Hey there everybody. Merry Christmas to you all. Here is a lovely present from me to you guys.
Chapter 9: The Fall of Blackwatch
The non-bending citizens watched as Blackwatch used Mecha-tanks to smash the buildings surrounding the docks, the same area that the giant monster attacked days ago. They said that the monster contaminates areas it attacks, ensuring that even after it is gone the people will suffer. Those who were foolish enough to stay in the desolate section were rounded up and kept separate from everyone else. A few of the surviving copters flew overhead, dropping explosives on the rubble. With the buildings at the edges gone, the fire was contained within the affected areas. Elsewhere, they were erecting strange curved machines, the circular parts spinning slowly over and over. The bender who had resisted, confident that their bending would win, now laid outside under sheets, dead as you could get. The Council was captured, almost down to the last man.
In short, it was going to take a miracle to remove them from Republic City.
Pecking away at some moss growing in a gutter, Alex the crow cawed and flapped away, acting like some normal, ordinary bird instead of an intelligent monster scouting out the enemy and planning their destruction. Intelligence was the key right now. No one ever won a war without it. Even he wouldn't have gotten far against Blackwatch if he hadn't been learning everything he could about them. And the speed of which they were getting set up showed that they had been planning this for ages. Perhaps as soon as they realised he was here with them. It won't be long now before he or any part of him could go anywhere without one of their detectors spotting him.
But then again, that could be used against them.
By now, he was hovering over the park, where a large crowd of people were standing before a platform. On either side of it was Blackwatch goons and their detectors, still acting normally. In front of them were Equalists, standing to attention. And before them were several people in chains, most likely benders.
And on the platform, stood Amon.
"The tyranny of bending has been disrupted by our actions." He was saying. "We have freed ourselves of their oppression." He pointed towards the Council chambers and the Pro-bending arena, both now decorated with Equalist and Blackwatch flags. "We have taken our streets back." He pointed towards a passing squadron of troops, most likely escorting more benders. "We have placed our own symbol over everything they stand for." He now pointed towards the distance Aang Memorial statue, the face now covered by Amon's mask. "And we even have the Avatars on the run. They cannot win against us. We have strength of unity, of technology. Today, we can finally liberate ourselves and free us from the chains of inequality. And the best way to do so, is to remove bending itself." The lieutenant stepped forward, dragging a bender after him. By the man's clothes, he was most likely a factory owner, fancy and Fire Nation red. Once, he may have looked smug about his powers. He might've treated his workers like friends. He might've been minding his own business for all anyone knew. But right now, he was trembling and white with fear. But there was nothing he could do to stop his fate. The Lieutenant pressed a boot to his back, forcing him to kneel before Amon, facing towards the crowd.
"Please. Don't. I've always treated everyone, even non-benders well." He begged. But the crowd didn't hear him. And neither did Amon. He reached out with his hands, touching him at the base of the skull and the forehead. The man could only stare upwards, his eyes quivering as Amon took his bending. But Alex didn't care about him. He was more interested in what Amon was doing. The last time there was too much lightning flying around for him to truly see what was happening. But now he had a full view of it all. And something sang to him. A feeling of energy moving through the man. And even though he had never seen it before, it felt vaguely familiar.
There were two brothers, out in the arctic wild with their father on a full moon. Before the two brothers were packs of wolves, lined up in a row. He didn't want to hurt them, didn't want to control them. The act made him feel sick, taking away something's will and control like that. Despite his father's shouting, he could only make them move side by side, whining in pain and fear. It tore him up inside. But his brother was stronger. Without even moving his limbs, as expected of all but the strongest benders, he gained full control of the wolves, and lifted them into the air by their bold with a lift of his head. As their father smiled at his progress, his brother forced the wolves to bow before him, still not moving his arms. It was terrifying. Gone was the gentle brother he knew. Gone was dear old Noatak.
Now, there was only a monster.
Alex shook his head as the memory faded. It was impossible. Well, not impossible but still unlikely. It would destroy them. Their leader, the man most against benders and the threat they posed, was a Waterbender and a Bloodbender? The city would revolt. It couldn't really be true.
But if it was, it was one of the greatest weapons they had.
An Equalist soldier exited the park bathroom, still buttoning up his uniform as he walked. His mind was on other things, all threats dealt with and either captured… or disposed.
So he was completely unprepared when a bird flew into his skull at forty-odd miles per hour.
He was certainly a strange sight right then, with a feathery body stuck inside one of his eyes. The mass burrowed its way further into his skull until there was a hole in his face. His legs moved to sag and fall, but something got them back under control in the last second, stumbling forward. The hole in his face healed over with black tendrils, until you couldn't even tell that anything had happened to him. His build altered, growing taller and skinnier by the second. By now he was back within the crowd, getting closer and closer to Amon. The detectors started spinning faster and beeping, pointing towards him. Everyone looked on in confusion as Blackwatch unholstered their guns. Alex pushed his way through until he was in sight of the entire crowd, the detectors beeping loudly and spinning at incredible speeds. He lifted his hands, and the Blackwatch soldiers screamed in pain as they were lifted by their blood. He threw them into the detectors, smashing them to pieces and scattering blood everywhere. As he stepped onto the podium, he pulled off his helmet to reveal a face well-known to almost everyone here.
"Councilman Tarrlok." Amon said wryly. "It's rather amazing to find you here today, considering your untimely demise in prison." Only the slight clenching of his fists revealed his true emotion. Another point for his theory.
"I'm hardly going to go and leave terrorists like you still running around, Amon. And it's a good thing I faked my own death. Tenzin and the Council try to fight without my expertise and drive, and they lose the entire city to you dogs."
"And so you apparently decided to attack me, in full view of my followers and surrounded by an entire squad of Equalists. Hardly seems smart."
"I am a Bloodbender, Amon. One not limited by the lunar cycle. Your men are no match for me." He raised his hands in preparation of bending. The Equalists charged forward, but they didn't get far before he removed all control from their bodies. The crowd backed away, fearful of his power.
But Amon was still standing. Alex could feel his Bloodbending pushing against his will. It pushed harder now, and Amon took a step forward.
It would've been easy to simply crush his will, to take full control of Amon right now. But he could hear the comms chattering away, getting every Blackwatch soldier available after him. It would be dangerous to keep this up against such large numbers. He hadn't actually seen if Bloodbending could affect entire armies. Better to run and live to try another day.
"You may have won this fight Amon." He gritted out, the terrorist leader only a few steps away now. "But mark my words, you haven't won the war."
And he leapt away, bending the water from the nearby ponds to freeze everyone within range. A small bubble of air surrounded Amon's position, but the water covered the whole stage, blocking him off. Alex took off at a run, even before the first Mecha-tanks arrived.
By the time they reached his last known location, Alex was long gone.
"What the hell was he thinking, attacking Amon like that?" Mako asked angrily as they moved down the secret tunnel, Equalist masks in hand. Korra had to admit, he had a good point. From what she saw of Alex's memories, he never attacked someone like that unless he was planning a hit-and-run, or unless something was distracting the main army. "Blackwatch and the Equalists are going to be going crazy now. And it'll make it so much harder to sneak around, or for the United Forces to sneak up on them."
"They already know that the United Forces are arriving." Korra pointed out. "I don't really think a fleet would've sneaked up on them. Alex wouldn't have attacked them as Tarrlok without a good reason. We can ask him once we get back to base." Mako sighed, but nodded in agreement. A few more turns led them to a large underground chamber, filled with people and ramshackle buildings. This was where the homeless lived, when they weren't scrounging about above. They had found the place by sheer accident, and Alex first wondered if they supported the Equalists too. But it turned out that they didn't. There were benders and non-benders here, getting along better than anyone above. To them, all the rhetoric about 'being oppressed' and 'lording their power over us' was meaningless. Bolin was fooling around, having Pabu chase a small ball for fun. Asami was watching him with a smile, before frowning as they got closer. And Alex was leaning back against a few boxes, meditating. At least, that's what Korra called it. It was actually more like an astral-projection, controlling his other body from afar. He said that a bird didn't have enough biomass to make calculated decisions, only capable of recording and relaying messages. But he could connect to his Hive-mind and order it around remotely, allowing him to guide it at times and alter its mission as he saw fit.
Korra had to admit, it was actually kinda cool.
"You guys were gone for quite a while." Asami said coolly, glaring at them. Well, at Mako. Korra now felt really awkward about the whole 'love triangle'. Sure, she really did love Mako, and sure she did kiss him when she really shouldn't have. But she didn't know that she and Bolin had gone on a 'date'. She thought it had just been a good fun time between two friends. And she graciously let Asami have Mako since she had found out her father was working for Amon and really needed someone to comfort her. She just had to hope they all came out the other side still as friends.
"We had to scout things out. And we had to make sure we didn't get any attention. It's not as easy or as quick as you apparently think it is." Mako replied, frowning at her.
"Trust me, I doubt anyone was paying you any attention after what I just did." Alex said, now sitting forward and fiddling with some parts he had borrowed. A large black dog came bounding over, pushing its head underneath his hand. Tendrils flowed over it as his biomass returned to him, but he barely shuddered as he kept plugging something into the small box he had in front of him.
"I wanted to talk to you about that actually. What led you to decide to attack Amon directly out in the open like that? You barely accomplished anything before you had to run off. And all it really did was show everyone that Amon could resist Bloodbending."
"Despite your beliefs, I learnt a lot more than just that. Something about Amon's Energybending felt familiar, and brought up an 'interesting' memory. I attacked him like that to test out a theory."
"And that theory is…" Bolin asked, accepting a bowl of gruel from their homeless friend Gommu.
"I know who Amon really is. He's actually Tarrlok's brother, Noatak."
"But… But that would make him…" Korra started saying.
"Yakone's son. Yeah."
"That actually makes sense." Mako said. "A non-bender, growing up surrounded by people like Yakone and Tarrlok, who had access to the most dangerous and terrifying bending ever. No wonder he hates benders so much."
"There's more. And this is the key part. Noatak isn't actually a non-bender. In fact, he was even better at it than Tarrlok. He could do anything better. Including Bloodbending. That's how he removes your bending. Don't ask me how it works though."
"But… if he's a Bloodbender,…Then… Is the Equalist Movement just his personal power play?" Asami stuttered.
"I don't know if he's using those people or if he honestly believes his own rhetoric. He still needs to go down anyway. But I bet his followers would care a great deal about that kind of thing. Especially after I used Bloodbending to kill some Blackwatch people." He grunted as a spark flickered from the wires he was using.
"So, uh… What you working on Alex?" Bolin asked, changing the subject.
"This device here is an advance piece of technology from my world called a laptop." Alex replied, accepting the bowl of gruel from Gommu and sticking his hand into it for a second. With a loud slurp, his biomass drank it all down in a second. "Describing all its functions would be beyond your understanding. But what I can tell you is that this could be a way into Blackwatch's systems, allowing us access to their plans and knowledge."
"And the wires are part of that?" Korra asked him.
"Normally we use other technology to broadcast the information wirelessly. But since you guys have apparently only just discovered the wireless phone, I'm going to have to plug this into a hard-line and hope I can use that to get into Blackwatch."
"…So, will it work?" Mako asked, frowning. It was probably going right over his head. Mind you, it was going over Korra's head too. Only Asami and Gommu seemed to have a clue what he was talking about. Alex stayed silent, hooking up one final wire before smiling. A strange noise came from the box as Alex lifted the lid. He then typed away at it, tapping a finger against something before turning to them.
"We're in." Emboldened by that, everyone gathered around him. A black screen with green lines over it was on lid. The familiar yet strange English dotted the screen, in large fonts that were easy to read. So belatedly noted that Alex was registered under the name 'Sam Gibbon', whoever that was.
"I can't read a thing. You two see anything that says 'our evil plan' or something?" Mako asked them. Alex ran his finger over a pad at the bottom of the box, causing a strange cross to move across the lid. It hovered over a line saying 'battle preparations', and the line flashed green with black writing. Slowly, a new line of text appeared. Very slowly.
"Don't look at me like that. I'm working with 19th century tech here. I'm not a miracle worker." Alex said defensively. After several minutes of waiting, the screen was filled. And it didn't look good.
"So according to this, they're going to fill the bay with mines to destroy the ships. While the crew are busy dealing with the damage and steering around them, the Equalists are going to use some kind of new device called 'a biplane'." Korra told the others.
"That's good. I can handle biplanes. If they were anything more advanced we might have a problem."
"Why? Not good with flying?" Bolin asked, no malice in his voice. He was honestly curious.
"What's the fastest speed achieved on this world? 70 miles? 80? We've got planes that can go faster than sound. By the time you hear them they'll have already been, dropped their package, and gone. Even I can't hit something that fast." Korra shuddered as she heard that. Aircraft that can attack before you even hear them. Alex's world was a scary place.
But she already knew that. It had made him, and Blackwatch too.
"After the initial attack, Blackwatch were going to go in with their helicopters and capture as many troops as possible. They'd give half of them to Amon for his 'shows', but they'd keep the rest for experimentation." Alex continued reading out. "All in all, The United Forces are walking into a bloodbath."
"There's got to be something we can do to stop them. Or at least lessen the amount of Equalist troops attacking them." Mako started pondering.
"Well, in the meantime Gommu can contact the United Forces and warn them. It's better than nothing, and it might just help turn the tide." Korra said. Gommu saluted her before running off to his radio he built. "But we need to take out those planes before they get here. Alex?"
"One of the greatest weaknesses of aircraft is the fact they need power to fly. If they run out of fuel, or get their engines clogged, or just lose too much structural support, they crash and burn. And they need to land to reload. If we could take out their airfield, then all they'd have is whatever they took off with. I could gather up some extra biomass and create some flyers to attack them. They won't last long, but by applying a cutting edge to their wings we could take down plenty before they all die off."
"Ok. What about the helicopters?"
"They aren't really meant to engage the enemy directly. Everything I said about planes is also true for them. If The United Forces could keep them still long enough, they could bombard them with cannon fire until they fall. But they can carry some serious firepower and armour."
Korra thought about what she had learnt from Alex about helicopters. "What if they had their water benders freeze the blades? Would that work?"
"Maybe. But they might have better luck freezing the motor. Without that, their armour and weapons would cause them to sink." Alex smiled at Korra. It was strange, as though his mouth didn't know what it was doing. But it was still a smile. "Good thinking."
"Yeah, great. But uh… I have one question." Bolin raised his hand like a child. "What about all the soldiers probably guarding the airfield? If it's as important as you say it is, they've probably got a lot of guys waiting there."
"One thing about Blackwatch is that the Infection is their top priority. And I could do a lot of damage if they ignore me. I'll grab their attention until they send everyone they can against me. When that happens, start blowing shit up. It won't be long before they realise what we're up to."
"And you really think they'll choose an airfield attack over your death?"
"Probably."
"Well, if you're doing that, I'm going after Amon." Korra said. Everyone looked at her in shock.
"Are you crazy Korra? You can't fight him. He's always been one step ahead, and that was before we found out he was a Bloodbender." Mako told her.
"Exactly. But if we reveal that he's a bender to his whole group, it'll undermine everything. Half of them will probably revolt. And the more time they spend fighting each other, the faster we can beat them."
"Well then you're not going after him alone. I'm going with you."
"You are?" Korra was surprised. "Don't you want to go with Asami and attack the airfield?"
"Bolin's rocks will have more effect on the planes than my flames. Anything flammable would just as likely hurt us. At least my flames can be used against the Equalists." His face brooked no argument. Behind him, Korra could see Asami looking hurt.
"Looks like we have our plan of attack." Alex said. "For now, everyone should get some rest. It's going to be one hell of a day tomorrow."
Williams frowned as he looked out over Republic City from the Airship. She had grown fond of this city. Though she kept it hidden under a sports-persona, she had always been a science-fiction fan. She watched Star Trek, Doctor Who, and even the first Battlestar Galactica. Her first date had been to see Star Wars, and she used to role-play as Vina, the original green-skinned alien girl. And here she was, in a parallel Earth. An Earth that evolved differently to their own. And yet the city resembled an Asian-themed San Francisco. It was so uncanny, yet so amazing.
And here they were, ruining it with Blacklight and bombs, helping a terrorist group destroy everything that made it unique in her eyes. All because when they first crossed over, the delicate equipment they were going to use to create a door home broke.
But she was a soldier. She had waded through blood to save the world from their mistakes. As much as she hated having to destroy this wonderful city, it was better than destroying the entire world.
"United Forces, 100 miles and closing." The radar officer reported to her. As an Orion 2.0, she was one of the higher ranked members of Blackwatch. As a sign of their trust in her, she was given her own airship and crew.
She felt like it was just a big target for Zeus to target.
"Roger that. Tell the teams to prepare for the attack." Once the first explosions began, their planes would start a bombing run while the fleet was occupied. With that, they'd be crushed. Human history has shown that aerial units hold superiority over naval units. Especially when they had other things on their minds.
"Hold on. Enemy forces haven't gotten any closer. It's like they've stopped."
"Maybe they're just finalising their plan of attack." Another officer replied.
"What plan? All they've got is to go charging in and hit us as hard as they can. It's not rocket science."
"Then maybe they're a distraction. We focus on them and they attack us from the mountains or something."
"I doubt their ground forces could get her that quickly."
"Oh. Well, maybe they're chickening out."
She decided to interrupt their argument. "Whatever they're planning, we need to report it. Another team could've found something out." One of the screens started beeping and flashing, startling the trooper sitting at it.
"Zeus alert. He's been spotted attacking the 4th Division. Casualties are rising."
"Maintain our position. Our orders were clear. We are our eyes, reporting on the Fleet. The others will have to divert to handle him." This was starting to feel wrong. Zeus didn't just attack for no reason. And he certainly would've disappeared before the whole army found him, like he did yesterday. What could he hope to accomplish?
"Ships are moving again. They'll reach the mines in 5 minutes."
"Good. Ready yourselves men. Things could get messy." She kept watching, her improved eyes allowing her to see further. The mist of the early morning was burning away slightly, revealing half a dozen battleships approaching. They were shaped rather similar to catamarans, designed with twin bows but armed to the teeth. Still, according to Sato they had no defences against mines except for Waterbenders, who couldn't do a thing if they weren't aware of them. Soon, they'll reach their doom.
"Ships will reach the mines in 1 minute." She didn't like having to do this, but it was either them or Blackwatch. They were getting closer, closer… She frowned as she saw Waterbenders standing by the sides of the ship. They were moving in traditional bending formations. But why? What was the point? Were they getting ready for some kind of powerful…?
Oh. Son of a bitch.
"Ships have reached the mines." The radar officer looked at the ships, looking confused. "They should be exploding."
Son of a fucking bitch.
"We've been compromised. They know our plans. They're Waterbending the mines away." Goddammit, how could they know? They were using a SIGSALY encryption, this would only just discovered the radio. There should be no way they could break through unless…
Unless Zeus broke through the encryption. Again.
"Send out a general warning. Zeus is playing decoy. Send as many troops as we can to defend critical locations or we'll be up to our tits in United Force soldiers." Even as she said that, something big exploded in the distance. Even though she could barely recognise it, she knew it was the radio tower they had been installing to ensure city-wide communications. "Dammit. Send that message to anyone who can hear us."
"Great idea ma'am. But there's still a problem."
"I am aware that a fleet is moving unimpeded towards us soldier."
"I know, but didn't the bombing run plan kinda hinge on them being too distracted to fight back?"
"Then we'll just have to lose some numbers. As long as they bail out they should survive." Even at this distance, she could hear the explosions of the mines bumping into one another. And the drone of the propellers from the biplanes.
And of course, that was when the bird started flying out of the sewers.
"What the… Are they going to attack us with trained crows?" One soldier asked in bewilderment. "Or are these one of those freaky hybrid animals, like a tuna-swan or a dino-eagle or something?" Williams stared at them closer, wondering what the plan was. They flew straight for the biplanes, as if they were accomplishing a kamikaze mission. Did they have trained birds on the off-chance someone attacks from above? But then she saw a glint from their wings, as one of the went on a collision course with a biplane's wing. Her heart sank as the bird flew through the wing, severing it like paper.
"Worse. Those are Flyers." Everyone started as they heard the name given to Infected birds. The Equalists pilots didn't know what to expect as the monsters started tearing through their planes like paper. They shot down several with the guns Blackwatch helped install into the cockpit, and several Flyers were torn apart by the propellers before wrecking the whole thing. But at least half the air fleet was destroyed by them. And in the meantime, the United Forces had been getting closer. Now they attacked too, firing flames at the biplanes closest to them. "Dammit, dammit, dammit. Men, prepare the weapons. We're going to have to take part ourselves if we want to stop them. Ready the long range cannons." The men nodded, several of them moving towards the cannon controls. This was not what was supposed to happen. They were just meant to be their eyes. If they start attacking, they run the risk of being shot down. That was why some of the men had to double up.
But the plan's been fucked up. It couldn't get any worse with them taking a few shots. "Men, start targeting the ones further away. The sooner we take them out before they get too close, the less ships we have to worry about shooting us."
"But what about the ships in the lead? What's going to happen to them?"
"That's my concern soldier. If the General calls, tell him I'm taking the fight to them." She stomped out towards the elevator leading up to the top, suiting herself up at the armoury first. Once outside, she stood there for a moment, appreciating the sight before her. It was likely to be her last.
Oh she wasn't too concerned with the United Forces. It was Zeus she was terrified of running into.
She ran at full pelt, the metal denting under her feet as she did. Thanks to her increased speed, she flew farther than ever before, far enough to be over the lead ship. Folding her arms in, she fell like a rock, no, like a bomb towards them. At the last second she flared her arms out, her speed decreasing until she merely hit the deck hard enough to crater it instead of hard enough to go through it and possibly kill herself. The men onboard were thrown about by her landing, the ship rocking to and fro, giving her enough time to ambush them. Her assault rifle served her well, downing the crew on one side of the ship as she ran into the other group. Those who didn't die from being hit by armour plating going 40 miles an hour were thrown overboard, left to drown. But plenty more came running out from below deck. The Earthbenders pelted her with stone discs, while the Firebenders tried to burn her alive. She dropped the rifle to block the blows and throw the discs back at them, before pulling off her grenade launcher and blowing them all to hell. She fired a few more down the stairs, hoping to either smoke out or kill anyone left. She wasn't prepared to get attacked from above by fire. Seeing the launcher grow red, she threw it down before it could explode, the ship rocking as it took out something important. She turned to see what must've been the captain of the ship, a dark-haired man dressed impeccably in a red navy uniform.
"Blackwatch soldier, you are advised to stand down immediately. But given that you just killed my crew, I'll be very happy if you don't." He said, his hands on fire.
"Blackwatch live to save the world. If we have to walk on a road of corpses to do that, then so be it." Williams pulled out her side arm, firing right at him. But he was smarter than the other crew. He was already moving even as she pulled out her pistol, throwing fire to try and distract her. It must come from being a Firebender. She had to drop it as a fireball hit her hand dead on, turning the gun red. Using her distraction, the captain got in close and unleashed a blazing barrage of attacks. Against an ordinary person, they would be damaging, even deadly.
She let him tire himself out for a moment before catching his hand in her fist, and then twisting it hard enough to dislocate it.
He screamed in pain before she threw him over her shoulder, slamming him into the decking hard enough to dent it. Evidently, people here were made of sturdier stuff than she thought, because he crawled back to his feet still. Noticing where they were standing, she grabbed her rifle off the ground. No matter how sturdy he was, there would be no way he could defend against this.
And of course, that was when one of the Equalist planes attacked the damn ship she was on. And it crashed into the harbour at the same time.
Using the moment she was knocked over, the captain ran for the streets. She turned to follow, but noticed that her airship had fire billowing from an engine. It must've received the damage while she was busy. But the men could take care of it. They made their own fire extinguishers when they got here.
Her radio crackled. "Uh Commander Williams? This is Private Murphy reporting. I have a message from the General."
"I'm here Murphy. What's the message?"
"He said, and I quote, 'Get your ass back in your ship and keep watching. We can handle Zeus and his allies. Everything going on is a temporary set-back at worst.' Personally, I think that's bullshit, but orders are orders and all."
She sighed. "Understood. Inform General Redcliffe that the captain of the lead ship got away." Cursing up a storm, she found the tallest building and ran up it, using her speed from the climb to glide towards her ship. Her body ached a bit from the attacks, but it wasn't going to stop her. They had a war to win.
She just hoped they could still win it.
Asami knew she was being irrational. They were in the middle of a war, and the enemy of people who take away bending and a raging psycho group who'd burn the city to the ground to kill Alex and anyone who had been with him. It wasn't Korra's fault that she was beautiful enough that Mako fell for her. And yet here she was, worrying about their relationship (or lack thereof) when she should be concentrating. The ground shook slightly as something big – and probably important – exploded.
"Wow. I've gotta say, Alex is really getting these guys attention." Bolin said aloud as they hid inside a building, watching a mecha-tank drive past fast enough to nearly flip. "Everything we've come across is heading the other way. Maybe at this rate there'll be no one to guard the airfield."
"Don't get your hopes up Bolin." She warned him. "Neither of these groups are sloppy enough to do that." But she hoped that he was right. If there was one place her father was likely to be, it was up to his elbows in grease. Just like the workshop of an airstrip would look like.
She was deep in thought she nearly ran straight into the man in the red coat heading towards her. Remembering her training, she grabbed him by the arm and flipped him over her, causing him to land on his back. A loud pop echoed through the air and the man screamed in pain. As she looked at him closer, she recognised the insignia on his uniform.
Oh crap. She just attacked a member of the United Forces.
"You… You…" The man said as he got up, before he started chuckling. "You managed to pop my arm back into place. Bad luck for you two."
"Whoa, whoa. Hold on there. We're the good guys. We were with Korra when she had Gommu call you about the mines and the planes and stuff. Name's Bolin, and this here's Asami." He held his hand out, grinning widely. The man stared at him before shaking it back.
"General Iroh of the United Forces. Thanks for that warning. Without it, we wouldn't have made it so far. But we were attacked by an airship with heavy artillery on the way in. I myself lost my entire crew to a member of Blackwatch. I need a radio to get in contact with anyone."
"Right, right. I'm afraid we don't actually have one on us right now."
"But we were heading off to attack the Equalist Airfield. They'll likely have a radio on them somewhere. And not to insult you guys or anything, but I think they have worse things to worry about." As if to punctuate her statement, a giant fireball exploded from somewhere behind them.
"I see. Alright then. Let's go and break some things." He climbed onto Naga's back, the polar bear-dog easily covering the vast distance to the airfield. Luckily, the plans included their exact coordinates for them. They made it in record time. And just in time too, as the few planes that survived the attack had just flown in, unloading injured pilots and dumping damaged components. And strangely, besides the few Equalist and Blackwatch soldiers around, all they had to keep people out were metal poles, like a fence without a net.
"Ok, there has got to be a reason for those poles." Bolin said, noticing them too. "Maybe we should jump over them. Or maybe we could tunnel under them, like how Toph Beifong tunnelled under the giant Fire Nation drill that attacked Ba Sing Se." He stopped as he remembered who was with him at the time. "Oh sorry. I didn't mean to, you know, bring up all that…"
"No, it's fine. In fact, that sounds like a good plan. Whatever they're for can't possibly go underground. But we'll have to leave the animals behind. They won't be able to fit." Iroh moved closer, until he was behind the only mound between them and open space.
Bolin looked back at Naga and Pabu, both who had joined them on their adventure. "Sorry you two, but the general's got a point. Besides, Korra would kill me if I got you hurt Naga. So you just stay right there." He walked off, but turned back as Naga raised a paw. "Stay. Stay. Good girl." When he walked off again, Naga and Pabu stayed as ordered.
"Alright then Bolin. Make a tunnel. We'll rise up inside the main building and surprise them."
"Sure. But uh, just wondering who'll go after what when we get in there."
"You will tear apart the runways to stop their planes from taking off while Asami and I keep the Equalists and Blackwatch busy. But you have to be careful. I saw many good people die to those strange weapons of theirs."
"Not a problem. I'll steal a mecha-tank. Their weapons can't pierce the metal." Asami replied. "From what I heard, it's built a lot like the Future Industries forklifts." Iroh nodded in response. Cracking his knuckles, Bolin pushed against the earth until a pit started forming in the ground, pointing towards the base. Despite the effort it was taking and the toll, they were making good progress. Already they couldn't see the light at the entrance of the tunnel. Judging them to be within the base, Bolin started moving upwards.
And stopped as he hit metal.
"No good. We're going to have to move away from here." He whispered, trying to squeeze past Asami and Iroh. The second try found them outside the building, the wall clear through the hole. And then a person fell on them with a yelp. Barely wasting any time, Iroh grabbed him by the neck and held him in a tight grip. Eventually, his struggles ceased and his limbs went limp. Nodding to each other, the three of them crawled out of the tunnel, careful to keep an eye on their surroundings at all times, and tiptoed their way round the building until they found a door. Iroh eased it open, looking through at all the men inside. Most of them were dressed in pilot uniforms, with only a few bearing Blackwatch insignias. A couple of the men were fuelling one of the jets with oil. That was his target. He held his hand out to the others, three fingers held out… two… one…
The first they knew of the attack was when a fireball slammed into the plane and set the fuel on fire. The men near it ran as fast as they could to avoid the exploding wreckage. Iroh charged in with sweeping moves and vibrant flames, forcing everyone to take cover. While he did that, Bolin ran straight back outside through the hanger doors, already carving buckled lines into the runways. And Asami headed straight for a mecha-tank left open, mentally running her usual checklist of key parts and procedures from her days helping drive the forklifts. Just as other members of the Equalists had said when she was with them; it was exactly like a Future Industries forklift. The Blackwatch goons had Iroh pinned down behind cover when Asami slammed them with her cable, sending them flying into the walls. She fired the cannon on her shoulder at some of the planes still around, hopefully the only ones left. Iroh's flashy moves and military training allowed him to deal with what few Equalist members Asami missed. But she was suddenly blindsided by another Mecha-tank.
"Asami. Stop this right now." Hiroshi's voice echoed through the loudspeaker. "Look at what you're doing. Amon want to help people like us. When he succeeds, we won't have to live in fear of a common thug breaking in a killing someone you love. We won't have to fear that they could take everything from us. Everyone will be truly equal forever. Why do you help these monsters?"
"You may see only monsters, but I see ordinary people who just want to live out their lives. Having bending doesn't instantly make someone evil, just like wanting 'equality' doesn't make you a good person. How could you be so blind to that?" Asami asked him tearfully, dodging under his next blow and slamming her mecha arm against Hiroshi's helmet.
"If that Firebender had just been a normal person, your mother would still be alive. Instead she is gone, and nothing will bring her back. This way, I can ensure that no one else loses a loved one to monsters like him."
"But you're not. Now you're the monster taking people away from their loved ones. We saw all the people Blackwatch killed when they resisted. How could you possibly justify that? How can you continue associating with them?"
"Blackwatch may be gruff, but they represent the potential we non-benders have. In their world, they are unbelievably more advanced than us. They have technology that boggles the mind. They can cure sicknesses we believe to be fatal. They can replace a man's limbs with ease. They can communicate across the entire world in seconds. And they achieved all this long before we could get anything like what we already have. We could have achieved such wonders too, if we hadn't been held back by bender 'tradition'. Please Asami. Join us. We could do so much together, as a family."
Asami's tears ran freely. This wasn't the man she once knew, a kind and caring father who wanted her happiness. This was a man made bitter by hatred and anger. She already knew which side she was on.
"I already have a family. And it's not you anymore." She started swinging the arms even harder, denting the frame with her strikes. Hiroshi drove his mecha round into her blind spot, striking her helmet hard enough to shatter the glass. Asami shook her head free of all the fragments, trying to face him again. She yelped as her mecha was slammed into the wall.
"You ungrateful, insolent child. I see there is no chance of saving you anymore." There was anger in his voice, straining it even further. Her refusal clearly pushed him over the limit. Ducking under his next strike, Asami slammed her mecha headfirst into his midriff, pushing him along until she lifted him overhead. Slamming it into the ground behind her, Asami tore at the doors until they were ripped clean open, revealing Hiroshi's fearful expression. She wanted to hurt him, to show him the pain she felt from his actions and his words. She wanted him to know how deeply his betrayal of everything he once stood for had cut her. But she couldn't. He was still her father. She couldn't hurt him without sinking to his level. Utilising her hesitation, Hiroshi fired an electric blast from his glove, something she dodged easily. As she turned back, she saw him running full pelt for the last plane left standing. It was far too easy for her to hit him with one of his own bolas, knocking him to the ground. Tears running, she saw that Bolin and Iroh had made short work of everything else. The Equalist and Blackwatch soldiers laid in a heap, tied up with rope. The runway was cracked and filled with burning wreckage, Naga burying one of the mechas under dirt.
Their part was done. She just hoped that Korra and Mako were doing just as well on their end.
"…When I was but a mere boy, a Firebender took my family from me and scarred me for life. Both figuratively, and literally. That single tragic event led me to create a life of equality for all." Amon was saying to the crowd. Behind his mask, he was smiling. This was everything he had hoped for. Republic City was theirs. The benders had been pushed down. Hundreds of them were now without bending, now equal to those they once scorned. And there was an entire city ready to obey his commands. It was perfect. Well, almost perfect. He thought to himself as another explosion echoed from outside. Mercer was proving incredibly difficult to stop. He figured it wouldn't have been easy, considering he survived everything Blackwatch threw at him and kept coming back. But he really had hoped that this time they would succeed. Still, there was time. Perhaps he could convince the people that they needed to abandon Republic City to destroy the monster Mercer really was. He would have to word it carefully though.
"That's a lie Amon." His eyes widened as he heard Avatar Korra's voice echoing around the arena. Looking up to his left, he saw two of his Equalists remove their masks to reveal Korra and her Firebending friend. So, that was how they got in. "You haven't given equality to anyone, and you were never attacked by a Firebender. I know the truth Amon. Or should I say Noatak."
His breath caught in his throat. He suddenly remembered Redcliffe telling him that Mercer could learn anything the people he consumed knew. That was why he attacked the stage. That was what he was after. Proof as to who he was. The gall of that monster, to wear his brother's face and use his memories like that… To see Tarrlok become as bad as father was enough. This was too far.
"You want her taken out?" His Lieutenant asked him, hands reaching for his sticks. But Amon held out his hand. He wanted to see just what the Avatar had learned.
"Everyone, calm down." He spoke to the crowd, gathering their attention. "We have nothing to fear of the Avatars. Her stronger counterpart is outside, blocked off by Blackwatch forces. Let us hear what lies she came up with to discredit me."
"Amon is lying to you. He wasn't granted his power by the spirits. He uses Bloodbending to remove people's bending. Amon is a Waterbender." The crowd gasped in shock at such an accusation, looking between him and Korra.
"What is this nonsense?" Lieutenant Sokna asked in anger and bewilderment.
"You must be desperate, Avatar Korra, to make up such outlandish lies about me. There is no way I could have the most hated bending of all, or even to be a Waterbender. I am a simple man like everyone else, granted a blessing by the spirits." But the Avatar continued telling the truth.
"Amon's family wasn't attacked by a Firebender. His father was Yakone." The crowd gasped again. "And his brother… was Councilman Tarrlok, another confirmed Bloodbender."
"Enough. It is time to reveal the truth." This was a very good moment. With this, any sympathy for the Avatar would be quashed. His hands reached back to his hood and mask, removing each piece with deliberation. The crowd gasped in horror at the giant scar adorning his face, a series of dull red scratches that went diagonally across his face. The left side of his mouth was puckered and shrivelled, exposing his teeth no matter how relaxed his muscles were. It was horrifying, saddening, a mark of shame and pain.
It had taken him a while to get the fake scarring just right. Fortunately, some members of Blackwatch were trained in applying fake injuries, and weren't likely to ask him any questions. And it was all worth it to see that shock and confusion on Korra's face.
"No… That can't be. It's fake. It has to be fake." But she was grasping at straws. The crowd was turning against her.
"The Avatar is lying." One man shouted, riling the crowd. It was going better than expected. Several of his Equalists had them both surrounded. There was nowhere for them to escape. And then suddenly the doors were flying straight towards him. They knocked several of his benders down, continuing on a straight path towards him. In the entranceway, the few Metalbenders he hadn't gotten around to were being led by Beifong. Behind them was Councilman Tenzin, most likely having returned to free the city. He saw it all is slow motion. It took a quick step to dodge the door as it passed, his Equalists already moving to avoid it and attack the Metalbenders. A burst of flame from above showed that Korra and her friend were blasting their way free. They ran along the wall, using a burst of flame to keep themselves airborne for the few seconds they needed to get to him. Beifong used her bending to grab the door and toss it at him again. Avatar Korra and the door were about to hit him at the same time.
The look on her face as he grabbed her hand and stopped the door with his arm was priceless. Beifong tried to wrap it around him, but a few alterations to her movement with Bloodbending caused it to fail to capture him. He grabbed the metal with his other hand, and ripped it apart like it was simply a bandage. The blood drained from Korra's face.
"You… You're an Orion." She whispered.
"Yes, Avatar Korra. Blackwatch is the pinnacle of what non-benders are truly capable of. And with their knowledge, they showed me a way to unlock a human's full potential." Metalbenders grabbed him with their cables, but he gripped them back and slammed them all to the ground.
"I told you, the world doesn't need you anymore."
"We're taking casualties on all fronts. Squadrons 4 through to 17 have been completely wiped out. At least 5 Orions and 10 D Codes are failing to report in." The reports just kept coming and coming from all over. The few men who weren't out there getting killed by Zeus were panicking. Especially since the reports were for locations closer to them.
"Tell Squadrons 18 through to 30 to fall back and hit him with everything they've got. Anything caught in the attack is simply collateral damage. If they have to level the entire district to kill him, then they'd better damn well do it right." Redcliffe ordered. "Someone get word to Williams. Tell her than I am now rescinding my last order. I want her high above and blasting him until he drops." The men, nodded carrying out his orders. "And where the hell are the Equalists? If we really are in a partnership they should at least get off their asses and help us out."
"Most of their numbers are bolstering either the airfield or the arena. The few who stayed with us have been killed already." The street rumbled as explosions filled the air. Luckily, it wasn't their tanks exploding. Williams' airship was flying high, high above, bombarding the area with everything they had. At this rate, Zeus should be dead in a matter of minutes. He didn't have that much biomass to begin with.
But then a giant black arrowhead came flying out of the smoke, spinning a red trail after it as it slammed through her airship. Explosions ripped through it, causing the crippled vessel to begin falling. Pods ejected from the sides, falling a distance away before parachutes slowed their fall. The mess crashed down on top of a few of their men, and they could see Zeus now gliding dozens of kilometres above them. He then pulled his arms in, and boosted towards the ground at incredible speed. Redcliffe had to hold onto the desk as the ground shook like an earthquake from his landing. When the smoke cleared, all the tanks were scrap, and the men were slaughtered.
"Dammit. Shit, shit, shit." He swore, running for the main hall. Inside it, at the very heart, was the Thermonuclear bomb they had installed. Barely giving the terrified technicians a glance, he ran towards the bomb and started imputing his credentials into the system. With the last few digits, a warning screen popped up. He ignored it, pushing firmly on the start button. The screen now had a timer on it, showing they had only 10 minutes left to live.
God is my witness, Zeus will die this day. He thought to himself as the walls shook and cracked. He grabbed a gun, a heavy Calibur weapon favoured by Specialist Cross, and stood next to the remaining soldiers he had under his command. His evil and madness will never plague another world again.
"Keep moving!" Korra shouted, pushing Mako ahead and creating two walls of fire behind her. They had to keep ahead of Amon. They just had to. With his new strength he could tear them apart in seconds. As she took off running again, she saw him in the corner of her eye, walking through the fire without a care. He was now officially her nightmare come to life. An unstoppable juggernaut, able to end her in an instant. Looking forward, she realised that she and Mako must've taken different turns. There was no sign of him. Maybe it was better that way. Amon couldn't chase them both. If one of them got away, and found Alex, maybe he could stop Amon for good. It hurt that she needed Alex to fight her battles for her. But there was no other way. And he could take injuries she would never survive. The wall behind her exploded as Amon smashed his way through it. Taking a leap of faith, she ran through another set of doors and Earthbended pillars to block it off. Then she ran to hide under a table, and hoped he wouldn't find her. She flinched as the pillars were shattered, the door flying through to the other side of the room. His steps were heavier than before, but that might've just been her imagination. He kept walking, closer and closer to her hiding spot. Her heart was beating loudly, filling her hearing completely. Closer, closer. Sweat beaded her brow. Closer, closer…
And then he walked past her, continuing for several steps before he stopped. She heard the sound of screeching metal as he lifted and crumpled something heavy. Taking a deep breath, she moved to try and sneak out.
And then the air was filled with the sound of something slicing through it, the bang of metal against the ground, and her left arm felt like it was on fire. Against her wishes she screamed loudly in pain, unable to stop Amon from dragging her out by her ankle. Everything hurt so much, as something dripped onto the ground. She could only blearily look at Amon, feeling so much pain.
"That was for my brother. He deserved better than getting devoured and impersonated by your monstrous friend." Amon said, flipping her head over heels and grabbing her by the scruff of her neck. A fresh wave of pain moved down her side, and she cried out in pain. She tried to bat his hands away, but her left arm refused to work. She could only watch in horror as he reached out, and felt his Bloodbending flow through her. She had lost. She had lost everything. She had no bending.
It was over.
"Amon." His lieutenant's voice echoed through the air, thick with anger. He released her, letting her fall on her face. "I heard you before. Avatar Korra was right. You are Tarrlok's brother." There was silence, as if he was waiting for Amon to confirm or deny it. "I was willing to give my life to your cause. I believed in you and your dream. And it all turned out to be nothing but a lie." He yelled in anger, feet thundering on the ground for a few seconds. And then there was the sound of something smashing into the wall.
"And you served your purpose well, Sokna. The future generations will remember you." Amon screamed in pain as the sound of lightning filled the air. She felt warm, strong hands grab and lift her.
"Korra. Spirits. What… what happened…? We've got to get you out of here." Mako's voice was filled with pain, as if Amon had hurt him. But what did he do to her? She blearily opened her eyes as Mako ran, pain jolting her body. But she saw the table she was hiding under, now sliced apart by the sheet of metal. She saw the red blood pooling under it.
And she saw her arm, lying far away from her.
Spirits, no.
She screamed in pain again as Mako was ripped away from her, her bleeding stump hitting the ground. The edges of her vision were blurring now, but she could see Amon throwing Mako around with his bending. Things flickered, and now he was standing over him. She struggled to her feet, pain wracking her body. She swung her fist at him, even though she was too far away to do anything.
And a burst of air slammed into him, throwing Amon nearly all the way down the hall.
"Impossible." Amon gasped, staggering to his feet. But it was possible. Somehow, losing access to the rest of her bending allowed her to finally Airbend. Wasting no time in being amazed by it – and dimly aware she couldn't hold out for much longer – Korra started throwing punch after punch of Air at him. Amon was sent staggering, lacking the weight Alex could use to defend himself. She felt him try and control her blood, felt her body seize up, but she put every bit of will into resisting. Just a bit more. Just a bit more…
"No… You… Don't!" She growled, lashing out with her foot. A large wave of air slammed into him, throwing him out the window and into the water below. Mako was by her side, half-carrying her to the hole in the wall. A crowd of non-benders were outside, looking down at the water. They looked up, to see the two of them standing there triumphant. They started shouting at them, calling them tyrants and oppressors and murderers. But then the water behind them exploded into a funnel, Amon – no, Noatak – standing at the top. His scar had washed off, revealing that he was unharmed. The crowd could only stare, and he could only stare back. He gave Korra a glare of loathing, before falling back into the water and swimming away. Her vision blurred again.
"Korra. Just hold on a little bit longer. We'll get you to a healer as fast as we can." She heard Mako say to her, just before everything went black.
"You're… too late… Zeus." The Blackwatch General, Redcliffe, gasped out. He had been removed from his lower body, bleeding out on the ground. "You… will die here… with the rest of us… You have lost." And then he was finally silent.
The annoying thing was, he was probably right. Normally Alex could've used access codes to deactivate the bomb before him, or his knowledge of mechanics to disable it, or even just hit it before it went critical to cause a regular explosion that he and Republic City could survive. But this bomb had been built with him in mind. From a mere glance, he could tell that the important do-not-hit parts were elsewhere inside it. The build was different from what he knew. And the controls were locked.
This baby was going to blow, and no force on Earth could stop it.
"Fuck." Alex cursed, running low on options and time. It had taken him 6 minutes to just smash his way through what was left of Blackwatch, dealing with the last couple of Orions he had with him. He didn't have time to find a working helicopter and fly it away like last time, even if he hadn't just used them all as blenders. And he barely survived the last explosion anyway. He doubted a crow would be so kind as to fly round and try to eat him again. But then he had a possible idea.
Dragons. If giant scaly lizards could fly in this world, ignoring all evidence that they couldn't, then why couldn't he do it? Dragging in as much biomass as possible – from the soldiers, from the wood furniture, even reaching out to the books on the bookcases – Alex felt himself grow and grow. His body became longer and thinner, with powerful limbs at the front. Multiple sets of wings grew from his back, becoming bigger and bigger. Before he was even fully grown, before he even fully worked out all the things he had to do, he was grabbing the bomb and flapping like crazy. After a few seconds of just feeling stupid, he felt his body lift and drag the bomb under it. Flapping even harder and making changes on the fly, he dragged it faster and faster, until by the time he smashed through the entranceway again, the bomb was now off the ground. He consumed more and more bodies as he passed, his wings getting longer and stronger, until now he was nearly at the rooftops. Using some Airbending, he managed to finally fly.
If he was going to die, then this was one thing he was glad he achieved first.
He left Republic City behind him, flying faster and faster with every second, yet aware that time was not on his side. He grew an eye to look at the timer, seeing he only had 2 minutes left. But he just had to make it a few more dozen metres, and Republic City would survive with minor scuffs to the port at worst. But his hearing heard the sound of an outboard motor. Looking past the bomb, he saw a motorboat racing through the water.
And Amon was driving it.
There was no way he was escaping.
Judging the angles right, Alex moved closer and released the bomb. He wished he could've stayed and watch Amon see the bomb about to drop on him, but he had to get going. He only looked back once to see the wreckage of the boat around a giant ripple, showing he had been on target. He flapped as hard as he could, trying to get away.
Then the bomb exploded.
A massive wave of fire and force pressed against him, burning away at his tail. Desperate to survive, Alex shed as much weight as possible and used every bit of Airbending to turn himself into a living arrow. The flames receded, only just, and the world became blurry at the edges. Republic City was before him, getting closer and closer with every second. Finally, after several nerve-wracking seconds, the flames stopped chasing him.
Just in time for him to hit the road at full speed.
He barely gave the pain and the road a second's notice, reforming as he ran. If Amon was running, then Korra had beaten him. He wanted to congratulate her on her victory over her rival.
And it would be a good chance to find a kill any Blackwatch members who survived his attacks.
Burning rubble and wreckage streaked by as he passed them, pinging Korra often. She was by the arena, the largest and most likely meeting spot for Equalists after the Council Hall. It only took him a few seconds to reach it, the crowd backing away in shock as he appeared in their midst. He barely gave them a glance, certain that they were no threat. He was still at full strength. It would be child's play to kill them all. He pinged Korra again, following the trail through the crowd until he reached the doors of the arena. He stopped, mind filling with shock and anger. Korra was in Mako's hands, unconscious and missing her whole arm. Tenzin and Beifong were arguing with someone, asking for a healer. But Amon had debended all the healers. There was nothing they could do, he said.
"Out of my way." Alex ordered, pushing past him. Everyone looked at him in surprise as he showed up. "I know what to do."
"No." Mako said firmly. "You're not hurting her."
"Korra doesn't have time for your macho bullshit. At this rate, she'll bleed out before we could do anything for her. I can help her, stop the blood loss and even help replenish it. Trust me."
"I don't."
"Then trust in the fact that Korra is all I have here. She is… my friend." Mako glared at him, eyes flicking towards Korra, before he relented. Nodding, Alex crouched down until his body hid her. No sense in the common people seeing this. He placed his hand over her stump, feeling the blood running over it as his palm hit internal flesh. His biomass covered the hole, feeding on her DNA to replicate her flesh. His arm split off, altering to grow a new hand, the veins and muscles forming inside it. By the time he regrew his arm from his limited biomass, Korra had both her arms back.
She was safe, for now.
(A Week Later)
Alex stood on an ice cliff overlooking the ocean. They were at the Southern Water Tribe, what his world called Antarctica, and Korra's home. She was with the Healer and heroine of the Hundred-Year War, Katara. They were making sure that things were normal for her now.
After the battle for Republic City, things had changed a bit. Korra somehow found out how to do Energybending from her predecessor, Aang, and who restored her bending. She could use all four elements, just like he could. Republic City had been informed by him about the bomb, and now Blackwatch was regarded as an enemy of the United Nations. And very likely the world, he heard. They had nowhere to run to, no allies to hide behind. Most of the Equalists had been rounded up and charged with terrorism. Realising just how badly things went, The Council disbanded, to be replaced with an elected democratic president. All in all, things were looking alright from a certain view.
"Alex." He heard Korra say. Turning, he saw her smiling at him, gripping her left arm again. She did that a lot, saying that the nerves were still a bit weird. She needed to make sure she really did still have it. "I don't know if I ever got around to saying this, but…"
"You've said thanks to me for replacing your arm four times this week Korra." Alex replied. "I'm… glad you appreciate it, but there has to be a limit."
"Right. Sorry."
Now he felt a bit bad. "How's the training coming along?"
"Great. It's almost good as new. Of course, some of the guys are a bit worried about having biomass for an arm, but I told them you wouldn't hurt me."
"You're right. The command I gave to the biomass was to act as normal as possible, to an extent. It's not going to hurt you, and it won't become a monster."
"I know." They stood there in silence for a few seconds. "So… What are you going to do now?"
"Now? There were a few Blackwatch bases set up elsewhere, just in case they had to resort to a Firebreak. I think I'll go and hunt them down. It'll be…" What was the word? "…Fun. I'll see new sights, meet new people, and possibly break some shit. For now, that's all I really need."
"Will… When will I see you again?" He heard her slip of the tongue. It wasn't wrong. He still wasn't trusted. For all they knew, he was going to go and infect people after her wiped out Blackwatch. After all, they'd be too busy staying alive to stop him.
And that was why he wasn't going to think like that.
"Don't know. I'll keep in touch with you guys, if that makes you feel any better. At the very least I need to make sure I got all of them. We don't want to find out years down the line that they've been growing somewhere remote."
"Sure. Do you want my dad to help you get to a port?" He smiled at her offer of assistance. It was… It was unnecessary, but nice. Thoughtful.
"Thanks. But I've got my own ride now." He shifted his body, until Alex the giant mutant dragon stood on the cliff. He jumped off and flapped his wings, falling for a second until he gained some altitude. One eye on his tail saw Korra looking at him in amazement.
He had to admit, even for this world, seeing someone turn into a dragon would be pretty amazing.
(2 Weeks Later)
Sparks flickered everywhere as metal panels hung from the ceiling. Red splashes painted the wall, and holes revealed larger rooms. In the heart of the complex, a place now shredded beyond belief, only one man was still alive.
"…Has named name Raiko as their new president." The radio was saying, the monster standing by it and listening in. "In other news, at least 40 percent on Republic city's benders have had their bending restored by Avatar Korra. Several benders are demanding restrictions to be placed on non-benders after the Equalist attacks, but both Korra and President Raiko are saying no."
"Amon and his Equalists gained so much power because people already thought we were oppressing them, using our power to crush them whenever we pleased." Korra's voice was now being broadcasted. "If we focused more on their rights from the beginning, we could've avoided all of this. Pushing them all down because of a loud minority is just going to repeat the cycle. Our hope is that with a non-bender leading Republic City, we can address their ongoing concerns."
The man shuddered as a giant spike skewered him through the head. His body was drawn through the hole in the desk, turning to liquid even as he flowed towards Alex. He smiled as he switched the radio off.
"Good job, Korra." He said, leaving the complex behind.
And there we go. Blarg. Just finished typing this at about 10 where I am, and my fingers are bone tired. But, I managed to finish Book 1 of Blacklight Avatar before the year finished. Way to go me.
(And for those wondering; all four books are going to be in one big story. I am not making four small stories. Don't you worry.)
Now, I am aware that Firebenders don't shoot flames hot enough to make metal turn red. I'm calling that artistic licence to give us a cooler scene. Also, there might be a few people who should've been in this chapter that I missed (I almost forgot that Beifong had stayed with the Krew instead of leaving with Tenzin and Co). Rest assured that they were in Republic City, helping fight against Blackwatch and the Equalists. Well, more the Equalists really. Blackwatch was mostly busy getting killed by Alex.
I originally planned for Redcliffe to be like an experimental Orion v3 or something. Something practically Evolved. But this chapter was dragging on long enough, and not all of Alex's foes have to be able to almost match him in a fight. Sometimes, they just have to have enough men to throw at him to slow him down. I was at least courteous enough to give him Cross' big grenade launcher/rifle combo and a few Orions.
And yeah, I had Amon slice off Korra's arm. Ouch. I've kinda been planning this for ages (nearly did it when Korra communicated with Alex in the sewers) because then I could give her an Infected arm. It will play a role in things, but for the most part it's just going to act like a normal arm. A normal arm capable of hitting things 4 times as hard.
And if you guys find any other consistencies that I missed, I just want to let you know that I literally wrote this in two days after finishing work for the day. My brain and fingers are so fried I am constantly misspelling things. There will probably be mistakes, and I accept that. Thank you for you constructive criticisms though.
Merry Christmas.