Zuko and Katara
8:43 PM
Both the teens stood their ground at the three menacing men, Blake now behind the two kids. Speaking of Blake, upon seeing that Katara bent water, he indeed was a bit in shock, wondering what kind of magic she was using.
"H-How are you manipulating that water!?" Blake asked in a scared exclamation.
"Not sure if I can explain that to you right now!" Katara replied.
Scarecrow hummed as he studied the two teens. "So, the girl controls water...just what do you do, young man?"
Zuko glared at the morbidly dressed man and told him, "Why don't you come closer and find out!?"
Chuckling, Scarecrow shook his head, "No, no. Too easy there, young sir," he raised a sharp pointy finger to 'tut-tut' him. "And seeing as how I might be unmatched here, why don't you throw the first punch, Bane? Or just throw anything, really?"
"Hrmph!" Bane growled, "That is fine with me."
The muscled-bound man kneeled down to get ready to charge at one of the teens, which he shot through on his feet and charged at Katara, rearing both his arms to try to hit the waterbender and firebender!
Katara and Zuko, thinking quickly, rolled out of the way, Zuko to his right and Katara to her left. Blake also got out of the way of Bane's charge. Both teens ducked under Bane's arms as he charged right past them, with Katara getting back up into a kneeling position, using the water in her hands to make a water whip, letting it wrap around his ankle.
Grunting at the tension on his right ankle, Bane almost tripped but kept his balance. Looking back at the waterbender, he sneered and turned his left to face her.
Once she got her water whip around his ankle, she attempted to freeze him by pushing the water out to fly at him, hoping to freeze his entire being. Bane lifted his arms into an 'x' to shield the water coming at him, the water now frozen and covering the entire front of the muscular man.
Feeling like she took care of that, Katara turned to the remaining Villains and goaded them, "Alright, who's next!?"
Scarecrow and Killer Croc both glanced at each other and back at the kids.
"Hmph...it would seem we might be a little unmatched..." Scarecrow then smirked wickedly, "Or you two might've just underestimated us."
Confused by that statement, Katara looked behind her to see that...Bane was trying to break free of the ice she made...and it looked like he was winning. Zuko sees it too and so does Blake, the former feeling a little uneasy about the unpredictability of their opponents.
Bane used his enhanced monstrous strength to break free from the ice, the ice chipping away from his arms, some even chipping away from his legs.
He then broke off the ice, his arms breaking away from the frost, the ice also shattering and chipping off from his legs.
"RRRRAAAAUGHHH!" Bane roared viciously.
Amazed by the raw strength that Bane emitted, Katara and Zuko were a little taken aback by it. Zuko looked behind him and away from Bane to see...
"KATARA! WATCH OUT!" he exclaimed.
Katara quickly looked behind her, to see that Killer Croc was rushing towards her! Her eyes widened at how close he was, and she tried to gather more water to try and freeze him...
But Croc scooped and grabbed her by the neck!
"ACK!" Katara exclaimed as she was lifted from the neck by Croc's large, scaly, and sharp-talon-fingered hand.
"KATARA!" Zuko exclaimed. And just like that, he took action.
The firebender shot six small fire blasts at Killer Croc, hitting his left side.
"Argh!" Croc exclaimed at the slight pain but still kept holding onto Katara in his right hand. The fire blistered only a little bit on his hard reptilian skin, but he remained standing, ignoring the aftermath of the attack. He turned to Zuko with a menacing snarl and a sneer. Katara was trying to break away from Croc's hand, prying his fingers with her hand as her legs kicked around as she tried to escape his deadly grip.
Scarecrow blinked at that display of firebending. "Oh my...I think he should be taken care of first..." he muttered.
Zuko kept his stance and was ready to shoot a barrage of fire attacks again.
However, Killer Croc growled out, "Alright then, meat! You want to play that game!?" he turned his head to Katara, who was still struggling in his hand, "How about I make an easy little snack out of your girlfriend!?"
Eyes widened at Croc's suggestion, Zuko gritted his teeth and shouted out, "NO! DON'T YOU HURT HER!"
Croc chuckled cruelly, "I ain't gonna hurt her. I mean, she won't even feel me chomping down on her face!" he smirked evilly at the terrified Katara, "And I do like dark meat!"
"NO!" Zuko then waved his right hand and emitted a fire whip to swing at Croc's head.
Surprised by that attack, Killer Croc shielded his face with his muscular left arm, which hit his upper arm up to his elbow.
"Augh!" the pain that time felt like a heated whip had struck his hard skin, definitely blistering it just a bit.
Zuko reared the whip back and was about to hit Croc again, when-
A searing pain came from Zuko's right side! It felt like a claw slashed him!
Katara, upon seeing who slashed Zuko, called out, "ZUKO!"
Killer Croc growled at the pain that had been inflicted on him, setting his sights on the man who harmed Zuko. "Took ya long enough, ya damn burlap sack!"
It was Scarecrow who slashed Zuko! He slashed him with his syringe-fingered claw, creating deep slashes on his side as they ripped his shirt.
"ARGH!" Zuko exclaimed in slight agony.
Scarecrow turned to Croc, "I was studying my enemies, you know? I only strike when I can," he turned to Zuko, "Which by the way, the toxin is already in you, boy. Prepare to face your worst fear," he smirked, "I just wonder what it could be?"
Blake, meanwhile, sees all this as he sits there, completely frightened by the circumstances that these two kids are in.
Oh my gosh...I-I don't know who or what these kids are, but...I-I can't just sit here and do nothing! I'm a police officer! I protect the innocent! And these kids are getting hurt!
He quickly searched in his belt compartment, and upon finding something, he looked down to see one weapon that he had; a taser. He looked at the scene where Zuko was succumbing to the toxin.
Okay...this is it...if I die, then I die protecting people. I die protecting these kids...I die as a good cop in this city...I'm ready.
Meanwhile, Zuko closed his eyes as he grimaced and gritted his teeth from the sheer agony that was inflicted on him...when he opened his eyes though...
...He doesn't see the man who attacked him...
...He sees his father.
Zuko's eyes widened in shock.
And if that wasn't enough, his whole surroundings changed. It looked like they were surrounded by fire...lots of fire.
His father's figure was shrouded in darkness by the fire, the flames almost covering his entire being. It all felt like when Zuko was at the Agni Kai, thinking he was going to face one of the generals back at the Fire Nation Palace that he spoke out against...but instead, he had to face his father.
He looked down at himself, and also realized...he was back when he was thirteen...
Looking back up at the shadowy figure that was his father, Zuko suddenly felt...scared all over again.
He didn't know why, he faced his father before and told him off, fought back, freed himself from his mind games, but this...reliving this again just brought back...horrible memories.
"You worthless son of mine. You dare speak out in my war room and go against my will?"
Zuko couldn't say anything...he just stood there, looking at the shadow figure that was his father, Ozai.
"You have nothing to say, boy? Well, that's what you should've done in the FIRST PLACE, you miserable little runt! Say nothing, and don't interfere! Cause if you interfere...you get burned. Or better yet, you get scars. Scars to remind you of who you are!"
"...You...You have no power over me. I know who I am!" Zuko told the Ozai apparition.
"Yes...you're a failure."
"No! I am Zuko! Prince of the Fire Nation! And you are nothing but a monster who breathes only hatred and violence!"
"Is that so?"
The Ozai apparition got closer to Zuko, the shadowy facade fading...revealing something that made Zuko's skin crawl.
It was Ozai, his voice sounding like him, but at the same time...Zuko saw his own face instead of his father's. He even saw the scar on the left side of his face...just like his own.
The Ozai/Zuko apparition just smiled evilly, "Well, perhaps you need a reality check, do you?"
"...You're...You're not me..." Zuko said in a breathless terror as he backed away.
"Oh, not yet...but you will be. You'll be the person you hate the most."
Zuko looked at this person, not him, that was talking to him, the sheer horror and dread emerging from his face as he shook, his stance weakening.
"And really, it's like I said. You'll be a failure. To your country, to your uncle...and to your so-called friends." Ozai/Zuko said with an even more sinister smirk as he got even closer to Zuko.
"No...no...n-no, you're lying!" Zuko's legs gave out and he knelt there on the ground, putting his hands to his face.
"Am I? Or are you just lying to yourself-"
Then, suddenly, the Ozai/Zuko apparition started to yell out in pain.
"AAAUUGHHH!"
Zuko then snapped out of it and looked up. The 'person's appearance then started to morph in and out, letting him go back and forth from the apparition Zuko was seeing...to that Scarecrow guy! And there was someone else besides him, morphing in and out as well...it looked like...
Blake?
"What?" Zuko said in shock.
"ZUKO!" hollered out the voice of...
Katara!
A while back
Katara tried to struggle once again through Croc's grip, but it proved futile, his grip too strong. She could only watch as Zuko was in some kind of trance after being attacked by the Scarecrow guy.
"What-ugh-what did you do to him!?" Katara exclaimed, her voice strained as she tried to pry Croc's hand around her neck.
"We didn't do anything," Bane answered as he came up to them, Croc still holding Katara up, "Scarecrow unleashed his fear toxin on the young hombre. Whatever he sees, it's in Scarecrow's control now."
"Yeah. So watch your boyfriend get humiliated, ya wench!" Killer Croc said, bringing her face up to his face as he bared his pointed-razor-sharp crooked teeth at her.
Katara grunted and tried to struggle once more, not wanting to look at Croc's face and smell his horrid breath.
Scarecrow can only smirk under his gas mask, "Yes, only he sees what he sees, and hears what he hears. Maybe even smells what he smells if that's the case. All in all, this boy will have a taste of his own fear that resides in the darkest parts of his mind."
Katara gritted her teeth and looked over to where Blake was...and saw that he was a little ways away from Scarecrow and Zuko, but he was still in sight of Bane and Killer Croc. He was getting something out of his belt...
Blake took a moment to glance at Katara, and Katara glanced at him.
Knowing that Blake was probably about to do something (she hoped), she gave him a look that hopefully told him she'd distract them. Blake, with his scared expression, nodded once and turned to Scarecrow, trying his best to get the taser out without either of these villains knowing.
Katara then spoke out, "What are you-urk-three even doing!? What are your goals here!?"
"Goals?" the bulked-up Bane asked her with a raised eyebrow, "We are just transporting merchandise."
"Yes," Scarecrow looked over at Katara, "You don't have to worry about what we're doing as of now. You and the boy can just suffer together. Who knows? Maybe you can have a taste of my fear toxin?" he smiled in a sinister way under his mask, "Tell me, what's your fear, little lady?"
"I bet it's me," Killer Croc grinned wickedly at the waterbender, who still had her in his grip.
Katara glared at him as she struggled to speak by his grip, "Uff-I think looking ugly is hardly anything to be that scared by!"
Croc didn't like that one bit.
"You little bitch! I'll choke you and eat you alive!" Croc bared and gritted his teeth as he seethed. He was about to open his mouth, when-
"Waylon, wait!" Scarecrow exclaimed to him.
Croc closed his mouth and turned to glare at Scarecrow, with Bane looking back at the smaller Villain in curiosity.
"Actually..." Scarecrow grinned sadistically, "Maybe we should spare them. They have unique powers, surely, and that...could be something we could show to our employer."
But then, something hit Scarecrow in his side.
SCHIZZK!
"AAAUGHH!" Scarecrow started to convulse as the taser struck and shocked him.
Katara gasped as she saw Blake rush toward Scarecrow and shoved an object at his side.
Both Bane and Killer Croc were caught by surprise just a bit, but they were a little amused either way.
"Hrmph. Ol' Scarecrow should've paid a bit more attention to the cop," Croc muttered.
"To be fair, we should've also," Bane also muttered but had a twisted smile as he watched Scarecrow convulse, "But this was worth it."
"Heh, yeah. Here, hold the girl for me," Croc gave Katara to Bane, to which Bane grabbed her and wrapped his arm around her figure, constricting her whole body with his arm. Croc went and faced Blake, "It's time I eat a fresh copper."
But before Croc can go any further-
WHISH!
BAM!
"ARGH!" Croc's head was hit by some sort of...shuriken?
Katara saw the object land on the ground and saw it was some kind of...boomerang? A small metal boomerang?
Bane looked to his right and saw who threw it. He growled, "More nuisances."
Then, someone jumped on the back of the cop car, a young woman it looked like. She ran on top of it, jumping off of it and straight at Croc, delivering a punch right to the side of his face!
"GACK!" Killer Croc exclaimed.
The girl rolled on the ground but went back onto her knees as she got into a fighting stance. The girl was wearing a black costume, but had a blue cowl with pointy ears on the top of it, a yellow utility belt, yellow boots, yellow gloves that had metal bulbs on the gloves' knuckles, and a blue cape with the inside of the cape being yellow. The last noticeable thing was some kind of yellow and black insignia on her chest, the yellow part an oval and the black part having some kind of design on it. There was also a noticeable trait about the young woman; she had long red hair coming down through her cowl. Her eyes were shown through the cowl and she was wearing black lipstick on her lips as well.
Killer Croc growled at the young woman, "Well if it ain't Bat-bitch!"
"Language, Croc!" the young woman warned harshly.
Bane glared at the woman, "Batgirl. Just in time. Now, where is the little bird?"
"Right here!" an older but young male voice called out behind him.
Before Bane could turn around, his legs gave away, as they were pushed by a force, knocking him off balance and falling backward. The bulging muscled man fell over, gravity doing its job as the hefty man fell on his back and head. The man who did this slid underneath Bane as he kicked the back of his legs, knocking him over.
"UFF!" Bane grunted in pain.
The same man rolled over to Batgirl's left side and also knelt in a position, ready to face anyone. He was wearing a costume as well, but he was not wearing a cowl, only a domino mask on his eyes, and his hair was short and a raven-black color. His attire consists of red and black, his torso red, and the spandex on his legs black, with black boots and black gloves (with the same metal knobs on the knuckles of his gloves), and a yellow utility belt around his waist. He's also wearing a long black cape with the inside of it being yellow as well.
"Looks like we came here just in time, huh?" the man told Batgirl.
"Barely. Nice job back there, Robin," Batgirl told him with a smirk directed at him.
The man, known as Robin, also smirked back at her, "Thanks."
As soon as Bane landed hard on the ground, his left arm loosened around Katara, which she was wrapped up in. Katara then took the opportunity to get out of his grasp while he was still dazed from the concussion he just got, pushing the arm off and standing up, getting away from Bane and Croc as she instantly went to Zuko, who looked like he was still struggling on what is reality to him.
Killer Croc looked behind him to see Bane knocked down and saw Katara escaping from his grasp. He tried to grab her once again with his left hand, but then-
PHA-PWACK!
...a small but strong metallic claw grasped onto the left back arm, the claw sinking into his scaly flesh slightly and pulling it back just a bit!
"Ergh!" Croc exclaimed as the metal claw grasped and penetrated his skin.
"Not so fast, Croc!" Robin said as he pulled a wire rope attached to the claw, which was a device that he got out of his utility belt.
The gargantuan reptilian of a man wrestled with Robin's device, a grappling claw, using his strength to pull the wire. But Robin, also having a good amount of strength, pulled the wire to himself, letting Katara escape. Robin then pushed a button on the grappling claw and the device rapidly retracted back to the nozzle of the grappling gun.
Croc was not amused, baring his teeth as he growled, "You want a go, Bird Boy!?"
Robin smirked as he turned to Batgirl, "What do you think?"
Batgirl, who smirked back, replied, "If you want to take on the Croc, I take on the Bane?"
"Sounds good," Robin obliged as they stood up in fighting stances.
Meanwhile, Katara got away just in time to run to Zuko.
"Zuko!" Katara called to him as she knelt next to him.
Blake, meanwhile, felt the adrenaline rush leave him as he saw Batgirl and Robin come swooping in. Seeing that Scarecrow was still on the ground convulsing, he decided to rush over to Zuko and Katara as well to see if they were alright.
"Zuko! Can you hear me!?" Katara said to him, trying to get through to him.
Zuko was still in some kind of trance but he closed his eyes and gritted his teeth, letting his hands grasp his head as he tried to make sense out of what was happening to him...
...Zu-...
…-ko!
...Zu-...-ko!
...Zuko!
Zuko!
Then Zuko recognized the voice.
Katara!?
"Zuko!"
"K-Katara!?" Zuko called out.
Then...the toxin wore off...gradually it wore off, the surroundings becoming less and less blurry and the people that are already here are showing themselves...
"Zuko!" called out the voice of Katara.
Zuko looked to his left...and saw Katara, looking at him with great concern.
"...K-Katara?" Zuko said to her.
"Zuko! Are you okay!? That Scarecrow guy, h-he got you in some kind of trance! Y-You couldn't move, you were muttering things, and it...a-are you alright now?" Katara asked him.
"...Yeah...I-I think I am," Zuko nodded to her.
"Oh thank God," said a new voice, that being Blake, who was on Zuko's right side, "Then you must've had a small dosage of Scarecrow's toxin or something."
Zuko shook his head to clear it, "Wha-Where did the toxin come from?"
"From Scarecrow's right glove. The one with the syringe fingers," Blake clarified.
"So avoid that. Got it," Zuko nodded as he got up, but with the help of Katara and Blake.
Back to Robin, Batgirl, Croc, and Bane, the latter getting up and recovering from being tripped and having a concussion, the two villains stood side by side next to each other, while the vigilantes stood next to each other as well.
"Okay! You go left and I go straight!" Robin told Batgirl.
"Sure thing!" Batgirl agreed and rushed over to her left and forward at Bane, while Robin rushed at Killer Croc.
Croc got his eyes on Robin, while Bane had his eyes on Batgirl. Bane jumped to his size and delivered a surprise right punch at Batgirl, which she dove to her left and ducked, rolling near the kids and Blake.
Turning to the kids quickly, Batgirl said to Katara, "How is he doing?"
Katara, still a little surprised to see the sudden appearance of Batgirl, quickly registered she was talking about Zuko, and she replied, "I think he's doing okay! Uh, th-thank you both for helping us out right now!"
Batgirl turned back to Bane who was coming at her. She smirked and said, "Don't thank me and Robin yet!"
The female vigilante ran forward at Bane and saw an opening, which she slid underneath him in between his legs as he tried to grab her with his hands.
Then, Batgirl turned around while she was sliding, stood up, got out a special sharp Batarang in her left hand, and pounced onto the back of Bane, where the three tubes are attached to the back of his skull and onto his arms. Once she got on his back, she propped her feet on the arm tubes and grabbed onto the skull tube using her right hand. As she hung onto the tube that was connected to his skull, Bane struggled to get her off, reaching his arms back to get her, but proving futile because of her positioning on the overly-muscular man. She used the sharp Batarang to swipe and cut off the left tube that was connected to his left arm, the venom substance spewing out of the tube. She carefully swung back and used the same Batarang in her left hand to slice the other arm tube off, his right one, making it spew out venom as well. Then, she used the momentum and swung her body to swing her Batarang on the skull tube that she was holding onto, slicing it off. She let go of the tube and rolled onto the ground, completing her task.
Bane roared out in anger as the venom was spewing out of the tubes, making the overexaggerated muscles shrink down to his regular muscular shape.
Meanwhile, Robin and Killer Croc were doing their bout, the latter running toward the former with his mouth and teeth ready to chomp down on him. When Robin dodged to his right as Croc swiped a hand at him, he got out something in his utility belt as well; a small device.
"Stand still so you can be dinner!" Croc exclaimed angrily.
"Sorry, Croc, don't want to give you indigestion!" Robin also exclaimed, using the small device to aim. He pulled the trigger, firing off some kind of gel, a lot of it, and let it land on Croc's bare chest.
"What the-!" Croc shouted in disgust and annoyance.
Robin then pushed a detonator on top of the device, and then-
BOOM!
"GRAAUGH!" Killer Croc cried out in pain, the gel exploding off his chest. The force of the explosion pushed Croc back, making him stagger and disoriented a bit.
Zuko, Katara, and even Blake were amazed by what they witnessed.
"Wow..." Katara said with wide eyes, a little bit in awe.
"Yeah..." Zuko said as he blinked, pretty impressed as well.
"Man..." Blake muttered, his eyes also wide and his expression of pure amazement. "This is the first time I've seen these guys in action before."
Katara turned to Blake and asked, "Who are they?"
Blake turned to Katara and looked at her peculiarly...but upon remembering that she and her friend conjure up water and fire, he gets the feeling that they're really not from around here. And judging by how they acted when he first met them, it all makes sense.
"Um...well, they work beside their leader, the Batman. Their names are Robin, the guy, and Batgirl, the...uh, girl."
"The Batman?" Zuko asked Blake in slight confusion.
"Ugh!" Scarecrow hollered out, getting the attention of the cop and the teens. He was trying to stand up, struggling a bit as his legs almost gave out, but kept his balance. "Bane! Croc! Forget them! Just get to the van, quickly! We're leaving!"
Batgirl and Robin glanced at each other, puzzled. The other three looked on in confusion.
Bane growled as he was back to his regular muscular form, "NO! I want to BREAK THESE little NIÑOS!"
"RAAUGH! I agree with the Spaniard! I want to RIP THEM APART, BONE BY BONE!"
"Agh!" Scarecrow pushed down the pain that the shock of the taser gave him. "Think, you fools! Our employer would really not like for us to lose the merchandise! We spent too much time here as it is! Let's get out of here so he won't have our heads!"
Bane and Croc suddenly shifted attitudes, their anger cooled down as they were silent. Grunting in compliance, they rushed over to the van, their pride wounded, but until then, they would have another day to fight and prepare for their enemies' downfall.
However, Robin asked Scarecrow with a scowl, "Who's your employer!?"
"That, Batman's Little Sidekick, is none of your concern!" Scarecrow growled, "In fact, you and the Batbrat can have a taste of this!" he got something out of a small sack that was around his belt with his left hand. He got out three small balls that looked like smoke bombs, and raised his arm up, his hand ready to throw them down.
Robin and Batgirl both positioned themselves to get each of their birdarang and batarang out, not knowing what Scarecrow will supposedly do.
The villain smirked as he taunted, "Oh yes. Made some fear gas bombs just for this occasion. Or...maybe they're just smoke bombs in general? Who knows? Whatever they are, you don't want to risk me dropping them. So I suggest you let us leave."
Both the vigilantes paused in their ready stances, while Blake, Zuko, and Katara froze, not wanting Scarecrow to throw those things down to emit that fear toxin on them.
"Yes. Just let us leave. If you even throw your batarangs or your birdarangs at me, then I'll toss these things to the ground," Scarecrow advised.
Silence...both to Robin and Batgirl, to Blake, and to the teenage benders.
Scarecrow backed away and went to the left of the van, the three smoke bombs still in his left hand as he smiled wickedly behind his mask.
"Thank you," Scarecrow said as he opened the left door of the van to enter inside of it. Croc was already in the back and closed the back door, while Bane closed the driver's seat door of the van.
The van started up again...
...and they sped backward out of the alley!
The vigilantes, cop, and benders all jumped and rolled out of the way of the van as it sped past them, hitting the side of the cop car as it kept on going backward.
However, it stopped for just a second, the left window went down as Scarecrow stuck half of his body out of the window.
"Oh, what the hell, have them! Hahaha!" he laughed as the three smoke bombs were now in his syringed-fingered right hand and tossed the balls at them!
SCREEECH!
The van sped backward once again, escaping before the supposed fear gas bombs would detonate and spread.
But Katara was ready.
She bent some nearby water in a puddle and pushed a wave of water and ice at the three bombs.
The three smoke/gas balls were frozen solid instantly, letting them clang and clatter onto the ground, not once breaking.
The van sped back and out of the alleyway, turning to the left as they kept going, making their escape.
The rest of the alleyway went quiet.
...Robin, who was a little wide-eyed in shock at what he witnessed, said the following, "Well...that's something you don't see every day."
Batgirl blinked in shock as well, "Whoa...uh, yeah..."
Katara took a sigh of relief and turned to the older man and woman vigilantes, "Um...hi. Uh...what I did back there was waterbending...which, I froze the water into ice to stop these...um, fear toxin gas...bombs?" She looked back at Zuko and Blake for confirmation.
"Hey, don't look at me. I'm learning as well," Zuko said with a shrug.
Blake also answered a little unsure, "I mean, maybe?"
Robin and Batgirl glanced at each other in question. The former looked back at the three and answered them, "If we know Scarecrow, he would legitimately try to get in the last shot. So chances are, those smoke bombs probably were laced with fear toxin."
"Oh...um, then I did good?" Katara said a little sheepishly.
"I think you did," Zuko nodded with a smile.
Katara looked at Zuko and smiled back.
Batgirl also smiled back at the two teens. "We think you did great as well, kiddo."
The waterbender turned to the vigilantes, "Well, I can't get all the credit. Blake and Zuko helped out as well!"
Robin turned to Zuko curiously and asked him, "Do you have these 'waterbending' powers as well?"
"Uh, not exactly. I firebend." Zuko told him.
"Firebend?" Batgirl asked Zuko in intrigue.
"Yeah...uh, let me demonstrate," Zuko then lifted his right hand up and ignited a flame in his palm.
...Now Batgirl and Robin both blinked.
"...Okay, you two might need to start from the beginning," Robin told them.
Batgirl turned to Blake, "You don't, uh…'bend' too, do you?"
Blake smiled sheepishly, "Nope. Just a rookie cop in the middle of all this."
"Okay then..." Batgirl turned to Zuko and Katara, "Yeah, as my partner said, you might need to tell us what's going on."
Katara and Zuko both glanced at each other, wondering if they could.
"Um...would you like to start, Zuko?" Katara asked him with a sheepish smile.
Zuko just looked at her with a 'really' look, but sighed and said, "Okay..." he turned to Robin and Batgirl, "We...well, let's just say...we're not from here."
Deep Under Old Gotham Island...There Resides an Old Attraction
[Wonder City]
9:05 PM
...Ozai woke up.
"...Hm?"
...Ozai's eyes opened just a bit...he was staring up at...a faraway ceiling?
He was lying on the ground...it felt like...concrete...
Sitting up, he grunted, closing his eyes shut as the feeling of blacking out and regaining consciousness gave him some kind of headache.
Grabbing his head to clear his skull, Ozai muttered, "Ugh...what happened?"
My...My voice...it sounds strange...
He looked down at the clothing he was wearing...
...His attire looked...different.
He was wearing a red long-sleeved buttoned-up shirt, black khaki jeans, and formal black shoes. His hair was also down still...
He looked around his surroundings...they were also different.
He was not in the Earth Kingdom, fighting that lowly airbender named Aang...the so-called Avatar.
Instead, he was...at some kind of...underground city?
It looked like it. There were some buildings around him where he sat. Whether they had businesses in them or not, he doesn't know...either way, he looked to be in some kind of...gathering spot. A square. There was a yellow sun insignia in the middle of this square.
...Am I still in the Earth Kingdom?
He sluggishly got up from his sitting position, and took everything in…
"...What is going on here?" Ozai said to himself.
"That's what I like to know."
Ozai, surprised, got into a firebender stance.
"Who goes there!?"
"Ironically, that's what I should ask you."
Ozai looked up at whoever was speaking. It sounded loud like someone was speaking to him into a horn...
He scowled, "Who's there!?"
"State your name first."
Not liking this person's tone, Ozai gritted his teeth, "You dare speak to me this way!? Do you know who you're talking to!?"
"No. I do not. You appeared at the entrance of the Wonder City complex, quite literally out of nowhere. My League carried you here for me to interrogate you."
Raising a confused eyebrow, Ozai relayed what was said to him.
Wonder City? Where is that? And what does he mean by a League?
"Just where am I!? I want answers now!" Ozai yelled out to this mysterious voice.
The area was quiet...
...Then the voice spoke again.
"Let me ask you one question: Did you have any recollection at all of how you got here?"
This was making Ozai a lot angrier.
"No! I was in the middle of destroying the Avatar and regaining my rightful throne as the Phoenix King! Now I'm here somehow wearing these odd clothes and talking weirdly! Just what is happening right now!?"
...The voice spoke again.
"Hm. Interesting...how about this? You surpass a test, and I will reveal my name."
Sneering, Ozai snarled, "Really now!? And what, pray tell, is this test!?"
"You will see soon..."
...And then, it became silent all of a sudden...
...Ozai was on alert...
...Looking around, the Fire Lord stayed rooted in his spot...
...There was a slight shuffle.
Ozai looked up and saw some movement up on a building.
...There was also another sound, which he turned to a window of a building, almost seeing a shadowy figure pass by the window.
...Now there was the soft pitter-patter of...footsteps coming from behind him!
He turned around behind him and fired a fire blast in that direction.
FWOOSH!
The blast went straight, but the person dodged the attack by stepping to the side. The person, a ninja who was wearing all black armor, along with a helmet of some kind, as well as carrying a katana, which they were preparing to use!
The person swiped their katana, but Ozai arched his back and let the sword slash past underneath him!
However, Ozai delivered a right fire kick to the ninja, which struck that person, the blast sending them to the side.
Then, another ninja came and jumped out the open window of a building, using their katana in a downward slice. Ozai then shot his fists forward and fired a mighty stream of fire, which hit the armored ninja in the chest, sending them back into a wall of a building.
Ozai looked up just in case, to see that another ninja jumped off a building and used their sword to make a downward strike!
He jumped back out of the way to let the ninja fall straight and strike the ground with their katana. The ninja then stood up and used their sword to make slashes at Ozai, which he expertly parried, not only learning how to firebend, but to avoid sword attacks and arrows from crossbows.
After the ninth slash, Ozai punched a fire blast at the ninja, the fire blast hitting them in the armored chest, making them be pushed back as they slid on the ground with their feet. The ninja held onto their chest as they knelt and supported themselves with the katana blade embedded in the ground.
Then the man's voice came through again.
"That is enough."
Ozai looked up to wherever the voice was coming from.
"You seem to have proven yourself...in more ways than one. Warriors."
The ninja that was kneeling froze. Upon hearing the term was plural, Ozai looked around the area, to see that the ones he fought were also kneeling on the ground under this man's voice.
"You all may leave."
The ninjas then all stood up and rushed in different directions, away from Ozai.
"I will say, though, what you did there...what was that? Magic? You projected fire out of your being."
Scowling at the voice, Ozai answered him, "That was firebending, you fool!"
"Hm...I watch your tongue as to who you speak to. If you don't, you might have a chance to meet with a real demon."
"Demon?" Ozai uttered out in confusion...and with a little intrigue.
"Yes. Although, I do prefer myself as one...now, as for who I am..."
Suddenly, behind the ninja that was kneeling, someone was rising from the ground...it looked like some kind of elevator was rising, and it came from where the sun insignia was...
What came up from the ground and what was inside of the elevator, was a man...a man that wore a green cloak that draped around his body, the cloak having a high collar. From what he was wearing underneath the cloak, he seemed to be wearing a nice suit. His hair was that of a black color, but it was graying on both sides of his head. He also had an intense stare, almost like a glare, like he was looking right into Ozai's soul...
The man stepped out of the elevator and walked his way over to Ozai. The Fire Lord glared at the man, eyes narrowed as he gazed at him.
As soon as the man was a little way in front of him, he stopped.
"I, my peculiar anomaly, am known as Ra's Al Ghul."
End of Chapter 7
Okay! Tell me how I did with this one as well! :)
Things are starting to heat up (no pun intended there, I apologize. XP )! But now, the question is, what is gonna happen between Ra's and Ozai!? :O
Well, as of right now, we'll just have to wait for that answer! Also, I hope the fight scenes are…okay. I'm too good at this kind of stuff, so tell me how I did with that. Also, it's late, and staying up late may affect my writing, so yeah. D:
Until then, stay tuned for the next chapter! :D
Thank you all for reading and until then, keep on rocking everybody! :)
-TSP