Night had soon come to Zaofu, but all was not peaceful as already some dark forces had already worked themselves within the city perimeters.
"Ugh…" Connor said getting outside because it was so muggy. "Is it supposed to be this hot at night?" he pondered as he looked into the darkness where four figures ran through it. "Huh. That's kinda odd…"He said before seeing a hole melted through the walls of Zaofu. "So is that." He said seeing the footprints actually burned into the ground. "This does not look good."
Connor got his gear on and ran through to the others rooms.
"Guys, you are not gonna believe this, but I just think something bads coming our way." Connor said. "If you don't believe me, has anyone besides me noticed it's gotten a little hotter in the air than usual?"
"Yeah, it's gotten really murky." David said.
"You don't think...one of the titans is already here, do you?" Leonora asked.
"Seems like it. Looks like they got tired of waiting for us." Ty said.
"But why is it so hot? Wasn't Phos the only titan who could generate heat?" AJ asked.
"That was never established. Though...this powerful heat...it's almost like it's from a….Incoming!" Junomon said grabbing Saki as they ducked a massive fire blast that hit through a building.
"This presence...it's similar to Agni!" Medusa said.
"Agni… the Indian God of Fire?" Hope asked.
"The very same, but this Titan seems to have inherited his power." Medusa said.
"Uh...I don't wanna alarm you guys...but I think I see big tall and angry over there." AJ said as they saw the aforementioned titan standing there.
"I was right after all. They are here. My third eye has shown me the right path." He said.
"And you are…?" Hope said before ducking a fireball.
"What is it with you and asking for names?" Ty said.
"It's a bit of a habit with me, okay?!" Hope said.
"Either way, I get the feeling this guy isn't here for a friendly chat." Ty said.
"That is right. I have been sent...to kill all of you." He said.
"By Centurion, im guessing. But how did you know we would be here? We didn't get here until a few days ago, and yet you knew somehow?" Connor said.
"Because he can track the Olympos XII, you blockhead! Have you paid attention to anything besides the ladies at all?!" Hitomi asked.
"I've been paying attention, and this wasn't the Olympos. He said his third eye showed him the right path." Connor said.
"I always trust the judgment of my third eye. I simply followed the path it showed me and it lead me here." He said.
"I see. So he's the one responsible for the countless incinerated towns." Urbosa said.
"Wait, what?" Hope asked.
"For the past few days, I've been sensing the reports of incinerated villages all throughout the Earth Kingdom. What I never noticed till now was that the path was in a straight line." Urbosa said. "And it seems it lead right here."
"Enough of this talk. I am not leaving till I have incinerated your corpses and leave nothing." he said as the heat began to intensify as some of the metal was starting to melt.
"This one...I remember him. The most destructive of the titans, Volca." Marsmon said.
"Destructive… that explains the villages that were incinerated." Hope said. "Okay Korra...now is...wait where's Korra?" Hope asked.
"I think she was still sleeping in her room." Gemini said.
"Great. Okay...one destructive titan and a city of civilians." Hope said. "Guys...I want you to listen carefully. Please stand back and protect the people. I wanna make sure...that I can still topple guys like these."
"You're going to fight him alone?" David asked.
"This wouldn't be the first time I fought a god." Hope said. "I've got this. Trust me, David."
"Welp, you wouldn't be you if you didn't know what you were doing." David said. "You heard the man. Everyone, spread out and keep the civilians out of the line of fire!"
"You have guts, I will admit. But sadly...I'll have to burn them all away." Volca said as his body coated in fire.
"I'm not afraid of a little fire. I've faced someone like you before." Hope said entering Azure God Mode. "Around here, they call me the Boy who can Pierce Fire."
"Is that suppose to frighten me?" Volca said.
"Didn't expect it too...but...I still won't let you hurt anyone here." Hope said.
"Fine. Then we're done." Volca said creating a fireball as he hurled it at Hope.
Hope then punched the fireball as it dissipated into flaming streams.
"You believe me now?" Hope smirked before he started dodging more fireballs. "Got it. You're the serious no banter type. Understood."
"This city...and all who live here...shall burn." Volca said as the fire around him intensified as it started to melt even the earth itself.
"Not if i can help it!" Hope said charging in and punching Volca straight in the chest through his heated body, but Hope's hand still burnt. "Gah! I don't get it, that should've caught you straight in the chest!"
"The fire around me...that is the personification of my own aura. It shall intensify the more time passes. And my aura has strengthened enough that even the sun would fall to my flames." Volca said.
"Even the sun?!" Hope said as he dodged more flames. "Dang, this guy is no joke. Even Azure God Mode is barely keeping me going in this intense heat. I gotta get stronger… I need… the same thing Jexi and David have!"
"No matter what you're planning, its useless. My eye tells all. It tells me you shall lose this fight and die in a sea of fire." Volca said. "And it is by its will you will die." he said as fire started to gather near the third eye.
"Uh oh…" Hope said.
"Burn away...to nothingness!" Volca said firing a large wave of fire right at Hope.
Hope then was blasted with fire and flames as he burned like crazy.
"Argh! This pain, its too much!" Hope said. "It figures though. I'm just probably the third wheel now. David and Jexi are stronger than me, and I'm playing catch up. It's probably… better this way." he said as he closed his eyes.
"You really thinking like that?" a voice said as a vision of Jexi stood there.
"Jexi?" Hope asked.
"Hope...like I've told you before...this power...it's not a race or anything like that. Everyone has their own strengths. It's all about coming to terms with them that make the power matter." Jexi said. "We're all equals. There is no third wheel."
"He's right, you know." another voice said.
"David?" Hope asked as he saw his vision too.
"Why do we all get stronger? That's simple. It's because we all have something that drives us forward. To be honest, I was worried about being the third wheel at first. After all, I was only a hero for about a month before I met you. But it's thanks to all of you that I got stronger, because you all gave me something to fight for." David said. "Now I must ask, what is it that you're fighting for?"
"What I fight for?" Hope asked. "I… I wanted to become a hero all my life. Seeing Jexi save the worlds, it inspired me. And i wanted to save worlds, protect the innocent, and bring peace. Like All Might… like The Avatar. What i fight for is…"
(Cue- Man With A Mission: My Hero)
"I fight to be the hero i dreamed to be… and to protect everyone, not just my teams, and not one world… BUT ALL OF THEM!" Hope said as Azure blue light blasted outwards from the flames and extinguished the flames all over the city. Where Hope stood, he was in Azure god mode again, but this time his hair was purely blue and he had light markings resembling his corps symbol on his chest and arms, and the light around him forming four long threads of cape.
"What?! This...it cannot be. My eye has never been wrong before." Volca said.
"There's a first time for everything, and this is my first look at my new power, and the last thing you're gonna see tonight!" Hope said. "Take a good look at Azure God Mode: The Heroic!"
"This power...its almost on par with that of mine. No...its seeming like with each passing moment, his power is intensifying." Volca thought.
"See, Hope?" A voice said.
"Yeah, I see. We're all equal here. Even you, Ace." Hope said looking at a Vision of Ace behind him.
"That's right, you gained this power because everyone believes in you, never lose sight of what's important and help protect the people you love." Ace said as he put a hand on Hope's shoulder before disappearing.
Hope smiled before charging at Volca. "Here I come, Volca!" he said.
"There is still time...to prove my eye right!" Volca said igniting himself once more as he charged in with a punch.
The two collided punches as a shockwave of fire and ice pierced the air, as it came over to the space where the others were fighting against Zaheer's team.
"What the hell was that?" Gahzan asked.
"That would be a friend of ours." Nero said with a grin as she threw her shield at him.
Pi'li was able to deflect the shield with a well timed combustion bending shot.
"We need to go, Zaheer!" Pi'li called.
"Agreed. This mission has failed!" Zaheer said creating a dome of air around them.
"They're getting away!" Mako said.
"We can worry about that later, right now we have to help Korra." Mari said.
Back with Hope and Volca, the two were still locked in fists before Hope was able to break through Volca's flames and shatter his momentum.
"No! This cannot be!" Volca said.
"I told you, didn't I!? I can break through anything, but it all started with fire! Now, take this!" Hope said rapidly punching at Volca with added effects of fire, lightning, water and crystal. "I will shatter the future that you envisioned, and remake the path to peace! This is the will of the heroes way!" Hope called as he pulled a fist back. "Azure Gods…. Heroic….Battery Dynamic!" He shouted delivering punch after punch until the last one nailed Volca in his third eye as he fell over.
"Centurion...I'm...sorry." Volca thought as he fell to the ground.
"I just showed you something that your eye CAN'T see. The desire that fuels me which can shatter anything in my way, even the future." Hope said before walking away.
(end song)
"Looks like Hope did it." Jexi said. "Not that I expected him to lose to that guy."
"Looks like all three of you have that power now. The power of that second stage." Ty said. "Y'know, it may be a little cheesy for his tastes, but something about calling his second form Azure God Mode: The Heroic is kinda fitting, the same way Victory and Honorable suit you guys so perfectly. Ain't that right, David?"
"That's right. We named them after the things that drive us forward." David said.
"But still, I get Volca, but how did Zaheer and his team find their way into Zaofu so quickly?" AJ said.
"They probably knew where we were like Volca did, but Zaheer had some way of doing it. What confused me is how they got into such as secure city at night. Did they know the way in… or..?" Ty said.
"Or maybe… they had someone on the inside." Najenda said smoking her cigarette.
"A traitor then?" Al asked.
"Gotta be one of the guards. Only way I see it." Theo said.
"It couldn't be them, I didn't hear the gates open." Papelne said.
"Well, they had to have gotten in somehow." Mana said.
"It could've been one of Suyin's family members but it's too early to say." Mari said.
"No...they may be strange but they couldn't have done this. Hmm. What about her advisor? Aiwei?" Ling asked.
"I think you're right Ling. It must've been him, he probably told Zaheer and his group that Korra was here." Simon said.
"If we go to his house, he's probably gonna escape the minute we ask him questions." Hope said.
"I'm afraid that we're too late for that." A voice said as Lan Fan appeared behind Ling.
"What did you find out?" Ling asked.
"A hidden tunnel behind the bookcase but the main room was detonated with an explosive. He left and covered his tracks." Lan Fan said.
"Sneaky little bastard." Kagura said. "Anyway, what now?"
"The most likely thing to do is try and follow Aiwei while his trail is still warm. The flow of his chi can still be sensed." Ling said.
"So let's track him down." Hope said.