I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. Also edited by Winnin9isky.
Chapter 3 Take it to the streets
Ube was passed out on his bed without a care, sleeping off what had happened last night. Then his alarm clock went off, snapping him out of his slumber. He slapped down on the clock and stopped the ringing.
He slowly got up and stretched, then got ready and wore his work clothes. "I'll practice some more after work. Man, I need to come up with a name for the ape. Hmmm, how about Shocksquatch? Yeah, that's a good one."
Ube walked out of his bedroom and noticed the apartment seemed empty today. Ube turned his head, seeing no one in the kitchen, living room, or the other bedroom. He rubbed his head in confusion. Did she work overnight? Why isn't she here?
"Did she not come home last night?" He walked over to the window and opened the blinds. His eyes almost popped out of his skull, seeing flocks of police blimps above in the sky, watching the city from above.
"Woah!" He said in a panic. The door slammed open; Lin walked through the now-opened door, and Ube backpedaled. He quickly hid his right arm behind his back.
"Mom, what's going on?'' He quickly asked. Lin didn't pay him that much mind but marched to her room and promptly returned to face Ube. She sighed heavily, Ube realizing that the look on her face was disappointment in herself. Then, Lin locked him in a tight hug before the boy could speak. Ube acknowledged how hard this must have been for her. He forgot how stubborn she could get when a case went unsolved.
"Mom, are you okay?" Ube asked. She quickly let go of him and gave a happy smile. "I'm fine, but you won't see me for a while. Something happened, and I need to be at the office more; don't expect me for dinner," Lin said. Ube wanted to let her know things were okay, but how could he? This watch turned him into a monster. How was he supposed to break the news to her? Lin then swiftly grabbed a bag from the fridge and smiled.
"Don't want to forget my lunch." She then bolted to the exit, "Oh, and stay safe out there; a curfew's in place for the city. I love you, sweety."
When the door closed, Ube felt his eyes widen. His mother loved him, but it was rare when she called him a nickname. Ube remembered only one other time she called him that, the day he broke his arm. He tried to pretend to be an earthbender and ended up breaking it. He pinched the bridge of his nose as his mother left. He had a goal, and he would reach it tonight. He will go on patrol tonight.
"After work, it goes down no matter what," Ube said as he got ready and began making his breakfast.
On a sunny day, the weather becomes warmer, and the clouds are thinner.
Lin had been at the crime scene, studying the motionless machine on the payment, covered by giant white tarps. She had studied what had happened last night, trying to figure out what this could all mean. Who built this machine, and what were spirits doing here?
The press had taken dozens of pictures of the machine, and Lin knew she had to talk to them. She pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration. Right now, she needs an expert to help her. An officer ran over and saluted her.
"Chief, he's here," The man stated.
"Bring him here." She orders. The officer soon returned and brought a man dressed in yellow and red nomadic clothes. He had a shaved head, yet he had a fine-cut black beard. The most defining feature was the blue arrow tattoo on his forehead pointing downward. Lin gave a nod to the man as he walked by her side.
"Lin, what is all this?" He asked in concern. She lifts the tarp, showing the councilman. Tenzin's eyes widen at the machine.
"What is it." He asked. Lin lowered the tarp and crossed her arms.
"It was the thing that tore down this block," Lin said. Tenzin was stunned at the destruction around him.
"Do we know who made this thing?" He asked in the hope of some kind of answer. Lin sadly shakes her head.
"As much as I would love to have you look at the giant metal mech, we have some folk from the Future Industries to come and look at this. I need your second opinion on this case. It involves a different matter," Lin informed. She sighed, not completely understanding what had happened the previous night.
"What do you know of spirits?" She asked. Tenzin was a little taken aback by the question. He never personally saw a spirit. As it was his father who taught him how spirits acted and what they were to the world.
"I know much; what is this about?" He asked. Lin looked around herself, seeing many officers working and their attention occupied on their work.
"I can't believe I'm saying this," She took a deep breath. "I was saved by a spirit."
"What!" He exclaimed. Tenzin felt his duty was to meet this spirit and guide him back to the other world. This was his moment to show he was his father's successor, to guide spirits. Even with this, he could train Korra the right way and help the avatar. Lin could see the joy in Tenzin's eyes and his eagerness to learn.
"Lin, are you sure?" He asked.
"We have thirty witnesses who say they saw two spirits." She stated. Tenzin was at a loss for words and followed Lin into a tent set up at the crime. There was a brown table standing in the middle of the hut. Lin grabbed a sketchbook and opened up the pages.
"See these," She pointed to the drawing inside, showing a sketch of green slime and a giant ape. Tenzin's eyes widened, as he's never seen these spirits before. Line pointed at the ape one.
"That's the one who saved me." She said, remembering the strange creature that had saved her.
"It saved you?" Questioned Tenzin, he stroked his beard in a pondering manner. "Well, it's not unheard of for spirits. Perhaps the mech disturbed its resting place. Did you catch its name?"
"No, nothing, but he smiled at me and said a good job, in a weird accent, and tore up that machine out there," Lin said, remembering last night.
"I'll do some research, and in the meantime, please keep me updated. Would it be alright for me to talk to some of the witnesses?" He asked. Lin gave a respectful nod. Before he could leave the tent, he turned around.
"Oh, Lin, I'm sorry. Are you okay?" He asked, wanting to know if his friend was okay. Lin gave a soft snort. "I'm fine, just a little shaken, is all; I saw my life flash before my eyes. You know, a normal day for me."
"How's Ube?" He asked. Lin gave a soft scoff and gentle smile. Tenzin knew of Lin's adopted son; they met plenty of times. Tenzin always found him to be sitting quietly in the background, but he was a nice and calm young man. However, he heard of his many times of trying to protect others.
"He's still Ube, getting into trouble, and a good kid," Lin said. She smiled, knowing he was off at work at this very moment. Tenzin always found it surprising that Lin adopted someone, especially her, after the hardships she had to endure. Though it would be great to see them again. He smiled at her.
"Perhaps you and your son could come over to dinner one night with my family," Tenzin said. Lin gave a simple scoff but a respectful nod. It wasn't long till another officer walked through the tent.
"Chief, those folks from future industry are on their way." He said. Lin left the tent, ready to meet the people who came to help her.
Ube walked to work again in his cooking uniform. Walking through the busy streets with a smile, he couldn't help but feel excited for tonight. He was going out to seize the night. He decided to keep working at the Happy Dragon. Ube still needed money, and he wouldn't be a bum to his mom.
He was walking along with a bit of pep in his step. He didn't want to be late for his job either.
"Don't let the benders oppress our freedoms!" A man who stood on a box with a giant equalist poster behind him. He was speaking loudly about his cause. Ube always saw that masked man on the posters. He always had one word to describe Amon: creepy.
"The benders are keeping us down and not letting us get up in life!"
"Soon, Amon shall give us the revolution!"
Ube stopped and watched the man, seeing many non-benders listening to his words. Ube could tell if they were non-benders by how they dressed or how unclean they were. Only the rich could afford such nice clothes. That word did stick in his mind.
"Revolution, what was it? They always talk about that, but I don't get it." He then gave a glance at the poster again. "Damn, I hate looking at that guy's mask."
After a couple of minutes walking, he made it to his work. He opened the back door to his job and clocked in. He cracked his neck, getting ready to work his grill. Soon, a big man walked by Ube with his cooking uniform. He wore an oversized red button-up shirt over his white uniform. He was much older, having white-aged hair. Probably older than Lin.
"Glad to see you again, Ube. We're a bit short-handed. Do you think you can handle it?" The man said. This was the boss and owner of the building, Mr. Shí, a close friend and good cook. Ube learned all of his cooking from this man; even when he was young, he surveyed the man from his shop's window to see how he cooked. Then Mr. Shí asked if he would come to watch him cook one day. Then, the next thing led to the other, and the gentleman hired him.
"Of course, I can. It's no trouble, Mr. Shí." He said.
"That's a good work attitude." Mr. Shí said. The next couple of hours became a blur to him, making pan-fried noodles, pork dumplings, and snake rat jerky. All that was really on his mind was tonight, he would patrol the impoverished areas.
"Something on your mind Ube?" Mr. Shí asked, snapping him out of his thoughts.
"Yeah, sorry, just a little excited for tonight, is all." He answered as he flipped a seafood pancake. Mr. Shí gave a joyful laugh.
"Why is that? You meeting someone special tonight?" Mr. Shí rang the bell, setting out a hot dish of black noodles. Ube chuckled at the thought of love. Sure, he would give a beautiful girl a glance or two, but he would consistently shy away from acting on it.
"It's nothing like that. I'm just gonna be by myself, a night on the town," Ube said. The sound of the work whistle sharply rang. Ube untied his apron and hung it up on the wall.
"Well, that's my shift. I'll see you tomorrow," Ube said.
"You have a good night, Ube." Mr. Shí said. When walking to the door, he noticed a large order on the table beside the exit.
"Hey, what's this?" Ube asked. Mr. Shí gave a knowing glance at the bag of food. "Oh, that's the delivery for the police force. I hear that they are downtown, doing some big investigation,"
Ube's eyes widened at the news and took a nervous gulp. After that morning, seeing his mom so lost didn't sit well with him. He wanted to do the right thing, but how could he say, "Hey, Mom, watch me turn into a bunch of monsters." Ube also deeply respected Mr. Shí, and a man his age needs rest.
"After closing hour, I'm gonna deliver it." The old man said. Ube took a deep breath. He knew that walking across town would take hours, and that's if you were lucky to skip traffic. The people who ordered this knew of the happy dragon policy. If the meal was an hour late, they got it for free.
"Hey, Mr. Shí."
"Yeah, Ube." He asked while wiping his hand with a white rag. "How about I do this delivery for you, off the books."
"Ube, you don't have to do that," he said.
Ube wouldn't take no for an answer. "No, hey, I volunteer for it; a guy your age needs all the rest he can," Ube said. Mr. Shí gave a reluctant sigh.
"Alright, go for it, but please take the trolley station; you don't want to be late!" Mr. Shí said.
"Hey, don't worry, I'll be safe," Ube said, carrying the takeout into the back alleyway. He closed the door behind himself and saw the empty alleyway. The sky drifted into a sunset, turning into a beautiful night sky. His eyes switched to the watch on his wrist, tempted to see what he had accomplished. Ube then had a mischievous smile on his very face.
"Well, he did say not to be late." He smiled and set down the food. He twisted the dial until he saw a very slim raptor-like silhouette on the watch. How could Ube not give this device another try? All the forms needed to be tried out. "Alright, let's give this another shot."
Cracking his neck, he smiled and slammed down on the watch as a bright green light flashed over him. His body twisted and morphed into something new. The light quickly faded, and now, in Ube's Place, stood a semi-armored Velociraptor form. He has black orbs on his feet, a black tail with five blue stripes, and bulky hands that have three-fingered claws that can only be opened and closed. His is a black cone-like helmet. A black visor covered his face as though it was a part of his body.
The visor was tucked up into the helmet-like top part of his head. Ube looks down at himself, seeing his new appearance.
"Woah, I wonder what this one can do." He said in a raspy voice. Ube knew that natural feeling was the key to his form, and he wanted to run right now. Ube didn't pay any mind to his body and took his first step at the end of the alleyway. To him, everything went slow in his eyes. The next step he took was at the end of the alley. He laughed at the super speed he demonstrated. He quickly zoomed by the takeout and stopped to grab it, picking it up with his strange claws.
"Well, he did say not to be late." He zoomed out of the alley and into the clear streets. It helped how he could perceive time so slowly. It made it so easy to avoid cars and people.
Lu and Gang waited by a barricade, simply waiting and guarding their position. Both of them had a bored expression.
Gang turned to Lu. "Hey, when's the food coming."
Lu looked at the watch on his wrist with a greasy smirk.
"Not too long, especially since we ordered from the happy dragon. Ya know, if they're an hour late, we get the meal for free," Lu said.
"But isn't the happy dragon on the other side of the city?" Gang asked; they both had a silent moment. Then broke into laughter. They were both so lost in their mischievous thoughts that they failed to notice a green flash that flashed a couple of feet away.
"Man, wait until we get our free-"
"One large party platter, delivery for the republic city police. Oh hey, Lu, Gang. You guys must be in such a hurry to ask the happy dragon for food." Ube said. The two chief detectives were lost trying to figure it out. How did he get here so fast? Also, a fear of messing with the police chief's son scared them.
"Anyway, if you don't mind, who's gonna pay for this?" He asked. His eyes moved to either one of them. They grumbled in annoyance, searching and digging through their pockets to find any cash. Lu and Gang pulled the amount needed. Ube took the money from Lu.
"Here you fellows go." He looked at the money in his hand. "What, no tip?" he said with a sly smirk.
"Yeah, no tip, so get lost." Lu gave him the stink eye. Ube wasn't phased at all. "Alright, at least let me talk to my mom. It's important."
Lu stepped out of the way. As Ube walked by, he noticed something.
"You guys might wanna cut back on the Varri cakes. Your figures are looking a bit," Ube then motioned to his abdomen. "Large."
The two grumbled in annoyance, knowing that Ube had them. Lu spoke first in anger.
"That kid gets on my nerves."
Lin had studied the drawings that lay in front of her. People across the area reported seeing this giant ape spirit leave from building to building. She was trying to figure out where it went. She was especially glad; despite many people seeing it, the spirit situation was very low-key. The media wasn't interested. Lin only saw two reporters hanging around the barricades. The last thing she wanted was the press on her back, making a nightmare.
The tent front opened as Ube walked in. Lin's eyes latched onto him. Luckily, he hid his watch under his sleeve.
"Ube, what are you doing here?!" She asked in a concerned and aggressive tone of voice. He quickly settled and waved his hand in front of himself.
"It's fine; Lu and Gang tried to get free food from Mr. Shí, but unfortunately, they had to pay up," Ube smirked. She facepalmed herself, aggravated by her two head detectives' stupidity. Lin was glad to see her son was out of trouble. Ube had seen this before and never liked it when his mother kept herself bottled up.
"Well, now that you're here, go straight home and lock the door. The city is not safe right now, and you are almost past curfew." She calmly said, turning her attention to her work. Ube nodded, but before he could leave. He had a few things to ask.
"Hey, Mom, are you okay?" Lin remained stoic, as she wished to reassure Ube that she was fine.
"I'm sorry, I'm just a little stressed. We can talk about it when I get home," Lin said. Ube realized that talk wouldn't be anytime soon. Her work meant a lot to her.
"Hey, Mom?" Lin turned her attention back to Ube. She wasn't annoyed, but her work needed to be done.
"I love you. Try not to work too hard." Ube jokes. Lin let a smile across her face. She gave a nod to her son and let out a small chuckle. Ube could see his job was far from done and walked out of the tent. He walked away from the police crime scene, lost in thought.
"Man, look at this place. It's a war zone. Maybe I should hold back a bit."
Unfortunately, he was so lost in thought about what he needed to do and improve on he paid very little attention to his surroundings—bumping into someone by accident.
The piece of metal fell from her hands and clanged on the ground. Ube sharply turns to his right. To see he had knocked some papers out of a person's hands.
"Oh, I'm so sorry I wasn't looking." They both said in unison. He looked up and saw the person in front of him.
"No, I should have seen where I was going-." He stopped speaking.
Ube realized he had bumped into a stunningly beautiful girl; she looked his age. She wore a black jumpsuit and a pair of goggles on her head, acting as a headband with long flowing black hair. Her stunning snow-white skin and piercing green eyes. Ube was stunned by the beauty before him, his mouth making a small gawk. She quickly knelt on the ground and picked up the papers. Ube promptly shook off his gaze and knelt down to help her.
"I'm so sorry I wasn't paying attention." He said. She quickly picked up the paper as well. She didn't look bothered.
"It's fine; sorry, I got lost in my work." As they picked up papers, her hand accidentally touched his. They both froze in awkward silence. Ube gazed at her to see her gentle eyes upon him.
"Hi, my name is Ube." He said quickly in a panic. She laughed at his nervous face and soon picked up all the paper. While standing back up, she tucked some of her hair behind her right ear.
"My name is Asami." She said. Ube stood awkwardly and rubbed his arm, not sure what to do. Asami could see how nervous he looked, his shoulder was tight, and his eyes were avoiding her own. The words wouldn't come out of his mouth, and he realized his hands started shaking nervously. "Are you okay-"
"Okay, bye!" He quickly said and walked away. Asami shrugged her shoulders and walked back to the tent where the mecha-drone was. He muttered to himself.
"I made myself look like an idiot."
As he walked by the blockade, Lu and Gang saw all that had happened.
"Nice one, lover boy." Lu taunted
"Yeah, you really knocked her off her feet, champ. Huh!" Gang said sarcastically. Ube grumbled and walked into the city at night.
"You two are model cops." He said sarcastically.
He gazed at the night city in front of him. It was time for him to make his choice finally. Ube deeply questioned himself if he was really doing the right thing. He didn't want to cause all this pain, all this paperwork, all this extra work for the police officers who had to get home to their families that he would put in danger. The more he walked, the more he wanted to use the watch. That feeling of power was incredible. When Ube was younger, he always wanted to be an earthbender; he would practice for days to no end, not even moving a single pebble. His mom always tried to humor him and showed him all her stances and techniques, but he was just a powerless boy in the end. He walked to the slums with only one thought.
What was he truly here for? Why was he born into this world?
Ube stood on top of a broken and unkept building. Looking down in the ghetto streets and waiting for any crime to rear its ugly head. He slowly closed, brought up his wrist, and played with his watch, turning the dial. There were seven more forms on this watch unseen by him. He calmly looked ahead at the streets, strategizing his next moves.
"Only use the forms I have seen." Ube thought.
Then he heard the beckoning cry of an innocent person, crying for help.
"Someone help me!"
He cracked his knuckles and turned the dial. He slammed down on the face. A bright green flash covered his body. As his body changed, he let out a mighty roar that echoed throughout the city.
"ShockSquatch!" He yelled as his voice boomed like thunder. Quickly, he leaped off the building and, with his amazing agility, grabbed onto the next building. He quickly flipped on top of the next ledge and gazed down at the streets.
Old Jin was pushing around another poor civilian to take his money. The poor man lay defeated on the ground, and his poor get-up had pointed out he was a non-bender.
"Please, sir, I have no money; none of us do here!" He cried out. Jin conjured fire in his palm while giving the poor man a threatening glare.
"You listen to me right now, gutter trash. The Triple Triads are taking this territory for ourselves, and if you want to live here, you gotta pay a fee," Jin said calmly. He apologetically bowed his head.
"Please, sir, we have nothing, don't take our homes." The poor man begged.
ShockSquatch fist gripped in anger. As he hid himself above, he was gonna make his move soon. Many other homeless and outcasts watched, afraid of what would happen next. Jin took a step forward and glanced at the people around him. Shady Shin ordered Jin to take over most of the ghetto spots; with not many police and no other gangs, it was easy pickings.
"That goes for all of you, too." Jin strikes his fist outward, scaring the crowd with a gust of fire. Many squeals and terrified chattering erupted from the mass. Jin smiled wickedly and said he would get a big payday if he flushed out all this trash.
"Leave my dad alone!" Sobbed a small child, Ube recognized the kid as he was the one who was at the food drive. The child limps toward his dad while his father quickly shields his son with a hug. Jin sends a warning shot to the two of them, kicking a gust of fire at them.
"So, who wants to get charred first?" He said with a mad grin.
"I do, Eh!" Shouted ShockSquatch as he landed behind Jin. All the people watched in awe at the yellow Sasquatch. Jin nervously took a step back, seeing another spirit right in front of him. Ube realized how serious the situation was and would keep Jin's attention on him.
Ube could see that Jin was acting anxious. He gave a cocky smile, thinking that he didn't have to fight.
"You leave these nice people alone and tell your gangster buddies that the ghettos are off limits. You don't want an angry spirit directed at you. Do you Eh?"
Jin said nothing as he tensed up in a stance. Ube crossed his arms and tilted his head. "I hear you messed up with Goop! Now it's personal."
Jin had a false sense of confidence as he stood his ground.
"Will, at least I can bag a freak like you." Jin shoots a fireball at the shock Squatch. But he quickly bobbed out of the way. Ube was shocked at how he reacted so fast. The people who watched quickly took cover. ShockSquatch ran at Jin with great speed.
Jin threw another blast of fire at the beast, trying to scorch it. Ube could see the wave of fire approaching his way. He dropped to his knees, slid under the attack, and rolled back into a ready stance. Jin's jaw dropped at the level of agility he just witnessed. He raised both of his arms to bring down fire on the alien. Before he could bring his arms down, Shocksquatch scooped up both his arms in one hand, restricting their movement. ShockSquatch yanked the man off the ground, and a tiny amount of energy flowed through. Electrifying the criminal so bad he couldn't move. Ube threw then pushed Jin in the stomach, sending him a couple of feet away from ShockSquatch.
"Sorry aboot that, Eh. I may have hit yah a bit too hard, dontcha know." Ube regretted his action and immediately remembered that this man was trying to force out the homeless. He grabbed the man by the scruff of his shirt and gave him a dead-eye glare.
"Eh there bud, ya listen here. I don't want you or your pals hanging aboot here. Got it, bud." Jin ran from the area in a terrified manner. He stood proudly and smiled at his actions. Ube had power, and he loved it. Soon, he noticed the people all staring and gawking at him. No one moved, afraid that even the most minor action would set off the beast.
Ube felt a bit tense with all these lost eyes on him. These people were scared, and of course, it made sense. Ube understood; finding a space between the people, he slowly walked out. He may have done the right thing, though he felt remorseful for scaring these folks.
"Thank you, Mr. Spirit," The small child called out. ShockSquatch stopped, looking over his shoulder to see that small boy thanking him. The boy's father quickly ran to his son's side and gazed at ShockSquatch.
"Thank you," he said. ShockSquatch felt something in his heart, letting him know his job was done today. ShockSquatch cracked a smile at them. "Ain't no problem, just doing the right thing, dontcha know."
The people parted to let him through. As he walked down the street, his answer had been found, and this was no longer a lingering thought to save people. This was now his reality; he could not wait for the police when he could take action. Ube knew the power he held was incredible, and he defeated Jin, a hardened criminal. A master firebender, he was a hero, and it was his responsibility.
Then, behind him, a bright flash caught his attention. ShockSquatch sprung around to see a man holding a giant wooden camera. He should've panicked, as someone caught him in the act. Someone took a picture of him, but he couldn't help but think how bad the picture could've been from behind. The crowd slowly backed away from the man, not wanting to be in the crossfire.
"You wanna take another one?" ShockSquatch asked. The man was confused and gave his answer in a fearful tone. "Y-y-yEah!"
ShockSquatch quickly flexed his muscles and made a pose.
"Then make sure to get my good side, Eh." Winking at the man. He scrambled with his hands and took another one. Ube was never one to showboat, though he did quite enjoy it. All the poor people slowly walked forward to understand him more. Hearing his laughter, they saw his smiling face. Many people present could tell he was a big goofball, and it made them feel safe after a couple of curious eyes stared at him for a few moments.
He leaped off the ground and onto another building up high, running young into the night with a bright future ahead of him. He didn't look back, knowing all those eyes had hope in them.
While he jumped roof from the other, he howled with joy doing backflips and added his own cheesy dance. He made sure no one would see him while dancing,
"Oh yeah! Go me! Go me!" He was so busy celebrating. That he almost didn't hear his timer go off. In a bright red flash, Ube was back, still dancing the night away. Ube slowly settled down and lay on his back as the stars kept him company. There was something about watching the infinite stars that made him happy now. It was like he found a new density. That there was more to his life than just cooking meals. The world was at peace, but what about the little guy, the regular Joe who had nothing? Where is the avatar when you need him or her?
The watch light had turned back to green. He heard the beep and brought the watch to his face.
"Help!" A voice cried out. Ube shot back up, ready for action. Having a smile on his face, he twists the dial.
"Let's see if we can speed things up!" He shouted, turning into his speedster form, and rushed off to solve the problem.
Ube was passed out on his bed after he had pulled an all-nighter. He loudly snored as he was tangled in his bed sheets. Ube's head was hanging off the edge. While a bit of drool was hanging out of his mouth.
There was a knock at his door.
"Ube! Wake up, It's morning." Lin's voice came from the other side. She received no response from the other side. Lin was wearing her police armor and had her arms crossed. There was something wrong here; she had never seen Ube sleep in; even on days off, he would wake up early. Lin opened the door to see her son fast asleep on his bed. She raised an eyebrow and shook her head.
"Wake up!" She said. Ube snapped awake, swiftly turning his head all over the room.
"I'm awake! I promise I'm not sleeping on the job." He said in a post haste. Then, he faced his mom, realizing what had happened.
"Oh, morning, Mom. Sorry, long night with deliveries," Ube said. Lin shook her head but in a happy manner. Her son always had a great sense of duty to finish a job no matter what.
"I just wanted to say good morning and stay safe," Lin said. "I'll be off late again, but stay safe. The council has been howling about this case."
Ube, of course, being the good son, nodded without any complaint. Before she could leave the room, Ube called out to her.
"Mom, can we talk?" He asked. She turned around and crossed her arms, putting on a stern face. She refused to act weak in front of her son. Lin would always show her strength in any environment, but things have been hectic and out of control lately.
"Go ahead, talk." She asked. Ube fidgeted with his fingers.
"Is everything fine with your job? Like nothing bad happened, right?" Ube asked, except he knew the reason and answer to all of this. Lin gently sat on the bed and looked at the floor, and she gave a stressed sigh. In this house, no secrets were allowed, a rule she enforced and would not be a hypocrite against.
"Son, what I'm gonna say might be crazy, but after I was called about the park, about a possible bombing, instead, a giant mechanical Mech fell from the sky and tried to kill us," Lin said. Ube remembered that dreaded machine and was glad it was gone.
"Was anyone hurt?" He asked.
"Only a couple of minor injuries, nothing nobody could walk off. We were outmatched. I couldn't even bend the darn thing."
"Wait, are you serious?" Ube asked. Lin calmly nodded, her hands shaking with fear, thinking about how she almost lost her life. Ube could see how shaken up she was. He had only seen her like this one. A long time ago, when he was little, he remembered asking how she got that scar on her cheek. Lin avoided the question that day and didn't speak at all for the rest.
"Mom!" He called out, breaking her out of her trance. She pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to relieve stress.
"I'm sorry, Ube, I almost lost my life. I thought I was a goner," She said, thinking about what almost happened, leaving Ube alone in this world, like the day he found him. A dark silence settled in the room.
"But, then a spirit saved me," Lin said, still not believing the words that came out of her mouth. Some part of her found it so strange that a spirit would be here in a city full of people. Ube smiled joyfully, happy knowing his mother knew his action.
"What was it like, the spirit?" He asked, wanting to know her opinion. Lin gave a soft chuckle. The room lost its somber ambiance, and Ube raised an eyebrow at his mother.
"What's so funny?" He asked.
"He had such a funny accent," Lin said. She rubbed her hands and shook her head. She had to get this off her chest and say the words within: "It was odd; it felt like I knew the spirit."
Ube's heart had skipped a beat at her words. He felt a wave of nervous energy swelling in him.
"What do you mean?" He asked.
"I know I sound crazy, but it feels like I know him from someplace," Lin said. Ube quickly wanted to change the subject.
"Well, if he saved you, I'm sure he's a good guy," Ube said, trying to change the subject.
"Oh yeah, a very destructive one. We were lucky it was downtown. Most of those houses were abandoned. It caused a blackout on the city's north side," Lin said. Ube felt a bit disappointed in himself. Did he cause that much destruction?
"Was it really that bad?" He asked.
"Thankfully, no one was hurt, but they're gonna have to rebuild most of that building," Lin said with stress lacing her tone. She swiftly got up and walked out of the room.
"The world's getting crazy, but I'll try and make it home," Lin said, walking out the doors, leaving Ube to his own thoughts. Ube pondered on what he did. He had found his calling, yes, but was far from perfecting its execution.
"Man, I got to control myself out there; I don't want to hurt anybody," Ube said out loud. He would have to do some serious training with control. He didn't mean to destroy that building. He patted his pockets, feeling the money from the takeout order.
"Oh man, I got to get this to Mr. Shi." He put on his shoes and headed toward the living room. Before touching the handle, he smiled and looked at his watch. Taking a long sigh, he looked at his watch and twisted the dial.
"Well, If I'm gonna get there, why not have some style and fun, maybe even a little acceleration."
Ube slammed down on the watch, hoping to turn into his speeding form, what he now called XRL8. A flash of green light covered him. He could feel his body compact and shrink. He was now a short, gray-skin, frog-like alien. He now had large eyes, which had rectangular pupils and horizontal eyelids. The worst part was he was only six inches tall. His watch is now on his back. Looking around, he had only a couple of words to declare.
He glanced around, seeing how tiny he was.
"Aww! Man." He said in a defeated tone.
Somewhere deep within Republic City. In a well-furnished room with a red carpet, tinted yellow windows, and many expensive things around the room. Purple silk banners hang from the ceiling, indicating a triple-triad hideout.
Though there was a nice red chair in the middle of the room, one man sat in that chair and enjoyed a big dinner. An old record player filled the room with an old, catchy tune. He wore nice firebender clothing and slick-backed hair with gray streaks.
The door to the room slams open, and Jin is thrown to the ground as the door behind him shuts closed. Jin quickly got up and bowed his head to the man.
"Sorry, boss, I couldn't get the people cleared out; you got to understand, boss, there's spirits everywhere now; something is going on," Jin said. The man who sat in the chair gave a side glare at Jin. A long, expectant pause filled the room. Only the sound of the man cutting his food could be heard.
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"And?" he asked
"What!? Zolt, did you not-" Jin was cut off by Zolt, who got up from his table. Jin heard the man in front of him was lightning bolt Zolt. The man was a master at lightning and firebending; he could easily cook him to a crisp.
"All I hear is excuses. You're going to gather a bunch of the boys up and kick those dirty non-benders out, and the next time you show up here empty-handed, I'll make sure you never see the light of day again," Zolt said, kicking Jin in the head. Jin quickly got up and covered his head wound, making sure he wasn't going to bleed on the carpet.
"Yes, boss, I understand," Jin said as he pulled himself off the ground.
"Good, now scram," Zolt said. Jin walked out and gripped his head. He would follow the boss's orders and not fail. Jin could feel the resentment grow. He didn't want to go back, not after that.
Okay, that was chapter three what did you guys think? Ube finally meets one of the team avatars in a super awkward way, Anyway, I am gonna save the heavy hitters like Humungousaur, Waybig, and Clockwork for way later down the line. I want Ube to have a very beginner playlist of aliens. So yeah anyway the next chapter comes out next week. So have I hope guys enjoyed the chapter. Also please leave a review it helps, Anyway hope you guys enjoyed it and have a great day.