AN: I have officially come up with backstories for every major character from the Haloverse for this story. If anybody wants to see those, let me know in the reviews.
Also, chapter titles have been planned for all of Season 1. They'll still only be revealed as we go along, but it helps to get a start on things.
I'm also going to move Hieu's vision from Chapter 7 to the prologue. I think it'll be better story-wise.
Side note, I've just realized that with the two-week schedule, this story's gonna be in progress for more than two years. Because of that, I'm going to be splitting the seasons into separate stories.
Anyway, the legal stuff: I do not own Halo, Avatar: The Last Airbender, or associated characters and properties.
The Winter Solstice, Part II: Ancestry
It wasn't even dawn yet, and Aang was already up. He tugged at Appa's reins, trying to get the ten-ton bison to move.
"Let's go, Appa!" he grunted. "Come on boy!"
Appa only gave a groan as he refused to budge.
"Look, I'm sorry, but our friends aren't coming to the Fire Nation with us," Aang explained as he momentarily ceased his yanking. "If they got hurt, I'd never forgive myself."
He then straightened forcefully. "So get your big butt off the ground and let's go!" he yelled as he again tugged at Appa's reins, only to be pulled to the floor.
"I think his big butt's trying to tell you something," a familiar voice suddenly said. Aang turned to see Sokka standing in the road, alongside the rest of his friends and the villagers.
"Please don't go, Aang," Katara begged. "The world can't afford to lose you to the Fire Nation. Neither can I."
Aang then remembered the comet. He had to do this.
"But I have to talk to Avatar Roku to find out what my vision means!" the boy shot back as he stood.
He then walked towards his friends. "I need to get to the fire temple before the sun sets on the solstice. That's today!" He then leapt onto Appa's neck and took the reins.
As he guided the bison forward, his friends suddenly ran in front, blocking his path. "We're not letting you go into the Fire Nation, Aang," Katara reiterated.
"At least, not without your friends," Sokka continued with a smirk, crossing his arms. "We've got your back."
"Here's to doing something stupid together," Neil quipped.
Momo then landed on Aang's shoulder, and Appa gave an affectionate lick to Neil.
"...eugh. And I thought grunts breathing farts was disgusting."
The village leader then walked up to Aang as his friends boarded Appa, with supplies in his arms. "It's a long journey to the crescent island." As Aang took the supplies, he continued. "You'll have to fly fast to have any chance of making it before sundown. Good luck."
Aang smiled. "Thank you for your-"
"Go!" the leader cut off, pointing into the distance. Appa then leapt into the air, an Avatar, a waterbender, a teenager, and two super soldiers in tow.
The village leader tiredly answered the door, only to realize with a gasp that Fire Nation troops were outside.
"Having trouble sleeping?" Zuko said, before roughly shoving the leader back through the door.
He then walked towards the leader threateningly. "Seen the Avatar lately?"
As the sun rose, Appa raced over the ocean. Everyone kept an eye out for any Fire Nation ships that might be below. Neil and Hieu's visors especially came in handy, zooming in and ensuring nothing went unnoticed.
Aang leaned forward in his perch on the bison's neck. "Come on, boy! We've got a long way to go! Faster!" Appa grunted in response as he accelerated.
Down below, Zuko kept an eye on the Avatar's bison through the telescope.
"Sailing into Fire Nation waters," Iroh grumbled behind him. "Of all the foolish things you've done in your sixteen years, Prince Zuko, this is the most foolish!"
"I have no choice, Uncle," Zuko dismissed, not even looking away.
"Have you completely forgotten that the Fire Lord banished you?!" Iroh shot back. "What if you're caught?"
This time, Zuko did look at his uncle. "I'm chasing the Avatar. My father will understand why I'm returning home!"
Iroh was skeptical. "You give him too much credit. My brother is not the understanding type."
Zuko turned back to the telescope. Peeking through, he spotted the Avatar's bison.
"There they are," he muttered. Turning back to the bridge, he called, "Helmsman, full steam ahead!"
On the bison, Hieu eyed the familiar ship. "Aang, we've got a contact on our six-o'clock!"
Sokka peeked over his shoulder. "Yeah, and it's gaining fast!" he yelped.
The ship raised a catapult battery from below deck. As it locked into place, Iroh was not fond of the scent coming from the chosen ammunition.
"Ugh, really, Prince Zuko, couldn't you shoot them down with something more fragrant?" he questioned as he waved a fan.
Zuko chose to ignore his uncle, instead igniting the ball with a burst of fire, before raising a hand. "On my mark."
As he lowered his hand, he yelled, "Fire!"
A soldier cut the tension rope, sending the fireball flying at the bison.
Up above, the attack didn't go unnoticed. "FIREBALL!" Katara shrieked.
"I'm on it!" Aang called back, yanking the reins and swerving Appa out of the path of the flaming projectile. As it passed, he noticed the unpleasant smell.
"We've gotta get out of range of that thing before another stinkbomb goes flying!" Neil yelled.
"Can't you make Appa go any faster?!" Sokka exclaimed.
"Yeah, but there's just one little problem…" Aang responded.
"...a blockade," Zuko realized in trepidation.
A vast array of Fire Nation ships traveled in two completely straight lines, which stretched from one horizon to the other. There wasn't much of a gap between any of them, meaning sea routes were blocked, and they were all armed with catapults, cutting off air travel.
Iroh stroked his beard. "Technically, you are still in Earth Kingdom waters," he pointed out. "Turn back now, and they cannot arrest you."
"If we fly north, we can go around the Fire Nation ships and avoid the blockade," Aang suggested, briefly looking back at the saddle. "It's the only way."
"There's no time!" Katara shot back.
"This is exactly why I didn't want you to come!" Aang exasperatedly responded. "It's too dangerous!"
"Are you kidding?" Neil excitedly replied. "That's exactly why we came anyway!"
"Let's run this blockade!" Sokka proclaimed.
Aang faced forward with determination in his eyes. "Appa, yip-yip!"
"He's not turning around!" Zuko called from the deck.
"Please, Prince Zuko. If the Fire Nation captures you, there is nothing I can do," Iroh warned. "Do not follow the Avatar."
Zuko closed his eyes briefly. "I'm sorry, Uncle."
He then turned to the crew. "Run the blockade!"
"The Avatar… and the banished prince."
Zhao lowered the spyglass. "This must be my lucky day."
"Commander Zhao, what are your orders?" his second-in-command dutifully questioned.
"Shoot the bison down, Captain."
"But there's a Fire Navy ship out there, sir - one of our own." the captain pointed out. "What if it's hit?"
"So be it," Zhao dismissed. "It belongs to a traitor."
He turned to the catapults. "Ignite!" Soldiers across the deck lit their fireballs.
"Launch!"
Every catapult in the fleet fired at the Avatar.
The kids all screamed as the fireballs screamed towards them, while Neil and Hieu hit the deck.
Appa swerved through the air, weaving through the flak, while Aang's grip on the reins tightened. A fireball suddenly exploded in front of them, and as Appa passed through the smoke, small patches of his fur were set on fire. Everyone aboard did their best to put them out, with Momo getting the places nobody else could reach.
"Appa, are you okay?" Aang asked in concern. Appa gave a brief groan in the affirmative.
Fireballs splashed around Zuko's ship. One sent a wave across the deck, before another hit the stern of the ship.
As Zuko released his grip on the catapult that served as his anchor, a crewman called out, "Prince Zuko, the engines are damaged! We need to stop and make repairs!"
Zuko turned back to the bow. "Do not stop this ship!" he ordered.
"Launch!" Zhao ordered.
The next volley was sent into the air.
Aang tried to get above the clouds to break the line of sight, but as another wave of fireballs flew in front of him, he realized that it wouldn't matter if there was no room to maneuver. He screamed and yanked the reins as one fireball in particular just barely passed his left.
As Appa passed through yet another explosion, Sokka was sent flying out of the saddle.
"SOKKA!" Aang yelled.
Suddenly, Neil stood and backed up to the edge. "I can take the impact, but he can't! Try to catch up!" Before anybody could stop him, he ran forward and leapt off the bison.
This is stupid.
This is stupid.
This is stupid.
With those thoughts in mind, Neil rocketed towards the tumbling teenager, using his armor's built-in thrusters to gain an extra boost. While GEN3's thrusters were nowhere near as powerful as GEN2's without an external pack, they were enough.
Blue streaks trailed after the Spartan as he dove headfirst towards Sokka, bringing up an altimeter with a thought.
Sixteen hundred feet.
Neil reached out to the teen.
One thousand.
He grabbed Sokka by the wrist.
Eight hundred.
He pulled him close.
Six hundred.
He put himself between Sokka and the ocean, redirecting his thrusters downward.
Five hundred.
Four.
Three.
Two.
One.
CLANG!
As they reached fifty feet, Neil slammed into Appa's saddle, bursting his shields and cushioning Sokka's impact. He felt more than heard Appa dip in altitude and graze the water.
"...my back," the soldier groaned. Slowly sitting up, he realized there was now a sizable dent in the saddle. It was shaped suspiciously like the backplate of Mjolnir Mark VII, complete with small burn marks where the thrusters would be.
"Hehe… sorry," Neil sheepishly apologized.
Aang then raced towards the blockade. Recent experience had proven that breaking the line of sight wouldn't help.
"Ready…" Zhao began as the bison neared. It couldn't be more than half a mile away now. Soldiers across the deck primed their catapults again.
"Fire!"
As the next wave of fireballs came at them, Aang leapt from Appa's neck. He then sent a column of air at one fireball with a kick, breaking it apart and clearing the way.
He then quickly remembered that he no longer had something beneath his feet. He waved his arms in the air, before drag sent him back onto Appa, where Sokka and Katara grabbed onto him, before he took the reins once more.
They then flew past the blockade.
Aang pumped a fist into the air in celebration. "We made it!"
Sokka, however, was slightly shell-shocked. "We got into the Fire Nation. Great."
Where do you think the Avatar is headed, sir?" the captain questioned as the bison flew past.
"I'm not sure…" Zhao admitted, before turning to the other prize of the day. "...but I bet a certain banished prince will know."
"We're on a collision course!" Iroh bellowed at his nephew.
"We can make it!" Zuko called back confidently.
"The boarding party is ready to apprehend Prince Zuko, sir," the captain reported. Indeed, a squad was already on the deck, and eagerly awaited orders.
Zhao, however, raised his hand. "Wait. Cut the engines and let them pass."
"Sir?"
As Zhao's vessel came to a stop, Zuko's ship passed directly ahead.
Fiery gold eyes met cold amber.
The prince's vessel then sailed past the blockade, off to follow the Avatar.
As the day passed, everyone was tired. The adrenaline highs from running the blockade were long gone. Aang laid on Appa's neck, with Momo resting on the boy's head.
Suddenly, the lemur perked up, with Aang getting a sudden jolt of energy when he spotted what he was looking for.
"There it is!" he called. His friends looked forward and saw what he saw. "The island where Roku's dragon took me!"
It looked exactly as it did back during his brief foray into the spirit world. Black, crescent-shaped, and with a volcano in the middle. The temple could be seen on its slope.
Appa set down a short distance away from the building. A bridge connected the landing site and the temple.
As the group disembarked from their ride, Aang gave his bison a hug. "You did it, buddy. Nice flying." Appa groaned in exhaustion and rolled onto his side.
"Aww, you must be tired," Katara softly said as she rubbed the bison's belly.
"No, I'm good," Sokka responded as he stretched, evidently unaware that the statement was not directed at him. "Refreshed and ready to fight some firebenders."
"I was talking to Appa," Katara deadpanned.
Sokka stopped. "...well, I was talking to Momo."
"Aaanyway," Neil interjected. "Let's hope it doesn't come to fighting."
He then pulled the Bandit from his back and racked the charging handle with a clink, sending a fresh bullet into the chamber. "Doesn't hurt to be ready, though," he remarked.
The group peeked over a small wall at the temple's entrance. "I don't see any guards," Sokka observed quietly.
"The Fire Nation must have abandoned the temple when Roku died," Katara hypothesized.
Hieu wasn't as optimistic. "Or it could be a trap. I've seen the Banished use this tactic before: Make the place look abandoned, and ambush the enemy once they're inside and can't escape."
"Only one way to find out," Aang responded. "It's almost sundown. We better hurry."
"Alright," Neil said. "Here we go."
They all climbed over the wall, before rushing to the doorway. Neil drew the Bandit from his back and Hieu unsheathed his machete, before they stood up against the doorway.
"Breaching in three, two, one…"
The Spartans rounded their corners, with Neil keeping his rifle leveled for any possible enemies, and the kids followed them through. Once they were inside and no targets showed themselves, Neil dropped the Bandit into a low ready position. They all then quieted their steps, with the Spartans being surprisingly soundless, given their heavy armor.
Suddenly, Hieu paused and raised a fist. "Wait. Something's on the motion tracker."
Turning around, the group spotted five old men. They all wore elaborate red caps on their heads, and red tunics to match. The one in front had a different tunic from the others, meaning he was probably their leader.
"We are the fire sages, guardians of the Temple of the Avatar," the leader proclaimed.
"Great! I am the Avatar!" Aang responded, taking a few steps towards the sages.
"We know." With that, the leader and two others sent jets of flame at the five. Thinking quickly, Aang waved his hands and deflected the fireballs.
"Hieu, you can say 'I told you so' later!" Neil preempted.
Aang turned to his friends. "I'll hold them off. Run!"
As everyone else ran out of the room, Aang sent a wave of air at the sages' feet, knocking them over and giving him an opportunity to catch up.
As the sages began to get up, the leader noticed that the boy was gone.
"If the Avatar contacts Roku, there's no telling how powerful the boy will become," the leader declared. "Split up and find him!"
Aang slid to a stop in front of the others. "Follow me!"
"Do you know where you're going?!" Sokka yelled as he and the others chased after the boy.
"Nope!" Aang replied before rounding the corner. Before they could follow, however, Aang came back around, with a sage following him. "Wrong way!"
"Come back!" the sage called after them, but the five didn't heed him.
The group eventually found themselves cornered by a window as the sage followed them. Neil unslung the Bandit and leveled it at the man.
"You leave a single burnt hair on any of them, and I give you a new hole to breathe through," Neil threatened.
The sage lifted a hand. "I don't want to fight you. I am a friend."
"Firebenders aren't our friends," Sokka aggressively responded as he and Aang took defensive stances.
The sage walked forward, but instead of attacking, he got on his hands and knees before Aang. "I know why you're here, Avatar."
"You do?" Aang questioned, relaxing slightly. Neil lowered his rifle, ready to raise it but no longer pointing it directly at the sage.
"Yes," the sage replied as he stood again. "You wish to speak to Avatar Roku. I can take you to him."
"How?" Aang questioned skeptically.
Instead of speaking, the sage grabbed a nearby lamp and turned it, revealing a small hole. He then placed his hand over it and sent flames through. A rectangular outline then appeared in the wall, before pulling away and revealing a stone passageway.
"This way," the sage directed. Suddenly, a distant voice ordered someone to find them.
"Time is running out!" the sage whispered urgently. "Quickly!"
Aang nodded to his friends, before they entered the passageway. Once they were all in, the sage closed the door behind them, leaving no trace.
The ship was billowing smoke from the earlier impact. Of course, this wasn't Zuko's current concern.
"What's he up to, Uncle?" the prince asked of Iroh. "Why didn't Commander Zhao arrest me?"
"Because he wants to follow you," Iroh responded. "He knows you'll lead him to the prize you're both after - the Avatar."
An idea then came to Zuko's head. "If Zhao wants to follow our trail of smoke, then that's exactly what I'll let him do."
"Avatar Roku once called this temple his home," the sage - Shyu was his name - explained as the group made their way through the cavern. "He formed these secret passages out of the magma."
"Who would've thought a religious monk would be scientifically accurate?" Neil remarked.
"Did you know Avatar Roku?" Aang asked.
"No, but my grandfather knew him," Shyu answered. "Many generations of fire sages guarded this temple long before me. We all have a strong spiritual connection to this place."
"Is that how you knew I was coming?"
"A few weeks ago, an amazing thing occurred. The statue of Avatar Roku - its eyes began to glow."
"That's when we were at the Air Temple," Katara remarked. "Avatar Roku's eyes were glowing there, too."
"It's also around the time me and Hieu arrived on Kyoshi," Neil added.
"At that moment, we knew you had returned to the world," Shyu responded.
"If this is the Avatar's temple, why did the sages attack me?" Aang asked in confusion.
"Things have changed," Shyu grimly began. "In the past, the sages were loyal only to the Avatar. When Roku died, the sages eagerly awaited for the next Avatar to return. But he never came."
"They were waiting for me," Aang realized.
Sokka laid a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Hey, don't feel bad. You're only a hundred years late." Aang glared at him.
"They lost hope that the Avatar would ever return," Shyu continued. "When Fire Lord Sozin began the war, my grandfather and the other sages were forced to follow him. I never wanted to serve the Fire Lord. When I learned you were coming, I knew I would have to betray the other sages."
"Thank you for helping me," Aang gratefully replied, drawing a smile onto Shyu's face.
As the group rounded a corner, Neil spotted the thing he dreaded most - stairs. And lots of them. Elevators really had spoiled him.
"We'll follow these stairs to the sanctuary," Shyu began, gesturing to the infernal spiral. "Once you're inside, wait for the light to reach Avatar Roku's statue. Only then will you be able to speak with him."
Hieu lifted a tile from above his head, before peeking into the room. Several columns decorated with dragons lined the inside, and there was a massive, ornate door in the middle of one of the walls, with five large holes in it. It had several metal dragons on it, alongside symmetrical decorative flames.
Seeing that the motion tracker was clear, he climbed up into the room, with the others following him.
Shyu then walked towards the door and gasped, "No!"
Aang was confused. "Shyu, what's wrong?"
"The sanctuary doors - they're closed!" the sage breathed.
"Can't you just open them with firebending, like you opened that other door?" Katara asked. Aang and Neil tugged at the doors to no avail.
"No," Shyu denied. "Only a fully realized Avatar is powerful enough to open this door alone. Otherwise, the sages must open the door together with five simultaneous fire blasts."
"Really wish I had a block or two of C12 right now," Neil griped. "Then we could blow this place wide open."
"Five fire blasts, huh?" Sokka said as he cupped his chin. He then perked up. "I think I can help you out."
As the small boat was lowered into the waters, Zuko looked at Iroh.
"Uncle, keep heading north," he ordered. "Zhao will follow the smoke trail, while I use it as a cover."
Iroh stroked his beard apprehensively. "Be careful, Prince Zuko. You must recall your last encounter with the Spartans. And Zhao is no fool, either."
"Don't worry, Uncle," Zuko dismissed. "I'll be fine."
Zhao lowered the spyglass. The smoke trail was still strong.
Perfect.
"This is a little trick I picked up from my father," Sokka began as he tied up a small bundle. A disassembled lantern was nearby.
"I seal the lamp oil inside an animal skin casing. Shyu lights the oil-soaked twine, and ta-da!" He held out the finished product. "Fake firebending."
"You've really outdone yourself this time, Sokka," Katara complimented.
"This might actually work," Shyu whispered.
They then placed the five makeshift charges into the five holes in the door.
"The sages will hear the explosion," Shyu warned. "So as soon as they go off, you rush in."
"In other words, don't take your time," Hieu added.
As Sokka rushed behind the pillars and plugged his ears, Katara turned to Aang. "It's almost sunset. Are you ready?"
"Definitely," the boy replied assuredly.
As Shyu lined up his shot, Neil called out, "Fire in the hole!"
The fuses were then lit, and Shyu took cover. The next few moments seemed like forever.
BOOM!
As the smoke cleared, Aang rushed forward and yanked on the door. Again, however, it refused to yield. "They're still locked!"
Everyone in the room looked on disappointedly. "It didn't work," Shyu murmured.
Aang then swung his fists around, slamming massive gusts of air at the door.
"Why. Won't. It. OPEN!" the boy raged. Before he could resume his tirade, Katara grabbed his arm.
"Aang, stop!" she urged. "There's nothing else we can do."
"I'm sorry I put you through all this for nothing," Aang apologized.
Sokka then walked towards the door and rubbed a finger on a scorch mark. "I don't get it. That blast looked as strong as any firebending I've seen."
Katara suddenly brightened. "Sokka, you're a genius!"
"Uh, Hieu, remind me again how breaching charges are supposed to work?" Neil sarcastically asked.
"Come on, Neil," Sokka replied. "Let her dream."
A devious glint came to Katara's eyes. "You're right. Sokka's plan didn't work, but it looks like it did."
"Did the definition of genius change in the last hundred years?" Aang sardonically asked.
"Come quickly!" Shyu called. "The Avatar has entered the sanctuary!" The other sages rushed to the door.
"How did he get in?" the leader asked.
"I don't know," Shyu replied. He gestured to some burn marks. "But look at the scorch marks!" He then pointed at a shadow from the other side. "And down there!"
"He's inside!" the leader concluded. "Open the doors immediately! Before he contacts Avatar Roku!" As he said this, Aang silently shimmied down the side of a column.
The sages then took a deep breath, before shooting fire from their palms at the holes in the door. Ornamental dragons turned on hinges, and the metal flames parted, revealing…
…a small lemur, which promptly sneezed.
"It's the Avatar's lemur," the leader observed. "He must have crawled through the pipes! We've been tricked!"
The lemur then promptly leapt onto the leader's face with a screech, knocking him flat on his back and opening the ambush. The Spartans emerged from behind the columns and rushed over to the sages, before each sweeping one off their feet and planting armored knees on their chests, immobilizing them under half-ton armor. Shyu then grabbed another sage's arm and twisted him like a backwards shrimp.
"Now, Aang!" the turncoat yelled. Only silence met him.
"Aang, now's your chance!" Katara called.
However, Zuko then emerged, holding Aang's arms behind his back as the boy struggled. "The Avatar's coming with me."
The sages under the Spartans' knees then blasted flames into the soldiers' faces, draining their shields completely and knocking them off. Another blast sent them flying into the columns hard, sending stars into their vision and showering debris. The one Shyu had restrained then reversed the hold, pinning his arms behind his back. The leader managed to peel Momo off, before grabbing onto Sokka and Katara and pinning them to the floor. The lemur flew away with the sage's cap.
"…note to self… not every firebender is Zuko…" Neil muttered in disorientation.
Zuko frowned at the slander, before quickly regaining his composure. "Close the doors, quickly!" he ordered as he began shoving the Avatar down some nearby stairs.
Aang caught a glimpse of his friends being chained to the columns as he was forced away. He then decided he needed to act.
The boy twisted his body, putting himself behind Zuko, before kicking the prince down the stairs. He then roundhouse-kicked a gust of air to force the opponent farther away.
Aang rushed towards his friends, before Katara yelled at him to go to the sanctuary. He then turned towards the doors, where two fire sages took defensive stances. As one sent a fire blast at the boy, he leapt over them, bouncing on top of their heads to keep his momentum, before landing behind the doors as they slammed shut.
Neil then chose this moment to come back to full awareness. "He made it!" the Spartan cadet exclaimed, a wide grin behind his visor. He then tried to break out of the chains now tying his sitting form to the column, to no avail, before shrugging slightly. "Eh, it was worth a shot."
Suddenly, the door glowed a bright white, blinding everyone in the room, before fading as quickly as it started.
Aang kneeled in front of Roku's statue. The light was firmly over his past life's chest, but nothing seemed to happen.
"The light hits the statue, and I talk to Roku," the boy recalled. "So why isn't anything happening?"
Zuko and the loyal sages sent jets of flame into the holes. This time, however, the door remained firmly closed.
"Why isn't anything happening?!" Zuko demanded. "It's sealed shut!"
"It must have been the light," the sages' leader hypothesized. "Avatar Roku doesn't want us inside."
"Why isn't anything happening?" Aang again questioned. He grabbed the sides of his head in frustration. "I don't know what I'm doing! All I know is airbending! Please, Avatar Roku! Talk to me!"
As the red light rose to Roku's head, the eyes suddenly began to glow. Aang was then surrounded by a thick fog. As it dissipated, the boy was greeted by a very much alive-looking Roku.
"It's good to see you, Aang," the past Avatar greeted. "What took you so long?" The boy then bowed respectfully.
Shyu was on his knees, and his wrists were tied up.
"Why did you help the Avatar?" Zuko angrily questioned the turncoat.
"Because it was once the sages' duty," Shyu responded without hesitation. "It is still our duty." Neil respected the former sage's resolve.
Suddenly, a slow clap resounded throughout the room. A man with rather large mutton chops then entered the room, flanked by half a dozen Fire Nation soldiers. The man had cloth going over one of his shoulders, likely as a status symbol. A cold smirk graced his features.
"What a moving and heartfelt performance," Mutton-Chops mocked as he came to a stop. "I'm certain the Fire Lord will understand when you explain why you betrayed him."
The sages' leader bowed. "Commander Zhao."
"And Prince Zuko," the now-named Zhao began. "It was a noble effort, but your little smokescreen didn't work."
He crossed his arms as a soldier grabbed the banished prince and pinned his arms behind his back. "Two traitors in one day. The Fire Lord will be pleased."
"You're too late, Zhao!" Zuko barked. "The Avatar's inside, and the doors are sealed!"
"No matter," Zhao dismissed. "Sooner or later, he has to come out." Katara and Sokka shared nervous glances.
"Woohoo, evil villain monologue," Neil suddenly deadpanned. "Hate to interrupt your little reunion, Mutton-Chops, but the kid's not going down without a fight."
Zhao turned to the chained-up soldier on the ground, his smirk not once fading. "So these are the fearsome Spartans the Avatar's been traveling with…" He then scoffed at the seated Neil. "I thought you'd be taller."
The cadet didn't back down. "I'd shake your hand, but the goon squad won't let me out. You mind fixing that?"
"Nice try, Spartan," Zhao responded. "But I think I like my personal space."
Neil's head briefly dipped, before he shrugged again. "Eh, it was worth a shot."
"I have something very important to tell you, Aang," Roku began, any trace of a smile vanishing as his face turned grim. "That is why, when you were in the spirit world, I sent my dragon to find you."
"Is it about that vision?" Aang asked. "The one of the comet?"
"Yes."
"What does it mean?"
"One hundred years ago, Fire Lord Sozin used that comet to begin the war," Roku began, as a vision of the comet danced across the boy's eyes. "He and his firebending army harnessed its incredible power and dealt a deadly first strike against the other nations."
"So the comet made them stronger?" Aang questioned.
"Yes, stronger than you could even imagine," Roku replied.
"But that happened a hundred years ago," Aang pointed out. "What does the comet have to do with the war now?"
"Listen carefully," Roku counseled. "Sozin's Comet will return by the end of this summer, and Fire Lord Ozai will use its power to finish the war once and for all. If he succeeds, even the Avatar won't be able to restore balance to the world. Aang, you must defeat the Fire Lord, before the comet arrives."
But I haven't even started learning waterbending, not to mention earth and fire!" Aang protested.
"Mastering the elements takes years of discipline and practice," Roku conceded. "But if the world is to survive, you must do it by summer's end."
The Fire soldiers took stances outside the door. Aang couldn't stay inside forever.
"When those doors open, unleash all your firepower!" Zhao ordered the troops.
Katara turned to Sokka. "How's Aang gonna make it out of this?"
"How are we gonna make it out of this?" Sokka responded.
"What if I can't master all the elements in time?" Aang implored. "What if I fail?!"
"I know you can do it, Aang," Roku confidently answered. "For you have done it before." This brought a grateful smile to Aang's face.
"The solstice is ending," the past Avatar then noted. "We must go our separate ways, for now."
"But I won't be able to come back to the temple," Aang pointed out. "What if I have questions? How will I talk to you?"
"I am a part of you," Roku replied. "When you need to talk to me again, you will find a way."
Both Avatars closed their eyes, and visions of the present danced before their eyes. "A great danger awaits you at the temple."
Ships near the island.
"I can help you face the threat…"
Troops outside.
"...but only if you are ready."
Aang's tattoos glowed blue, and he spoke alongside hundreds of voices long past. "I'm ready."
The door glowed bright blue, and smoke poured from under it. As it opened, a blinding light emerged, causing everyone to turn away and even overwhelming the Spartans' visors.
As the light dimmed, Zhao stood firm. "Ready…"
A pair of glowing white eyes could be seen in the dark.
"NO! AANG!" Katara yelled as she and Sokka struggled against their restraints.
"FIRE!" Zhao called. Every one of his soldiers sent a torrent of fire into the gap, only for it to be bent into a sphere. As the flames parted, Avatar Roku could be seen. Everyone in the room audibly gasped at the sight.
"Avatar Roku…" Shyu breathed.
Roku then condensed the flames into his hands, before sending a wave of heat at the soldiers, knocking them down and vaporizing the chains keeping Aang's friends captive. Zuko took the opportunity to escape Roku's fury as flames exploded through the wall. Suddenly, the whole building rumbled.
"Avatar Roku is going to destroy the temple!" Shyu called. "We have to get out of here!"
"Not without Aang!" Katara retorted.
"Easier said than done, anyway, given our only exfil is half a mile away!" Neil added.
Roku then swept his hand in a chopping motion, melting away a line of floor. He then raised his hand back up, pulling lava from the depths and through the roof as the Fire Nation soldiers retreated at top speed.
The Avatar then lowered his hands and exhaled deeply as the lava lowered. As the red beam left his statue, dust swirled around him, before fading and revealing a weakened Aang. His friends rushed over as the boy collapsed and let out a groan.
"We got your back," Sokka assured as he and Katara grabbed the boy's arms to support him.
"Thanks," Aang replied breathlessly. "Where's Shyu?"
"That… is a good question," Neil replied as he looked around the room. Indeed, Shyu was nowhere to be seen.
After Aang had regained his strength, the five ran over to the stairs, only to discover lava filled the lower depths of the temple. A column then collapsed behind them, shaking the building as they looked out through a hole in the wall.
Suddenly, Appa and Momo could be seen soaring through the air towards them, the lemur wearing the pilfered cap of a fire sage. The five leapt out of the hole onto the bison as the temple began to fall onto its side, with Appa swaying as the Spartans landed in the saddle.
As the five gazed at the carnage that was unfolding, Appa shot away at top speed.
As the Avatar escaped, Zhao was furious.
"No prince, no Spartans, no Avatar," he fumed as he turned towards the captive sages. "Apparently the only thing I do have is five traitors!"
"But Commander, only Shyu helped the Avatar," the sages' leader pointed out. Shyu turned to the old man.
"Save your stories for the Fire Lord," Zhao angrily dismissed. "As far as I'm concerned, you are all guilty!"
As he stormed off, he ordered his troops to take the sages to the brig.
Zuko lowered his spyglass. The Avatar's bison was holding its course, but his boat wouldn't be able to keep up.
All he could do now was rendezvous with Uncle Iroh.
Fortress of Iratus
February 2nd, 2560
Local time 0227
Remy kept an eye on the scope of his SRS99-S7 sniper rifle.
For the last few weeks after the Academy's fall, he and the other remaining Spartans had been engaged in guerrilla warfare against the Banished. His skill with sniper rifles certainly helped in that regard, though he was no slouch with other weapons, either.
This time, however, it was strictly reconnaissance. Safety on, finger off the trigger, he observed the Banished from a small crevice in the mountainside.
"Granger, anything to report?" the voice of Commander Agryna suddenly said over comms.
"Nothing so far," Remy replied. "I'll keep you posted."
As the comms shut off, Remy sighed, and took a moment to gaze at what used to be the Avery J. Johnson Academy of Military Science. Where warthogs, scorpions, and wasps used to be kept, now there resided choppers, wraiths, and banshees. Where the UNSC logo once resided, now the Mark of Atriox was seen. Where there used to be the whites, grays, and greens of human architecture, now there was only red and black. On the far side of the Fortress, Remy spotted what looked like a makeshift scrapyard. All sorts of UNSC hardware was being broken down and remade into weapons, vehicles, and armor. Right now, a wasp's turbine was being lifted from its socket by four grunts, with their elite overseer nearby.
After around fifteen minutes, Remy noticed a small spot of red light in the corner of his scope. Turning the rifle to spot it, he zoomed in on Iratus and a pair of infected Spartans walking towards the main reactor. The thralls appeared to be carrying a featureless silver cube of some sort.
On the note of Iratus, he seemed to have gotten some new toys to play with. What looked like a downsized version of the jump pack brute majors wore was strapped to his back, and one of those shockbraces was attached to his right wrist.
As the infected set the cube down outside the power plant, three elites ran cables out of the power plant. They then knelt down and attached the ends to the cube.
Red electricity then coursed through the cables. As it reached the cube, angry red lines appeared on it, seemingly from no visible source. It then split into several smaller pieces. They floated into a roughly circular shape, before what looked like a slipspace portal appeared in the middle.
Remy keyed his comms. "Commander, something big happened."
Fortress of Iratus
February 2nd, 2560
Local time 0244
Newly promoted Chieftain Iratus gazed at his prize with a smile. This artifact was the key to true glory. The human intelligence agency had called it "Gateway" before it was abandoned in that black site. An apt title.
The four human nuisances had been doing hit-and-run attacks for the past few weeks after their defeat. However, they could not stop the next step in his plan. Turning to the Banished forces looking on, he raised his newly acquired bloodblade above his helmet and snapped it on, before activating the base's intercom.
"Brothers, this world has long served as a stronghold of human secrets," the AI began. "They have long kept those secrets from us. But today, we release them!"
A cheer resounded from throughout the base as Iratus continued. "The human intelligence agency was foolish to think they could keep their secrets. They were foolish to think we were unable to pierce their firewalls, to think our capabilities beneath them. But now, their greatest secrets belong to us . Not only do we have every scrap of data on the Spartan program, we have this. A key to another universe.
"The Gateway shall serve as our first steps into this new world. The Banished shall no longer be confined to one universe! We shall become a timeless ideal, limitless in our faith to Atriox! But… I'll need volunteers to take this step with me. We depart in twenty-four hours."
Fortress of Iratus
February 3nd, 2560
Local time 0242
Volunteers had been in no short supply. Hundreds of mercenaries had shown their support, but unfortunately Iratus could only take a relatively small party on this first trip. More could come through later.
As it stood, he had elected to take two of his thralls, four Jiralhanae, and three Sangheili, with the non-humans bringing along their squads of Unggoy. A total of fifty warriors, or the equivalent of a human platoon.
The Unggoy carried the equipment needed to set up a small forward operating base on the other side. Methane refill stations, comms equipment, you name it, it was all coming through.
Right now, Iratus stared at the gateway with a small smirk. It was all coming together. Signaling to his subordinates, he stepped through.
Next chapter: Knowledge is Power
Coming 09/11/23
AN: I think we now know what Neil's catchphrase is.
Anyway, we all knew it was coming eventually. The Banished are entering the Benderverse. I had the time jump Haloverse-side because I felt like it wouldn't make sense to keep the dates as grouped together as they previously were.
Also, Iratus has had some upgrades. I gave him a jump-pack because it would make the boss battle we all know is coming more interesting. As for the shockbrace (which is an actual attachment in the game), it felt like a brute thing to do to electrocute attackers, especially with the shock weapons in the game.
Back in the Benderverse side of things, the gang has finished the Solstice saga. Aang has talked to Roku, and now everything up to Chapter 13 has been planned out. I finished writing this chapter a week early, which gave me some time to iron out a plan.
Now, I feel like I may need to explain Neil jumping after Sokka. Water has the property of resisting impact more the harder something hits it. Meaning that hitting the ocean from two thousand feet up is gonna feel like hitting concrete from the same height. I felt like, as a Spartan, Neil would be able to take the impact (though he did get hurt, I'm not foolish enough to think he'd get out unscathed), but Sokka, as a completely normal human, would die without something to cushion him.
Next note about that, I did my research, and yes, Mjolnir GEN3 has integrated thrusters. Granted, they're not nearly as powerful as GEN2, being completely useless in high-gravity environments without the thruster pack. I felt like a free-fall situation would be the ideal situation to showcase the thrusters.
Question for you all: How did I handle the scene where the Zuko and the sages capture Aang and company? I'm not too sure it's great, but at the same time, I don't really know how else it could've gone.
In real life matters, school starts the day I release this. I'm going into my senior year of high school, so nine months before I have to figure out what to do with myself. Yahoo…
Aaanyway, follow, fave, and review. The last one's important for me to get better at writing.
This is Believer218, signing off.