AN: Looks like Fanfiction doesn't tell me about any reviews after the first one, so I apologize to guest Austin for making you wait this long. I'll address your concerns in the closing AN.
Correction: It doesn't let me know about guest reviews, so forget most of what I said above.
Also, I am honestly not particularly proud of the last chapter, mainly because it just feels like Episode 5 with Hieu and Neil slapped on it. I may or may not do a slight rewrite in the future.
Anyway, the legal info: I do not own Halo, Avatar: The Last Airbender, or associated characters and properties.
Spark of Hope
Aang, Katara, and Neil were by a large tree in a forest. Hieu and Sokka had gone out to forage for firewood and food, respectively.
Out of the corner of her eye, Katara saw Neil take the thing he called the Bandit off his back, lay it in front of him, then twist his knife at it. Small rods with flat tops came out where he twisted, and when they were far enough out, he picked them up and laid them on top of his satchel. Curious, Katara decided to take a closer look.
"What are you doing?" she asked as Neil took more rods out.
"Weapon maintenance," he answered without looking up. "Gotta make sure this thing works the way Misriah intended." He stopped twisting, and began taking the shell off the weapon.
"What do you mean? It's just a fancy club."
Neil then pulled a black box from the wide end. Inside were gold-colored cylinders with pointed tips. He took one out, before raising it in front of Katara. "This is a seven-point-six-two by fifty-one millimeter full metal jacket, armor piercing cartridge. When I pull the trigger, a little pin in the breech hits this…" He pointed to a small circle on the wide end of the 'cartridge'. "...the gunpowder inside ignites, and the bullet goes flying out at thirty-five hundred feet per second." Katara could imagine the kind of damage that could do.
"If it can do that, why did you only swing it around?" she questioned in confusion.
"Well firstly, you're still kids, and you don't need to see that," he replied as he took apart something near where the box was. "I've only got this mag plus two more, forty-five rounds total, and I can't get any more unless we miraculously find a way back to our universe, so I'm saving them for when it's life-or-death." It was then that Sokka and Hieu reappeared. Sokka had a small sack, and Hieu had some firewood under his arm, which he began setting up.
"Great, you're back!" Aang excitedly said as he jumped down from his perch. "What's for dinner?"
Sokka stooped down to check his sack. "We've got a few options. First, round nuts, and some kind of oval-shaped nuts, and some rock-shaped nuts that might just be rocks." He tossed one of the rock-nuts behind him, attracting Momo's attention. "Dig in."
Katara looked at the nuts for a moment, before turning back to her brother. "Seriously, what else you got?" she asked.
Hieu spoke up from his spot near the firepit. "I've got some ration bars, but I've only got enough for tonight." He pulled the bars from one of his pouches before tossing some over. Aang eagerly unwrapped his and took a bite, before making an expression of disgust as he swallowed. The other kids had similar expressions, with Katara looking like she might throw up.
"Probably should have said they weren't made to taste good," Neil chuckled as he unwrapped his bar. Nearby, Momo picked up a rock-nut and tapped it against a stone, before preparing to slam it down in the hopes of cracking it open. As the lemur did so, however, the ground quaked.
The group turned to look outside their camp. "What was that?" Sokka asked anxiously. Momo dropped the nut, and the ground shook again.
Aang pointed over in the distance. "It's coming from over there!" he called as he began running towards it. Katara decided to follow him, and it seemed Neil and Hieu had the same idea as they donned their helmets.
"Shouldn't we run away from huge booms, not toward them?" Sokka yelled, but nobody heeded him.
Coming up on a ledge by a trench, the group peeked over to see what was going on. What they saw surprised them.
A young man was lifting boulders into the air, before slamming them into the side of the trench. The five's eyes widened at the sight.
"An earthbender," Katara whispered in amazement.
"Let's go meet him!" Aang said excitedly.
Sokka, again, wasn't as optimistic. "He looks dangerous, so we better approach cautiously."
Neil turned to Hieu. "No offense, but you're too scary," he pointed out.
"None taken," Hieu replied.
Katara again disregarded Sokka, and went on ahead to greet the earthbender. "Hello there! I'm Katara!" she called. "What's your name?"
The earthbender dropped a rock he had been lifting in surprise, before running away and collapsing the sides of the trench to prevent them from following.
"Nice to meet you!" Aang yelled after him.
"I just wanted to say hi," Katara said in confusion, wondering why he would run away like that.
"He's going somewhere," Hieu pointed out. "You don't just run without a destination in mind."
"Maybe we're near a village!" Aang theorized. "And I bet that village has a market!"
"Which means no nuts or bars for dinner!" Katara excitedly said as she set off alongside Aang and Neil.
"Hey! I worked hard to get those nuts!" Sokka yelled in indignation. Momo chirped as he flew overhead. "Yeah, I hate 'em too," he finally admitted as he started to follow.
"I won't miss those bars," Hieu agreed.
The village indeed wasn't far from their camp.
Aang had traded some nuts for a hat to help hide his identity, while Neil and Hieu were once again in ghillie suits. It was better to keep the fact they were super soldiers a secret.
Neil hadn't walked far when he spotted the earthbender from before entering a shop of some kind. It seemed Katara made the same observation as she followed him.
Entering the shop, she said, "Hey, you're that kid!" The young earthbender gasped as he turned. "Why did you run away before?" she asked as the rest of the group entered.
"Uh… you must have me confused with some other kid," he said quickly.
"No she doesn't," Aang spoke up. "We saw you earthbending." The kid and his mother gasped in surprise, before quickly shutting all the windows and doors.
"They saw you doing what?!" the kid's mother furiously questioned as she shut the last window.
"They're crazy, mom! I mean, look at how they're dressed!" the kid exclaimed, gesturing to the five.
"Hey! Ghillie suits are good at hiding things!" Neil defended, unhappy that his chosen disguise was being questioned.
The mother gave her son a stern look. "You know how dangerous that is! You know what would happen if they caught you earthbending!" She put particular emphasis on "they".
Suddenly, a knocking noise was heard. "Open up!" a voice ordered.
Sokka peeked through the shutters. "Fire Nation!" he whispered. "Act natural!"
Neil and Hieu leaned against the wall, careful not to put their full weight on it lest they tear a hole, while the teens decided to take a look at the stock.
The mother opened the door for the Fire Nation soldiers, who immediately came in without invitation. Their leader took a quick look around the room, before the mother got his attention again. "What do you want? I've already paid you this week."
"The tax just doubled," he said with a smirk. "And we wouldn't want an accident, would we?" He formed a fireball in his hands. "Fire is sometimes so hard to control."
"Shouldn't people be told about these things a couple weeks before they happen?" Neil mumbled to himself. Next to him, Hieu had a scowl on his face, and it was clear who it was directed at.
In defeat, the mother pulled a small box from under the counter, before handing what little money was inside to the leader. He inspected the coins briefly, before dropping some of them on the floor. "You can keep the copper ones," he said as he left.
The group stared as the tax collectors left. "Nice guy," Sokka sarcastically remarked when the door was closed. He turned to the mother. "How long has the Fire Nation been here?"
"Five years," she replied once she finished picking up the copper. "Fire Lord Ozai uses our town's coal mines to fuel his ships."
"They're thugs. They steal from us," the kid said disdainfully. "And everyone here is too much of a coward to do anything about it."
"Quiet, Haru! Don't talk like that!" his mother said quickly.
"But Haru's an earthbender, he can help!" Katara said in confusion.
"Earthbending is forbidden! It's caused nothing but misery for this village!" Haru's mother shot back. "He must never use his abilities."
"How can you say that?" Hieu questioned. "The kid's not only gifted, but skilled."
Katara stepped forward. "Asking him not to earthbend is like asking me not to waterbend. It's a part of who we are!"
"You don't understand," Haru's mother said.
"What don't we understand?" Neil retorted with sudden fervor, getting up from his spot on the wall. "That you refuse to stand up because you might be pushed back down? What can the Fire Nation do that hasn't been done?!"
"They could take Haru away… like they did his father." Neil's fervor vanished.
They had gone off to a homestead a short distance from the town, and Haru had led the five to a barn. "My mom said you can sleep here tonight, but you should leave in the morning."
"Thanks," Aang said gratefully. "I'll make sure Appa doesn't eat all your hay." Indeed, the bison had already taken to snacking, only pausing once to glance at the group before resuming.
As Haru left, Katara and Neil decided to follow him. "I'm sorry about what I said earlier," Katara apologized.
"There's no way we could have known about your dad," Neil said.
"It's okay," Haru replied. "It's funny, the way you were talking back in the store, it reminded me of him."
"Thanks," Katara responded with a smile.
"My father was very courageous," Haru said. "When the Fire Nation invaded, he and the other earthbenders were outnumbered ten-to-one, but they fought back anyway."
"Reminds me of a story from over three thousand years ago," Neil remarked.
"He sounds like a great man," Katara said as they approached a hill.
"After the attack, they rounded up my father and every other earthbender and took them away. We haven't seen them since," Haru sadly recalled as he stooped down.
"So that's why you hide your earthbending," Katara realized.
"Yeah." Haru picked up two stones and twirled them above his hand. "The problem is, the only way I can feel close to my father now is when I practice my bending." He dropped the stones, before turning them to sand. "He taught me everything I know."
Katara and Neil sat down on either side of him. "See this necklace?" the girl said, gesturing to her neck. "My mother gave it to me."
"It's beautiful," Haru complimented.
"I lost my mother in a Fire Nation raid," Katara said quietly. "This necklace is all I have left of her."
Neil reached to his own neck, before pulling off a set of four small metal plates on a chain. "My dad was in the military. He died when I was nine." He looked at two of the plates before holding them up. "One month, he's leaving for deployment, the next, two people show up at the door and hand Mom his tags." He closed his eyes briefly. "Only time I ever saw her break down like that."
"I'm sorry," Haru replied genuinely. "They're not enough, are they?"
"They never are," Neil said. "But we at least know they were there."
Haru and Katara were walking back to the homestead. Neil had jogged off on his own, saying he needed some time alone. The teens were rounding a bend when they saw a mine collapse. Cries for help could be heard.
"The mine!" Haru exclaimed as they raced to the site. When they got there, they saw an old man trapped under rubble. Dust was slowly piling on top of him.
"Help me!" the old man begged. Haru tried to use his body to hold up the rest of the debris, while Katara tugged at the old man to try and get him out, to no avail.
"It's not working!" Katara grunted. "We have to get help!"
"There's no time!" Haru pointed out. "Pull harder!"
Suddenly, Katara had an idea. "Haru, there's a way you can help him!"
"I can't," Haru responded, evidently not wanting to expose himself.
"Please, there's no one around to see you," Katara begged. "It's the only way!"
Haru only hesitated for a few seconds before backing away and waving his hands, using his bending to stop any more rocks from falling, before turning his body and forcing the rubble deep into the mine.
"Haru, you did it!" Katara exclaimed happily. Together, they got the old man back home safely.
Back in the barn, the group was getting ready for a good night's sleep.
"It was so brave of Haru to use his earthbending to help that old man," Katara said gratefully.
"You must have really inspired him," Aang replied.
"I guess so."
Sokka interrupted before they could continue. "Everyone should get some sleep, we're leaving at dawn."
"Dawn?" Katara questioned. "Can't we sleep in for once?"
"Absolutely not! This village is crawling with Fire Nation troops," Sokka reminded. "If they discover you're here, Aang, we'll be eating fireballs for breakfast. Good night."
"I'd rather eat fireballs than nuts or ration bars," Katara quipped.
"Why does everyone always steal the good jokes?" Neil sardonically asked.
"Good night," Sokka reiterated with a tone of finality. The other youths only laughed.
As Katara began to drift asleep, she noticed that Hieu had already fallen unconscious. The thing that drew her attention, however, was the fact that he twitched every so often. It was happening more and more each night, so she made a point to try and talk about it in the future.
Haru had been awakened by a loud knocking on the door. When he answered it, he saw the old man from before - alongside Fire Nation troops. He gasped.
"That's him! That's the earthbender!" the old man said as he pointed to Haru. A soldier walked up to the young man before taking him away.
Katara had left the barn to get some water for their journey. Bending it out of the spigot, she gracefully filled the pot she had brought along. As she picked it up, she spotted Haru's mother looking towards the horizon. The elder woman turned, revealing the tears in her eyes. Katara dropped the pot in shock.
Running over to the barn, she slammed the door open. "They took him! They took Haru away!"
"What?" Aang gasped.
"The old man turned him in to the Fire Nation!" Katara exclaimed. "It's all my fault! I forced him into earthbending!"
"Slow down, Katara," Sokka said, taking his sister's hand. "When did this happen?"
Katara turned to her brother. "Haru's mother said they came for him at midnight."
"Then it's too late to track him," Sokka replied sadly. "He's long gone."
Hieu spoke up. "Who said we needed to track him?"
Neil turned to his fellow soldier with a confused expression, before it suddenly turned devious. "Yeah, you're right. The Fire Nation can do that for us." Katara's face brightened as she realized the implication.
"And why would they do that?" Aang questioned, evidently not understanding what was going on.
Katara turned to the door. "Because they're gonna arrest me for earthbending."
Neil and Hieu were carrying a boulder over to a vent, while Sokka and Katara guided it into position. The plan was simple: Get Katara arrested, tail her on Appa, and quietly extract her and Haru. For the last step, Hieu had lent the girl his communicator and taught her how to send a ping, leaving his left shoulder's strap empty.
"I thought you guys were crazy at first but this might work," Sokka remarked. "There are ventilation shafts throughout these mines. All Aang has to do is send an air current from that vent to this one right here."
Neil chimed in. "The boulder goes up, bing bang boom, we have officially faked earthbending."
Katara turned to Aang, who was laying up against a nearby rock near a vent. "Aang, did you get all that?"
As it turned out, the boy had concerns involving a butterfly. "Sure, sure, I got it," he said distractedly.
"Do you remember your cue?" Hieu questioned.
"Yeah, yeah, just relax. You're taking all the fun out of this."
Sokka was unamused. "By 'this,' do you mean intentionally getting captured by an army of ruthless firebenders?"
"Exactly, that's fun stuff!" Aang replied dismissively.
Neil shook his head. "Aang, I don't need to remind you how crucial you are to this plan, do I?"
Suddenly, Sokka noticed a Fire Nation patrol round the corner. "Here they come! Get in your places!" Neil, Hieu, and Aang hid behind a nearby boulder, while Sokka and Katara began walking towards each other.
As the patrol neared, Sokka and Katara ran into each other with a grunt, and began 'arguing.' "Get out of my way, pipsqueak!" Sokka 'demanded.'
"How dare you call me pipsqueak, you giant-eared cretin?" Katara 'challenged.'
Behind the rock, Neil grimaced. "Only thing cheesier than this is swiss," he mouthed to himself.
"What did you call me?" Sokka 'furiously' questioned.
"A giant-eared cretin!" Katara answered. "Look at those things! Do herds of animals use them for shade?"
"You better back off! Seriously, back off."
"I will NOT back off! I bet elephants get together and make fun of how large your ears are!"
"That's it! You're going down!"
"I'll show you who's boss, earthbending style!" Katara raised a fist, but nothing happened. Neil nudged Aang, who gasped. "I said, earthbending style!" The boy sent a gust of air through the vents, lifting the boulder and revealing Momo.
"That lemur, he's earthbending!" one of the soldiers exclaimed, pointing at Momo. Evidently, he wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed.
Sokka gestured to Katara in irritation. "No, you idiot! It's the girl!"
"Oh… of course," the soldier slowly replied as the boulder dropped.
Sokka walked behind his sister and grabbed her shoulders. "I'll hold her!" he proclaimed loudly. Getting closer, he whispered, "You've got twelve hours to find Haru. We'll be right behind you."
The patrol then took Katara away. As Aang left his hiding spot with Neil and Hieu, he saw her look back apprehensively.
Sokka, meanwhile, seemed to have taken their 'argument' a little harshly as he felt his ears. He then turned to the resident lemur. "Momo, you have some big ears."
The group had tailed Katara to the town harbor, where she was being carted alongside a half-dozen earthbenders to a Fire Nation ship. Aang and Sokka wore hats to conceal themselves, while Neil and Hieu were once again in ghillie suits. They spotted Katara as the cart she was in traveled down the dock, before heading off to Appa.
The bison was sticking to the clouds in order to not be seen, occasionally leaving to make sure the ship stayed its course. In the distance, Neil saw what looked like a giant black oil rig. In front were the skeletons of future Fire Nation vessels, and on top was a giant smokestack.
Back on Appa, it seemed to Neil that Aang was concerned. So, being the optimist he was, he decided to reassure the kid. "Katara will be fine, kid. If she gets into more trouble than she can handle, we're only a button push away."
Having berthed not five minutes ago, Katara was quickly taken off the ship and forced to stand in a line with the other prisoners. Once they did so, a man walked up to them. Unlike the guards, he lacked a helmet, suggesting a position of authority.
"Earthbenders, it is my pleasure to welcome you aboard my modest shipyard. I am your warden," the man greeted in faux humility. "I prefer to think of you not as prisoners, but as honored guests, and I hope you come to think of me as your humble and caring host. You will succeed here if you simply abide-"
One of the prisoners suddenly coughed, quickly drawing the warden's ire. He sent a jet of fire at the prisoner, almost pushing him off the edge. "What kind of guest dishonors his host by interrupting him?! Take him below!" A guard escorted the prisoner away. "A week in solitary will improve his manners," the warden said threateningly.
"Simply treat me with the courtesy I give you, and we'll get along famously," he said as he got up to Katara's face.
The guards began taking the remaining prisoners deeper into the shipyard, with the warden adding his commentary. "You will notice, earthbenders, that this rig is made entirely of metal," he noted as they passed a bunch of workers. Katara briefly stopped to look at the horizon, before walking forward again. "You are miles away from any rock or earth. So, if you have any illusions about employing that savagery that passes for bending among your people, forget them. It is impossible," the warden added as they reached a set of gates. "Good day." As the warden left, the guards escorted the prisoners through the gates.
After the gates closed, Katara got a better look at the place she was in. It was a giant pavilion. Huts lined either side, and there were hundreds of people there. Walking through, she began to wonder how on earth she'd find Haru when she heard a familiar voice call out, "Katara?" Turning, she saw the young earthbender she was looking for.
"Haru!" Katara exclaimed as she rushed to hug him.
"What are you doing here?" Haru questioned after a brief moment.
Backing away, Katara answered, "It's my fault you were captured. I came to rescue you."
"So you got yourself arrested?"
"It was the only way to find you."
Haru seemed impressed as he crossed his arms. "You've got guts, Katara, I'll give you that." Putting his hand on her shoulder, he said, "Come on, there's someone I want you to meet."
As Haru took Katara over to a nearby food bench, she saw an older man sitting on the ground. "Katara, this is my father, Tyro," he introduced. "Dad, this is Katara." Tyro turned.
"It's an honor to meet you," Katara greeted.
Tyro held out a bowl to her. "Have some dinner, Katara." Taking the bowl, she quickly made a disgusted expression at the contents.
This looks worse than Hieu's ration bars, she thought in distaste.
"It's not as bad as it looks," Tyro reassured. Sitting down, Katara took a bite and quickly wanted nothing more than to spit it out. The bars at least tasted like some amount of effort was put in. "It's still pretty bad, though," the older man admitted.
A man walked up to the group. "Tyro, the prisoners are complaining there aren't enough blankets to go around."
"I'll talk to the guards," Tyro responded. "In the meantime, make sure the elderly are taken care of. The rest of us will simply have to hope for warmer weather."
"If you don't mind me asking, what's your escape plan?" Katara suddenly asked.
"Excuse me?" Tyro questioned.
"You know, the plan to get everyone off the rig? What is it, mutiny, sabotage?" Katara probed.
"The plan? The plan is to survive, wait out this war, hope that one day some of us can get back home and forget this ever happened," the old man answered.
"How can you say that?" Katara asked in confusion. "You sound like you've already given up!"
"Katara, I admire your courage, and envy your youth," Tyro began. "But people's lives are at stake here. The warden is a ruthless man, and he won't stand for any rebellion. I'm sorry, but we're powerless," he apologized sincerely.
Katara stood. "We'll see about that." She'd heard from Neil how Spartans were supposed to be symbols of hope. She hoped to do the same for the prisoners. Grabbing a pot lid, she clanged her spoon on it, gaining the crowd's attention.
"Earthbenders!" Katara called out. "You don't know me, but I know of you. Every child in my Water Tribe village was rocked to sleep with stories of the brave Earth Kingdom and the courageous earthbenders who guard its borders." Overhead, the warden watched patiently as Katara made her speech.
"Some of you may think that the Fire Nation has made you powerless. Yes, they have taken away your ability to bend. But they can't take away your courage. And it is your courage they should truly fear, because it runs deeper than any mine you've been forced to dig, any ocean that keeps you far from home. It is the strength of your hearts that make you who you are. Hearts that will remain unbroken when all rock and stone has eroded away. The time to fight back is now! I can tell you the Avatar has returned! So remember your courage, earthbenders! Let us fight for our freedom!"
The silence that followed told Katara all she needed to know, as well as the fact no one stood to follow her example. From the balcony, the warden left, satisfied that an earthbender revolt was not on the docket today.
It was then that Katara made her decision.
The spotlights that lit up the rig that night failed to catch Appa as the bison hovered near a catwalk. Katara had sent out a beacon on the comms box earlier, giving Hieu a signal to home in on to extract the girl and Haru. He'd left his ghillie suit behind, given the fact it wouldn't help at all if he was caught.
Flipping his PATTON targeting system down over his visor, Hieu traced the beacon to a hut in the middle of the courtyard. As he entered, he spotted Katara lying on a mat on the floor. When he woke the girl, he lifted his finger to where his mouth would be to make sure she knew to be quiet.
Hieu retraced his steps to Appa's location, making sure Katara was following. When he got there, he spotted Sokka, Aang, and Neil waiting for him.
"Your twelve hours are up," Sokka whispered. "Where's Haru? We gotta get out of here."
As Hieu leapt back onto Appa, causing the bison to sway slightly, Katara stayed on the balcony. "I can't."
Hieu was less than enthused. "Listen, we don't have the time. Guards are everywhere, and we need to go."
Aang looked at the girl. "Katara, what's wrong?" he asked.
"I'm not leaving," she answered stubbornly. "I'm not giving up on these people."
"What do you mean, you're not leaving?" Sokka questioned as the group got up onto the ledge.
"We can't abandon these people. There has to be a way to help them," Katara responded.
"Maybe she's right," Aang said, before turning to the rest of the group. "What do you guys say?"
"This place is a shipyard, right?" Neil asked, with Katara nodding in confirmation. "That means boats, which means we have extraction solved."
Hieu sighed. "Neil, the mission is-"
"What part of the mission has stayed the same since we went down that shaft?" Neil rebuffed forcefully. Hieu was silent. "That's what I thought."
"...fine."
"Well, I say you're all crazy," Sokka interjected pointedly. Suddenly, a searchlight passed over their heads. "Last chance. We need to leave, now!"
"No!" Katara adamantly replied, shooting a look at her brother.
"I hate when you get like this," Sokka mumbled. The searchlight passed over them again. "Come on, we better hide."
As the rest of the group got up and went into the rig, Aang crawled over to Appa and whispered, "Go." The bison quickly took off, before Aang followed the others.
Kuro and the captain were on the night patrol, which meant they walked around the edge of the rig and kept a lookout for any prisoners that would try to escape.
He had two problems with this job. The first was the fact it was the night patrol, which was somewhat counteracted by the warden begrudgingly letting him sleep in a couple hours. The second was the lack of handrails around their part of the rig. How it got past the safety inspectors, he didn't know and likely never would.
As Kuro and the captain rounded a corner, he thought he spotted something massive in the air. It was furry, had six legs, and there were arrow patterns on its back, as well as an empty saddle. Was it one of those flying buffalo the Air Nomads used to keep before they were wiped out?
"Look!" Kuro called out, pointing to the buffalo.
"Tell me exactly what you saw," the warden dictated as he turned to Kuro and the captain.
"Well, sir, it looked like a flying bison," the captain reported.
"What?" the warden questioned.
"It was a giant flying buffalo, sir, with an empty saddle," Kuro provided.
"Which was it, a buffalo or a bison?" the warden questioned irritably.
"Uh… I'm not sure what the difference is, but that's not really the point, is it sir?" the captain said, perhaps a tad unwisely.
"I'LL DECIDE WHAT THE POINT IS, FOOL!" The warden grabbed the captain by the chest and tossed him over the edge. As Kuro looked over the edge, he now knew why there were no handrails.
"You!" At the warden's order, Kuro stood at attention. "Wake up the captain! Search the entire rig!"
"...sir?"
"What?!"
Kuro proceeded carefully. "That was the captain you just threw overboard, so-"
"Then wake up someone I haven't thrown overboard and search the rig!" the warden directed irately. "There's something going on here, and I don't like it!"
Well, it's better than it could have been, Kuro thought morosely as he walked away.
The group was hiding behind several crates. As Momo peeked over the edge, Sokka said, "We don't have much time. What are we gonna do?"
"I wish I knew how to make a hurricane," Aang said. Sokka and Katara gave him unamused looks, and even though he couldn't see through their visors, it was easy to imagine Neil and Hieu doing the same. "The warden would run away and we'd steal his keys."
"Wouldn't he take the keys with him?" Hieu countered sardonically.
Aang shrugged. "I'm just tossing ideas around."
"I tried talking the earthbenders into fighting back, but it didn't work," Katara lamented. "If there was just a way to help them help themselves."
"For that they'd need some kind of earth or some rock," Sokka postulated. "Something they can bend." Hieu suddenly looked at the smokestack.
"But this entire place is made of metal," Katara pointed out.
"No, it's not," Hieu said, drawing their attention. "Look at the smoke. Smoke means coal."
A candle was lit in Aang's brain. "In other words… earth," he realized.
Katara, Sokka, Neil, and Hieu were by an air vent. Aang, meanwhile, was off to do his part of the plan.
"It's almost dawn, we're running out of time!" Katara harshly whispered. "You sure this is gonna work?"
"It should," Sokka whispered back. "These vents reminded me of our little trick back at the village. We're gonna do the same thing, but on a much bigger scale. There's a huge deposit of coal at the base of the silo, and the whole system is ventilated. Aang closed off all the vents except one. When he does his airbending, the coal only has one place to go: right back here."
"THERE'S THE INTRUDERS!" Guards suddenly circled the four. Neil shouldered the Bandit, Hieu drew his machete, and Sokka unsheathed his boomerang.
"Stay back! I'm warning you!" Sokka yelled at the guards.
"If anybody wants a new hole to breathe through, step forward!" Neil called.
Tyro stepped through the crowd. "Katara, stop! You can't win this fight!" Katara noticed Haru next to his father, and they made eye contact.
"Listen to him well, child," the warden said as he made himself known. Neil turned and trained the Bandit on the new target. "You're one mistake away from dying where you stand."
Hieu glanced at Neil, before turning back to the warden. "Same goes for you."
As the guards closed in, a rumbling could be felt. Suddenly, a tidal wave of coal erupted from the vent, no doubt propelled by a certain airbender. As it fell, the guards that surrounded the four were pushed back, and a sooty Aang leapt from the vent and landed on the mound before coughing the dust from his lungs.
Katara stepped onto the coal. "Here's your chance, earthbenders!" She picked up a piece and raised it above her head. "Take it! Your fate is in your own hands!"
Haru tried to step forward, but was blocked by his father. Nobody else tried to bend it, with some even stepping back.
The warden suddenly laughed. "Foolish girl. You thought a few inspired words and some coal would change these people? Look at these blank, hopeless faces. Their spirits were broken a long time ago. Oh, but you still believed in them. How sweet. They're a waste of your energy, little girl. You failed."
As the warden turned and walked away, Katara heard Neil mutter, "Oh, screw it." She didn't notice his finger squeeze the trigger.
BANG!
A bright flash caught everyone's attention, and the warden yelled in pain as sprays of red erupted from either side of his thigh. As he staggered, he turned back to the prisoners with a growl. The first thing he saw was Neil's smoking rifle. In a rage, the warden shot jets of fire at Neil, but a wall of coal appeared in front of the Spartan. Tyro had bent it up, recognizing that the time to fight was now.
The warden lined up with the guards. "Show no mercy!" Fire erupted from their fists, before being deflected by another coal wall, this time bent by two other earthbenders alongside Tyro.
Grunting with the strain of lifting the coal, Tyro yelled, "For the Earth Kingdom! ATTACK!" Slamming their hands to the ground, the earthbenders sent the wall flying, knocking the warden and the guards back.
By now, every other earthbender saw that it was now or never. With one harmonious battle cry, they took any chance they could to engage the guards.
Rushing forward, Sokka sliced a spear as its owner attempted to impale him, before tossing the pointy end into the air, where Momo caught it. This happened several more times as more guards failed to learn their lesson.
Back at the mound, Tyro and Haru lifted a column of coal into the air, before condensing it into a solid boulder. They then sent it flying into a wall, leaving a hole big enough to escape through.
"Get to the ship!" Tyro ordered. "We'll hold them off!"
The warden saw the prisoners rush towards the hole. "Do not let them escape!" He and several other guards sent flames at the hole, but the prisoners were long gone. They did, however, almost catch Aang in the head.
Thinking fast, the boy bent a small whirlwind around his arm. "Guys, throw me some coal!" he yelled. Katara and Sokka grabbed bits of coal off the ground and dropped them into the whirlwind, where they were sent flying at the guards. Hieu grabbed a particularly large piece of the mineral, which managed to hit the warden directly in the chest and knocked him into the ground. Looking up, the warden saw coal fly by his face, before lifting him into the air.
Tyro, Haru, and another earthbender lifted every bit of coal they could into the air, taking the guards with it, before coalescing it all into a massive ball and hovering it over the ocean below.
"No! Please! I can't swim!" the warden whined.
Neil walked up by Tyro. "Eh, a little salt in the wound never hurt anybody… permanently," he quipped, offering a mock salute to the warden.
Tyro smirked. "And don't worry, I hear cowards float." The earthbenders then disintegrated the coal beneath the guards, allowing them to fall to the water.
In their commandeered flotilla, the group celebrated their victory together. They had just managed to break open a massive Fire Nation prison rig without any of the prisoners dying. Sure, some had been injured, but they had been assured everyone would heal completely. Introductions had been made, and everyone was ready to go.
On the top deck of one of the ships, Tyro, Haru, Neil, and Katara were conversing. "I want to thank you for saving me. For saving us," Haru thanked.
"All it took was a little coal," Katara humbly replied.
"And a bullet," Neil added. "Speaking of which, the count's down to forty-four now."
"It wasn't the coal or the bullet," Haru said to them. "It was you both."
Tyro put his hands on their shoulders. "Thank you for helping me find my courage, Katara of the Water Tribe, Spartan Neil Glenn. My family, and everyone here, owes you much."
"Just another day on the job," Neil replied.
Katara looked at Tyro. "So, I guess you're going home now."
Tyro smiled, and answered, "Yes, to take back my village." He turned to the flotilla, before yelling, "To take back all of our villages! The Fire Nation will regret the day they set foot on our land!" Cheering sounded out from every vessel.
"Come with us," Haru suddenly offered.
Turning to Haru, Katara replied, "I can't. Your mission is to take back your home. Ours is to get Aang to the North Pole."
"What she said," Neil agreed. "We've still got a job to finish, so why quit for another?"
The three turned to the bison floating next to their boat, and the young boy in the saddle. "That's him, isn't it?" Haru asked. "The Avatar."
Haru turned back to the girl. "Katara, thank you for bringing my father back to me," he said in gratitude. "I never thought I'd see him again. I only wish there was some way-"
"I know," Katara replied. She instinctively grasped at her necklace, only to realize it wasn't there. "My mother's necklace! It's gone!"
Zuko had followed the Avatar's trail to a Fire Nation prison rig. As he combed through the debris of a recent battle, he spotted a blue shine on the ground. Turning, he saw a blue necklace. He picked it up and recognized it - it was the same one the Avatar's friend wore.
Interrupting Zuko's thoughts, a soldier walked up to him with something in his hands. Raising it up in his palm, the man said, "Some other troops found these, sir. I don't recognize them."
The objects in the soldier's palm were small. One was a small metal cone that appeared to be coated in someone's blood, and the other was a brass-colored cylinder with one end hollow. It didn't take a genius to know they once went together. As for the blood, it matched up with the warden's report of something small going through his leg. He was still in pain from the saltwater.
Taking the objects from the soldier's hand, Zuko got a closer look. The cylinder smelled vaguely of sulfur, and indeed, the bottom of the cone and the inside of the cylinder were covered in soot.
"Who are those soldiers?" Zuko muttered to himself as he looked towards the sunset.
Fourteen miles north of the Academy
January 10th, 2560
Local time 0517
The Academy hadn't even lasted twelve hours. The relentless assault had quickly overwhelmed the Marines and ODST's, and even the Spartans had succumbed. Laurette, Sigrid, and half of Fireteam Cobra had barely made it out with their lives. From what little radio chatter they'd heard during their escape, any Spartans that hadn't been killed were infected.
The four had escaped to a cave in the mountain to the north. Everyone had agreed that it was the best course of action, not that anybody was in the mood to argue. Morale was at an all-time low. Sigrid was particularly morose, given the fact there was still no sign of Dinh or Glenn. She hadn't said a word since they got out.
"I can't believe we lost," lamented Nick Lee, the current leader of Cobra. "Not even twelve hours, and we're on the run."
"It's not over yet," Agryna tried to reassure him.
"How? How is it not over?" furiously questioned the other member of Cobra, Remy Granger. "You heard what he said. Less than twelve hours."
"We're still here," Agryna reminded. "As long as even one of us is fighting, it's not over."
"Easy for you to say," Lee murmured.
Laurette was silent for a moment, before an idea sparked into her head. "Take off your helmets."
"What?" Granger asked.
Laurette took her helmet off. "I want to see your faces."
Granger set his sniper rifle down, before taking off his gray Mark VI helmet. He had a shaved face, short black hair, and dark blue eyes. Lee followed suit with his orange ODST helmet, revealing red hair, a beard, and gray eyes. Eklund was last, exposing braided blonde hair, a green bandana, and bright blue eyes that betrayed her loss.
"Why are you here?" Laurette asked.
Lee was confused. "What do you mean?"
"Why did you come to the Academy?" Laurette reiterated.
"To be a Spartan," Lee said slowly.
"What is a Spartan?" When no one answered, Laurette continued. "A Spartan is a symbol. Hope where there is none. In times of darkness, we are hope. And together… together, we stand a chance." Hopeful smiles began to appear on Lee and Granger's faces, and a small grin started to break onto Sigrid's.
She turned to the others. "Spartans, we managed to get out. Don't waste this chance. Now, are. You. Ready?"
"Yes, ma'am," Granger and Lee said in unison.
"I can't hear you!"
"Ma'am, yes, ma'am!"
"Again!"
"MA'AM, YES, MA'AM!"
A smirk grew on Laurette's face. "Good. Let's get ready."
Sigrid walked over to Laurette. "Nice speech," she complimented. It was good to hear her speak.
"Thanks," Laurette replied gratefully. "Honestly, I think we all needed that." Laying a hand on Sigrid's shoulder, she reassured, "We'll find them. Don't worry."
-
Next chapter: The Winter Solstice, Part One: Nightmares and Visions
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AN: Chapter 7, finally done!
I decided to have Neil use the Bandit for the first time this chapter. I avoided the kill shot simply because I wanted that "cowards float" quip, and also because, as Neil said, the kids don't need to see what the inside of a skull looks like.
Also, the bullet and casing are going to come in handy for the future. How far ahead is something I won't tell you, but I wouldn't have focused on it otherwise.
We also got a rather sad look into Neil's backstory. I decided to make his dad military to give Neil a reason to have an heirloom of some sort on him.
If anybody's asking, yes, I did name the Cobra Spartans after UberNick and Mint Blitz. I also based their appearances and armor on them, so if either of you are reading this for some reason, it's free advertising. Also gave Remy a sniper because Mint Blitz.
Side note, Agryna's speech is almost word-for-word from the tutorial cinematic.
Final actual note, I decided to contrast the Gaang's victory with the loss of the Academy to show that no matter the situation, hope can prevail. Cobra's returning for the future, rest assured.
Anyway, again, I apologize to guest Austin for making you wait for my review response. So, here it is.
I too am surprised there aren't any stories about the multiplayer side of things. Apparently there's only one normal story, and zero crossovers other than this one. Thanks for the praise for the story and grammar as well. Would you believe I write this on a phone?
On to the concerns, let me begin by saying I too was worried about the Spartans' weight. Mjolnir GEN3 weighs about 400 kilograms empty, plus the fact that Spartan-IV's weigh about 115 kilos out of armor. But then, I figured that since Appa is a ten-ton bison, he can handle the extra one ton. I did, however, make sure he swayed a bit when Hieu boarded him during the chapter to help allay any concerns that I was making the Spartans too light.
Next, when the Spartans draw actual blood. The answer to that is four scenes ago. I plan to hold off on straight-up killing for now, but- Oh wait, if I tell you what happens when they do end up killing, I'll spoil the story. So I won't address the second part of that question.
Finally, your review was rather exemplary in that you laid out your concerns without resorting to insulting me. Thanks for that.
Whew, this was a long note.
Anyway, follow, fave, and review. That last one is important for me becoming a better writer.
This is Believer218, signing off.
Edit: Opening AN changes and added details I thought I added before, but apparently didn't