[EDIT: 3/9/2023] Hey, so, I think I have something planned now for this story, meaning I've rewritten some parts in this chapter, but only in the Aang, Toph, Black Mask, and Two-Face scenes. So, you all might need to read this chapter again to know what I have planned for it. Sorry for confusing y'all whenever you read the latest chapter and some things are mentioned that I didn't specify early on in the story. D: Either way, I hope everything looks good from here on in! :D
- Gotham City -
Park Row
8:00 PM
- Aang -
"Okay...so, this is Gotham...wait, why am I repeating that again?" Aang shook his head to clear his mind, "Okay, okay, um...I just...got to find my friends...and hope I don't run into any of my enemies...whoever they may be...which I'm sure one of them is Ozai, I would think..." he groaned, letting his hand rub his bald head under his skull cap, "Man, I did not think this through."
Aang stood there on the sidewalk, lights hanging over him as they illuminated the dark night sky. Several people were passing him, either glancing at him in suspicion or just ignoring him entirely. It was then he decided to ask some of these people passing him by.
When he sees another man passing by, this one being a peached-white-skinned individual, he asks him, "Uh, hey, excuse me, sir? I was just...uh..."
But the person just passed him. Aang blinked at the man's uncooperative nature.
"...Well, that's rude," Aang frowned. He tried again as he saw another pedestrian, a darker-skinned man, walking his way, "Uh, hey, could you help...me?"
But that pedestrian walked past him also.
"...Man, so far, people in this Gotham here are really rude...and smelly," Aang said as he remembered the homeless man. He winced at the smell around him, "Actually, it does smell bad around here..." he then noticed something else when he got here.
Blinking, Aang was going to speak...but he closed his mouth.
Huh...wow. Actually, I hadn't noticed that my...words sound a little different...
"...Hello? Uh...hi?" Aang tried out the words he was conjuring out of his mouth. "My...name is...Oung? N-No, I mean, my name is...Aang."
...Wow. This language I'm speaking sounds...a little weird...but I know it somehow.
"...Maybe the High Spirit is somehow involved with this?" Aang asked himself.
As soon as another person, an older peach-white-skinned woman with white hair, was about to walk past him, Aang spoke out and stopped her, "Um, e-excuse me, Miss? I'm-I'm really lost as of right now!"
Thankfully, the woman stopped and turned around slightly to look at him, "Hm? Lost?"
"Yeah! I really need some help! I'm looking for my friends and...well, I just got to find them! Where are we right now?" Aang asked.
The older woman raised an eyebrow at the boy, "You seem to have an accent. Where are you from, young man?"
"Oh, I'm...uh...from..." Aang faltered there.
Oh man, do I say that I'm from...I mean, I don't know if she will believe that I'm from another world! I mean, that sounds too crazy! Even I think that sounds crazy!
"Kid? Are you there?" asked the woman.
"Oh! Uh...w-well, I'm...from...a far...far away land?" Aang winced, not liking the answer he gave her one bit.
The older woman looked at the boy oddly with a raised eyebrow. "...Okay...and where is this faraway land?"
"...I...uh...somewhere...really...really far away?" Aang said meekly with a sheepish smile.
"...Are you alright, young man?" asked the woman in what sounded like slight curiosity.
"Um..." Aang sighed and said, "O-Okay, look, I-I know I'm in Gotham, I just...well...where am I in Gotham exactly?"
The older woman now tilted her head, her eyebrow raised a bit again, "You're in Park Row...what's your name?"
"Uh...A-Aang?"
"...Hmm...okay then, Aang. Mind if I ask what your last name is?"
"Um...I don't...have one? I mean, I don't think I do..." Aang felt somehow uncomfortable on that one.
"...Hm. Well, do you happen to know where your parents are at least?"
Aang somehow froze at that question. "I...no, I...I don't..." he said forlornly, his eyes looking down at the ground.
Seeing that she hit a sore spot, the woman frowned sympathetically at the boy.
"...Do you need shelter right now, Aang?" she asked him in concern.
"Huh?" Aang looked up at the woman, "I...m-maybe?"
"Hmm...well, I was going home after coming from the hospital, so I can probably take you back there if you want."
"Hos-pital?" Aang raised a brow at that one.
"Don't worry, it's just to keep you there until they get the police to come over and pick you up. I know some people who work at the hospital and it's close by. The police are a little bit south from here on the main island, so it'll take a long time on foot. Hmm...in fact, I probably could call them right here."
"The po-lice? I...uh..."
I...really don't know who or what that all is...I don't even know if I should follow this person. I mean, I don't want to arouse suspicion and all that, but I feel like this will delay my time looking for my friends.
"Aang? You alright?"
Aang decided to back out on the woman's offer. "Y-You know what? I, uh, I think I'm good! I'll just, uh-"
But then, someone shot past them as that person swiped the woman's purse she was carrying.
"Hey!" the woman exclaimed as she tried to pull on her purse, "Let go!"
Surprised by this sudden action, Aang looked on at what was happening.
"You let go!" The thief, a man, exclaimed back at the woman, pulling on her purse with much force.
The woman didn't let up though, as she began to muster up more strength to get her purse back.
Oh my gosh! That guy is gonna take her stuff! What do I do?
As the struggle continued, the thief grunted as she fought back. "Damn it, ya old geezer! Don't make me use this on you and the kid if he intervenes!" he got something out of his coat, which was...a switchblade.
Aang's eyes widened.
Oh no! I got to save this woman!
"Stop!" Aang exclaimed as he punched a powerful air burst at the thief.
"Wha-GAAAAAH!" the thief yelled out and he slammed onto the building wall, spinning around after his impact and falling to the floor in a heap, mostly dazed and unconscious.
...The woman, who had her purse back, looked on at the display in absolute shock. She turned her attention to Aang, who was still in his punching stance.
"Um..." Aang started as he turned to the woman, "D-Don't worry! He's fine! I mean...well, he's probably unconscious, but I just used a little bit of air-"
"What the hell was that kid!?" the older woman asked him in amazed disbelief.
"Uh...airbending?" Aang said as he looked confused. Upon seeing that this woman probably hadn't experienced airbending before, he began to say, "Um, well, you see, I'm an airbender! And I'm-"
"A what!?"
"Wha...uh, an airbender? And, well, see-"
"Whoa!" exclaimed a male bystander as he ran up across the street and up to Aang, "That was amazing!"
"Holy crap, kid! What was that!?" exclaimed another man, walking up on the street they were on and over to them.
"Wow, young man, that was extraordinary!" also exclaimed a woman this time, rushing up to them in the opposite direction of the sidewalk, passing the unconscious would-be purse-snatcher.
"Dude, did you use the Force?" asked a younger teenage male with glasses on.
"Uh...wh-what?" Aang stuttered in confusion. "I, uh, I just bent...the air. I'm an airbender."
"Airbender?"
"Bent?"
"What kind of powers do you have, kid?"
"Is that your superpower?"
"S-Super-what?" Aang asked in bafflement.
"Hey, what's your superhero name?"
"What's that on your shirt?"
"Where are you from?"
"Are you from like a galaxy far far away?"
"I...uh..." Aang stood there as more questions kept coming from these strangers that were crowding him. The feeling of overwhelming suffocation was getting to him as they got closer and more people started to surround him. He didn't want to get this kind of attention, he just wanted to find his friends! And these people look like they won't leave him alone anytime soon!
"I-uh, look, l-listen, I, um..."
The airbender tried to find the woman that he first spoke to, but she was nowhere to be seen...
Then, a man took his skull cap off.
"Hey!" Aang exclaimed.
"Whoa! Is that a tattoo? Awesome!"
"Awesome? How old is this kid? He shouldn't be getting a tattoo his age!"
"Hey, it's like your cap! That's pretty cool!"
"Why are you bald?"
"Are you like from China or something?"
"I-...I..." Aang looked for a way out, any way out. Once seeing an opening from the crowd, he said, "I-I got to go!"
He then rushed through the crowd as he squeezed through the opening. Soon, as he got out, he began to air run away, away from the crowd of people with his bald head showing out to the world. He sped past all the other people on the sidewalk and crosswalks, stopping some cars while he was at it as they screeched to a halt.
"AH!" Aang yelped as he almost tripped when glancing at the car that almost hit him. Regaining his balance, he ran still, his speed bursting tenfold as he went through a straight line.
As he continued to run, he jumped over a car that was in front of him at the time and kept going. While running, he decided to make a left turn around a building and ran even further down that street. Not knowing where he was actually going, Aang decided to take certain turns around different streets as the symphony of colorful neon lights and light fixtures from streetlights and cars streamed by from Aang's point of view as he sped past them.
Where am I going!? I-I don't know! Everything looks the same! This whole place is huge! What do I do!?
Finally, he decided to take a turn around an alleyway, between two buildings where large metal containers were set up around the narrow area.
Panting from exhaustion, Aang had his hands on his knees as he bent over, tired from running.
"Pant, pant, pant...Uuugh," he groaned, "Man, I really should've handled that better..." he looked around his surroundings, "Huh...I wonder where I am now?"
Everything was quiet in the alleyway...
Feeling a little creeped out by the silence and the change of scenery, Aang shivered, "Okay...well, I'm...pretty much alone and I don't know where to find my friends...also I don't know where else to go..." he frowned, "...I hope everyone is alright...especially Katara."
Katara...I wonder where she is right now…
Mrrrooow...
"Huh?" Aang felt something rub against his right ankle. Looking down, he sees...a furry black-looking animal that looks almost like a smaller-eared Momo. It was rubbing against his ankle and looping around his foot...it was also purring... "Uh...hey there...um, little guy? What, uh...what are you doing out here?"
The creature(a cat) looked up at Aang and meowed. It then scurried upward to where the airbender was standing as it neared one of the large rectangular metal containers. The cat stopped and sat beside the container, waiting for the boy to come.
"Um...okay?" Aang decided to follow the weird-looking animal.
As soon as he neared the large metal container(a dumpster), the cat walked behind where the other side of the container was.
I wonder what this animal is showing me? Aang thought curiously.
When he turned around the corner of the dumpster...he gasped.
It was...a young girl.
Her dark raven hair was long, reaching to her lower back as she wore a black spaghetti tank top and dark blue skinny jeans. Her arms were also bare, but she had a metal arm bracelet around her right arm. The only thing that was not present and worn on her, are her shoes...her feet were absolutely bare.
Wait...bare feet…
He then looked at the cat where he had something in its mouth...
It looked like...a headband with two puffballs on each side of it...but it looked like it belonged to-
Aang's eyes widened and turned his attention back to the girl in shock.
"Toph!?"
The girl moaned, her eyes closed and her face scrunched up. "Ugh, quiet down..." Her eyelids opened her sightless eyes, "Man...what hit me?" she reached up to her head, rubbing it...until she realized that her hair was down. "Hey...where's my headband?"
"Toph?" Aang went to her side to help her up. "It's me, Aang."
"Wha-Twinkletoes?" Toph said in surprise. She felt his hands on her arm...which she noticed was bare. "Hey, what the-?"
"Hold on, Toph, let me just-" Aang began to say, but Toph interrupted him.
"Wait a minute, what the..." Toph felt the fabric of the tank top and the jeans she was wearing. "...What on Earth am I wearing?"
"Um...that I don't know," Aang told her as he looked down at her for a moment. Those pants look really tight...
As soon as Aang got Toph up on her feet, she also noticed something else. "Huh? Wait! Where are we? The last thing I remembered was that there was heat, and...we were falling."
Aang winced, "Um...well, see, here's the thing-"
"Wait...are we...are we dead?" Toph asked softly, her sightless eyes widened in horror.
"No! No, no, we are not dead, Toph," Aang clarified, "We are alive, we're plenty much alive...and...also in another world..." he finished with a cringe.
...Toph was silent...
"...Is that another way of saying we're in the Spirit World?" Toph asked her friend.
Aang sighed, "Toph, don't worry, we're not dead. We can still bend, so we're not in the Spirit World. Where we are right now is...literally another world."
...A beat...
"...Twinkletoes, you're gonna have to start from the beginning..." Toph stomped on the ground, "...Also, why is everything so tall around here?"
"...Right," Aang mumbled, "Um...well, see, Toph, here's the thing..."
Park Row
8:15 PM
- Iroh -
"...Ooouugh," Iroh stirred in a sitting position...
...Wait, sitting?
His eyes went wide open as he sat up in his spot.
"...What the...?" Iroh murmured in surprise.
What in...
First of all, wasn't he entrapped by rocks? And was he also about to be obliterated?
...Secondly...
"...Where am I?" he asked himself.
Iroh was sitting in an alleyway, his back against a wall as he looked at his surroundings.
"...Am I still in Ba Sing Se?" Iroh wondered. He then blinked, "My...words sound strange..."
He got up to stand...and when he did, looked down at himself.
Blinking once more, Iroh looked down at the clothes he was wearing. "What in the...what is all this?"
It appeared Iroh was wearing a grey business suit with grey slacks, a white button-up shirt with a red tie, and some black formal shoes. His beard and hair were still the same.
"...My goodness, what am I wearing?" he looked down at the tie and felt the fabric of it, "...What is this accessory for?"
Then, to his right at the end of the alleyway, something sped past where he was in his peripheral vision.
"Huh?" Iroh turned his head to the right.
...He saw more things passing by, each of them having...lights.
"...What?" he muttered in bafflement. He walked over to the end of the alleyway to see what that was.
Am I in the Spirit World?
Iroh paused in his steps, almost near the alley's exit.
...I need to test something.
He moved his hands in a fluid motion and shot his hand up to ignite a flame on his fingers.
"Whoa! Nice trick there, buddy!" said a scraggly voice behind him.
Iroh jumped a bit and turned around, getting himself in a readied stance just in case he had to fight.
"Whoa, slow down there, partner! I'm harmless!" said...a raggedy-clothed-looking old man who was sitting behind the side of a dumpster, in which Iroh passed. He had a dirty-looking beard, missing teeth, and probably smelled pretty bad if he got close to him.
"Oh...um," Iroh dropped his stance, "I'm sorry, I was…" he blinked as he realized something, "Wait a minute...I...I can bend."
The homeless man looked at him strangely. "Um...okay?"
"..." Iroh asked the man, "Excuse me, sir, but where am I as of now?"
"Uh...Gotham City?" the homeless man shrugged.
"Gotham...City?" Iroh blinked in confusion at that, "...Um...where-"
Then another vehicle behind him passed the alleyway. Hearing the car going past him, he turned around quickly in surprise. He ran up and out of the alley and walked into...
...a bright, bustling, and huge metropolis of a city...
Eyes widening in awe as he gasped, Iroh looked at these odd and foreign surroundings, his eyes staring at tall buildings, bright lights, and neon-lighted signs.
"What...What is all this?" Iroh muttered, in shock at this different environment.
Then, a car passed by him on the street as he stood on the sidewalk. Startled, Iroh looked on at the vehicle, floored at how something like that is even possible. Then another car came zooming by, each a different design than the last.
"What in the...world?" Iroh began to say, but it was then, as he said that, it hit him.
...World?
"...I...don't think I am where I am supposed to be..." Iroh said softly, in awe at the whole situation.
"Uh, hey, Mister?" said the voice of the homeless man.
Iroh turned to the man, a hopeful expression saying that maybe what he was about to say would give him some insight.
"Look, sorry to interrupt whatever you're having, but...do you have any spare change?" the hobo asked.
...Iroh blinked.
"Um..."
"Hey, what's the news doing over there?" said a male passerby, who was talking to his friend.
"Hell if I know. I just heard something went down," said the other male passerby.
Hearing this, and wondering what kind of happening is taking place, Iroh turned to where the two men were going.
...I need answers. Right now.
He turned to the homeless man and said, "Um, sorry I don't have any. I wish you good luck and prosperity in life though." And with that, Iroh went in the direction the two men were off to.
The hobo just frowned as he watched Iroh leave. "...I thought Asian folks are supposed to be rich."
When these two men went to the scene, Iroh once again was baffled.
There was a large van with words and symbols that he couldn't really comprehend, but there was some kind of crew that was holding equipment, and a woman with blonde hair(which was also an odd sight to Iroh) that was dressed differently holding some kind of...stick?
Goodness, that woman's outfit is way too tight.
The woman then spoke onto the stick, "This is Vicki Vale, reporting from Park Row of Gotham, where we just had a breaking news story of someone with superpowers that stopped a petty crime in effect. A boy, who is unnamed at this point in time, used some kind of power to push this crook to a wall and knock him out! Behind me, the police have apprehended the thief and taken him into custody. However, the question still remains: who is this boy, and what are his powers?"
Iroh listened in to the reporter and painted a picture of what might have happened at this scene of the crime.
Wait a minute...pushing power...what does that refer to? Pushing power...pushing power…
...Soon, his eyes widened in realization.
Wait! That almost sounds like-
"Here we have the victim of the purse-snatching crime to tell us the accounts of what happened, and hopefully tell us who this mysterious boy is," Vicki said as she gave the stick to an older lady. "Tell us your story, Miss."
"Well, simply put, I was minding my own business as I was walking home from my other workplace at the hospital, and this boy of Asian descent basically stopped me and wanted to know where he was. I was going to help him out, then all of a sudden, a crook was gonna take my purse! Then, he...I think air-punched the guy? Either way, he stopped the crook from taking my purse, and then after being crowded around by people, he ran off," the older woman said in her account.
"An air-punch, you say? Is there anything else you can say about the boy?" Vicki asked.
"Excuse me!" Iroh called out as he squeezed through the surrounding crowd.
Surprised, the woman and Vicki Vale both blinked as they looked at the newcomer.
"Um, pardon me," Iroh said as he got through the crowd. Once he did, he asked the lady, "Excuse me, Miss? You said a boy stopped a crime by using an 'air-punch'?"
"Um...yes. Yes I did," the older woman said, a little baffled.
"What did he look like?" Iroh asked the question.
"Well...he was wearing casual clothes. I think he was bald as well."
Eyes widening at this information, Iroh then asked one final thing, "Did it have a blue arrow on it?"
The woman looked shocked, her eyes widened.
"Excuse me, Sir? Do you happen to know this boy?" Vicki shoved the mike to Iroh's face, which took him by surprise.
"Wha...wha-what, what is this thing?" Iroh asked as he stared down at the mike.
"...Um...a microphone?" Vicki Vale answered with a raised eyebrow in disbelief.
"A...micro-phone? Um...I'm sorry, I, uh...I don't really know-," Iroh began to say, but was interrupted.
"Yes."
Iroh and Vicki turned to the woman in surprise.
"Yes, he did," the woman said with a nod, "Although the boy was wearing a cap with a blue arrow on it, I think I saw a glimpse of an arrow tattoo on his head."
"...My word, that's Aang," Iroh muttered in shock, "What is Avatar Aang doing here?"
"What? Avatar Aang?" the lady asked Iroh.
"Oh! Um, well, you see-" Iroh began, but once again interrupted.
"Avatar Aang? Is that his superhero name?" Vicki asked Iroh.
"Wha-...superhero name? What is a superhero?" Iroh asked her.
"...Ugh, cut!" Vicki Vale told the film crew with a 'cut it' gesture. Once they turned the cameras off, Vicki said to Iroh, "Look, this is serious here. We're trying to report the news. Now's not the time to be funny."
"But...I am not," Iroh admitted, "I don't even know how I got here in your city! Your city is called Gotham, right? And why are these buildings so tall?"
"...Hoo-boy," Vicki rubbed her temples, "Look, we need you to be honest with us, alright? So far these witnesses saw what you described, and we want to know the full story."
"Full story? Um, about what?"
"We want to know who that boy is that stopped this crime! You said his name is Avatar Aang?" Vicki asked.
"Oh, well, his name is actually Aang. Avatar is just a title."
"Really? Is it a superhero title?" Vicki asked with wide eyes, now finally getting somewhere with this conversation.
"Uh...you might need to tell me what a superhero is, young lady," Iroh said to Vicki.
Vicki blinked, "Are you serious? It's like what Batman is! A hero who does super things!"
"Oh...wait, Batman? Who is he?" Iroh asked.
Before Vicki could lose her cool, the older woman said to the reporter, "Excuse me, this is one of my patients from my clinic. He's, uh...suffering from memory loss. I think it's good to not ask him any more questions."
"Oh..." Vicki looked at Iroh for a moment, while Iroh looked at the older woman for a moment as well, confused.
"Wait, I am not losing my memor-"
"Quickly, what is your name?" the woman asked him.
"Wha-...uh, Iroh."
"Good. Keep remembering that," the woman turned to the reporter, "Excuse me, but I have to tend to my patient here. I didn't realize it was this bad."
"Oh, um...okay, sure," Vicki said as she stood there, flabbergasted.
"Come on, now, Iroh, we need you to get back to my clinic so I can give you some more mind exercises," the woman said to him.
"Um...I-"
Then the woman went to his ear and spoke into it, "Play along."
"Uh...o-okay..." Iroh said, submitting to the woman.
As soon as they walked away from the crowd and the news team, and rounded a corner, the woman said to the older man, "Okay, I think it's time I get some answers from you."
"Oh, uh, well...I mean…was I supposed to act ignorant back there?" Iroh asked in confusion.
The woman smiled a bit, "Let's start over by introducing ourselves. My name is Leslie. Dr. Leslie Thompkins. I own my own clinic around here. And you are?"
"Oh, uh...well, my name is Iroh. Prince of the Fire Nation...or, I guess I should say, former Prince...and former General of the Fire Nation Army...um, I am pretty much from the Fire Nation on my...uh, world. That's basically what you need to know. I hope that, uh...makes sense," Iroh said sheepishly with a shrug.
"..." Leslie blinked, "...I...really think we need to sit down and talk about all of this over at my place."
"...Do you happen to have any jasmine tea?" Iroh asked her with an uncertain smile.
8:18 PM
- Aang and Toph -
"...And then, I wake up here and find myself in these weird clothes! I asked anybody for help and I got the attention of an old lady. The old lady said she was gonna probably help me, but then a guy was about to snatch her purse, and I stopped him from doing so by airbending! And everyone around the area was like 'ooooh'ing and 'aaaah'ing over what I did! I think even the old lady I rescued was shocked! They even asked me questions about who I was, and...well, I guess I got cold feet from all the attention, and I ran off! And then I was here, and then I found you in...similar weird-looking clothing...oh, and this small animal led me over to you!" Aang finished up his explanation to Toph.
Toph just stood there, listening to her friend as she took all of what Aang had said into account...
"...Okay, I got three questions," Toph spoke out.
"Um…okay. What are they?" Aang asked her.
"Well, for one, this High Spirit stuff...sounds a little too out there for me. Like he created everything and all that? Why can't he just rewind things and then you can activate the Avatar State before the big battle?"
"Well...he said if he did, we wouldn't remember anything. We would be replaying out the same stuff in our time."
"Okay, okay. So, it's a law of physics and laws of nature thing. I get that. I just think the whole High Spirit thing is a little...cliche."
"Toph, there are some Spirits out there that we don't know too much about."
"And yet I don't have the capacity to see them."
"...Uh, okay then. Duly noted. Um, anyway, what's the second question?"
"Well, we're in a different world, right?"
"Yeah...?"
"If that's the case, then how different is this world?" Toph asked.
"...Toph, I don't mean anything when I say this, but believe me, if you were able to see anything rather than feel and sense what's around you, then you'll understand when I say...this place is...different."
"I mean, duh, I don't doubt that. Like, why would people need to be in such tall buildings? All I'm just saying is that, do they bend?"
"...Oh. Well...maybe...uh...I mean, maybe not?" Aang winced.
"...Hm. Then you might have made a spectacle over where you were. From what I'm hearing, I don't think these people even know what bending is," Toph speculated.
"What do you mean?" Aang blinked in confusion.
Toph shook her head and sighed, "Twinkletoes, think for a second. Sure, you're known as the last airbender, but would they say something like, 'Oh wow! You're an airbender!' or something? You make it sound like they didn't even know bending existed!"
"...Oh..." Aang glanced at the black cat that was playing with Toph's headband. He should probably tell her that her headband is over there…
Actually, Toph looks really nice with her hair down.
Aang blinked at the thought, his heart beating fast for just a second.
...Okay, that was weird.
Toph felt the spike in heartbeat but didn't think anything about it, as she asked the final question, "Okay, third and final question..." Toph went up to him, making Aang freeze at what she might do.
...Wow, the way she walks in that outfit is kind of-
Then, all of a sudden, Toph flicks his nose with her fingers.
"ACK!" Aang held onto his nose as the stinging flick went away quickly.
"Why haven't you mastered the Avatar State yet!?" Toph raised her voice in aggravation.
"...Um...it's...complicated?" Aang answered sheepishly.
Toph just frowned, pursing her lips. "Ugh! Twinkletoes, you got to let go of whatever attachment you're holding onto! What is this attachment anyway?"
"...Like I said, it's complicated," Aang mumbled.
Toph sighed, "Well, in the meantime, take what this High Spirit said into account and start getting serious! You don't have to kill the Fire Lord, just beat him up a little bit!"
"Toph, I-I can't do that! Violence would lead to more violence!"
"Then what the heck are we even doing then in this war!? What do you think we were all going to do, talk to them nicely!?"
"Toph, you don't understand! I can't let go of the teachings the monks taught me! All life is sacred, even the High Spirit said that!"
"Ugh! Twinkletoes, I'm really sorry to say this, but that's some major bullcrap!"
"What!?" Aang exclaimed in shock. "Toph! Th-That's my heritage!"
"Look, Aang, what did you think the Air Nomads did when the Fire Nation came to the temples?"
His eyes widened at that thought, Aang's eyes looked down as he frowned deeply. "Don't go there, Toph."
"..." Toph sighed, "Look, I'm not gonna sugar-coat it...but I'm not gonna go too far, either," she explained, "But you can't honestly tell me that some didn't fight back that day at their Air Temples."
"...I don't want to talk about this, Toph," Aang's frown turned somber as he closed his eyes to drown out the thought of Monk Gyatso fighting them...when he saw his skeleton...around...other dead Fire Nation soldiers...
...Wait...actually, what were those dead Fire Nation soldiers even doing on the ground near Gyatso...?
Toph just sighed as she shook her head, "Okay. Fine...but you got to awaken the Avatar State some way or another."
"...I...I know..." Aang looked up at Toph, "I don't want to lose you guys...I...I don't want to lose people that I care about. You and everyone else are like...are like family to me."
Toph stood there for a moment...and said, "Well, fight for your family then."
...That...actually sounds profound…
"...I'm really glad I found you, Toph," Aang said with a small smile.
Toph smirked, "You better be, ya dunderhead."
Chuckling, Aang then glanced at the cat that was...running away with Toph's headband.
Aang blanched, "Toph! Your headband! The animal is getting away with it!"
"Huh?" Toph turned her attention behind her and stomped on the ground. She sensed some pitter-patter paws on the ground. "Well, crap, let's get this...uh, what is it?"
"I...don't know, it looks like either a...fox-cat, or-"
"Nevermind, we got to follow that critter!" Toph said as she sped on foot to get to the cat.
"Whoa, wait up!" Aang called out to her.
They ran(Aang ran normally this time) to follow the black cat, but it was hard to do so since it was nighttime, and Toph couldn't really get a sense of where the cat was, since it sped by pretty fast as it went past trash cans and dumpsters.
"Damn it, it's too fast! Do you know where it went!?" Toph asked Aang.
"Um..." Aang looked at the end of the alleyway to see that the cat was crossing a street. "Straight ahead!"
"Well come on, we got to catch it!" Toph said as she sped out of the alleyway.
They ran across the street and into another alleyway...but when they did, two expensive-looking cars came around the corner of a building and drove up to the street, circling around the block.
The kids soon went to another alleyway to their left as they followed the cat in what looked like a dead-end. But as soon as they were about to make some progress on catching up to it, however, Toph froze.
Aang almost ran into her back, stopping just in time to not bump into her. "Whoa! Toph, what's wrong?"
...Toph slammed her foot down on the ground...and then froze.
"Uh...Toph? What is it?" Aang warily asked.
...She slammed the ground with her foot again.
"...I think there are some...tanks nearby?"
"Tanks?" Aang glanced around at his surroundings.
"They're around here. I think back behind us, " clarified Toph.
Aang, who was now curious, went to the back of the alley to glance over the corner to see if anyone was coming. Poking his head out, he sees down the end of the other alleyway...and soon some guys in dark business suits came into his vision.
Then, Toph suddenly pulled Aang to the side, slightly startling him. Toph went ahead to hide behind the corner of the wall, while Aang was at her right to let himself be concealed as well.
"Let's stay quiet for now," Toph whispered to Aang.
"Uh, yeah," Aang whispered back in agreement and tried to listen in as well.
...They heard some faint footsteps in the distance...
It was quiet for a second, until a voice, one that sounds slimy, arrogant, and sadistic, spoke out, "Okay then! We're in a nice, calm, and quiet alleyway, and no one but us is here...there ain't no one here, right?"
"Probably," said a deep voice, devoid of emotion, "Maybe a few cats or dogs scurrying around here."
"I meant are there any people here, Dent?"
"You insultin' me, Sionis? Are you wanting me to cancel this little meet-up right now? Or maybe you want me to decide if I should let this alliance end with a flip of a coin?"
"Alright, alright, sheesh. Just wonderin'."
"I know you don't trust me, Black Mask. Hence, the reason why you brought your bodyguards with you. If it makes you feel any better, I don't trust myself either."
"Oh, so that's also why you have your bodyguards with ya as well?"
"Hmph. Either way, you don't have to fret about anything. This block has no working businesses around here, so no one should be around this area. Also, this place is a good hiding spot from everybody else, including the damn cops. So no worries about anyone listening in on us."
"...Alright then. Well, in that case, let's get down to business then, shall we, Two-Face? You got the cash?"
The sound of someone snapping their fingers.
"Of course. Just know that this is all for Penguin becoming Mayor of Gotham."
Toph listened in for a moment, face scrunched up in displeasure. She whispered to Aang, "I think we might be in the middle of some illegal activity in this world, Twinkletoes."
"Really?" Aang asked in shock.
"Yeah...hey, maybe you can give out an aerial view on top of some of these buildings?"
"Oh, uh, yeah! Sure thing," Aang whispered back to her.
He then stood up, took a deep breath, and blew a stream of air gust downward to fly him up to the top of the three-story building. Once he reached the top, he grasped the edge of the building and pulled himself up. Once Aang climbed to the top of the building, he rushed over to the edge of the building to see the scene happening below him...
...Although, his eyes widened when he saw what kind of appearances these people had.
One of them, a man, was wearing a black and white suit with each of the colors being vertically cut in half, black on his left side and white on his right side. Even his slacks had the same design on them. He had dark raven hair on his right side and white-out hair on his left side...but the most disturbing part about his left side was that...it all looked burnt.
Meanwhile, the other person, a male also, was wearing...a black skull-ish mask? He was wearing a black suit with black slacks as well.
There were also two pairs of four men, each of them with these strange-looking individuals, all suited up. Possibly their bodyguards. But Aang couldn't help but look down at the supposed leaders of these gangs.
Whoa...they look...grotesque.
One of the two-sided man's henchmen was carrying a closed briefcase. Soon, he opened it to reveal the contents inside; a bunch of money, each stack of bills being tied down and neatly placed in the briefcase. It was enough to make the black skull-ish character's eyes widen and even make his mouth water.
"Aaah, very good, Dent. Well then, I'm a man of my word, so we can send one of our guys to the back of the car to fetch out the merchandise," the man with the black skull(Aang thinks he heard Black Mask) said, as he waved two of his lackeys to get said merchandise. "Until then, consider this alliance formed." he stuck his hand out for the two-sided man(Aang thinks this one was obviously Two-Face) to accept it.
"Hrmph, yes," Two-Face nodded to two of his men, who both followed Black Mask's two men to the back of the car, "With more of Gotham's Underworld at Penguin's side, there will be no competition." he accepted the handshake from Black Mask.
"Heh. Yeah. Although, Bruce Wayne is certainly getting some support," Black Mask muttered.
"Bruce...hmph. Hard to believe he wants to be involved in politics."
"Tch. Seems the playboy billionaire has a righteous side after all. It wouldn't matter either way, though, 'cause he'll be eliminated just like the rest."
"Hrm. He shouldn't be playing a big man's game to begin with."
"You were friends with him one time, right?"
"...I was. Almost feel sorry for the guy to be involved with all of this. Guess the reality finally hit him on how his parents built this city and decided to follow in their footsteps. ...He should've stayed in his safe mansion relaxing in his bed with some broad as he watches the news instead of deciding to play with the big leagues."
"Tch, yeah. I ain't lettin' no suave pansy be mayor of this city."
Aang watched in curiosity but also kept quiet while these men proceeded with their seedy conversation.
Then...something touched the back of Aang's head.
It felt like a small barrel...and then, a voice.
"And just what, may I ask, are you doing here, young man?" said a refined man's voice behind him.
Aang froze.
"Uh..."
"Normally I don't shoot kids, so consider yourself lucky. Although, I am getting paid to be a lookout for unwanted intruders."
"...Um, hey, I'm really sorry, I mean, I probably shouldn't-"
"Yes, you probably shouldn't. And don't try any of that sweet talk, kid, you were the one who was looking down at my employer's deal. Black Mask pays me good enough as it is, and I don't want his trust in me to be tarnished."
"...You...You really wouldn't hurt a kid, would you?" Aang asked, his heart skipping a beat, the rising fear of what might happen to him even if he moved. "I mean, what-what are you gonna do to me?"
"Oh, no worries. I'm not a mere thug. I have standards on who I kill. I'm actually out here to try and snipe a certain bat if he ever comes near this little dealing that's going on. And that's a big if."
"Huh? Bat? What kind of bat?"
"...What?"
"Well, I mean, is it a lemur-bat, a bear-bat, or...oh..." It was then Aang remembered that he was in another world. "U-Um, nevermind..." But it was then, Aang remembered something else...
Wait, bat? ...Like, as in, Batman?
The man then did the unexpected thing and chuckled, "Well, kiddo, I don't know if you're taking me as a fool, or if you have a really wild imagination."
"I, uh...yeah, I just have a wild imagination," Aang said with a nod, finalizing that apparent 'fact'.
"Hm. Well, either way, as I said before, consider yourself lucky that I don't shoot kids unless I really have to...although whatever Black Mask or Two-Face will do to you, is out of my control."
"Black Mask? Two-Face? Are they the people down there with really weird faces?"
"Hm-hm. You better be glad they didn't hear you say that. And yes."
"Okay...I got another question."
"Sure. Shoot."
"Uh...okay...who is Batman?"
"...You don't know who Batman is?"
"Um...not really? I'm, uh, new here. I-In Gotham!"
"...Hm. Turn around for a second, kid."
Aang did as he was told...and saw who was holding him hostage.
The man had a strong build and wore some sort of red suit with a metal helmet headgear, and some metal plating on his arms, wrists, legs, stomach, and chest. His top wrists have gun barrels on them, while his face is bare, and has a dark mustache, along with a crosshair bullseye lens covering his right eye. He was also holding some kind of weird weapon, the object that was poking the back of Aang's head.
"Whoa..." Aang said in awe, "Who are you?"
"They call me Deadshot, kid," the man known as Deadshot answered, "I'm gonna be honest; you're in a tight spot, and I want to get paid, so here's our little deal. But first, how much do you know of Batman?"
"Um...very little? I, uh, heard his name before, and I wanted to ask."
"...Okay then. Now, the deal I'm presenting to you is this: Walk away from what you're hearing down there and keep walking. Go down the stairs here and leave without knowing what has transpired."
"Um...really? You're going to let me go?" Aang asked, a little flabbergasted.
"You don't seem to be a threat. And I'm being very generous right now. You don't want Two-Face, or even worse, my employer Black Mask to get a hold of you."
"...Well...why do you work for him? Or people like that in general?" Aang asked him in curiosity.
"Black Mask pays good money. Now, I advise you to leave."
"...Well, you know, you don't have to work for people like that."
"...I know. Now I reiterate again, leave."
"Uh...o-okay-"
Mrrooow
Aang and Deadshot turned to the sound of a cat, the same cat who had Toph's headband, which was running over to where they were...but it rushed past them and jumped over to the next building across the one they were on.
"Whoa! Little guy, watch out!" Aang exclaimed.
But the cat then used its claws to hang on the ledge and pull itself up, safely going to the other side of the building as it rushed forward.
...A pause...
And Deadshot and Aang could only think of one thing.
Shit.
Oh, monkeyfeathers.
"What the hell was that!?" Two-Face's low voice hollered.
"What in the...!?" Black Mask exclaimed below them. He then seems to be talking to Deadshot somehow, as he says, "Deadshot, where are you!? You're supposed to be keeping guard!"
Deadshot sighed as he touched his earpiece and said into it, "I...caught up to an intruder. It's a kid."
"Well then, kill the brat already!"
Aang gasped in horror as he heard the exclamation. Did that really come out of that guy's mouth?
But...he's not going to kill me now, right? He let me go, and...he can pretend he killed me...right? Besides, he said he doesn't kill kids!
However, Deadshot went silent for a moment, and said into the earpiece, "Roger."
…Roger? What does that-
"You should have left, kid," Deadshot muttered as he raised his weapon at Aang.
Aang's eyes widened in horror as he backed up, "Wa-Wait!"
BANG!
End of Chapter 2
Aaand Aang's dead!
…LOL, nah, he isn't! I mean...spoiler alert. XP
But now things have gotten pretty bad! Oh no! D: Will Aang survive? Will Toph come to the rescue? Will SOMEONE come to the rescue? Well, we can only hope Batman will. *hint-hint*. LOL! Either way, tune in next time! ;)
But yeah, tell me how it is! :D Give me a review, a fave, and a follow! I love them all! ^_^
Until then, thank you for reading, and keep on rocking everybody! :)
-TSP