A few days after leaving Zaofu, David and his group moved across the Earth Kingdom by foot before they slowly returned to Ba Sing Se.
"We've returned." Ling said.
"A very majestic sight, now that I'm looking at it from this point of view." Mana said. "Of course, it would've been better if we weren't wanted criminals."
"It couldn't be helped. We weren't just going to let those Airbenders become tools for war." Yoko said.
"What we did was what was needed." Ling said.
"So...can you still feel the same energy?" Marco asked.
"Yes. It hasn't changed since last time. Actually...it feels like its been growing." Ling said.
"Either that means whoever it is is getting closer, or stronger." David said.
"But...we never saw anything strange in the city." Himeno said.
"Then that means one thing...they're underground." Ling said.
"Underground?" David asked.
"If they're commencing their plans in secret, of course they'd take it underground." Nagi said.
"In that case...we'll just have to follow them underground." Mana said as she felt the ground before punching a hole in it, revealing a secret tunnel underneath.
"Ling was right. There's a tunnel here." Nagi said.
"Then let's go. We don't have a moment to lose." David said.
The Members of SEALED, along with David, Lan Fan and Ling moved down into the secret tunnel. As they continued down, they came towards a large door.
"This is odd...but we at least better knock." Mana said before she punched the door open. Upon its opening, they saw large lines of stone statues set up all across.
"What...what is this!?" Lan Fan said.
"From the look of things, these are probably titans that didn't wake up." Ling said.
"It looks like there's an entire army of them." Marco said.
"But why didn't they wake?" Himeno wondered.
"It's likely they were fully set up when the first wave woke. This must be why Grimoire and Shirokumi were supposedly silent all this time." Yoko said.
"And with Shirokumi dead, Grimoire is left to carry the load." David said.
"Doesn't look like the load isn't gonna be carried any more. These statues look like they were just finished recently. Still...why do I get the feeling this isn't the worst of it." Marco asked.
"It isn't." Mana said looking at something. The rest followed before seeing a large monstrous creature being supported in chains. Its skin was green as its body was dressed in skull like armor as well as having several horns.
"What in the… What is that?" Nagi asked.
"Is that...Titanmon?" David wondered.
"This creature….this is where I was feeling this rancid chi." Ling said. "How something this large could go undetected for so long is a puzzlement."
"So...we have a few rats in the nest." a voice said as Grimoire stood on top of the monster's head.
"Grimoire!" David said.
"Well, well… Long time no see, God Slayer." Grimoire said.
"We heard that he cut off your arm. How have things been since then?" Marco asked.
"It's not that hard for me to get a new one...thanks to those Nephilim souls and one of their arms. You know...As much as I wanna fight, I've been given orders to avoid combat...but not these guys." Grimoire said snapping his fingers as rising from the ground were the corpses of earth kingdom citizens and dai li agents.
"You think your little undead puppet show is gonna work on me this time?" David asked.
"I don't expect it too. I just need to buy time." Grimoire smirked.
"Buy time...I get it. Your master hasn't fully awoken yet, has he?" Ling asked.
"True...he hasn't. But it won't be long now." Grimoire said.
"Well, I think it's about time you got a taste of you own medicine." Yoko said as she snapped her fingers as rising from the ground are corpses of Ghirahim, Zant, Artorious and Yomi.
"What the? Wait...you can copy my abilities?!" Grimoire said in shock.
"Surprised? I would've been." Yoko said. "This isn't even my original ability. It once belonged to our comrade Zenji."
"This still changes nothing. Titanmon will be revived, and there's nothing you or the Olympos XII can do to stop us!" Grimoire said. "Get them!" He ordered to the Dai Li and Earth Kingdom Citizens as they charged.
"Lan Fan, if you'd be so kind…" Ling said.
"Of course, master." she said moving past them and ran at Grimoire before tossing something at him.
"What the?" He said before a flash went off. "A flash grenade? Son of a...I can't see."
"I hope you're ready, Grimoire. You're not getting away from me this time!" David said.
"Crap crap crap." Grimoire said before David went and sliced off Grimoire's head from his body.
"Oh, he's gonna feel that one in the morning…" Marco cringed.
"And just for good measure." David said as he dealt a rapid barrage of slices before he finishes with an energy blast.
"Yes...but...why haven't the corpses vanished?" Marco asked.
"You son of a bitch!" Grimoire's voice shouted as they saw his head. "How dare you...you know how hard I worked on that body!"
"What the? How are you still alive?!" David said.
"Please, this isn't my first decapitation. My head can actually live up to 3 hours without a body." Grimoire said. "And how are you all alive? I thought for sure Volca would have incinerated all of you."
"Let's just say a good friend of ours did us a favor." David said.
"Damn it." Grimoire growled before they felt the ground began to shake.
"What the? What's going on?" Mana asked.
"Could it be?" Grimoire wondered as he looked up at Titanmon as the body began to shake. "Yes! I may have lost my body...but it was all worth it….he has returned!"
The large monstrous beast then moved its arm as it ripped a chain from the wall before doing the same with the other.
"Run?" Nagi asked David.
"Yep. That's pretty much all we can do." David said. "Damn it… Even after all of this, we still couldn't stop it…"
Up above in the Earth Queen's Throne room, Titanmon's movement caused shaking in the palace.
"What is with all this shaking?!" The queen asked.
"Apologies, your majesty! There doesn't seem to be any problems…" the advisor said before suddenly the Red Lotus barged into the throne room.
"You! I thought you said you'd leave those two criminals with me and be done with it!" The queen said.
"Recent changes have occured. Besides, you can no longer produce the Avatar to us." Zaheer said.
"And how would you know that?" The queen asked.
"Call it a hunch." Zaheer said as he and his group fought off the incoming Dai Li agents as well as the guards before he went at the queen.
"You wouldn't dare harm a queen." She said.
"Maybe you don't know but...I don't believe in queens." Zaheer said as he started airbending the air right from her lungs. This caused the queen to immediately die of suffocation.
It wasn't long after that David and his group returned to the surface where they ended up in front of the Earth Queen's palace.
"That was not supposed to happen." Mana said.
David's comm then rung.
"Dave, are you guys alright? What's going on?" Ty asked.
"Guys, I'm sorry. We split off to fight Grimoire, but...we didn't make it in time." David said.
"Yeah, we kinda figured. You take a listen over the speakers of the city yet?"
"Speakers?" David asked.
"I think he means that." Ling said pointing to some speakers.
"Attention citizens of Ba Sing Se, just moments ago, the Earth Queen was brought down by the hands of revolutionaries including myself. My name is not important. I'm not here to take over. You've had enough of leaders. You will find your own path. You are all free. I now return Ba Sing Se to the hands of the people." Zaheer said.
At that Moment, Ghazan lavabent right into the outer walls around Ba Sing Se, forcing them to break apart due to the heat and pressure. With all the walls being broke open, the people of the different rings began rioting and looting across all of the city.
"My god…" Lan Fan said before the ground shook.
"It's about to get worse…!" Marco said as Titanmon burst out from underneath the palace and rose just beyond the walls as he roared as the people of the city cheered.
"This city's in complete chaos." Nagi said.
"David, I realize you still want to finish business but we can't stay here." Mana said.
"She's right. Given the increasing riots, it's not gonna be long before the palace is taken." Ling said.
"Very well. Let us retreat." David said.
"On foot won't do us good. We need an airship." Yoko said.
"And ours is parked...right back in Zaofu." David said.
"Wait...look!" Marco said pointing to a large lot of airships. They started running towards them before being joined by Mako and Bolin as they entered the only one remaining where people were looting the inside.
"I would ask what you guys are doing here, but I'm guessing It's got something to do with that huge monster?" Bolin asked.
"Nevermind that now." David said. "Okay looters! Move out!" He said as it had little effect.
"Let me try. Hey! They just found the Earth Queen's gold! Third floor of the palace, second door to the right." Ling said as the looters ran out.
"Nice work, Ling. I should've given more effort into mine." David said.
"Unless getting crushed by a recently awakened monster is on our list of things to do today, we should get out of here." Himeno said.
"Is anyone capable of flying this thing?" Bolin said. "Cause I'm not so sure myself."
"You cannot be serious." David said.
"I'll do it." Nagi said.
"Nagi? You sure?" Marco asked.
"Affirmative." Nagi said.
"If there are no objections, let's go and quick. We don't have much time." David said.
"Hang on!" Nagi said as she started up the airship as it took up albeit sloping down.
"Pull it up!" Mana said.
"But there's nothing to...wait, here it is." Nagi said doing so. "Hey, I'm not used to aircraft like this."
"In any case, we have to get our family, then were meeting up with the others. Zaheer wants us to relay a Message via us to Korra, that's why we got out before Titanmon broke free." Mako said.
"Message?" Ling asked.
"He said for Korra to turn herself over...if she wants to see the Air Nation prosper." Mako said. "But that wasn't all. He also said...Centurion is waiting in the mountains."
"He is?" David asked.
"Well, with Titanmon resurrected, there's no need for him to hide out anymore." Ling said.
"This is it, David. You ready?" Himeno asked.
"I am. It looks like the time has finally come." David said.
"We best hurry out of here then. From what Grimoire said...Titanmon was only the beginning." Ling said as they saw smaller movement in the cavern below as the stone statues were slowly beginning to move.