and bolt hole it could find in the Command Centre's blast shields, Zuko screaming in pain as he tried to block out the a radiance as strong as the sun itself.

Taking advantage of his enemy's problem, the blind man vaulted over the back of his make shift barricade, his fist connecting with the side of the Captain's face as he rushed to meet the surprised exile, the carbine flying out of his hands as he was pinned to the floor via the Major's boot.

"Sorry Zuko," Artirius sighed as the light faded, "It's nothing personal,"

Alistair shook his head as stars danced across his vision, his skull throbbing as though he had stood up to fast.

The Command Centre was bathed in a soft white light, the metallic blast shields practically glowing with luminosity as Sparks flew worriedly all over the place.

For the first time in a while, Aang felt at peace, no longer angry or frustrated as he set himself back on his feet. He felt wonderfully warm as bright specks of light began to form around him, a single hand running through his dark hair under his hat as he watched the snow like particles begin to move towards the far side of the room.

Slowly, something began to form as more and more specks combined together; slender legs and arms, pale thin body and face, and robes…robes made of pure light, with long flowing back length blond hair that radiated in it's own luminescence.

"Hello Alistair," the mysterious yet familiar woman smiled at the awestruck officer, "It has been too long. I've been waiting for you,"

"Get off me this instant Artirius!" Zuko squirmed under the Major's boot as he calmly pressed it deeper into the Captain's spine, "An exile I may be, but I am still the Führer's son and a higher ranking officer! You will treat me as such!"

"Oh, not true my dear Captain Sozin, not true," the two men looked up in surprise as a familiarly sinister voice seemed to fill the room around them, "Major Meridiano has every right to restrain you. Assaulting an officer of the German Unified Nation, daring to go up against one of our finest vessels, and hindering the on going hunt for the Avatar. You're lucky it wasn't me who found you. I'd of shot you by know,"

Shimmering blue from a small emitter mounted on a wary Ty Lee's shoulder, Colonel Zhao smirked triumphantly as several Zero Generation DNIs lumbered heavily out of nearby elevators, their First Generation counterparts leering out from behind their bulky forms.

"Colonel Zhao," Artirius looked up in amazement as two First Generations lolloped up to him, capturing Zuko between them, "Lt. Ming? What's going on? What happened to the DNIs?"

"Amazing isn't it?" the hologram smirked as he indicated to Ty Lee to move foreword, "I was stationed here when I was a Major. This place fascinated me, all this alien technology, and yet all the white coats were interested in were…these," he indicated to the Zero Generations, one of which rumbled in response, "Splicing up perfectly good human beings for their own petty amusements. I managed to get out just in time of course, a week before the…accident happened," a mysterious smile crossed the Colonel's face, something that sent a shiver down the Lieutenant's spine, "We always planned to repopulate the Base of course…but these DNIs seem to be remarkably…long lived. We thought for sure the Cortrozine virus would kill off everyone in a matter of weeks. But alas, here we all are, fifteen years later, the place looking more run down and demeaning as ever. Which is why I had New Gibraltar's scientists develop this!"

The hologram held out it's hand, palm upwards, a complex string of different coloured molecules strung together appearing in a blink of an eye, rotating lazily, "It's a pheromone I had Lt. Ming synthesize and release into the Base's oxygen tanks. A stronger concoction then what they keep DNIDAMs dosed up on, but it works to the same effect. Now, every infected being on this base is under my control,"

Zhao smirked as the molecules disappeared with a wave of his hand, "I can make them dance, walk out of an airlock into the ocean beyond…or even lie in wait for the Courier to come crawling out of his hole,"

"The Courier will never just waltz out of the there Zhao," Zuko's eyes narrowed as he struggled against the DNI's grasp, "He'll have his friends ram into the side of this Command Centre long before he surrenders,"

"A bold statement, coming from you Captain," The Colonel tutted as he indicated to Ming to turn to allow him a proper view of the armoured control room, "But no matter. Even as I speak, DNIs are searching the docks for his little friends.

And as for the courier himself…with no back out, he'll have no choice but to come out eventually…where my modest army will tear him to shreds,"

"You're…you're that girl," The Command Centre had gone strangely quiet as Aang stared at the figure of beauty across the room, even Sparks' frantic babble above his head dulled to the barest of murmurs as she almost floated towards him, "The one who saved me,"

"It has been too long Alistair," the woman beamed as she came up to him, the officer hanging on to every word she said, "Though I must admit, I feel I am not young enough to be considered a girl by your lifespan. You are right however, we did meet once before, over one hundred of your years ago," a small smile crossed her pert features, "And yet…I never recall giving you my name. You may call me…Fina. I represent the House of Silvairian,"

"Silvairian? Silvairian!" Alistair's eyes widened in realisation, "I know that name. I heard a rumour it had something to do with our technology…"

"It was not a rumour," Fina nodded, a hint of sadness gracing her features, "The House of Silvairian was once a powerful and wondrous race, whose influence spanned across most of your galaxy…but that was a long time ago, and now…I am all that is left,"

"What happened?"

"What indeed does happen to wipe out an entire race?" she sighed quietly, the scent of vanilla gently gracing the officer's face, "Famine? Despise? No…war. A long, terrible bloody campaign that makes your Second Great War look like a minor skirmish in comparison. A battle that raged across the stars long before the first proteins were formed in a pool of amino acids on your homeworld. For billions of your Earth years we fought, trillions of lives lost as a consequence, many not even belong to our own species. And now…I am all that is left, and even my time grows short,"

"What kind of enemy…would cause you to battle for billions of years?" Alistair shook his head as he watched light swathed lady lower her head, "Did you ever try to make peace? Stop such a long war?"

"There was no negotiating with this enemy," Fina's laugh was surprisingly hollow, "Never has there been such a soulless, evil entity. Another civilisation like our own, whose name has been lost to the tides of time," she looked up at him quietly, her gentle face holding a grim expression, "But while this unfathomable species may have left this universe for whatever lies beyond even my realm of understanding, much of their technology still stains the stars, including a terrible weapon, known by the German Unified Nation as The COMET System,"

"The COMET…" Alistair frowned, the last words of Nami Kyoshi filling his mind, "You must find him before Sozin's Comet fires again…is that it? Is that what the Professor meant?" Fina nodded wordlessly, "She said…Sozin's Comet will be ready to fire soon. What is it? What kind of weapon is it?"

"A weapon of unimaginable power,"

Human and alien looked up in surprise as a new voice entered the conversation, even Sparks above their head suddenly falling completely silent as the newest visitor seemed to appear from the shadows themselves.

From his knee-high boots to his turtleneck long-sleeved shirt, almost every inch of his body was swathed in clothes of onyx, paper white hands partially hidden by the cloak that fell about his shoulders and hung around his ankles as they hung limply at his sides, his thin face from the nose up hidden from view by a hood pulled low over his head.

"COMET," his voice was low and shallow, a distinct metallic sound laced through every syllable, as though he was speaking through a tube, "More accurately know as The Celestial Ordnance: Mega-particle Electromagnetic Tactical System, a name chosen by a man who knew nothing about it's secrets, or even how it worked, only that it could destroy. Only through the passing of time has it been come to known as Sozin's Comet. A devastating superweaon capable of obliterating anything from continents to entire stars,"

"Entire stars?" Aang's eyes widened, "Then that must mean…that pillar of light that destroyed the British Isles…who are you anyway?"

"I? I am the Immortal Wanderer," the cloaked man folded his arms across his chest, "For one hundred years I have waited for you. Wandering this Earth, waiting to aid you in your destiny. Waiting for when you are ready for the gift I have for you,"

"And am I ready now?"

…

"No,"

"What!?" Aang gawked at the Wanderer, "I'm a officer of the Black Core for crying out loud! I've kicked G.U.N. ass from here to Brazil and back! I've…"

"And yet you have never witnessed the sight of full scale war," the Wanderer's voice became a deep growl as he sweeped across the floor until he came up nose to nose with the stunned Lieutenant, sweat trailing down the young man's face as he stared into the dark abyss that lay beneath the mysterious man's hood, "Never have you seen your comrades fall and die around you. Never have you sampled the terror of living when others are needlessly dead. You have never fought as one with your fellow soldiers to take down a greater enemy. You have never led, you have never faced unmatchable odds and lived to tell the tale. You…Are…Not…Ready,"

Aang swallowed thickly as the Wanderer pulled back, "You may have a point there,"

The Wanderer merely growled before retreating back to the other side of the Control Room.

"You are running out of time, my young friend," the man regarded the officer quietly over his shoulder, "For one hundred years, The COMET System has been storing energy. Energy the Führer plans to unleash upon the world at the end of the summer. You must prove to me you are capable of wielding my gift to you before then otherwise the world is lost,"

"He's going to destroy the planet!?" Aang stared in disbelief between the Wanderer and Fina, "But why? What's the point?"

"We do not know the Sozin's plans for the use of the COMET System," Fina shook her head sadly, "But just because the System is fully charged, doesn't mean to say he will use all of it to destroy the Earth. It took three Earth years for the System to store enough power to wipe a small group of islands of the face of the planet. Sozin may simply choose to fire on the states that do not bow to his wishes, while leaving plenty of energy to spare. But no Sozin, be it Robert, Alexander, or Julius, has ever fully understood the workings of that terrible weapon, which makes stopping the current Führer even more important,"

"But where is it? The COMET I mean?" Alistair frowned as he ran a hand through his hair, "Where do they store such a powerful weapon? Not on Earth Surely?"

"I can show you if you like,"

"He doesn't need to know," The officer's gaze darted from Fina to the Wanderer as she halted in her approach at the venom in the man's words, "The COMET System is unmistakable, hidden only by the darkness of space at Sun-Earth Lagrange Point Two. A space station twenty thousand kilometres in diameter that will darken the skies of this fair planet when The Führer's plan is put into motion," a sly grin crossed what little of his face that Aang could see, "It will be hard to miss,"

"I will not send him into the fight without knowing the face of his enemy," The lieutenant suppressed the urge to shiver as Fina's hands came down on his shoulders, her skin unnaturally cool even through his tunic, "He may not be ready my friend, but he still has to the right to know what he is up against,"

The Wanderer paused for only a moment.

"Very well," a small smirk crossed his pale lips, "Perhaps this will do him some good. He may even enjoy it,"

"En…enjoy it?" The Lieutenant cast a wary look between the Wanderer and the alien robed in light, his newest friend slowly moving her hand form his shoulders to his face, "W-what does he mean?"

"One of the unique traits of my species is the ability to transfer memories and dreams from one person to another via physical touch," Fina shot her enshrouded companion an amused smirk, "It is something the Wanderer has found useful these past one hundred years, but what I am about to show you will not be pleasant…"

"What do you…"

Alistair got the answer to his unanswered question as he felt her lips press up against his forehead, his mind barely registering the soft thump of his hat as it fell to the floor as the world darkened around him.

Slowly but surely, a field of stars bean to light up the curtain on onyx around him, dark circles indicating the dark sides of orbiting planets as a bright yellow sun began to shine in the far distance.

This wasn't his solar system, he knew that much. The fourth planet's set of rings giving it away.

But it wasn't this fascinating look into another part of the universe that grasped Aang's attention.

It dwarfed almost everything in it's path as it glided between the planets on a bank of six hundred ion thrusters, save for the sun itself; a giant shallow dish of solid steel grey surrounded by eight long triangular arms, each ten thousand kilometres long, all curving inwards towards a large cone like device mounted above the centre via four thick supports.

There was no battle, no massive opposing fleet. Just one massive superweaon, a small collection of twisted biological ship's hovering nearby, their black hulls making it near impossible to make them out against the shadows of space.

Then, something changed.

One after the other, a single pale green beam shone into existence from each of the arms, each reaching out to the star as it seemed to wait patiently for it's fellows to power up.

In a matter of moments eight beams of emerald light shone towards the star beyond, their dull beams lost in the bright luminescence of the sun.

With a heaving groan, the eight beams as one rotated down towards the emitter, a strange eerie glow consuming the narrow tip of the cone, the radiance flowing through it down to the wider base facing the centre of the dish.

With a ear piercing screech a thousand sharp beams of emerald light streaked out from the cone's base on to the shiny dish below, the shafts of light bouncing across surface, causing the entire disk to gradually glow a burning white.

There was a terrifying electronic scream.

A pillar of blinding light shot forth through the starry void towards the sun beyond.

For a moment, there was silence as the beam disappeared into the distance.

Then, it hit it's target.

The star began to bubble and distort, huge sections blowing out into space as a it's very core began to darken.

Finally, with a pathetic moan, the once bright sun tore itself apart in a fiery array of oranges, yellows and black, deadly shockwaves slicing through the surrounding planets like a knife through fruit, the third planet's rings completely blown away as it's centre of gravity was smashed to pieces.

"So…now you know,"

Alistair gasped as the visions abruptly ending, one hand clutching his head as he braced himself against a nearby console.

"Such…raw power," the officer rubbed the cold sweat from his face, "Such…destruction," he glared suddenly at the Wanderer, "You know what it's capable of don't you? If this gift of yours will help me defeat Sozin, why don't you give it to me now?"

"Because you are not ready," The Wanderer stared stoically across the room from beneath his hood, "What I have, what was entrusted into my possession, can only be used by one who truly understands the ideals that the Black Core held dear; the pursuit of peace, standing up for those who cannot, the total vanquishing of the evils that ensnare this planet, so that humanity may finally move forward to take their place amongst the stars. You will receive my gift and aid when you know what it means to truly keep the spirit of the Black Core alive…Forever, Eternal,"

"But you do not have much time," Aang turned once more to face Fina's worried face, "The COMET System will reach full power by the end of the Summer. I placed you in Cryostasis because even with the Wanderer's aid, you would not have been able to defeat the Führer with the world's level of technology. But times have changed, technology has advanced, and when the time comes, I truly believe you will defeat him and restore peace to the world,"

"But what if I can't do it?" Alistair sent a dark look the Wanderer's way, "What if I don't meet you're expectations?"

The robed man merely shrugged with a smirk, "Maybe you'll get lucky,"

"Yeah, well…I'm not going to be able to do anything while I'm stuck in here,"

"It's true," Fina bowed her head, as though in thought, "As we speak, the Direct Neurological Interfaces stand ready for the attack," She glanced up at the Wanderer across the room, "We need a diversion of some kind,"
"Summon the Avatar," The Wanderer smirked as he folded his arms across his chest, "That should make a large enough bang to send them scattering,"

"Summon the…do you plan to summon a Ranger Unit?" All eyes turned in alarm to the stock still form of Sparks above their heads, all having truthfully forgotten he had been there, "Here? But…that will destroy the Central Tower! Al critical command functions are stored here! If you destroy this tower…the whole Installation will eventually collapse!"

"You've spent the past hundred years surrounded by Nationalists and their warped experiments," The Wanderer scowled, "This base has been collapsing since G.U.N. arrived,"

"But…But I have done nothing but served the Master's faithfully! But you…you want to destroy it all! You…!"

"Sparks no!" Alistair's eyes widened as a new voice entered the fray, The Emerald glow of Charlatan Forge a welcome sight as she shot out of a nearby air vent at break neck speed, "Think about what you're saying! Your not well, can't you see that?"

"Forge? Charlatan Forge?" The two monitors stared at each other, Sparks' azure eye beginning to flicker to a deep crimson, "You are breaking protocol Monitor! You have strayed from your duties as Keeper of Installation Zero Six!"

"Sparks, you're not well," If she had been human, Aang would have sworn there would have been tears in her eyes, "Someone's tampered with your Crystalline Matrix. But we can fix you. I came up here to tell Alistair that Miss Katara and Mr. Sokka have departed and are trying to reach us as we speak so we can make a quick getaway. You can come with us. We can help you. We can…"

"You would have me leave my post for your flights of fancy?" The flickering of Sparks eye began to increase as the Monitor's body began to shake, "I have ser…served the Ma-ma-masters for one huuuuuuuundred years!" Unease began to dawn on Alistair as cracks began to spread across Sparks' surface, his voice distorting as bright white light poured through new openings, "I ha-have been nothing but l-l-l-loyal to them. They that would nev-ver abandon me, like that Black Core scum,"

"Sparks stop!" Forge hesitantly approached her fellow monitor as his eye turned permanently red, "Please stop! We can help you. Just please stop and…"

"NO! NO NO NOOOO!"

With a resounding boom Sparks' Monitor form exploded across the room, the shockwave sending A surprised Forge clear into the opposite bulkhead with a deadly crack, her emerald eye dying with a whimper as Alistiar could only watch with horror.

"CHARLOTTE!!"

Out of Sparks remains, a new body seemed to emerge; crystal arms and legs unfurled as a azure head threw itself back and roared in triumph of it's escape, angel wings the colour of soot extending clear across the enclosed Command Centre as shining azure feet touched down on the metal floor.

With a amazing speed, both the Wanderer and Fina rushed at their new foe, the crystalline Sparks struggling as they grappled his arms tight.

"Fools!" The former Monitor cast off the lady of light with a brush of his arm, the surprised girl exploding into thousand specks of light as she hit the blast shield, the glow of Sparks' new body now dominating the wide room as she eventually winked out all together, "You never fully understood the power you had in your hands! The Silvairians took it for granted! The Black Core just took what was given to them and never asked of it's full potential!!" The Wanderer screamed as he was cleaved into two with a single sweep of a crystal like arm, his body turning into dark curly mist as it was absorbed by the shadows, "They had it in the palms of their hands, and they never realised the full potential of such a power source. They created beings like me, and never realised what we could truly do to win the war that was about to be waged!!" Alistair felt himself backing up against the blast shield as the Monitor approached, "I didn't even tell G.U.N. after I found out the true power of what they ahd made me into you know. I thought "The Black Core will come and save me! And then I can tell them all about this wondrous gift they bestowed on the Monitors!" But they never came!" the crystal entity slowly began to flare red, a strange orange glow surrounding it's right fist, "But G.U.N. came. And they stayed. They never left me alone. They'll come back eventually you know. Major Zhao told me they would, once all the DNIs had wiped themselves out. It's taking longer then I expected, but I don't mind. But you…You're Black Core…aren't you? The Courier of the Avatar no less. Yes, I remember you. I was all set to shoot you down until I realised you had taken a poor G.U.N. Major hostage. Won't the Führer reward me when I reveal to him a way to create a new kind of super soldier and presenting him with your head on a platter!?" The world seemed to go silent as the crystal hand was raised, it's glow dominated the officer's vision, Aang shielding his eyes as an insane grin slashed across Sparks' face.

"So…this is goodbye…BLACK CORE SCUM!!"

Then…a fist erupted from the floor below.

A cry of surprise escaped Sparks' lips as he was thrust high towards the ceiling, orange flares fired left and right form his fists before he was smashed against steel and mortar, Alistair blinking stunned stupor as a rain of crystal shards scattered across the room.

"Av…Avatar?"

"Alistair? Alistair! Alistair are you there?" Aang barely heard Katara's slightly muffled words as he hesitantly pulled himself to the large hole that took up most of the Command Centre, his eyebrows raising in surprise as he peered cautiously down into the depths below.

Just as he had suspected, Avatar stood lodged through at least twenty storeys of the Central Tower, the holes below it indicating it had actually crashed into the building somewhere near the base, gallons of seawater steadily rising even as he watched.

"Alistair please come in!" the Lieutenant stared into Avatar's bright yellow eyes two floors below as Katara's voice echoed up from the open cockpit, "Alistair, if you're there, respond! Avatar started moving by itself. We had to flood the Launch Bay and let out otherwise it would have ripped the doors off! Did you call for it? Are you in trouble? Alistair please come in!"

Aang winced slightly as the Avatar shunted down slightly. Clearly it's current standing wasn't the safest of places for a twenty-seven metric ton Ranger to be standing.

As his machine slowly began to fall, the officer cast a look towards the broken remains of Forge across the other side of the room. He couldn't reach her, he knew. This was his only chance to escape. With G.U.N. on his doorstep, and water gushing up from below. He knew he wouldn't be able to pick up all the pieces in time and escape with his life intact.

"Goodbye Char," Aang felt a tear trail down his cheek, "I'm…sorry,"

As the Avatar began to quicken it's decent into the frigid waters below, it's pilot hopped deftly down from it's head to it's shoulder to it's cockpit, the door slamming shut as it began to power up once more.

Ty Lee cried out in surprise as the Central Tower shook violently from a sudden impact, her Major catching her deftly as the building began to list dangerously to the right moments later.

"What's going on?" Zhao's hologram flickered as the DNIs around them stood rigid and still, the Colonel look around angrily as the blast shields fell apart with a loud symphony of clangs, "Why don't they attack? The Courier is right there! I order you to attack him!"

One of the Zero Generations groaned heavily, nudging a First Generation to translate.

"The Masters say…For fifteen years we have been the walking dead. Each of us, robbed of our own minds, our own mortality for attempted military gain. This man you seek…this Courier…he will liberate us from the prison you built. And no amount of drugs you pump into the air will ever make us catch him for you,"

"You fools!" Zhao sneered angrily, "You dare defy me!?" He smirked suddenly as he turned his eyes to where Zuko stood, "At least I have a certain banished Prince to take to the Füh…where did he go?"

"Sorry Zhao," Zuko gave a mock salute as he bolted for the elevator, "Your lackeys may not want to capture the Avatar, but I do," he shot the Major a thoughtful look as the building shook violently once more, "But maybe not today,"

"Damn! Meridiano!" The Colonel rounded on his subordinate as the tower began to lean more and more sharply, "Are you truly as incompetent in the ways of capture as you are in the piloting that accursed Ranger? You would be far better off letting the pressure of the Atlantic take you now, because if I see your masked face above sea level again I…"

Artirius never heard the end of the Colonel's rant as he closed his hand over Ty Lee's emitter, the young Lieutenant squeaking in surprise as he crushed it between his fingers.

"What…what are we going to do?" She cast a desperate look at her Major as he wandered into the remains of the Command Centre, "Major?"

Artirius didn't reply.

Careful to avoid the gaping hole in the middle of the room, he slowly made his way round to were the remains of a certain monitor lay.

A large crack zigzagged it's way across her back, her usual emerald eye now dark and broken.

She would never fly again, that was for sure.

Fitting a single leather glove to his right hand form his belt, the Major didn't even flinch as he smashed a fist through the monitor's dead eye, his fingers reaching in until they closed around something hard in it's centre.

Pulling out the core of every monitor, Meridiano sighed as he rubbed his thumb over the hard edges of the sphere like crystal he had retrieved.

"My dear Charlotte," Artirius shook his head sadly as Eternal slowly rose out of the hole in the middle of the room, Ty Lee screaming in surprise as it's eyes flashed bolt yellow, "Why has the World forsaken you so?"

"Charlotte is…dead,"

Alistair's hands shook violently against the controls sticks as he urged his Ranger onward as far from the collapsing base as possible, away from the remains of a comrade and friend.

"I couldn't save her," Tears were no running freely down his cheeks, his head bowed low, "She was right there…and I couldn't save her. I…I…"

His head snapped up suddenly at the warning alarm blared in his ear, his eyes narrowing to slits as he pivoted Avatar around to face his foe.

Framed by the plum of bubbles, sand and debris form the collapsing Central tower behind it, Eternal soared towards him, it's rifle primed and ready.

"This…this isn't my fault," Aang's gripped the control sticks tightly, a strange anger starting to well up in his chest, "Yes…not my fault. You…If you hadn't thrown me…yes, you just had to let me get there myself. I could of made sure Sparks never got in there. It…it was you! You killed her! This is your fault! YOU KILLED CHARLOTTE!!"

Katara could only stare as Sokka shielded his eyes from the light that spread across the seabed, a familiar sense of dread and wonder overcoming her mind.

With a flash of light, a pair of angel's wings erupted from Avatar's Iron thrusters burning blue lasers sliced their way across the seabed from it's hands, Eternal narrowly dodging the deadly beams as they carved Atlantic Base in half.

"Alistair no!" Katara watched in horror as another beam of light desecrated the nearby wreck of the Titanic, the once grand ship literally crumbling to dust, "Stop it! You're going to kill someone!"

Alistair didn't reply. The only indication he had heard them was the Avatar's head as it turned it's burning azure eyes on the Avat.

"That's not good," Sokka swallowed thickly as the shining mech rapidly advanced, "Katara do something!"

"Alistair…I know you can hear me," she felt her voice crack as Avatar came up close to Avat, it's eyes lighting up every inch of the cockpit, "Please…this isn't you. I don't know what happened back there but…you can't just destroy everything because of it. What happened, happened. Maybe you could of stopped it, maybe not, but this isn't the right way to deal with it. Please," A hand subconsciously moved over the foreword console, opening the Launch Bay doors, "Let's just leave. We can go as far away from here as you like just please…" she felt a drop of salty moisture run it's course down her cheek, "Stop destroying to try and get rid of the pain…because it's not you, and it won't work…trust me I know,"

Sokka gazed at his sister respectfully as silence came over the desecrated seabed, Avatar continuing to stare into the cockpit quietly, as though the Ranger itself was contemplating her words.

Finally, like the sun dipping below the horizon, the light began to fade. It's eyes returned to their normal yellow, the wings dissolving into a stream of bubbles on either side as the machine slowly, almost tiredly pushed it's way over the top of Avat's hull, brother and sister breathing a unified sigh of relief as a distinct thud and an array of green lights signified the Avatar was safely stowed in the rear.

"How'd you do it?" Katara gave her brother a curious look as he shook his head with respectful disbelief, "there's no way I could talk him down like that. What's your secret?"

She frowned slightly as she slumped back in the cockpit seat, pressing her foot down on the accelerator pedal as she directed Avat towards the surface.

"I don't know,"

"Aren't we going to follow them?"

Artirius glanced up at Ty Lee as she cast him a worried gaze from her position behind Eternal's cockpit seat, before shaking his head.

"Lt. Aang just destroyed an entire Base with a power I've never felt before," The Major sighed as he let his head fall back against the rest, "This new factor in the equation…complicates things. I believe the best thing to do right now would be to return to New Gibraltar and…explain why we cut him off,"

"Or we could run for the hills," Ming shot her Major a cocky smile, "Just you, me and the big guy,"

Artirius chuckled as he set Eternal for a rendezvous with the Sovereignty above.

"Sorry Ming, but you and I both know there isn't a place on this green Earth that Zhao wouldn't find us," he sighed bitterly, "We lost the Courier, Captain Sozin and a entire military installation,"

"We're dead…aren't we?"

"Maybe," Meridiano set a comforting hand around his Lieutenant's, "We'll set a course for New Gibraltar once we return to the Sovereignty.

I'm sure I can…talk him down from an execution if needs be,"

Destroyed. Desecrated. Damaged beyond repair.

Zuko couldn't help but shake his head in disbelief at the carnage Avatar had wrought on Atlantic Base.

Not a building remained standing, not a single sign of live in the forgotten installation as piloted the excursion Exo-suit across the remains.

"Such power," The Captain rubbed a hand over his face, "Such raw power,"

The silence of his sonar indicated it was safe for him to move away with the departure of Eternal and the Courier's friends, but still he hovered over the remains of the once grand base, a shiver of doubt overtaking his mind.

Could he really battle such a fierce and formidable opponent? Could even his beloved Dominance truly take on this hundred year old machine if it activated it's true potential?

Would capturing this one unit truly be worth the effort?

"Yes," he spoke aloud, if only to hear the determination in his own voice, "no matter what the cost, no matter what I must do, I will capture the Courier and the Avatar!

"I swear my life on it,"

The DNIDAMs are going to be important later, as are the DNIs. We'll see them again, that's why they get so much of an explaination here.

DNIDAM is pronounced Dur-Nee-Dam, just to be sure, and DNIs are always pronounced as seperate letters (D N I, not DNI)

Well, I'm not happy with the final result for this chapter, but I am glad to get it out of the way.

I've also decided to close the poll after getting a positive answer. I've decided to just shorten the first season and move on to the second season. With that in mind, the rest of this fic will comprise of adaptions of The Blue Spirit, The Waterbending Master, and both parts of the Seige of the North (Which I may or may not just combine into one big chapter. Haven't decided yet.)

That said, if anyone wants to write up any of the other chapters, you're welcome to try. just write it up, and email it to me, and I'll post it here while giving you the full credit. I'd welcome any backstories for recurring characters (like Jun, who looks set to appear towards then end of Season 3, and Jet and his band wouldn't be too bad either). I'm not lazy, I just don't have any idea how to adapt it (like, how exactly to you put Jun's sniffer dog type creature into a mecha series?) If Anyone who want's to add to this, that's great, if not, never mind, it was just a thought.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this latest chapter (For what it was worth) and I hope you'll keep a lookout for the next one.

See you around,

Dearing