Zero
"Why are you doing this to me?"
Crying? You HAVE to be joking! She'd made these last few days for me a total hell, and had the time of her life doing it. She'd ruined my best friend's chance at kids. With a smile on her face. And she'd stolen secrets from my family like it was a casual everyday thing. But another part of me told me she was serious. Maybe this was a big misunderstanding and she mistook me for the bad guy.
"Why are you blocking the path Zero? I thought you helped because you wanted to, not for debts."
I'm hit by the same thing I'd said the other day. I let down my guard down, and walk over. Slowly. "What do you mean blocking the path? I'm protecting the city."
She looked up at me and I met her gaze. "This isn't about the city. This is about the world. The world that needs its Avatar," she says, tears rolling now.
I tried to comfort her without being too touchy. "Well, um, what should I do to help?"
I glanced at Soul who was looking at me and shaking his head. I didn't know if I should listen to him or my own instincts. The sound of her light voice caught my attention again.
"The vault. All I need to know is where to find the vault." I took a deep breath. I chose my instincts. When I pulled out my phone, I pressed a few buttons, then a scan went through my eye. I pressed a few more buttons and a small piece of paper printed with the location of the Vault of The Fire Lord.
"Here."
She wiped her face and seemed to brighten up a bit.
"I'm glad that you changed your mind."
"You could have just explained from the start and I would have just helped."
She waved her hands, and we were covered in water she'd drawn from the river. She walked out after freezing me inside.
"I'm glad you weren't smart enough to figure me out. You think I'd beg you for anything, or have a breakdown in the middle of a fight? Honestly Zero, you're pitiful."
She swept up Zane with a wave and the two of them dove into the river.
A fire erupts from my mouth, "DAMMIT ALL!"
"What the hell did you do man?" Soul was barely speaking from his fixed standing position. " I've just given her power. And whoever else she wants to have it."
"We still got a shot at this man. There aren't a lot of people that know about the Monk's vault's location."
"And you do?"
"Of course. We just have to retrieve that key, and she's still locked out."
"Wait, you know about Avatar Raijin's vault too?"
"Zero, there aren't many airbenders compared to the rest of y'all. Is it really that hard to fathom that my family is one of the protector families? Give me some credit bro, I know about more than just girls. Besides, I tried to tell you not to trust her. Any girl who'd use a low blow against a man, for looking at what a man should be looking at, has to be evil. I mean don't she know that when the flag is at full mast, it's a good sign!"
At this point, I don't even know what to say to him. First, there's the new information that like the Fire Lord's vault, there's a Monk's Vault. So I suppose there was one per element. The safety of each, intrusted to a few families, like the Abyss family. The second thing that caught me was this man's limitless perversion. But now wasn't the time for that. This entire thing had just turned way bigger. And it was my responsibility to my parents to protect the Vault.
"C'mon. We have a lot of prep to do. We're leaving the country to get to those vaults. Assuming the Monk's is out of the country right?"
"Yeah. But I won't say where, she could still be listening."
"Right." You'd think I'd have learned that after the last time I saw her jump into water. I broke the earth around his feet, and had to help him to the car. We both stayed at my house for the night. This school thing would have to wait.
The next morning, we really felt the effects of the battle, as the fatigue was in full force. I had asked my phone to take all the data it had obtained while with me during the fight and put it into the simulator.
Over some breakfast, I get to work on our journey.
"Where is the monk's vault anyway?"
"Japan haha. In the mountains."
"At the top of mountains just like your old temples? Isn't that a bit obvious?"
"Actually yeah. Which is why it's underground."
"Ah...well I hope you've enjoyed your days as a bum, we're taking the next 5 days to train you into a beast. In all conditions. Next time we clash with them it's for keeps, and I can't fight 2v1."
"And what about speaking Japanese so we don't look like complete American crap when we arrive?"
"We could try the nanobots and put them on the language related part of the brain."
"Zero, how much money do you have? And I better not start disintegrating."
I could have responded but there was too much on my mind.
The training process was rigorous. My computer clearly believed that this girl was unbelievably powerful. The day time simulation were tough, and the nighttime sims were punishing. Changing locations never seemed to hinder her friend either. But Soul made progress. Our teamwork sync improved, and Soul's reflexes got faster. He was starting to actually look like an airbender out there. Despite this being a race, I figured we had some time while she went to Africa to find our vault. Thankfully the coordinates I gave over didn't tell her that It was a highly guarded monument. It was actually the most public of the vaults, but they never announced it as a vault. Only as Africa's greatest museum, The National Bardo Museum in Tunis.
I wonder how well she is with the native languages. I decided Soul and I could use an extra day to rest and practice our Japanese.
The night before our departure, I dreamed that our last encounter went differently. That the girl was actually the good girl she played me for. There was no way that was true though. When I woke up, my mind was clear.
"Soul. Let's make history."
He followed me to a door that I almost ever mad use of, and went down a long flight of stairs. "Where we going? Your second base..."
His sentence was cut short when he saw the matte black jet and underground garage.
"Seriously Zero, how loaded are you?!"
He followed me to the cockpit and I sat in the seat and strapped the seat belts. "Wait wait wait, are you licensed to fly a jet?!"
"Computer."
In response, a small plastic card with my name, picture, and credentials on it came from a slot.
"Am now. Sit down."
"Zero Abyss, you are something else."
